Food container packaging apparatus and method of using the same

Abstract

A food container packaging apparatus includes: a base member having a positioning recess in which a food container is positioned at an upper portion thereof; a cover member that covers an upper portion of the base member; and a main heater mounted on a lower surface of the cover member to thermally fuse a sheet of packaging vinyl arranged on the food container to a peripheral portion of the food container, wherein the main heater has a band shape and is arranged along a circumference of the positioning recess when the cover member is lowered, and the main heater having a band shape makes contact with the packaging vinyl to thermally fuse the packaging vinyl to the peripheral portion of the food container.

1 . A food container packaging apparatus comprising:
 a base member having a positioning recess in which a food container is positioned at an upper portion thereof;   a cover member that covers an upper portion of the base member; and   a main heater mounted on a lower surface of the cover member to thermally fuse a sheet of packaging vinyl arranged on the food container to a peripheral portion of the food container,   wherein the main heater has a band shape and is arranged along a circumference of the positioning recess when the cover member is lowered, and the main heater having a band shape makes contact with the packaging vinyl to thermally fuse the packaging vinyl to the peripheral portion of the food container.   
     
     
         2 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an insulation member mounted on a lower surface of the cover member; and   a power source for supplying an electric voltage to the main heater,   wherein the main heater is mounted on a lower surface of the insulation member to thermally fuse the packaging vinyl arranged on the food container to the peripheral portion of the food container, and the main heater is formed of a wire and is bent along the insulation member to form a hollow shape corresponding to the peripheral portion of the food container.   
     
     
         3 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a mounting recess into which the main heater is inserted to be arranged is formed in the insulation member, the main heater protrudes downwards further than the insulation member, and an insulation direction of the main heater formed of a wire is bent along the mounting recess. 
     
     
         4 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the main heater has a hollow closed curve shape. 
     
     
         5 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the main heater is divided into a first heating wire part and a second heating wire part, and one end of the first heating wire part and one end of the second heating wire part are arranged adjacent to each other and an opposite end of the second heating wire part and an opposite end of the second heating wire part are arranged adjacent to each other such that the packaging vinyl is thermally fused to the peripheral portion of the food container in a hollow closed curve shape by the main heater. 
     
     
         6 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein first connecting parts connected to the power source are formed at one end and an opposite end of the first heating wire part, respectively, second connecting parts connected to the power source are formed at one end and an opposite end of the second heating wire part, respectively, and an end of the first heating wire part and an end of the second heating wire part are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         7 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the main heater is formed of one wire such that an end and an opposite end are arranged adjacent to each other after the main heater is bent. 
     
     
         8 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a packing member is mounted at a circumference of the positioning recess or a circumference of the main heater in a hollow closed curve shape, and a suction hole connected to a vacuum pump is formed on an inside of the packing member. 
     
     
         9 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a packaging member having a hollow closed curve shape and mounted on an upper surface of the base member or a lower surface of the cover member such that the positioning recess and the main heater are arranged inside the packing member; and   a vacuum pump having a suction opening formed on an upper surface of the base member or a lower surface of the cover member,   wherein the suction opening is arranged inside the packing member, the main heater has a hollow closed curve shape arranged along a circumference of the positioning recess when the cover member is lowered, and a front part of the main heater thermally fuses an opening of a vinyl envelope arranged across the packing member.   
     
     
         10 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the main heater comprises:
 a first heater arranged along a portion of a circumference of the positioning recess; and   a second heater arranged along the remaining portions of the circumference of the positioning recess and mounted to a more front side of the cover member than the first heater to form a front part of the main heater,   wherein the first heater and the second heater of the main heater defines a hollow closed curve shape, and electric voltages are independently applied to the first heater and the second heater.   
     
     
         11 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a control unit for controlling an electric voltage applied to the main heater,   wherein the control unit applies an electric voltage to the first heater and the second heater when the packaging vinyl is to be thermally fused to the peripheral portion of the food container positioned in the positioning recess, and an electric voltage is applied to the second heater when an opening of the vinyl envelope arranged across the packing member and the second heater is to be thermally fused.   
     
     
         12 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first heater has an inverse U shape, the second heater has a straight line shape and is arranged in front of the first heater, and a transverse length of the second heater is equal to or larger than a transverse width of the first heater. 
     
     
         13 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a spaced part one or more portions of which are spaced apart from each other are formed in the main heater, one or more air passages that communicate an interior and an exterior of the food container when the packaging vinyl is thermally fused to the peripheral portion by the main heater are formed between the packaging vinyl and the peripheral portion. 
     
     
         14 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the air passages are sized such that air is introduced and discharged through the air passages but liquid is not introduced and discharged through the air passages. 
     
     
         15 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein one main heater is provided such that an end and an opposite end thereof are spaced apart from each other to form the spaced part. 
     
     
         16 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the main heater is divided into a plurality of main heater parts, and the plurality of main heater parts are spaced apart from each other to be adjacent to each other such that the spaced part is formed between the main heater parts. 
     
     
         17 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion extend from an end and an opposite end of the main heater that are spaced apart from each other to form the spaced part, respectively, the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion are spaced apart from each other to form the spaced part, and the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion are arranged to be inclined from the center of the positioning recess. 
     
     
         18 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion extend from an end and an opposite end of the main heater, which form the spaced part, and the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion are formed in a zigzag shape and are spaced apart from each other to form the spaced part. 
     
     
         19 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a packing member having a hollow closed curve shape and mounted on an upper surface of the base member and a lower surface of the cover member such that the positioning recess and the main heater are arranged inside the packing member; and   a vacuum pump having a suction opening on an upper surface of the base member or a lower surface of the cover member,   wherein the suction opening is arranged on an inside of the packing member.   
     
     
         20 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an auxiliary heater arranged between an outside of the main heater and an inside of the packing member,   wherein the auxiliary heater thermally fuses an opening of the vinyl envelope arranged below the auxiliary heater.   
     
     
         21 . The food container packaging apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the main heater comprises:
 a first heater arranged along a portion of a circumference of the positioning recess; a second heater arranged along the remaining portions of the circumference of the positioning recess and mounted on a more front side of the cover member that the first heater,   wherein the first heater and the second heater are spaced apart from each other to form the spaced part, the second heater thermally fuses the opening of the vinyl envelope arranged under the second heater, and electric voltages are independently applied to the first heater and the second heater.   
     
     
         22 . A method of using a food container packaging apparatus comprising: a base member having a positioning recess in which a food container is positioned at an upper portion thereof; a cover member that covers an upper portion of the base member; a main heater mounted on a lower surface of the cover member to thermally fuse a sheet of packaging vinyl arranged on the food container to a peripheral portion of the food container; a packaging member having a hollow closed curve shape and mounted on an upper surface of the base member or a lower surface of the cover member such that the positioning recess and the main heater are arranged inside the packing member; and a vacuum pump having a suction opening formed on an upper surface of the base member or a lower surface of the cover member,
 wherein a vinyl envelope is inserted into the positioning recess, an opening of the vinyl envelope is arranged to cross the main heater from an inside of the packing member, and the cover member covers the main heater such that the main heater thermally seals the opening of the vinyl envelope.