Rodless Seal Plate Assembly for Plastic Bag Sealing

Solution Overview

Problem

Prior art plastic bag sealing apparatuses suffer from heat loss and increased downtime due to thick base heating units with multiple electrical wires, making them inefficient and costly to repair or replace.

Innovation Solution

A rodless seal plate assembly with a horizontally disposed metal base plate, insulator pad, electric heater pad, and seal plate members, featuring vacuum openings and a modular design that reduces electrical leads and facilitates easy repair or replacement, utilizing a base plate secured to seal plate members with insulator and heater pads in between, and support plates to create a vacuum space.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a thick base heating unit with multiple heating rods and electrical wires is used, then heating capability is provided, but heat loss increases and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating capabilityVSAvoidheat loss

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heating function from the thick base structure and relocates it to a thin-film heater positioned directly on the seal plate surface. This eliminates the thick base heating unit that caused heat loss, while maintaining effective heating capability through the thin-film heater that transfers heat directly to the seal plate without significant thermal mass loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical heating rod system with a thin-film heater that uses electrical resistance heating in a planar configuration. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple heating rods and their associated electrical wires, reducing device complexity while maintaining heating effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Temperature

If a thick base heating unit with multiple electrical wires is used, then heating capability is provided, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating capabilityVSAvoidnumber of electrical leads

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heating function from the thick base structure and relocates it to a thin-film heater positioned directly on the seal plate surface. This eliminates the thick base heating unit that caused heat loss, while maintaining effective heating capability through the thin-film heater that transfers heat directly to the seal plate without significant thermal mass loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical heating rod system with a thin-film heater that uses electrical resistance heating in a planar configuration. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple heating rods and their associated electrical wires, reducing device complexity while maintaining heating effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of repair

If the base heating element is removed for repair or replacement, then malfunction can be addressed, but downtime increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproverepairabilityVSAvoiddowntime

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the heating system into modular components: the thin-film heater is separated from the base structure and positioned directly on the seal plate. This segmentation allows the heater to be independently accessed, removed, and replaced without disassembling the entire sealing apparatus, significantly reducing repair downtime while maintaining ease of maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 solution reduces heat loss, minimizes electrical leads, and allows for efficient sealing of plastic bags with reduced downtime and maintenance costs by providing a longer-lasting and easily replaceable seal plate assembly.

Implementation Method 1

A horizontally disposed electric heater pad, having an upper side and a lower side, is positioned on the upper side of the insulator pad. The electric heater pad has a plurality of spaced-apart vacuum openings formed therein

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a source of vacuum for drawing the plastic bag downwardly onto a heated seal plate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum pressure: Vacuum

Implementation Method 3

the plastic bag sealing apparatus including a source of vacuum for drawing the plastic bag downwardly onto a heated seal plate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS11370178B1Seal plate assembly

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 BENES DAVD J

AI summary

The seal plate assembly of this invention includes a base plate, an insulator pad positioned on the base plate, an electric heater pad positioned on the insulator pad and a pair of seal plates positioned on the electric heater pad, all of which have registering vacuum openings formed therein. The base plate, insulator pad, heater pad and seal plates are bolted together. The seal plates have spaced-apart cavities formed therein. A support plate is positioned in each of the cavities with each of the support plates having a length and width which is less than the length and width of the respective cavity to create a vacuum space at the perimeter of the support plates. The support plates are spaced above the bottom of the cavities.