Dual Heat Strip And Removable Tray For A Vacuum Sealing Machine

Abstract

A vacuum sealing machine includes a base assembly having an upper base portion removably secured to a lower base portion and displacing relative to the lower base portion from a closed position to an open position. Two or more heating strips are disposed on the lower base portion, and each of the heating strips is adapted to seal a portion of an open end of a sealable bag disposed between the lower and upper base portions. At least one securement feature is disposed on the upper base portion and is adapted to apply pressure to a portion of the open end of the inserted sealable bag when the sealable bag is sealed by at least one of the heating strips. In addition, A control unit including at least one microprocessor and a memory unit is in communication with each of the two or more heating strips.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum sealing machine comprising:
 a base assembly comprising:
 a lower base portion having a lower vacuum gasket; and 
 an upper base portion removably secured to the lower base portion, the upper base portion having an upper vacuum gasket, wherein the upper base portion displaces relative to the lower base portion from a first closed position to a second open position, and wherein the lower vacuum gasket and the upper vacuum gasket cooperate to at least partially define a vacuum chamber in the first closed position; 
   two or more heating strips disposed on a first one of the lower base portion or the upper base portion of the base assembly, wherein each of the two or more heating strips is adapted to seal a portion of an open end of a sealable bag disposed between the lower base portion and the upper base portion;   at least one securement feature disposed on a second one of the lower base portion or the upper base portion of the base assembly, the at least one securement feature adapted to apply pressure to a portion of the open end of the inserted sealable bag when the sealable bag is sealed by at least one of the heating strips; and   a control unit including at least one microprocessor and a memory unit, the control unit in communication with each of the two or more heating strips.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base portion includes two heating strips. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the lower base portion includes two heating strips that are elongated and extend along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 3 , wherein each of the two heating strips extends from a first end to a longitudinally-opposite second end, the first end being disposed at or adjacent to a first lateral edge portion of the lower base portion and the second end being disposed at or adjacent to a second lateral edge portion of the lower base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the upper base portion is releasably coupled with the lower base portion. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the upper base portion pivots relative to the lower base portion from the first closed position to the second open position. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the upper base portion includes two elongated gaskets having a bottom portion that overlaps or contacts a corresponding portion of a corresponding one of the heating strips when the upper and lower base portions are in the first closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base portion includes one or more lower mating features and the upper base portion includes one or more upper mating features that cooperate with the lower mating features to removably and rotatably couple the lower base portion to the upper base portion. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the lower base portion and the upper base portion are adapted to be received into a portion of a housing assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the lower base portion or the upper base portion includes at least one of vacuum connections or electrical connections that automatically engage corresponding vacuum connections and/or electrical connections formed on the housing assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor in communication with a first of the two or more heating strips and a second sensor in communication with a first of the two or more heating strips, wherein both the first sensor and second sensor are in communication with the control unit. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 10 , wherein information from one of the first sensor or the second sensor is communicated to the control unit, and wherein the control unit determines which of the first heating strip and second heating strip to energeize based on the information from the one of the first sensor or the second sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum sealing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the information is a temperature of the first heating strip or a temperature of the second heating strip. 
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a vacuum sealing machine having a lower base portion and an upper base portion that displaces relative to the lower base portion from a first closed position to a second open position, the method comprising:
 issuing a first command by a control unit of the vacuum sealing machine to energize a first heating strip disposed on one of the lower base portion or the upper base portion to heat a portion of an open end of a first sealable bag disposed between the lower base portion and the upper base portion in the first closed position; and   issuing a second command by the control unit of the vacuum sealing machine to energize a second heating strip disposed adjacent to the first heating strip disposed on one of the lower base portion or the upper base portion to heat a portion of an open end of a second sealable bag disposed between the lower base portion and the upper base portion in the first closed position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first command is issued by the control unit in response to information received by the control unit from a first sensor in communication with the first heating strip and the control unit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second command is issued by the control unit in response to information received by the control unit from a second sensor in communication with the second heating strip and the control unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first command or the second command is issued automatically by the control unit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first command is issued by the control unit in response to a reaching a temperature limit and wherein the second command is issued by the control unit in response to a reaching a temperature limit. 
     
     
         19 . A method of creating a custom-sized bag having a single unsealed edge for use with a vacuum sealing machine, the method comprising:
 determining by a control unit a width of a roll of bag material used to make the custom-sized bag;   determining by the control unit a desired bag volume of the custom-sized bag;   command a feeding mechanism to advance the roll of bag material a predetermined amount based on the desired bag volume, wherein the command to the feeding mechanism is issued by the control unit;   command at least one seal bar to energize to form a transverse seal across the roll of bag material when the roll of bag material advanced the predetermined amount, wherein the command to energize the at least one seal bar is issued by the control unit; and   command a cutting mechanism to activate to cut the roll of bag material adjacent to the transverse seal to create a sealable bag having a single open end and the desired bag volume, wherein the command to activate the cutting mechanism is issued by the control unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining the width of the roll of bag material is automatically determined by a sensor or determined by a user input. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining desired bag volume of the custom-sized bag is determined by a user input. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 command the feeding mechanism to advance the sealable bag having the single open end to an output location.