Apparatus and process for evacuation of packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906677-B2
Application number	US-201615774838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A device (1) for evacuating gas from a package (50) in a packaging apparatus, the package (50) having an open end (55), the open end (55) having a terminal portion (54), a non-terminal portion (52), and an intermediate portion (53) located between the terminal portion (54) and the non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55), the device (1) comprising a vacuum chamber (10) having an elongated opening (14) extending along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10), an evacuation means configured for providing the vacuum chamber (10) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (10), means for moving (30) a package (50) relative to the vacuum chamber (10), and a control unit (60) programmed for controlling the means for moving (30) to relatively move a package (50) to be evacuated with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), the package (50) and the means for moving (30) each being arranged with respect to the vacuum chamber (10) so that a main movement direction (40) of packages (50) placed on the means for moving (30) and the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10) are substantially parallel to one another, the package (50) to be evacuated being positioned so that, during the relative movement of the package (50) with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), a terminal portion (54) of the open end (55) of the package (50) relatively moves within the vacuum chamber (10) and a non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (10), an intermediate portion (53) of the open end (55) passing through and relatively moving along the opening (14), and activating the evacuation means to provide the vacuum chamber (10) with the internal vacuum pressure. A packaging process using the gas evacuation device and a packaging apparatus including the device are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device ( 1 ) for evacuating gas from a package ( 50 ) in a packaging apparatus, the package ( 50 ) having an open end ( 55 ), the open end ( 55 ) having a terminal portion ( 54 ), a non-terminal portion ( 52 ), and an intermediate portion ( 53 ) located between the terminal portion ( 54 ) and the non-terminal portion ( 52 ) of the open end ( 55 ), the device ( 1 ) comprising:
a vacuum chamber ( 10 ) having an elongated opening ( 14 ) extending along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ),
an evacuation means configured for providing the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber ( 10 ),
a means for moving ( 30 ) a package ( 50 ) relative to the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), and
a control unit ( 60 ) programmed for:
controlling the means for moving ( 30 ) to relatively move a package ( 50 ) to be evacuated with respect to the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), the package ( 50 ) and the means for moving ( 30 ) each being arranged with respect to the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) so that a main movement direction ( 40 ) of packages ( 50 ) placed on the means for moving ( 30 ) and the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) are substantially parallel to one another, the package ( 50 ) to be evacuated being positioned so that, during the relative movement of the package ( 50 ) with respect to the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), a terminal portion ( 54 ) of the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) relatively moves within the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) and a non-terminal portion ( 52 ) of the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), an intermediate portion ( 53 ) of the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) passing through and relatively moving along the opening ( 14 ), and activating the evacuation means to provide the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) with the internal vacuum pressure;

the device ( 1 ) further comprising a first guide belt ( 70 ) arranged along a length of the opening ( 14 ) and configured to contact the intermediate portion ( 53 ) of the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) when passing through the opening ( 14 ), the first guide belt ( 70 ) having an inner surface ( 70 i ) and an outer surface ( 70 o ), and
a first drive configured to act on the first guide belt ( 70 ), wherein
the control unit is further programmed to control the first drive to move the first guide belt ( 70 ) in the movement direction ( 40 ) along the length of the opening ( 14 );
wherein the outer surface ( 70 o ) of the first guide belt ( 70 ) is provided with a contoured shape comprising recesses ( 73 );
a second guide belt ( 72 ) arranged along a length of the opening ( 14 ) and configured to contact the intermediate portion ( 53 ) of the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) when passing through the opening ( 14 ), the second guide belt ( 72 ) having an inner surface ( 72 i ) and an outer surface ( 72 o ), and
a second drive configured to act on the second guide belt ( 72 ), wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the second drive to move the second guide belt ( 72 ) in the movement direction ( 40 ) along the length of the opening ( 14 );
the second guide belt ( 72 ) has the form of a closed loop running around first ( 103 ′) and second ( 108 ′) deflection rolls and along the length of the opening ( 14 ).

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the internal vacuum pressure for:
allowing a gas flow through the opening ( 14 ) causing opposing layers of film ( 21 ) at the open end ( 55 ) of the package ( 50 ) to maintain a substantially spaced-apart configuration; and/or
aspirating both gas from inside the package ( 50 ) and gas from an ambient atmosphere through the opening ( 14 ).

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first guide belt ( 70 ) has the form of a closed loop running around first ( 103 ) and second ( 108 ) deflection rolls and along the length of the opening ( 14 ).

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the recesses ( 73 ) extend over the outer surface ( 70 o ) in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal extension of the first guide belt ( 70 ) and wherein the recesses ( 73 ) are spaced from one another at regular intervals between 2 mm and 20 mm along the longitudinal extension of the first guide belt ( 70 ).

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the recesses ( 73 ) have a depth of between 0.2 mm and 2 mm, and the recesses ( 73 ) have a length along the longitudinal extension of the first guide belt ( 70 ) of between 2 mm and 10 mm.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the second drive to move the second guide belt ( 72 ) in the movement direction ( 40 ) along the length of the opening ( 14 ), at a speed substantially corresponding to the relative speed between the package ( 50 ) and the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) and wherein the outer surface ( 72 o ) of the second guide belt ( 72 ) is provided with a substantially even shape.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein
the inner surface ( 70 i ) of the first guide belt ( 70 ) extends along an upper edge ( 14 u ) of the opening ( 14 ) and the outer surface ( 70 o ) of the first guide belt ( 70 ) is configured to contact the intermediate portion ( 53 ) from above, and
the inner surface ( 72 i ) of the second guide belt ( 72 ) extends along a lower edge ( 141 ) of the opening ( 14 ) and the outer surface ( 72 o ) of the second guide belt ( 72 ) is configured to contact the intermediate portion ( 53 ) from below.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising multiple sets of upper ( 90 ) and lower ( 92 ) rollers, each roller ( 90 , 92 ) having a substantially cylindrical shape and being arranged to be able to rotate about a respective longitudinal axis thereof, the upper ( 90 ) and lower ( 92 ) rollers being relatively positioned with respect to one another such that the upper ( 90 ) and lower ( 92 ) rollers contact each other along an elongated contact area on their respective lateral surfaces, thereby providing the rollers ( 90 , 92 ) with a substantially air-tight seal along the contact area, the contact area extending substantially parallel to the respective longitudinal axis of the upper ( 90 ) and lower ( 92 ) rollers, wherein:
a first set of rollers ( 90 , 92 ) is arranged at an upstream end of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) and configured to provide the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) with a substantially air-tight seal at the upstream end thereof; and/or
a second set of rollers ( 90 , 92 ) is arranged at a downstream end of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) and configured to provide the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) with a substantially air-tight seal at the downstream end thereof, downstream being defined with respect to the main movement direction ( 40 ).

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a first stretch belt ( 80 ) arranged at the downstream end of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ) and configured to receive the intermediate portion ( 53 ) of the open end ( 55 ) when exiting the opening ( 14 ).

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a second stretch belt ( 82 ) arranged opposite to and in contact with the first stretch belt ( 80 ) at the downstream end of the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), the first ( 80 ) and second ( 82 ) stretch belts being configured to receive, between one another, the intermediate portion ( 53 ) of the open end ( 55 ) when exiting the opening ( 14 ) and wherein the control unit is configured to control an operating speed of the second stretch belt ( 80 ) to be higher than the relative speed between the package ( 50 ) and the vacuum chamber ( 10 ), the operating speed being about 2% to 30% higher than the relativ

Assignees

• Palumbo Riccardo
• Benedetti Giulio
• Landolt Stefano
• Rizzi Jvanohe
• Kirkpatrick Glen Samuel
• Thurig Peter
• Nazic Haris
• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Palumbo Riccardo
• Benedetti Giulio
• Landolt Stefano
• Rizzi Jvanohe
• Kirkpatrick Glen Samuel
• Thurig Peter
• Nazic Haris

Classifications

• B65B51/16

  by rotary members · CPC title

• B65B51/146

  Closing bags · CPC title

• B65B31/048 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags · CPC title

• B65B31/024 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B61/005

  for removing material by cutting · CPC title