Apparatus and process for packaging products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850876-B2
Application number	US-201615580460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

It is described an apparatus (1) for packaging a product (P) comprising: a forming station (2) configured for receiving a base film (3) and for forming with it a precursor body (4) having a plurality of tray-shaped elements (5) adjacent to each other, and a packaging station (8) configured for receiving said precursor body (4) and a closing film (9), the packaging station (8) being configured for attaching the closing film (9) to the precursor body (4) at least at an upper opening (5a) of a predetermined number of said tray-shaped elements (5) for forming packages (C) flanked to each other. A movement device (13) is configured for moving at least one of said forming (2) and packaging stations (8), for conferring to the precursor body (4) a step-by-step discontinuous movement along a predetermined advancement path (T). It is also described a packaging process using the apparatus (1).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for packaging a product comprising:
a forming station configured for receiving a base film and forming by it a precursor body having a plurality of tray-shaped elements adjacent to each other, wherein the forming station comprises:
at least one upper portion, and
at least one lower portion,

the upper portion and lower portion being coupled to be movable with respect to each other between an open position of the forming station, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are spaced from each other and enable a longitudinal segment of the base film to enter the forming station, and a closed portion of the forming station, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are approached to each other for blocking said longitudinal segment of the base film with respect to the forming station and forming in such longitudinal segment one or more of said tray-shaped elements,
a packaging station configured for receiving said precursor body and a closing film, the packaging station being configured for fixing the closing film to the precursor body at least at an upper opening of a predetermined number of said tray-shaped elements for forming packages flanked to each other, the packaging station, comprising in turn:
a lower tool comprising a predetermined number of seats each configured for receiving at least one of said tray-shaped elements, and
an upper tool facing the lower tool and configured for cooperating with the lower tool for fixing at least a portion of said closing film to one or more tray-shaped elements placed in said seats, wherein the upper tool and lower tool are movable with respect to each other between an open condition of the packaging station, wherein the upper tool and lower tool are spaced from each other and enable to place one or more tray-shaped elements in said seats and to place said closing film portion above one or more respective tray-shaped elements, and a closed condition of the packaging station, wherein the upper tool and lower tool are approached to each other for blocking the one or more tray-shaped elements in said seats with respect to the packaging station and fixing said closing film portion to such one or more respective tray-shaped elements present in said seats,

at least one movement device configured for moving, along a predetermined advancement path of said precursor body, at least one of said forming station and packaging stations,
a control unit active on said forming station and packaging stations and also on the movement device, and configured for:
commanding a movement of the forming station between the respective open position and the respective closed position,
commanding a movement of the packaging station between the respective open condition and the respective closed condition,
commanding the movement device to perform at least one of the following:
a displacement of the forming station along said predetermined advancement path at least when the forming station is in said closed position,
a displacement of the packaging station along said predetermined advancement path at least when the packaging station is in said closed condition,

coordinating the movement of the forming station between the respective open position and the respective closed position, with the movement of the packaging station between the respective open condition and the respective closed condition, and with said at least one displacement performed by the movement device for conferring—to at least one longitudinal portion of the precursor body—a discontinuous step-by-step movement along said predetermined advancement path,

and by the fact that the apparatus is configured so that at least to the longitudinal portion of the precursor body, the movement along said predetermined advancement path is exclusively applied by the forming station and packaging station themselves during a respective forward stroke.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the movement device is active both on the forming station and the packaging station and is configured for moving, along said predetermined advancement path of said precursor body, both said forming station and packaging stations, and wherein the control unit is configured for:
commanding the movement device to perform a displacement of the forming station along said predetermined advancement path at least when the forming station is in said closed position,
commanding the movement device to perform a displacement of the packaging station along said predetermined advancement path at least when the packaging station is in said closed condition.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movement device active on the forming station is configured for:
moving the forming station from a respective starting position, along a forward stroke along said predetermined advancement path, until it reaches a respective arrival position, and
moving the forming station from the respective arrival position, for a return stroke opposite to the forward stroke, until it returns to a new respective starting position,

and wherein the control unit is also configured for:
commanding the forming station to be placed in said respective closed position and to form said tray-shaped elements during said forward stroke,
commanding the forming station to be placed in said open position during said return stroke.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movement device active on the packaging station is configured for:
moving the packaging station from a respective starting position, along a forward stroke along said predetermined advancement path, until it reaches a respective arrival position, and
moving the packaging station from the respective arrival position, for a return stroke opposite to the forward stroke, until it returns to a new starting position,

and wherein the control unit is also configured for:
commanding the packaging station to be placed in said respective closed condition, and fixing said closing film portion to one or more respective tray-shaped elements present in said seats, during said forward stroke,
commanding the packaging station to be placed in said open position during said return stroke.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal portion of the precursor body extends between the forming station and packaging station when the forming station and packaging station are starting the respective forward strokes along said predetermined advancement path.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured so that the movement of the precursor body along the operative path at least between said forming station and said packaging station is exclusively applied by the forming station and packaging station themselves during the respective forward strokes.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured so that the movement of the base film up to the forming station be exclusively applied by the forming station and packaging station themselves during the respective forward strokes.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movement device comprises:
a first actuator member active on the forming station and configured for reciprocally moving the forming station along said forward stroke and return stroke of the forming station, and
a second actuator member, independent from the first actuator, active on the packaging station and configured for reciprocally moving the packaging station along said forward stroke and return stroke of the packaging station;

or wherein the movement device comprises:
a slide arranged for supporting the forming station and the packaging station,
a first actuator member active on the slide and configured

Assignees

• Cryovac Inc
• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Palumbo Riccardo
• Benedetti Giulio

Classifications

• B65B65/00

  Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided for; Arrangements of such details · CPC title

• B65B31/022

  the chambers moving in an endless path · CPC title

• B65B9/04 Primary

  one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material · CPC title

• B65B7/164

  Securing by heat-sealing · CPC title

• B65B5/04

  Packaging single articles · CPC title