Apparatus for making bag assembly

1. A method of forming a bag assembly by RF welding, comprising the steps of:

inserting a tubular insert into a lumen of a tube to form a tube assembly;

placing opposing sheets and the tube assembly at least partially received between the sheets between first and second opposing die members of a welding apparatus, the first die member including a first tube-welding electrode and a first perimeter-welding electrode and the second die member including a second tube-welding electrode and a second perimeter-welding electrode, the first perimeter welding electrode and first tube-welding electrode defining a first welding surface, and the second perimeter-welding electrode and second tube-welding electrode defining a second welding surface opposing the first welding surface;

generating from a single source of RF energy a high frequency electric field having a first strength between at least a portion of the tube-welding electrodes of the opposing die members and a second strength less than said first strength between the perimeter-welding electrodes of the opposing die members;

subjecting the tube assembly and corresponding portions of the sheets surrounding the tube assembly to the high frequency electric field of said first strength for a predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets to the tube along a tube-weld;

subjecting corresponding portions of the sheets between the perimeter-welding electrodes to the high frequency electric field of said second strength for said predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets together along a bladder perimeter-weld,

wherein said subjecting steps are performed simultaneously so that the bag assembly is formed in one welding operation; and

using dielectric material selectively disposed on the first welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all of the first welding surface for reducing the second strength of the high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to the first strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes so that the sheets are welded to the tube and the sheets are welded to one another in said one welding operation, wherein the dielectric material is disposed on an entirety of the first perimeter-welding electrode and on only a portion of the first tube-welding electrode, wherein each of the first and second tube-welding electrodes has a circumferential-welding surface and opposite lateral-welding surfaces, and wherein said high frequency electric field having said first strength is generated between the circumferential-welding surfaces of the first and second tube-welding electrode.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising using dielectric material to reduce the amount of RF energy directed from said single source to the opposite lateral-welding surfaces of the tube-welding electrodes.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising subjecting the sheets between the opposite lateral-welding surfaces of the first and second tube-welding electrodes to a high frequency electric field having a strength approximately equal to said second strength.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising limiting penetration of at least the first perimeter-welding electrode of the first die member into the sheets.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising limiting penetration of the first perimeter-welding electrode and first tube-welding electrode into the sheets.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising using dielectric material selectively disposed on the second welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all of the second welding surface for reducing the second strength of the high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to the first strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the dielectric material is disposed on an entirety of the second perimeter-welding electrode and on only a portion of the second tube-welding electrode.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein a portion of the first tube-welding electrode having no dielectric material thereon is in direct opposing relation to a portion of the second tube-welding electrode having no dielectric material thereon.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the portions of the first and second tube-welding electrodes having no dielectric material thereon have arcuate shapes.

10. A method of forming a bag assembly by RF welding, comprising the steps of:

inserting a tubular insert into a lumen of a tube to form a tube assembly;

placing opposing sheets and the tube assembly at least partially received between the sheets between first and second opposing die members of a welding apparatus, the first die member including a first tube-welding electrode and a first perimeter-welding electrode and the second die member including a second tube-welding electrode and a second perimeter-welding electrode, the first perimeter welding electrode and first tube-welding electrode defining a first welding surface, and the second perimeter-welding electrode and second tube-welding electrode defining a second welding surface opposing the first welding surface;

generating from a single source of RF energy a high frequency electric field having a first strength between at least a portion of the tube-welding electrodes of the opposing die members and a second strength less than said first strength between the perimeter-welding electrodes of the opposing die members;

subjecting the tube assembly and corresponding portions of the sheets surrounding the tube assembly to the high frequency electric field of said first strength for a predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets to the tube along a tube-weld;

subjecting corresponding portions of the sheets between the perimeter-welding electrodes to the high frequency electric field of said second strength for said predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets together along a bladder perimeter-weld,

wherein said subjecting steps are performed simultaneously so that the bag assembly is formed in one welding operation;

using dielectric material selectively disposed on the first welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all of the first welding surface for reducing the second strength of the high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to the first strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes so that the sheets are welded to the tube and the sheets are welded to one another in said one welding operation, wherein the dielectric material is disposed on an entirety of the first perimeter-welding electrode and on only a portion of the first tube-welding electrode; and

disposing the dielectric material on a pair of planar electrode surfaces of the first tube-welding electrode but not on an arcuate electrode surface between the planar electrode surfaces.

11. A method of forming a bag assembly by RF welding, comprising the steps of:

inserting a tubular insert into a lumen of a tube to form a tube assembly;

placing opposing sheets and the tube assembly at least partially received between the sheets between first and second opposing die members of a welding apparatus, the first die member including a first tube-welding electrode and a first perimeter-welding electrode and the second die member including a second tube-welding electrode and a second perimeter-welding electrode, the first perimeter welding electrode and first tube-welding electrode defining a first welding surface, and the second perimeter-welding electrode and second tube-welding electrode defining a second welding surface opposing the first welding surface;

generating from a single source of RF energy a high frequency electric field having a first strength between at least a portion of the tube-welding electrodes of the opposing die members and a second strength less than said first strength between the perimeter-welding electrodes of the opposing die members;

subjecting the tube assembly and corresponding portions of the sheets surrounding the tube assembly to the high frequency electric field of said first strength for a predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets to the tube along a tube-weld;

subjecting corresponding portions of the sheets between the perimeter-welding electrodes to the high frequency electric field of said second strength for said predetermined amount of time to weld the sheets together along a bladder perimeter-weld,

wherein said subjecting steps are performed simultaneously so that the bag assembly is formed in one welding operation; and

using dielectric material selectively disposed on the first welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all of the first welding surface for reducing the second strength of the high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to the first strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes so that the sheets are welded to the tube and the sheets are welded to one another in said one welding operation, wherein the dielectric material is disposed on an entirety of the first perimeter-welding electrode and on only a portion of the first tube-welding electrode;

using dielectric material selectively disposed on the second welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all of the second welding surface for reducing the second strength of the high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to the first strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes, wherein the dielectric material is disposed on an entirety of the second perimeter-welding electrode and on only a portion of the second tube-welding electrode,

wherein a portion of the first tube-welding electrode having no dielectric material thereon is in direct opposing relation to a portion of the second tube-welding electrode having no dielectric material thereon, and wherein the portions of the first and second tube-welding electrodes having no dielectric material thereon have arcuate shapes.