U.S. patent application number 13/694412 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-31 for heat isolation apparatus for heat-shrinkable packaging.
The applicant listed for this patent is REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc.. Invention is credited to Timothy Copp, David Gamble, Eric Nelson, Mark Swanson.
Application Number | 20140208700 13/694412 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51221421 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140208700 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gamble; David ; et
al. |
July 31, 2014 |
Heat isolation apparatus for heat-shrinkable packaging
Abstract
Heat isolation apparatus for capturing a specific area of
heat-shrinkable plastic film used for packaging objects suitable
for packaging as a heat-shrinkable package to prevent heat from
reaching a specific area of the heat-shrinkable plastic film; a
slotted track for transporting the heat-shrinkable plastic film and
object to be packaged throughout the heat isolation apparatus;
means for inserting the heat-shrinkable plastic film in an area of
the heat isolation apparatus for capturing a portion of the
heat-shrinkable plastic film that forms a designated area removed
from the application of heat; means for propelling the
heat-shrinkable plastic film and object to be packaged through the
heat isolation apparatus; heat tunnel means for applying heat to
the heat-shrinkable plastic film surrounding the object to be
packaged and not to the plastic film captured by the apparatus; the
means for propelling moving the object and heat-shrinkable plastic
film to the heat tunnel; and means for securely capturing the
designated area of heat-shrinkable plastic film to be isolated from
the heat within the heat tunnel.
Inventors: |
Gamble; David; (Wingdale,
NY) ; Swanson; Mark; (Millerton, NY) ; Nelson;
Eric; (Brewter, NY) ; Copp; Timothy; (Danbury,
CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc. |
Patterson |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51221421 |
Appl. No.: |
13/694412 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/557 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 43/54 20130101;
B65B 53/063 20130101; B65B 61/14 20130101; B65B 25/24 20130101;
B65B 53/02 20130101; B65B 5/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/557 |
International
Class: |
B65B 53/02 20060101
B65B053/02 |
Claims
1. Heat isolation apparatus for capturing a specific area of
heat-shrinkable plastic film used for packaging objects suitable
for packaging as a heat-shrinkable package to prevent heat from
reaching a specific area of the heat-shrinkable plastic film,
comprising: a slotted track for transporting the heat-shrinkable
plastic film and object to be packaged throughout the heat
isolation apparatus; means for inserting the heat-shrinkable
plastic film in an area of the heat isolation apparatus for
capturing a portion of said heat-shrinkable plastic film that forms
a designated area removed from the application of heat; means for
propelling the heat-shrinkable plastic film and object to be
packaged through the heat isolation apparatus; heat tunnel means
for applying heat to the heat-shrinkable plastic film surrounding
the object to be packaged and not to the plastic film captured by
the apparatus; said means for propelling moving said object and
heat-shrinkable plastic film to said heat tunnel; and means for
securely capturing said designated area of heat-shrinkable plastic
film to be isolated from the heat within the heat tunnel.
2. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
track extends the entire length of the heat isolation
apparatus.
3. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and said
apparatus further including heat insulating plates and a loading
area located on said track and wherein said track being manually
positioned in front of said loading area and said apparatus further
including a manually operated locking lever enabling said heat
insulating plates to unlock and swing open.
4. Heat isolation apparatus as in claim 1, further including
insulating plates and wherein said means for inserting includes
spaced heat insulating material and a human operator places a
designated area of the heat-shrinkable material between the spaces
of said heat insulating material.
5. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
means for propelling includes a protrusion sliding within and
extending below said slotted track.
6. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said
means for securely capturing said designated area further including
an insulating pair of closed insulating plates.
7. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 2, and said
apparatus further including heat insulating plates and a loading
area located on said track and wherein said track being manually
positioned in front of said loading area and said apparatus further
including a manually operated locking lever enabling said heat
insulating plates to unlock and swing open.
8. Heat isolation apparatus as in claim 2, further including
insulating plates and wherein said means for inserting includes
spaced heat insulating material and a human operator places a
designated area of the heat-shrinkable material between the spaces
of said heat insulating material.
9. Heat isolation apparatus as in claim 3, further including
insulating plates and wherein said means for inserting includes
spaced heat insulating material and a human operator places a
designated area of the heat-shrinkable material between the spaces
of said heat insulating material.
10. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
means for propelling includes a protrusion sliding within and
extending below said slotted track.
11. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
means for propelling includes a protrusion sliding within and
extending below said slotted track.
12. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said
means for securely capturing said designated area further including
an insulating pair of closed insulating plates.
13. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said
means for securely capturing said designated area further including
an insulating pair of closed insulating plates.
14. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said
means for securely capturing said designated area further including
an insulating pair of closed insulating plates.
15. Heat isolation apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
means for securely capturing said designated area further including
an insulating pair of closed insulating plates.
16. Heat isolation apparatus for capturing a specific area of
heat-shrinkable plastic film used for packaging objects suitable
for packaging as a heat-shrinkable package to prevent heat from
reaching a specific area of the heat-shrinkable plastic film,
comprising: a slotted track for transporting the heat-shrinkable
plastic film and object to be packaged throughout the heat
isolation apparatus; means for inserting the heat-shrinkable
plastic film in an area of the heat isolation apparatus for
capturing a portion of said heat-shrinkable plastic film that forms
a designated area removed from the application of heat; means for
propelling the heat-shrinkable plastic film and object to be
packaged through the heat isolation apparatus; heat tunnel means
for applying heat to the heat-shrinkable plastic film surrounding
the object to be packaged but not to the plastic film captured by
the apparatus; said means for propelling moving said object and
heat-shrinkable plastic film to said heat tunnel; means for
securely capturing said designated area of heat-shrinkable plastic
film to be isolated from the heat within the heat tunnel; wherein
said track extends the entire length of the heat isolation
apparatus; said apparatus further including heat insulating plates
and a loading area located on said track and wherein said track
being manually positioned in front of said loading area and said
apparatus further including a manually operated locking lever
enabling said heat insulating plates to unlock and swing open;
further including insulating plates and wherein said means for
inserting includes spaced heat insulating material and a human
operator places a designated area of the heat-shrinkable material
between the spaces of said heat insulating material; wherein said
means for propelling includes a protrusion sliding within and
extending below said slotted track; wherein said means for securely
capturing said designated area further including an insulating pair
of closed insulating plates.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The invention relates to apparatus used to capture a
specific area of heat-shrinkable plastic film used for packaging
various and sundry items suitable for packaging in a
heat-shrinkable package in a manner that heat is prevented from
reaching the specific area of heat-shrinkable plastic film. The
apparatus is put in motion via a track and transports the plastic
film through a heat tunnel so as to shrink the plastic film outside
of the apparatus while allowing the specific area of
heat-shrinkable plastic film within the apparatus to remain
untouched.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The apparatus is an evolution of the Apparatus for
"Apparatus for Dividing Heat-Shrinkable Plastic Film Into Different
Temperature Regions" as described in U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/506,545, filed Apr. 27, 2012 and assigned to REELEX
Packaging Solutions, Inc. as is the present invention.
[0003] The following description in the aforementioned U.S. patent
application is set forth herein as background for the present
invention:
[0004] "This invention relates to apparatus for dividing
heat-shrinkable plastic film into different temperature regions,
for example one section of the heat-shrinkable plastic film has
heat applied and another section of the film is isolated and
maintained at a cooler temperature when passing through a heat
shrink oven, for example. This allows a single shrink-wrap material
to assume the characteristics of a shrunk portion and a non-shrunk
portion."
[0005] "The plastic film is shrunk over packages to secure the
contents of the package and prevent damage to the contents of the
package. Coils of wound filament material are often packaged in
this manner. The invention has application to shrunk wrap packages
in general and specifically to shrunk wrap packages of wound
filament material wound in a figure-eight configuration known to
the trade as a REELEX package."
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] "An insulating barrier against the high temperatures typical
of a heat shrink oven used to shrink wrap packages is achieved by a
cylindrical tube mounted within the heat shrink oven and with a
slit running along its entire length. At one end of the cylindrical
tube a small section is cut away to provide a platform for resting
a portion of the plastic shrink-wrap film prior to entry of the
package into the shrink wrap oven and entry of the portion of the
shrink wrap material into the slit in the cylindrical tube. The
package and the portion of the film entering into the slit in the
cylindrical tube travel the length of the oven together. An
electric-operated cooling fan is mounted on the opposite end of the
cylindrical tube. The fan forces cooler ambient air through the
length of the cylindrical tube thereby maintaining a temperature
inside the tube low enough to prevent shrinkage of that portion of
the plastic shrink-wrap film as it passes through the cylindrical
tube."
[0007] "The cylindrical tube is then placed lengthwise inside the
heat shrink oven, with the slit in the cylindrical tube facing
towards the center of the oven. To operate the apparatus the
electrical fan is switched on as the oven is turned on to suck
ambient air into the end of the cylindrical tube with the platform
and decreasing the temperature inside the cylindrical tube compared
to the temperature inside the plastic shrink-wrap oven."
[0008] "The portion of the plastic shrink-wrap film to be isolated
from the heat of the oven is placed into the slit in the
cylindrical tube and remains there the entire time the film and the
package is inside the oven, thereby enabling the portion of the
shrink-wrap film outside the tube to shrink and the portion of the
shrink-wrap film inside the cylindrical tube to remain in its
pre-shrunk form."
[0009] The present invention was created to obtain the same result
as that of the previously mentioned patent application, but to do
so in a more consistent manner.
[0010] The apparatus of the present invention provides a means to
reliably and repeatedly produce specialized heat-shrinkable
packages using heat-shrinkable plastic film commonly used in the
packaging industry. These specialized packages feature regions,
typically a hand-hold region, that must remain undistorted
throughout the heat isolation process to function as intended.
[0011] The apparatus is used to isolate the desired region of
plastic film from the effects of heat in a repeatable and reliable
manner suitable to a mass production environment. The present
invention improves upon the original concept as set forth in the
aforementioned patent application for the purpose of repeatable,
consistent and high-speed production of ProFlex packages. ProFlex
is a trade name of REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc. designating
hand-portable, shrink-wrap packages for flexible linear filamentary
products designed for tangle-free dispensing of electrical cables,
communication cable, fiber cables and the like.
[0012] The advantages of this device compared with that of the
handle isolation concept set forth and described in the
aforementioned patent application are:
[0013] (1) The present invention creates a more uniform and
aesthetically pleasing and undistorted hand-hold region in the heat
isolation apparatus of the invention that is uniform and
repeatable;
[0014] (2) the present invention securely isolates the portion of
the plastic film placed in the heat isolation apparatus via a
lockable "clamp-like" mechanism;
[0015] (3) The heat isolation apparatus of the present invention is
designed to rest in a "track" that transports the plastic film in
an upright manner through a heat source (heat tunnel commonly used
in packaging); and
[0016] 4) The heat isolation apparatus of the present invention is
equipped with customizable and adjustable guides which keep an
object placed into the shrink film pouch upright and secured during
the heat shrinking process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above objects, features and advantages of the invention
are readily apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment of the best mode of carrying out the invention when
taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a plate equipped with roller bearings on
the bottom surface enabling the heat isolation apparatus of the
invention to slide in any direction over a flat surface;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows hinged sculpted plates open so that the plastic
film may be inserted in the captured area, then the hinged plates
rotate and lock shut via a spring-loaded locking mechanism;
[0020] In FIG. 3, under the bottom plates, to which all other
components are attached, is a protrusion designed to slide within a
slotted track. The protrusion extends below the horizontal plane or
track upon which the heat isolation apparatus of the invention
rests while in motion and provides a structure through which the
apparatus can be propelled from below;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates heat insulating plate components sculpted
to match the product being packaged by the shrink film bag so that
the product rests on top of the plates shown in FIG. 3 and is
restricted from movement or shifting;
[0022] FIG. 5A shows the heat isolation apparatus positioned in
front of a loading area such that when a release lever is pushed,
the heat insulating plates unload and swing open;
[0023] FIG. 5B illustrates the closing of the plates after a human
operator places a designated area of heat-shrinkable plastic film
into the space between the heat insulating plates and closes the
plates;
[0024] FIG. 5C shows the closed plates securely capturing the area
of plastic film that is desired to be isolated from the heat and
the plastic film is open on the opposite end from the captured
area;
[0025] FIG. 5D illustrates the object to be packaged placed inside
the plastic bag and rests on top of the sculpted panels and between
the centering protrusions mounted on outside of each panel;
[0026] FIG. 5E shows the package and apparatus together positioned
so that the open end of the plastic bag is inserted into a sealing
device to create a sealed package; and
[0027] FIG. 5F shows the complete package after passing through the
heat tunnel and is removed from the heat isolation apparatus by
unlocking and separating the heat insulating plates.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] In FIG. 1 the apparatus comprises plates (1) equipped with
roller bearings (2) on the bottom surface of the plates (1)
allowing the apparatus to slide in any direction over a flat
surface. Attached to the plates (1) via hinges (not shown) are two
pieces of sculpted heat insulating material (3, 4) which, when
pressed together, capture an area of heat-shrinkable plastic film
and prevent the captured area from being exposed to heat.
[0029] With respect to FIG. 2, hinged sculpted plates 9 open so
that the plastic film (see FIGS. 5B and 5C) may be inserted into
the recessed hollow 8 in slotted track 7 and defining a captured
area between the sculpted plates 9. The sculpted plates 9 rotate
and lock shut via a spring-loaded locking mechanism activated by
locking lever (5). The plastic film may be removed or inserted by
pressing lever (5), which unlocks the two plates (9) allowing them
to swing away from each other, thus allowing the plastic film to be
removed from the heat isolating apparatus apparatus.
[0030] With respect to FIG. 3, under the bottom of the heat
insulating plates (9) (FIG. 2), to which all other components
attach, is a protrusion (6) designed to slide within a slotted
track (7). Protrusion (6) extends below the horizontal plane of
track (7)) upon which the heat insulating device rests while in
motion, providing a means through which the apparatus (12) of the
invention can be propelled from below (FIGS. 5A-5F).
[0031] With respect to FIG. 4 and continuing reference to FIG. 2,
on the insider surface of one of the heat insulating sculpted
plates (9) is a recessed hollow (8, FIG. 1) in which a matching
protrusion located on the opposite sculpted plate (9) nests. This
aspect of the heat insulating apparatus locks the shrink bag (not
shown) made of plastic film material in place, preventing it from
being pulled free of the heat isolation apparatus during the
heat-shrinkable packaging operation, as the surrounding plastic
film shrinks and pulls on the isolated area of the plastic film.
The sculpted plates 9 (FIG. 2) are designed so that their inside
flat surfaces press firmly against each other, preventing the area
within the flat surfaces from being exposed to heat.
[0032] With respect to FIG. 4, heat insulating plate components (9,
only one shown, see FIG. 2) are sculpted to match the product being
packaged in the shrink film bag (Ref. FIGS. 5A-5F) so that the
product may rest on top of the heat insulating plates (9) and be
restricted from movement or shifting. Protrusions 10 attached to
the outsides of the heat insulating plates (9) press against the
plastic shrink film bag (12) (FIG. 5B) to keep the plastic shrink
film bag from falling to either side of the heat isolation
apparatus while it is in motion. The protrusions (10) can be custom
designed to match the dimensions of the plastic shrink bag (12,
FIG. 5B) and maintain it in a vertical position where the two heat
insulating plates (9) meet.
[0033] With reference to FIG. 5A, the slotted tracks 7 (FIG. 2)
extend the entire length of the heat isolation apparatus and are
positioned in front of a loading area (FIG. 2) where the locking
lever (5) (FIG. 2) is manually pushed, allowing the heat insulating
plates (9, 9) (FIG. 2) to unlock and swing open.
[0034] With reference to FIG. (5B) A human operator places a
designated area of the heat-shrinkable plastic film or bag (12)
into the space between the heat insulating material (3, 4) (FIG. 1)
and closes the insulating plates (9, 9).
[0035] The closed insulating plates (9, 9) (FIG. 5C) securely
capture the area of the heat-shrinkable plastic film or bag (12)
between the heat insulating plates (9, 9) that is desired to be
isolated from the application of heat during the production process
describer herein. The heat-shrinkable plastic film or bag 12 is
open on the opposite end from the captured area previously
described (FIGS. 2 and 5C) to receive the product (14) to be
packaged (see FIG. 5D).
[0036] The object (14) desired to be packaged is placed inside the
plastic film or bag (12) and rests on top of the sculptured panels
(9, 9, FIG. 2) and between the centering protrusions (10, 10) (FIG.
4) mounted on the outside of each panel as shown in FIG. 5D.
[0037] With respect to FIG. 5E, the object (14) to be packaged and
the heat-shrinkable apparatus (FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E and 5F) are
together positioned so that the open-end of the plastic bag (12) is
inserted into a sealing device (16), thus creating a sealed
package. The apparatus and package then proceed into a heat tunnel
which applies heat to the plastic film surrounding the object to be
packaged, but not to the plastic film captured by the
apparatus.
[0038] It is submitted that one of ordinary skill in the art of
heat shrinking plastic film could adopt the features and principles
of operation of the tunnel apparatus described in the
aforementioned patent application to the use of such a heat tunnel
as is necessary in the present invention.
[0039] Once through the heat tunnel, the sealed package (16) is
complete and may be removed from the heat isolation apparatus by
unlocking and separating the heat insulating plates (9, 9) (FIGS. 2
and 5F).
APPLICATIONS
[0040] The heat isolation apparatus for heat-shrinkable packaging
described and claimed herein can be used in any instance in which
an object is to be packaged using heat-shrinkable plastic film, and
where a designated area of the plastic film must be kept isolated
from the application of heat during the packaging process.
[0041] Specifically, this inventive heat isolation apparatus for
heat-shrinkable packaging described and claimed herein has been
developed to produce ProFlex packages (a product designation of
REELEX Packaging Solutions, Inc.), having the same owner as that of
the present patent application. ProFlex packages are described as a
heat-shrunk plastic bag with an integrated hand-hold. The hand-hold
must be isolated from heat during the heat-shrinking process, and
thus the apparatus of this patent application accomplishes this
repeatedly and consistently.
* * * * *