The invention relates to improvements of a heating means particularly in a vertical flow-wrapper.

An apparatus is configured to make containers from sheet material. The apparatus includes a supply station for supplying a film having at least one folded portion having three or more film flaps folded and superimposed with respect to each other; a welding station configured to receive the film. The welding station comprises a welding head configured for welding the folded portion of the film and forming a container defining a housing compartment; the welding head comprises a heater made of electrically conductive material whose electrical resistivity, at least in a predetermined temperature range, decreases upon the increase of the temperature of the same electrically conductive material.

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.

A biodegradable whole leaf pillow tea bag is provided, along with a system and method for manufacturing biodegradable whole leaf pillow tea bags. The method for manufacturing the whole leaf pillow tea bags includes the steps of providing a biodegradable infusion substrate having two opposing edge; creating a sleeve from the biodegradable infusion substrate by infusing the two opposing edges of the substrate together and closing the sleeve at its bottom; placing whole leaf tea in the bottom of the sleeve; vertically feeding the sleeve containing the whole leaf tea into a heat sealing machine that will, at predetermined intervals create heat seals across the sleeve to create pillow bags; cutting the pillow bags from one another across the heat seal. In one example, the biodegradable infusion substrate may contain hemp and/or the whole leaf tea may be infused with CBD oil or other supplements. The same method of manufacturing may be used to create a biodegradable pillow bag containing coffee.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods to secure a film to a container are provided. An example sealing device utilizes film from a supply of film to seal a lid onto a container. Various sizes of containers are usable with some example sealing devices. Additional features, such as printing on the film and piercing the film for ventilation and/or insertion of a straw are contemplated. One or more markings along the film may be utilized for confirming that an approved film has been loaded into the sealing device. In response, various components or features of the sealing device may be appropriately enabled or disabled. The one or more markings may also be utilized to convey data to the sealing device regarding the installed film, such as for improved operation thereof.

An assembly for producing sealed packaging units (14) from a sheet packaging material, comprises: an advancement device (21) for advancing the sheet packaging material along an advancement direction (F), a longitudinal sealing device for sealing opposite borders of the sheet packaging material along a longitudinal sealing band arranged parallelly to the advancement direction (F), thereby forming a continuous tube (15), a transverse sealing device (29) for sealing the continuous tube (15) transversely to the advancement direction (F), so as to define a sealed packaging unit (14). The transverse sealing device (29) comprises a sealing element (30) and an abutment element (31) that are intended to mutually cooperate during sealing while being located on opposite sides of the continuous tube (15). The sealing element (30) is so configured as to act on a side (27) of the continuous tube (15) on which the longitudinal sealing band is provided.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods to secure a film to a container are provided. An example sealing device utilizes film from a supply of film to seal a lid onto a container. Various sizes of containers are usable with some example sealing devices. Additional features, such as printing on the film and piercing the film for ventilation and/or insertion of a straw are contemplated. One or more markings along the film may be utilized for confirming that an approved film has been loaded into the sealing device. In response, various components or features of the sealing device may be appropriately enabled or disabled. The one or more markings may also be utilized to convey data to the sealing device regarding the installed film, such as for improved operation thereof.

A heat seal device for use in a bag making apparatus includes: a first heat seal member; a second heat seal member facing the first heat seal member; a heater for heating at least one of the first heat seal member or the second heat seal member; a drive mechanism configured to move the first heat seal member towards and away from the second heat seal member so as to releasably sandwich a web between the first and second heat seal members; a sensor disposed to detect acceleration of the first heat seal member; and a measurement part configured to measure a sandwiching time during which the web is sandwiched by the first and second heat seal members based on data from the sensor.

A welding device includes a pair of pressure rollers for pressurizing a web and a strip member, a feed device configured to intermittently or continuously feed the web and the strip member through the pair of pressure rollers, and the laser device configured to irradiate the web or the strip member with a laser beam at a position upstream of the pair of pressure rollers. The welding device may include a movement device configured to move the pair of pressure rollers upstream with respect to the web and the strip member during pause or stop of feed. Alternatively, the feed device may pause or stop the web and the strip member after retracting the web and the strip member by a certain length.

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.