Bag welding method and assembly for a bag filling station

Abstract

A bag welding method and assembly includes an upper jaw movable in a substantially vertical plane and a lower jaw movable in the same substantially vertical plane as the upper jaw and supported on the frame via two support members. A pressure sensor is coupled to the jaws for measuring a welding pressure between the jaws. A processor coupled to the pressure sensor receives a signal from the pressure sensor to determine the conditions under which the weld was created. Preferably, the pressure sensor is mounted on one of the support members, or alternatively, can be mounted in a recess in one of the upper and the lower jaws. The welding assembly also preferably includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature between the welding jaws during sealing. The welding assembly can also include a timer for determining the length of time in which the welding jaws seal the bag.

1 . A device for filling and sealing bags, the device comprising: 
 a frame;    a loading station within the frame;    a welding assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station for sealing an open end of a bag after a package has been loaded into the bag, the welding assembly including an upper welding jaw and a lower welding jaw, wherein at least one of the upper and the lower welding jaws is movably coupled to the frame via at least one support member; and    a pressure measurement device coupled to the welding assembly for measuring the pressure between the upper and the lower welding jaws when the bag is being sealed.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure measurement device is mounted on the at least one support member.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure measurement device is a load cell.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further including a processor that processes a signal sent from the pressure measurement device to analyze the quality of the seal.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the lower welding jaw is movably coupled to the frame via two support members that are capable of moving the lower jaw into welding engagement with the upper welding jaw, and wherein a pressure measurement device is mounted on each of the support members.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , further including a processor that processes signals sent from each of the pressure measurement devices to analyze the quality of the seal.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure measurement device is mounted in a recess in one of the upper and the lower welding jaws.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further including a temperature sensor coupled to the welding assembly for measuring the temperature during sealing.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further including a timer coupled to the welding assembly for determining the length of time in which the welding jaws seal the bag.  
     
     
         10 . A device for filling and sealing bags, the device comprising: 
 a frame;    a loading station within the frame;    a package loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station;    a bag loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station, the bag loading assembly being operable to load an open end of a bag into the loading station;    a bag manipulating assembly coupled to the frame to facilitate opening the bag;    a welding assembly coupled to the frame for sealing the open end of the bag, the welding assembly including upper and lower welding jaws; and    a pressure measurement device coupled to the welding assembly for measuring the pressure between the upper and lower welding jaws when the bag is being sealed.    
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , further including a temperature sensor coupled to the welding assembly for measuring the temperature during sealing.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , further including a timer coupled to the welding assembly for determining the length of time in which the welding jaws seal the bag.  
     
     
         13 . A method of packaging an item in a bag using an automated packaging device, the method comprising: 
 loading an open end of a bag into a loading station;    loading the item into the bag;    providing a welding assembly having an upper welding jaw and a lower welding jaw, at least one of the upper and the lower welding jaws being movably coupled to the frame via at least one support member, and a pressure measurement device mounted on the at least one support member for measuring the pressure between the upper and the lower welding jaws when the bag is being sealed;    sealing the open end of the bag between the welding jaws after the item has been loaded into the bag;    measuring a sealing pressure with the pressure measurement device; and    sending a pressure signal to a processor to determine conditions under which the seal was created.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the lower welding jaw is movably coupled to the frame via two support members that are capable of moving the lower welding jaw into welding engagement with the upper welding jaw, wherein a pressure measurement device is mounted on each of the support members, and wherein a pressure signal from each of the pressure measurement devices is sent to the processor to determine conditions under which the seal was created.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the support members are oriented substantially vertically during sealing.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further including measuring a sealing temperature with a temperature sensor.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further including providing a predetermined sealing time in which the bag is sealed.  
     
     
         18 . A welding assembly for a bag filling device, the welding assembly comprising: 
 an upper jaw movable in a substantially vertical plane;    a lower jaw movable in the same substantially vertical plane as the upper jaw and supported on the frame via two support members;    a pressure sensor coupled to the jaws for measuring a welding pressure between the jaws; and    a processor coupled to the pressure sensor to receive a signal from the pressure sensor and to determine conditions under which the weld was created.    
     
     
         19 . The welding assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensor is mounted on one of the support members.  
     
     
         20 . The welding assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensor is mounted in a recess in one of the upper and the lower jaws.  
     
     
         21 . A method of sealing a bag, the method comprising: 
 positioning a bag between upper and lower jaws;    moving the jaws together in a substantially vertical plane to seal the bag;    sensing a pressure between the jaws when the jaws are together;    sending pressure measurements to a processor; and    determining the quality of the seal by analyzing whether the pressure measurements fall within a predetermined set of allowable limits.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein sensing the pressure between the jaws includes positioning a pressure sensor on a support member coupled to one of the upper and the lower jaws.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the support member is substantially vertical when the jaws are together.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein sensing the pressure between the jaws includes positioning a pressure sensor in a recess in one of the upper and the lower jaws.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 sensing a temperature between the jaws when the jaws are together;    sending temperature measurements to the processor; and    determining the quality of the seal by analyzing whether the temperature measurements fall within a predetermined set of allowable limits.