Offset Ridge Anvil for Ultrasonic Tube Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic sealing systems in roll-fed packaging machines face challenges in achieving consistent and reliable sealing performance due to variations in tube thickness and structural properties, particularly at the transversal sealing and longitudinal sealing cross region, which can lead to defects and affect food safety.
Innovation Solution
An anvil design with a ridge structure that includes offset peripheral sections to compensate for varying thickness and structural properties, providing improved pressure and heat distribution across the tube, including regions with crease lines and edges, thereby enhancing sealing performance and reducing the risk of overheating or ruptures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a constant anvil design is used over the width of the tube, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the sealing performance in peripheral sections deteriorates due to varying thickness and structural properties
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil ridge is divided into multiple sections (mid-section and peripheral sections) with different longitudinal offsets. Each section is designed with specific offset distances from the centerline to match the local thickness and structural characteristics of corresponding tube regions, enabling optimized sealing performance across varying tube geometries
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tube thickness varies at different sections, then the adaptability to different packaging configurations is improved, but the sealing consistency deteriorates due to non-uniform pressure and heat distribution
Solution Approach 1:
Different ridge sections are positioned with specific longitudinal offsets to compensate for local thickness variations. The mid-section and peripheral sections have distinct offset distances that correspond to the varying tube geometry at different transverse positions, ensuring uniform sealing quality across the entire tube width
Solution Approach 2:
The ridge offset distance parameter is varied across different sections of the anvil. By changing the longitudinal position of each ridge section relative to the centerline, the system adapts to local thickness variations and maintains consistent sealing parameters throughout the sealing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The anvil design improves sealing consistency and reliability across the entire tube width, including peripheral sections, by adapting to different structural properties, thus enhancing packaging material integrity and reducing defects, and allows for more environmentally friendly packaging without the need for aluminum foil.
Implementation Method 1
generating heat by inducing ultrasonic oscillations in to the area to be sealed
Implementation Method 2
The oscillations generates heat in the area which in turn causes a plastic of the packaging material to melt
Implementation Method 3
The applied pressure fuses together the packaging material so as to form an hermetic seal
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The present invention relates to an anvil (500, 500') of an ultrasonic sealing system (300) for transversally sealing a tube (112) of packaging material. Said anvil (500, 500') comprises a ridge (508) extending along a transversal direction (TD) of the anvil (500, 500'), wherein the ridge (508) comprises: a mid-section (504), and a first and a second peripheral section (502, 506), arranged on either side of the mid-section (504), wherein the first and second peripheral section (502, 506) comprises a respective first sub-portion (502b, 506b) and a respective second sub-portion (502d, 506d), wherein the respective first sub-portion (502b, 506b) are placed between the mid-section (504) and the respective second sub-portion (502d, 506d), wherein the first sub-portion (502b, 506b) of the ridge is offset in a longitudinal direction (LD) of the anvil (500, 500') by a first distance (D1), from the mid-section (504), wherein the second sub-portion (506b, 506d) of the ridge is offset in the longitudinal direction of the anvil (500, 500') by a second distance (D2) from the mid-section (504), and wherein the first distance (D1) is different from the second distance D2.