Method for arranging on a component of a recipient (100) a gas filter comprising a filter layer of filter material (120) and a cover layer of covering material (130), wherein the filter layer (120) is located between the component of the recipient (100) and the cover layer (130), the method further comprising: welding the filter layer (120) and the cover layer (130) to the component of the recipient (100) by arranging welds (140) such that between two welds (140), welds tunnels (150) filled with filter material (120) are formed, which are intended to enable gas exchange between the interior of the recipient (100) and an area externally of the recipient (100).

A bottom heater for use in assembling a container bottom and a sleeve includes a body having a peripheral wall and a heated air passage terminating in an outlet in the peripheral wall. A shape of at least a portion of the peripheral wall defining the outlet is such that heated air exiting the outlet is fluidly attached to an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall after exit because of the Coanda effect.

A hollow structure for a face mask includes an inner wall, an outer wall spaced from the inner wall to define a hollow area between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a bottom wall that couples the inner wall to the outer wall. A first portion and a second portion together define a closable opening into the hollow area. The second portion is coupled to the outer wall by a bi-stable membrane that allows the second portion to move between (1) a first, opened position in which the second portion is spaced from the first portion to allow access to the hollow area through the opening, and (2) a second, closed position in which the second position abuts the first portion to close the opening.

The sonotrode and anvil of Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement with the Applicant's patented sonotrode and anvil include: a housing; a rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each include corresponding pluralities of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern that produces narrower weld regions, which exhibit greater durability, permitting use of less packaging material.

A sealing device incorporated in a packaging machine heat-seals a vicinity of a bag mouth of a packaging bag. Paired heater bars are disposed opposite each other so as to be openable/closable and hold the vicinity between them when closed, thereby heat-sealing the vicinity. A link mechanism converts rotation of an output shaft of a servomotor to an opening/closing operation of the heater bars . A storage unit stores seal patterns, each of which includes a sealing pressure applied to the parts and a sealing time period for which the parts are continuously held. A selection unit is configured to select one seal pattern. The output shaft is rotated by a predetermined closing angle according to the sealing pressure of the selected seal pattern to close the heater bars. The heater bars are maintained in the closed state for the sealing time period of the selected seal pattern.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing stations with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization/depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic and second fluidic muscles provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.

A laser welding apparatus is provides that includes: a support member including a heat generation portion which has a size that is limited to correspond to a size of a welding area of a plurality of plastic components and is made from a material that absorbs a laser beam and generates heat, and which generates heat of a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting temperature of the plastic components; a laser beam irradiation unit for converging a laser beam to be transmitted through the plurality of plastic components, and irradiating the laser beam toward the heat generation portion through the plurality of plastic components; and a welding controller for causing a laser beam to be irradiated at the heat generation portion using the laser beam irradiation unit to thereby cause the heat generation portion to generate heat, and welding abutting faces of a welding area of the plurality of plastic components with heat that is generated.

A method and apparatus for charging the gas compartment portion of a bag (1) in which incisions (9) are formed in gas introduction section (6a) of the gas compartment portion (6). A pair of gas injection nozzles (23, 24) are disposed so as to be on the opposite sides of the bag and reciprocate between its standby and advanced positions, so that in the advanced position, the discharge outlets (23a, 24a) of the gas injection nozzles are aligned with the gas introduction section on both sides, and compressed gas is injected into the gas introduction section through the incisions. A small gap (L) is provided between the discharge outlets of the gas injection nozzles when they are in the advanced position. As the gas is injected, film sheets of the expanded gas introduction section closely adhere to the discharge outlets, so that the gas injection state becomes stable.

A horn and an anvil are moved toward and away from each other by axially reciprocating a driving rod and thereby reciprocatingly rotating a forked lever in a predetermined angle range. The horn and the anvil are moved toward and pressed against each other with a predetermined force with a bag mouth b held therebetween. A sensor detects the position of a second mounting block secured to the rear end of a sliding shaft of the anvil, thereby detecting the distance between respective pressing surfaces of the horn and the anvil, i.e. the thickness m of a portion of the bag mouth held between the pressing surfaces. When the thickness m is not less than a predetermined threshold value M, a vibrator is activated to perform sealing. When the thickness m is less than the threshold value M, no sealing is performed.

The sonotrode and anvil of copending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement, with the further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability, thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces.