| CPC B29C 66/849 (2013.01) [B29C 65/18 (2013.01); B29C 65/32 (2013.01); B29C 65/38 (2013.01); B29C 66/0044 (2013.01); B29C 66/1122 (2013.01); B29C 66/244 (2013.01); B29C 66/3494 (2013.01); B29C 66/431 (2013.01); B29C 66/73921 (2013.01); B29C 66/8122 (2013.01); B29C 66/81871 (2013.01); B29C 66/83221 (2013.01); B29C 66/83543 (2013.01); B29C 66/919 (2013.01); B29C 66/91651 (2013.01); B29C 66/949 (2013.01); B65B 51/30 (2013.01); B29C 2793/009 (2013.01); B65D 75/008 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A production machine for the production of collapsible pouches, said pouches each having walls made from heat-sealable film material wherein the production machine comprises a sealing station that is configured to heat seal bottom regions of two adjacent pouches in a string of interconnected pouches made from heat-sealable film material,
wherein the sealing station comprises:
an impulse sealing device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw,
an actuator device configured to move the first and second jaws relative to one another between an opened position and a clamped position,
a cooling device configured to cool at least one of the first and second jaws,
wherein the first jaw has a first front surface configured to contact bottom regions of a respective first wall of two adjacent pouches,
wherein the second jaw has a second front surface configured to contact the bottom regions of a respective second wall of the two adjacent pouches,
wherein at least one of the first and second jaws comprises at the respective front surface thereof at least one impulse heatable member that extends along the front surface and that is covered by a heat-resistant non-stick covering,
wherein the production machine is configured such that, in operation, the string of interconnected pouches is positioned in between the first and second jaws and such that the impulse heatable members project each at least partially over the bottom regions of two adjacent interconnected pouches,
wherein the cooling device comprises one or more cooling ducts in said at least one of the first and second jaws of each sealing station,
wherein the one or more cooling ducts are arranged at a rear side of the inductor,
wherein the cooling device is configured to establish a continuous circulation of liquid coolant through the one or more cooling ducts,
and wherein the sealing station is configured to perform an impulse sealing cycle, wherein the actuator device is configured to bring the first and second jaws into the clamped position, so that—in the bottom regions—the first and second walls are clamped against one another by the front surfaces of the first and second jaws, and wherein the sealing station is configured to, in the clamped position, temporarily energize the one or more impulse heatable members so as to generate an impulse of heat that is emitted by each of the impulse heatable members, wherein the first and second jaws, at least the one or more impulse heatable members thereof, cool down after termination of the energizing assisted therein by operation of the cooling device, and wherein the actuator device is configured to move the first and second jaws into the opened position after the one or more impulse heatable members have cooled down,
wherein each impulse heatable member is a susceptor element comprising electrically conductive material, said susceptor element having a rear side facing away from the respective front surface,
wherein each of the susceptor elements has a front surface that is at least shaped as an inverted T, such that the heat impulse is configured to seal at least a portion of side edge regions of the two adjacent interconnected pouches and to seal at least a portion of bottom edge regions of the two adjacent interconnected pouches,
and wherein at least one, preferably each, of the first and second jaws comprises an inductor which is electrically insulated from the respective susceptor element, wherein the inductor comprises an elongated inductor section that extends along the respective front surface at the rear side of the respective at least one susceptor element,
and wherein the sealing station comprises a high frequency electric current source, which is connected to the inductor of each of the first and second jaws,
wherein the sealing station is configured so that, in the impulse sealing cycle, the electric current source is operated to temporarily feed a high frequency electric current to the one or more inductors, thereby generating a high frequency electromagnetic field with the one or more inductors, wherein the high frequency electromagnetic field induces eddy currents in the respective susceptor element generating an impulse of heat that is emitted by the susceptor element, which one or more impulses of heat seal the bottom regions of the pouches.
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