Patent · US Expired

Packaging machine

US5259169A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
7References
10Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 24, 1992
Grant dateNov 9, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 24, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB29L2031/7164
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus that uses UV energy to seal articles in plastic clamshell packages, and which employs a portable tray that can hold a plurality of packages to be sealed, each package having a bottom piece shaped to hold an article and a top piece with a periphery which nests within the periphery of a bottom piece supplied with UV curable adhesive. The tray is mountable on a loading platform which is operative to position the tray within an enclosure below a raised pressure plate having UV transparent portions, and below a UV light source and a shutter mechanism for controlling exposure of the transparent portions of the pressure plate by the UV source. When a loaded tray is positioned below the plate it is lowerable to press top and bottom clamshell pieces together, and the shutter is opened and closed to expose the adhesive for a predetermined period of time as pressure is maintained, after which the pressure plate is returned to its raised position and the tray of cured packages removed from the enclosure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.