Patents
US 7331154 B2: Apparatus and method for sealing boxes
- Granted
- 2008-02-19
- Filed
- 2006-11-27 application 11605725
- Type
- Utility · 57 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
An apparatus for sealing a box having four top flaps initially disposed in an open position. The apparatus includes a conveying system for conveying the box from a first end of the apparatus to a second end of the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a flap folding system for folding the top flaps of the box into folded and horizontal positions as the box is conveyed from a first end of the apparatus to a second end of the apparatus. The flap folding system has a first flap folding member configured to fold a fourth top flap of the box, a second flap folding member configured to fold a second top flap of the box, and a pair of oppositely disposed side flap folding members configured to fold a first and third top flaps of the box so as to abut each other. A tape dispensing system is configured to dispense tape across at least a portion of the third and fourth top flaps of the box in order to maintain the third and fourth top flaps in abutment with each other, thereby sealing the box.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg080219.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dole Food Company, Inc. 5 patents | US company or organization | Westlake Village, CA | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. State business registration EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state DOLE FOOD CO INC SEC filer FUZZY low confidence: same name (legal endings aside), one of each nationally | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Ventura | Watsonville, CA | 2 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Serafin Albarran | Salinas, CA | 11 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| B65B | Machines, apparatus or devices for, or methods of, packaging articles or materials; unpacking | B65B51/067 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-04-07 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH signed 2017-04-06 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA BUD ANTLE, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA ROYAL PACKING CO. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE BERRY COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 41932/215 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2017-04-07 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH signed 2017-04-06 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA BUD ANTLE, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA ROYAL PACKING CO. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE BERRY COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 41929/297 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2017-04-07 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS signed 2017-04-06 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA BUD ANTLE, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY WESTLAKE VILAGE, CA ROYAL PACKING LLC WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE BERRY COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 41927/361 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-11-07 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. signed 2013-11-01 DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. signed 2013-11-01 | DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 31597/857 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-11-06 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. signed 2013-11-01 DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. signed 2013-11-01 | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 31588/825 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-11-05 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. signed 2013-11-01 DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. signed 2013-11-01 | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 31580/121 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-11-04 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH signed 2013-11-01 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 31560/239 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-11-04 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH signed 2013-11-01 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA BUD ANTLE, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY, A NEVADA COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA ROYAL PACKING LLC, A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE BERRY COMPANY, A FLORIDA COMPANY WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 31559/711 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2013-04-03 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. signed 2013-04-01 DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES, INC. signed 2013-04-01 | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 30140/571 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2009-03-20 | Correction Supplemental patent security agreement | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. signed 2009-03-18 | DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 22427/269 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2007-05-14 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | ALBARRAN, SERAFIN signed 2002-02-07 VENTURA, LEON P. signed 2002-02-07 | DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC. WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | 19290/596 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.