Vacuum sealing bag apparatus

Abstract

A bag sealing apparatus including a frame having a fixed bag insertion slot into a vacuum chamber, a heat sealer connected to the frame, and means forming a vacuum connected to the vacuum chamber. The heat sealer is for sealing a bag located in the slot.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bag sealing apparatus comprising: 
 a frame having a fixed bag insertion slot into a vacuum chamber;    a heat sealer connected to the frame for sealing a bag located in the slot; and    means for forming a vacuum within the vacuum chamber.    
     
     
         2 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 1  further comprising a cleanout chamber connected between the vacuum chamber and the supply of vacuum.  
     
     
         3 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 2  wherein the cleanout chamber is removably connected to the frame.  
     
     
         4 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 1  further comprising a movable clamp connected to the frame at the slot.  
     
     
         5 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the movable clamp comprises two opposing clamp members extending along a width of the slot.  
     
     
         6 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 5  wherein the two opposing clamp members each comprises a vacuum seal which contacts the bag.  
     
     
         7 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises at least one movable assembly connected to the frame at the slot, the movable assembly comprising a clamp member forming a vacuum seal for directly contacting the bag and a heater seal for pressing the bag against a heater element of the heat sealer.  
     
     
         8 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 1  wherein the heat sealer is located in the vacuum chamber, and the apparatus further comprises a sealing device located at the slot in front of the heat sealer.  
     
     
         9 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 1  further comprising an actuator located in the vacuum chamber, the actuator being connected to the supply of vacuum for activating the supply of vacuum, wherein the actuator is adapted to be actuated by a leading edge of the bag inserted into the vacuum chamber.  
     
     
         10 . A bag sealing apparatus comprising: 
 a frame having a bag receiving area;    a bag sealer connected to the frame; and    a vacuum system connected to the bag receiving area, wherein the vacuum system comprises a cleanout chamber connected between the bag receiving area and means forming the vacuum for collecting food or liquid exiting an open end of a bag inserted into the bag receiving area.    
     
     
         11 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the cleanout chamber is removably connected to the frame.  
     
     
         12 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the bag receiving area comprises a fixed bag insertion slot into the frame and a vacuum chamber located at an end of the slot.  
     
     
         13 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein the vacuum system comprises a conduit between the vacuum chamber and the cleanout chamber, and wherein the conduit extends into the vacuum chamber at a bottom side of the vacuum chamber.  
     
     
         14 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  further comprising an actuator located in the bag receiving area, the actuator being connected to the means forming the vacuum for activating the supply of vacuum, wherein the actuator is adapted to be actuated by a leading edge of the bag inserted into the bag receiving area.  
     
     
         15 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the bag sealer comprises a temporary sealer having a movable clamp connected to the frame at a fixed entrance into the bag receiving area.  
     
     
         16 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 15  wherein the movable clamp comprises two opposing clamp members extending along a width of the bag receiving area.  
     
     
         17 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 16  wherein the two opposing clamp members each comprises a vacuum seal which contacts the bag.  
     
     
         18 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the bag sealer comprises at least one movable assembly connected to the frame at a vacuum chamber of the bag receiving area, the movable assembly comprising a clamp member forming a vacuum seal for directly contacting the bag and a heater seal for pressing the bag against a heater element of the bag sealer.  
     
     
         19 . A bag sealing apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the bag sealer comprises a permanent sealer having a heater element located in a vacuum chamber of the bag receiving area, and a temporary sealer having a sealing device located at a slot entrance into the vacuum chamber in front of the heater element.  
     
     
         20 . A method for heat sealing an open end of a bag comprising steps of: 
 inserting the open end of the bag into a fixed slot in a frame of a bag sealing apparatus;    moving a clamp of the apparatus to clamp onto the open end, wherein the clamp is located at the fixed slot;    applying a negative pressure to the open end of the bag; and    heat sealing the open end of the bag.    
     
     
         21 . A method as in  claim 20  further comprising actuating an actuator by the bag as the bag is inserted into the frame.  
     
     
         22 . A method as in  claim 21  wherein, when the actuator is actuated by insertion of the bag into the frame, the actuator causes the clamp to move.  
     
     
         24 . A method as in  claim 21  wherein, when the actuator is actuated by insertion of the bag into the frame, the actuator causes the supply of vacuum to be activated.  
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 20  wherein the step of applying a negative pressure to the open end of the bag comprises evacuating air and liquid in a bag receiving area of the frame into a cleanout chamber.  
     
     
         26 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein the step of heat sealing the open end of the bag comprises heating the bag at a location between the clamp and an open aperture into the bag.  
     
     
         27 . A method for vacuum sealing an open end of a bag comprising steps of: 
 inserting the open end of the bag into a bag receiving area of a bag sealing apparatus;    applying a negative pressure to the open end of the bag at the bag receiving area; and    evacuating liquid, pulled from the open end of the bag into the bag receiving area, to a liquid holding chamber separate from the bag receiving area.    
     
     
         28 . A method as in  claim 27  further comprising heat sealing the bag in the bag receiving area.  
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 27  further comprising actuating an actuator by the bag as the bag is inserted into the bag receiving area.  
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 29  wherein, when the actuator is actuated by insertion of the bag into the bag receiving area, the actuator causes a clamp to move onto the bag.  
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 29  further comprising heat sealing the open end of the bag by heating the bag at a location between the clamp and an open aperture into the bag.  
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 31  wherein, when the actuator is actuated by insertion of the bag into the frame, the actuator causes means forming a vacuum to be activated, and wherein the means forming the vacuum applies a negative pressure inside the bag before the clamp closes the open aperture into the bag.