US 11,945,175 B1
Heat seal bar sensorless temperature sensing and control
Brody Alan Viator, Lafayette, LA (US); and Clifford Dunlap, Baton Rouge, LA (US)
Assigned to AMERIGLOBE, LLC, Lafayette, LA (US)
Filed by AMERIGLOBE, LLC, Lafayette, LA (US)
Filed on May 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/311,783.
Application 18/311,783 is a continuation of application No. 17/330,668, filed on May 26, 2021, granted, now 11,673,348.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/154,780, filed on Feb. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/030,227, filed on May 26, 2020.
Int. Cl. B29C 65/20 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B65D 88/16 (2006.01); B65D 88/54 (2006.01); G01K 7/02 (2021.01); G01K 15/00 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 66/91421 (2013.01) [B29C 65/20 (2013.01); B65D 88/1681 (2013.01); B65D 88/54 (2013.01); G01K 7/02 (2013.01); G01K 15/005 (2013.01); B29L 2031/7128 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for temperature sensing and control, the system comprising:
a) a control panel that includes a controller, an energy converter, and a power source;
b) a heat seal bar including a heating element;
c) a sensor that is in contact with the heating element of the heat seal bar during a calibration cycle and removable from the heat seal bar after the calibration cycle;
d) wherein the controller is operable to provide data on the heat seal bar based on temperature values received from the sensor while in contact with the heating element and electrical resistance values of the heating element;
e) wherein the power source is operable to provide power to the heating element during one or more heat seal cycles after the sensor is removed from the heating element;
f) wherein the energy converter is operable to process voltage and current feedback signals received from the heat seal bar, which the controller uses to calculate real-time electrical resistance of the heating element during said one or more heat seal cycles; and
g) wherein the controller calculates temperature of the heating element during said one or more heat seal cycles based on the real-time electrical resistance of the heating element in step (f) and the data.