Vacuum packaging system

Claim 1

The method of filling and evacuating a bag of a type including freely spreadable flap portions defining therebetween a fill opening, the fill opening communicating with an enclosure for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: spreading said flap portions to place a product fill in the enclosure through said fill opening, thereafter holding said flap portions in an extended substantially face to face contiguous relationship by gripping the flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, whereby edge openings communicating with said enclosure exist in a region between the point said flap portions are gripped, evacuating said bag through an aperture formed in at least one of said flap portions, and thereafter closing said bag by forming a closure seal positioned at a region inwardly of said edge openings and said aperture.

Claim 2

The method of filling and evacuating a bag of a type including freely spreadable flap portions defining therebetween a fill opening, the fill opening communicating with an enclosure for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: spreading said flap portions to place a product fill in the enclosure through said fill opening, thereafter holding said flap portions in an extended substantially face to face contiguous relationship by gripping the flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, whereby edge openings communicating with said enclosure exist in a region between the point said flap portions are gripped, evacuating said bag through an aperture formed in at least one of said flap portions, and thereafter closing said bag by forming a closure seal positioned at a region inwardly of said edge openings and said aperture.

Claim 3

The method of filling and simultaneously evacuating a plurality of bags, each of a type including freely spreadable flap portions defining therebetween a fill opening, the fill opening communicating with an enclosure for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: spreading said flap portions to place a product fill in the enclosure through said fill opening, thereafter holding said flap portions in an extended substantially face to face contiguous relationship by gripping the flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, whereby edge openings communicating with said enclosure exist in a region between the point said flap portions are gripped and said enclosure, creating a vacuum environment for simultaneously evacuating a group of at least two of said bags connected to each other through apertures formed in said flap portions, said flap portions being continuous along an edge of said group, and thereafter closing said bag by forming a closure seal positioned at a region inwardly of said edge openings and said apertures to hermetically seal the vacuum environment within said enclosure.

Claim 4

The method of filling and simultaneously evacuating a plurality of bags, each of a type including freely spreadable flap portions defining therebetween a fill opening, the fill opening communicating with an enclosure for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: spreading said flap portions to place a product fill in the enclosure through said fill opening, thereafter holding said flap portions in an extended substantially face to face contiguous relationship by gripping the flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, whereby edge openings communicating with said enclosure exist in a region between the point said flap portions are gripped and said enclosure, creating a vacuum environment for simultaneously evacuating a group of at least two of said bags connected to each other through apertures formed in said flap portions, said flap portions being continuous along an edge of said group, and thereafter closing said bag by forming a closure seal positioned at a region inwardly of said edge openings and said apertures to hermetically seal the vacuum environment within said enclosure.

Claim 5

The method of successively filling and evacuating bags of a type connected together as a series of continuous bag elements, and defining along a continuous edge thereof opposed flap portions, fill openings being defined successively between said flap portions and communicating with successive enclosures for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: plowing open said flap portions and successively filling said enclosures by inserting a product through the fill openings defined between the slowed open flap portions, gripping said flap portions to hold the flap portions in an extended position, said gripping force being applied to said flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, evacuating air from said enclosures by drawing air out through a passageway communicating with said enclosures, said passageway being defined between said flap portions in the area intermediate said gripping means and said enclosure, and thereafter closing said bag elements by forming a closure seal across said enclosure at a region inwardly of said flap portions to seal the air evacuated environment within said bags.

Claim 6

The method of successively filling and evacuating bags of a type connected together as a series of continuous bag elements, and defining along a continuous edge thereof opposed flap portions, fill openings being defined successively between said flap portions and communicating with successive enclosures for receiving product fill, said method comprising the steps of: plowing open said flap portions and successively filling said enclosures by inserting a product through the fill openings defined between the slowed open flap portions, gripping said flap portions to hold the flap portions in an extended position, said gripping force being applied to said flap portions at a region spaced from said enclosure, evacuating air from said enclosures by drawing air out through a passageway communicating with said enclosures, said passageway being defined between said flap portions in the area intermediate said gripping means and said enclosure, and thereafter closing said bag elements by forming a closure seal across said enclosure at a region inwardly of said flap portions to seal the air evacuated environment within said bags.

Claim 11

The method of filling and evacuating preformed bags of a type connected together in series, the series of bags defining along a continuous edge thereof opposed freely spreadable flap portions, successive fill openings being defined between said flap portions, and communicating with successive enclosures, said method comprising the steps of: spreading apart said fill openings and inserting a product fill therebetween into said enclosures, respectively, successively parting groups comprising at least one filled bag from said series of bags, gripping the flap portions of said parted group between opposed belts and delivering the enclosure of said parted group into a vacuum chamber including opposed mateable halves, leaving a region of said flap portions spaced from said enclosures interposed between opposed edges of said halves; closing said halves to form a substantially hermetically tight chamber about said parted group with said region of said flap portions being held firmly in an extended fashion between said edges, evacuating said chamber to evacuate air from said parted group, forming a closure seal located at a region inwardly of said flap portions to hermetically seal the evacuated environment within said enclosure of said parted group.

Claim 12

The method of filling and evacuating preformed bags of a type connected together in series, the series of bags defining along a continuous edge thereof opposed freely spreadable flap portions, successive fill openings being defined between said flap portions, and communicating with successive enclosures, said method comprising the steps of: spreading apart said fill openings and inserting a product fill therebetween into said enclosures, respectively, successively parting groups comprising at least one filled bag from said series of bags, gripping the flap portions of said parted group between opposed belts and delivering the enclosure of said parted group into a vacuum chamber including opposed mateable halves, leaving a region of said flap portions spaced from said enclosures interposed between opposed edges of said halves; closing said halves to form a substantially hermetically tight chamber about said parted group with said region of said flap portions being held firmly in an extended fashion between said edges, evacuating said chamber to evacuate air from said parted group, forming a closure seal located at a region inwardly of said flap portions to hermetically seal the evacuated environment within said enclosure of said parted group.