Modular sealing apparatus

1 . A modular sealing apparatus for a vacuum packaging machine, comprising:

a cap module comprising a central portion, wherein the central portion locates thereupon a heating wire, the heating wire is connected to an electrical power unit and is configured to heat up when supplied with electrical power through the electrical power unit;

an actuation box, the cap module detachably coupled to the actuation box, wherein the actuation box is located below the cap module, the actuation box comprising an electrical drive unit, wherein, in use, the electrical drive unit is configured to cause the cap module to move upwards and against a counterpart attached to the vacuum packaging machine, by activating an actuation member of the electrical drive unit;

an interface module coupled to the actuation box, the interface module configured to detachably fasten the actuation box to the vacuum packaging machine, and enable supply of the electrical power to the actuation box from the vacuum packaging machine; and

a sensor module comprising one or more sensors configured to sense at least one temperature value in an upper portion of the cap module,

wherein the electrical power unit is configured to be supplied with the electrical power, from the actuation box, through a first contact member, and

wherein the first contact member is encapsulated by a first upper sleeve and a first lower sleeve, one of the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve sockets the other, a first sealing ring is provided between the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve.

2 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a protective film configured to cover the heating wire.

3 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cap module further comprises at least one end connection portion provided on at least one respective end of the central portion, wherein the at least one end connection portion is configured to fasten the heating wire to the central portion.

4 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical power unit comprises a conductor spring strip comprising a deformable portion, the conductor spring strip configured to be in contact with the first contact member and supply electrical power to the heating wire through a contact port when the modular sealing apparatus is in use.

5 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a predetermined gap provided between the contact port and an open end of the conductor spring strip, wherein the open end of the conductor spring strip is configured to traverse the predetermined gap in response to a predetermined pressure exerted by the cap module onto the counterpart.

6 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one data connection connecting the sensor module and the actuation box, wherein the at least one data connection is configured to transmit sensor data from the sensor module to the actuation box.

7 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to sense at least one of a contact force or a pressure between the cap module and the counterpart.

8 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is configured to be supplied with the electrical power, from the actuation box, through at least one of the first contact member or a second contact member.

9 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second contact member is encapsulated by a second upper sleeve and a second lower sleeve, one of the second upper sleeve and the second lower sleeve sockets the other, a second sealing ring is provided between the second upper sleeve and the second lower sleeve.

10 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the counterpart comprises one or more counterpart sensors connected to the sensor module, the one or more counterpart sensors configured to sense at least one temperature value in a lower portion of the counterpart.

11 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the one or more counterpart sensors are further configured to sense at least one of a contact force or a pressure between the cap module and the counterpart.

12 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical drive unit further comprises an actuator selected from a group consisting of a linear actuator, a rotary actuator coupled to a transmission configured to convert the rotary motion of the rotary actuator into a linear motion of at least the actuation member, a Shape-Memory-Alloy (SMA), a thermal actuator, and combinations thereof.

13 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in use, the actuation box and the counterpart are configured to remain stationary and the cap module is configured to move upwards and downwards relative to the actuation box and the counterpart, by activating the actuation member removably fastened to the cap module, and

wherein the cap module further comprises at least one support cavity in a lower portion of the cap module, the at least one support cavity configured to receive therewithin the actuation member.

14 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in use, the counterpart is configured to be stationary, and the actuation box and the cap module are configured to together move upwards and downwards relative to the counterpart, by activating the actuation member in contact with a floor of a vacuum chamber of the vacuum packaging machine, and

wherein the cap module further comprises at least one support cavity in a lower portion of the cap module, the at least one support cavity configured to receive therewithin at least one upper support member.

15 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a portion of the actuation member protruding outside the actuation box is encapsulated by an actuation member sleeve and an actuation member sealing ring.

16 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an installation box comprising a plurality of first terminal pins for at least one of an electrical power connection or a data connection with a plurality of respective second terminal pins of the actuation box,

wherein the installation box is configured to be detachably fastened to an external wall of a vacuum chamber of the vacuum packaging machine,

wherein the interface module comprises a plurality of double-sided receptacles configured to:

receive therewithin, the plurality of first terminal pins and the plurality of respective second terminal pins, and

enable electrical conduction between the plurality of first terminal pins and the plurality of respective second terminal pins.

17 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the installation box is configured to be detachably fastened to the internal wall through one or more magnets.

18 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of first terminal pins and the plurality of respective second terminal pins are configured to be received within the plurality of double-sided receptacles without use of additional assembly tools, the additional assembly tools comprising manual drivers, manual spanners, electrically powered wrenches and drivers, and pneumatically powered wrenches and drivers.

19 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cap module comprises the central portion wherein a upper surface of at least the central portion is bent upwards forming an upward convex geometry, the heating wire conforming with the upward convex geometry of the central portion.

20 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 19 , wherein at least the central portion is made from a deformable material, and the actuation box comprises two or more electrical drive units and two or more respective actuation members,

wherein, in use, the two or more electrical drive units are configured to be provided with disparate amounts of electrical power resulting in disparate magnitudes of linear motion of the two or more respective actuation members,

wherein combined with the ability of the modified central portion to be deformable, the two or more actuation members are configured to modify a geometry of the cap module to achieve disparate predetermined geometries of space between the counterpart and the cap module, in conformance with disparate respective predetermined geometries of disparate respective packets to be sealed.

21 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuation box further comprises a controller, the controller is configured to control one or more of an activation of the actuation member, a temperature in a melding zone, and a time period of the melding process.

22 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interface module comprises at least one dock configured to be fastened to at least one respective internal wall of a vacuum chamber of the vacuum packaging machine, and at least one channel configured to receive therein at least one respective protrusion provided with the actuation box, to detachably couple the actuation box to the interface module.

23 . The modular sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuation box shoe provided in a lower portion of the actuation box and at least one interface module shoe provided in a lower portion of the interface module, wherein one or both of the at least one actuation box shoe and the at least one interface module shoe comprises a quick-release fastening arrangement to removably fasten the actuation box and the interface module, respectively, to a floor of a vacuum chamber of the vacuum packaging machine.

24 . A vacuum packaging machine comprising a vacuum chamber defined by a lid member and a cavity in a lower compartment, at least one modular sealing apparatus detachably coupled to at least one internal wall of the vacuum chamber, the at least one modular sealing apparatus comprising:

a cap module comprising a central portion, wherein the central portion locates thereupon a heating wire, the heating wire is connected to an electrical power unit and is configured to heat up when supplied with electrical power through the electrical power unit;

an actuation box, the cap module detachably coupled to the actuation box, wherein the actuation box is located below the cap module, the actuation box comprising an electrical drive unit, wherein, in use, the electrical drive unit is configured to cause the cap module to move upwards and against a counterpart attached to a roof of the lid member of the vacuum packaging machine, by activating an actuation member of the electrical drive unit;

an interface module coupled to the actuation box, the interface module configured to detachably fasten the actuation box to the vacuum packaging machine, and enable supply of the electrical power to the actuation box from the vacuum packaging machine; and

a sensor module comprising one or more sensors configured to sense at least one temperature value in an upper portion of the cap module,

wherein the electrical power unit is configured to be supplied with the electrical power, from the actuation box, through a first contact member, and

wherein the first contact member is encapsulated by a first upper sleeve and a first lower sleeve, one of the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve sockets the other, a first sealing ring is provided between the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve.

25 . The vacuum packaging machine as claimed in claim 24 , further comprising a plurality of counterpart protrusions provided at a bottom surface of the counterpart, wherein the plurality of counterpart protrusions is made from a deformable material and have been provided with a weak adhesive to removably attach a packet, when the vacuum packaging machine is in use.