Splice mechanism for a packaging assembly

Abstract

A splice mechanism () for a packaging assembly (), the packaging assembly () including: a former shoulder (); a controller (); a film drive () controlled by the controller () for feeding a film () at a film speed to the former shoulder () to form a tubular film () moving in a film direction (); a sealing device () to seal the tubular film () in a first sealing direction (), the first sealing direction () being parallel to the film direction (); a set of jaws () controlled by the controller () and movable at a jaw speed to engage and seal the tubular film () in a second sealing direction () to form a first seal () and a second seal () in each bag, thereby forming a closed bag (), the splice mechanism () including: an active film roll () from which film () is drawn to be fed to the former shoulder () by the film drive (); a second film roll () having film () for feeding to the former shoulder (); a film roll holder () holding the active film roll () and the second film roll () such that film () from the active film roll () extends along a film path () to the former shoulder () and the second film roll () is accessible; a splice roller () against which film () from the second film roll () is placed, the film () having a film end (), the film end () having an adhesive (), the splice roller () being movable between a free position, wherein the film path () is unimpeded by the splice roller (), and a splice position, wherein the film path () is tangential to the splice roller () at a splice point () on the film path ().