| US 7,588,525 B2 | ||
| Tab folding and sealing apparatus and method | ||
| Paul Longworth, Wantage (United Kingdom); and Jason John Hall, Sandford-on-Thames (United Kingdom) | ||
| Assigned to Crown Packaging Technology, Inc., Alsip, Ill. (US) | ||
| Appl. No. 11/574,690 PCT Filed Sep. 09, 2005, PCT No. PCT/EP2005/054484 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 05, 2007, PCT Pub. No. WO2006/029991, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 23, 2006. |
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| Claims priority of application No. 04255525 (EP), filed on Sep. 13, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0092485 A1, Apr. 24, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. B31B 1/64 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 493—135 [493/108; 493/80; 53/133.1; 53/133.7] | 10 Claims |
| 1. An apparatus for folding a tab of flexible material over a peelable panel, in which the tab and peelable panel are formed
from a single piece of the same flexible material which has no inherent deadfold characteristic and which, in use, is fixed
to a ring such that the tab extends away from the panel, the apparatus comprising:
an upper tab fold tool having two independent and distinct regions comprising:
a first region for folding the tab; and
a second region including a biasing device for flattening the folded tab against the peelable panel;
a lower tab fold tool; and
a heat seal stake; and
in which either or both of the fold tools are moveable axially relative to each other for folding the tab against the peelable
panel and the heat seal stake is provided in the upper tab fold tool for bonding the folded tab in its folded position.
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