The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 04, 2000
Eugenio Sighinolfi, Modena, IT;
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A., Pully, CH;
Abstract
A control unit ( ) interacting with a strip packaging material to which are applied, to close respective openings ( ) in the packaging material, a number of patch elements ( ) and a number of tear-off tongues ( ) heat sealed to respective patch elements ( ). To determine the integrity of the patch elements ( ), the unit has at least one contact surface ( ) at an operating electric potential (Va) and cooperating with the side of the packaging material ( ) having the patch elements ( ) to define one plate of a capacitor ( ), the other plate of which is defined by an aluminium film ( ) of the packaging material ( ), and the dielectric of which is defined by the heat-seal plastic material interposed between the plates; and a detecting circuit ( ) connected to the contact surface ( ) and to the aluminium film ( ) to detect an electric quantity related to variations in the dielectric strength of the dielectric of the capacitor ( ) and so determine the presence of any microholes in the patch elements ( ).