U.S. patent application number 10/811937 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-23 for vacuum packaging method and mechanism.
Invention is credited to Chang, Yen-Ming, Huang, Eh-Dih.
Application Number | 20050132669 10/811937 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34676178 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050132669 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang, Yen-Ming ; et
al. |
June 23, 2005 |
Vacuum packaging method and mechanism
Abstract
A vacuum packaging method and mechanism for vacuum sealing a
sealing body mainly draws air by a vacuuming apparatus through the
periphery of the vacuuming apparatus to adsorb the sealing body
smoothly onto the vacuuming apparatus without forming creases to
prevent air from seeping into the sealing body; then move the front
end of the vacuuming apparatus into the sealing body until reaching
the core material contained in the sealing body for sucking air in
the sealing body; meanwhile an airtight compression module and a
thermal press sealing apparatus are used to seal the sealing body
in a vacuum condition in a short period of time.
Inventors: |
Chang, Yen-Ming; (Hsinchu,
TW) ; Huang, Eh-Dih; (Hsinchu, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Family ID: |
34676178 |
Appl. No.: |
10/811937 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/434 ;
53/512 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 31/06 20130101;
B65B 31/043 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
053/434 ;
053/512 |
International
Class: |
B65B 031/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 23, 2003 |
TW |
092136629 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vacuum packaging method for vacuum sealing a sealing body
which contains a core material, comprising at least steps of:
sealing thermally the sealing body around the core material except
a reserved opening; inserting a vacuuming apparatus through the
reserved opening until reaching the core material; adsorbing the
sealing body onto the vacuuming apparatus; sealing the sealing body
locally on the reserved opening and around the adsorbing area;
vacuuming the sealing body through the vacuuming apparatus; and
sealing thermally the reserved opening of the sealing body.
2. The vacuum packaging method of claim 1, wherein the reserved
opening of the sealing body is slightly larger than the vacuuming
apparatus for the sealing body to couple the vacuuming
apparatus.
3. The vacuum packaging method of claim 1, wherein the step of
adsorbing the sealing body onto the vacuuming apparatus is
accomplished by drawing air on the periphery of the vacuuming
apparatus to adsorb the sealing body onto the vacuuming
apparatus.
4. A vacuum packaging mechanism adopted for use on a sealing body
which contains a core material, comprising at least: a vacuuming
apparatus included a front end and a periphery to draw air passing
through a reserved opening of the sealing body until the front end
reaching the core material, air suction being performed on the
periphery to adsorb the sealing body abutting the reserved opening
onto the vacuuming apparatus; an airtight compression module
abutting the vacuuming apparatus to locally seal the surrounding of
the reserved opening so that the vacuuming apparatus vacuums and
maintains the seal body in a desired vacuum condition through the
front end; and a thermal press sealing apparatus abutting the
vacuuming apparatus to compress and thermally seal the reserved
opening when the sealing body is in the desired vacuum
condition.
5. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 4, wherein the vacuuming
apparatus includes a reciprocal air suction module which is located
on the front end of the vacuuming apparatus in an extendable
manner.
6. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 5, wherein the
reciprocal air suction module is flattened.
7. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 4, wherein the vacuuming
apparatus has a flattened cross section and a porous section for
sucking air to adsorb the sealing body onto the vacuuming
apparatus.
8. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 7, wherein the porous
section is made from a sintered powder metallurgy material.
9. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 4, wherein the front end
and the periphery of the vacuuming apparatus suck air separately
and independently.
10. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 4, wherein the airtight
compression module includes an upper plate and a lower plate to
clamp the vacuuming apparatus to form a local sealing on the
sealing body in the center thereof.
11. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the upper
plate and the lower plate are turnable about one side thereof to
clamp the vacuuming apparatus.
12. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the upper
plate and the lower plate are formed in U-shape with the opening
end clamping the sealing body along the periphery of the vacuuming
apparatus.
13. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the
airtight compression module has a sealing pad.
14. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 13, wherein the sealing
pad is an elastic material.
15. The vacuum packaging mechanism of claim 14, wherein the sealing
pad is made from rubber.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum packaging method
and mechanism adopted for use for a sealing body which contains a
core material and particularly to a direct vacuuming method that is
coupled with a special vacuumed apparatus to seal the sealing body
that contains the core material in a vacuum condition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The vacuum packaging technique was first developed in 1940s.
Since 1950, with successful developments of polyurethane and
polystyrene films, vacuum packaging techniques for merchandise
packaging have been developed rapidly. Vacuum package generally is
to place goods in an airtight container, and evacuates the air
inside the container before sealing the opening of the container.
Its main purpose is to prevent oxygen and moisture from entering
the container to avoid microbes from breeding in the container or
the goods from oxidizing and deteriorating. It also can prevent the
container from being expanded or cracked. This happened in the past
when package was sealed thermally. Vacuum packaging can be used for
a wide variety of goods, such as processed meat and grains, and
electronic products that might be degraded by oxidation. The vacuum
packaged goods generally have a shelf life as much as three times
of the goods not being vacuum-packaged. When the core material are
open-cell polystyrene foams, open-cell polyurethane foams,
carbon/silica aerogel or the like, the thermal insulation effect of
the vacuum insulation panel is three to seven times the
conventional blowing PU. Moreover, the vacuum condition of the
sealing body can be maintained without degrading when air and
moisture permeability is low. Therefore it can be used for a long
period of time in refrigerators or other apparatus that need to
preserve temperature.
[0003] Although the conventional direct vacuuming techniques do not
have dimensional limitation for the sealing body, and are
applicable for packaging versatile of goods in small quantities,
during vacuuming the pressure difference between the interior and
exterior tends to create creases on the sealing body that contains
core material. This not only makes packaging quality difficult to
control, using fixtures to anchor the sealing body also tends to
damage the structure of the gas deterrent film during thermal
sealing operation. To remedy the foregoing problems, U.S. Pat. No.
6,106,449 discloses a vacuum insulated panel and container that
coats a leak-proof oil on an evacuation tube and inserts the
evacuation tube into an evacuation hole of the sealing body until
reaching the core material contained in the sealing body. This
prevents creases caused by the pressure difference during the
vacuuming operation and block outside air from entering the sealing
body. While it can improve the vacuum quality, its production
process is complex. The production process takes much more time.
The quality is difficult to control. It creates a lot of
inconveniences to operators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Therefore the invention aims to resolve the problems
mentioned above by providing a vacuum packaging method and
mechanism that does not require coated leak-proof oil and does not
have dimensional limitations. Further, it should be applicable to
products in varying quantities, and also should provide a
simplified production process to make quality control easier. The
invention can be added modularly according to preference.
[0005] The vacuum packaging method and mechanism according to the
invention includes a vacuuming apparatus that has a front end and a
periphery for drawing air respectively, an airtight compression
module and a thermal press sealing apparatus. The method includes,
first, encasing a core material in a sealing body by thermal
sealing that has a reserved opening. Second, inserting the
vacuuming apparatus into the reserved opening until in contact with
the core material in the sealing body. Third, using the vacuuming
apparatus to draw air through the periphery thereof so that the
sealing body around the reserved opening is adsorbed smoothly to
the vacuuming apparatus, and partly seals the surrounding of the
reserved opening. This prevents external air from seeping in.
Thereby, the front end of the vacuuming apparatus can draw air to
keep the sealing body in a desired vacuum condition. Finally
compress and thermally seal the reserved opening to seal the
sealing body in the desired vacuum condition and encase the core
material in the sealing body.
[0006] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and
advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the
following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a process flow chart of the invention
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum packaging
mechanism of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the vacuuming apparatus of the
invention with a sealing body adsorbing thereon.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the sealing body with a
reserved opening and the surrounding of the adsorption area.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the vacuum packaging
mechanism.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the vacuuming apparatus in a
vacuuming condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Referring to FIG. 5, the vacuum packaging mechanism
according to the invention includes a pair of corresponding thermal
press sealing apparatus 40, a pair of corresponding airtight
compression modules 20 and a vacuuming apparatus (not being marked
in FIG. 5) encased by a sealing body 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the
vacuuming apparatus 10 is encased in the sealing body 30 that is
clamped between the airtight compression modules 20, and the
airtight compression modules 20 are located between the thermal
press sealing apparatus 40. Also referring to FIG. 2, the airtight
compression module 20 includes a U-shaped upper plate 21 and a
U-shaped lower plate 26 that have respectively a rubber sealing pad
22 and 27. The upper plate 21 and lower plate 26 may be turned
about one side of the plate to clamp the vacuuming apparatus 10 in
the center portion thereof. The vacuuming apparatus 10 has a cross
section flattened like an eye with two convex sides that is thicker
in the middle and has a porous section 12. In this embodiment, the
porous section 12 is a sintered powder metallurgy substance through
which the vacuuming apparatus 10 can draw the air while the rest
portion is air impermeable. The vacuuming apparatus 10 has a front
end forming a flattened reciprocal air suction module 13 which may
be located in a rectangular opening 14 of the vacuuming apparatus
10 in an extendable manner.
[0014] Referring to FIG. 6, the sealing body 30 contains a core
material 33 and is thermally sealed around the core material except
a reserved opening 31 (step 101), which is slightly larger than the
vacuuming apparatus 10, to allow the vacuuming apparatus 10 to be
moved in and out of the sealing body 30. The front end of the air
suction module 13 can run through the reserved opening 31 of the
sealing body 30 and be extended inwards until reaching the core
material 33 housed in the sealing body 30 (step 102). Then the
vacuuming apparatus 10 can be activated to draw air around the
porous section 12 of the vacuuming apparatus 10 so that the sealing
body 30 is outside the heat seal section 32. However, abutting the
reserved opening 31 will be adsorbed onto the vacuuming apparatus
10 to bond the sealing body 30 to the vacuuming apparatus 10 and
prevent producing creases (step 103). Then the upper and lower
U-shaped plates 21 and 26 of the air tight compression module 20
are moved along the periphery of the vacuuming apparatus 10 and
clamp the vacuuming apparatus 10. The sealing body 30 is adsorbed
on the vacuuming apparatus 10 in the center (as shown in FIG. 4),
so that the surrounding of the reserved opening 31 of the sealing
body 30 forms a local sealing (step 104). Thereby, the interiors of
the sealing body and the core material are isolated from the
exterior, and external air cannot enter the sealing body.
Thereafter, air can be drawn through the front end of the
reciprocal air suction module 13 until the vacuum condition of the
sealing body 30 reaches a desired degree (step 105). Then the
reciprocal air suction module 13 will retract automatically into
the vacuuming apparatus 10. In order to maintain the sealing body
30 in a desired vacuum condition after being vacuumed, the thermal
press packaging apparatus 40 can be used to compress the airtight
compression module 20, to make sure that no air has passed through
the reserved opening 31 to the sealing body 30. Then the reserved
opening 31 is thermally sealed. Thus air is completely blocked from
entering the sealing body 30 (step 106). Referring to FIG. 5, after
the thermal press packaging apparatus 40 completes the thermal
sealing, the pressure to the airtight compression module 20 will be
released automatically, and air drawing at the porous section 12 of
the vacuuming apparatus 10 will be stopped. Then the packaged
sealing body 30 can be removed easily.
* * * * *