Apparatus and method of packaging a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11174050-B2
Application number	US-201716470724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A packaging apparatus includes a conveyor that moves one or more supports towards a packaging station, while a plastic film to be applied to said one or more supports is simultaneously transported to the packaging station itself. A longitudinally cutting unit longitudinally cuts the plastic film in order to form two or more film strips, and a compensating device exerts a tensioning action on one or more portions of said film strips. A packaging method includes longitudinally cutting the plastic film into strips and compensating to suitably tautly hold the film strips during their movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for packaging a product, said apparatus comprising:
a frame,
a conveyor engaged to the frame and configured to move along a predetermined advancement path one or more supports of a type having at least one base wall,
a supplying station configured to supply at least one plastic film to be applied to said one or more supports;
a packaging station comprising:
a lower tool defining a predetermined number of seats to receive said one or more supports housing respective products to be packaged, and
an upper tool configured to couple portions of said plastic film to said one or more supports for making one or more packages, said packaging station being configured to operate at least in at least one first operative condition, wherein the lower tool and upper tool are distanced from each other, and in a second operative condition, wherein the lower tool and upper tool are approached each other in order to form a packaging chamber;

a longitudinally cutting unit configured to receive the plastic film from the supplying station as a continuous plastic film and to longitudinally cut the continuous plastic film to form two or more film strips,
at least one positioning element, movable towards and away from the packaging station and configured to grippingly act on the film strips and move said film strips towards the packaging station;
at least one stop element configured to grippingly receive the film strips moved by the positioning element,
a compensating device configured to exert a tensioning action on one or more portions of said film strips extending between said longitudinally cutting unit and said positioning element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compensating device is configured to act on at least one of:
said positioning element,
said stop element,
a longitudinal tract of at least one of said film strips extending between said positioning element and said stop element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compensating device comprises a respective compensating device for each film strip, and wherein each respective compensating device is configured to exert a differentiated tensioning action on each portion of said strips extending between the longitudinally cutting unit and the positioning element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transversally cutting unit configured to receive said film strips and transversally cut the film strips to form a plurality of discrete sheets of film, the stop element being configured to grippingly act on each film strip when the positioning element is in a position approached the packaging station and being disposed so that a longitudinal tract of each film strip extends at the transversally cutting unit;
a transferring device for transferring the discrete sheets, comprising an abutment structure movable back and forth along a predetermined operative stroke and configured to receive said discrete sheet and move then from a position outside the packaging station to a position inside the packaging station; said upper tool being configured to receive said discrete sheet of film from the abutment structure positioned in said position inside the packaging station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the lower tool defines at least one positioning seat configured to receive one or more supports, and wherein in said first operative condition, the lower tool and upper tool are spaced from each other in order to enable the discrete sheets of film to enter the packaging station of said abutment structure; and wherein in said second operative condition, the lower and upper tools are approached and define at least one fluid tightly closed packaging chamber,
wherein a rollers tension regulating unit is positioned between the supplying station and the longitudinally cutting unit and wherein the rollers of the regulating unit comprise at least one dancer roller and are active on said continuous film.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning element comprises a respective positioning element for each film strip, each positioning element being configured to grippingly act on a respective film strip and to move a free edge of the strip itself from a position away from the packaging station to a position approached the packaging station; and
wherein the compensating device comprises a respective compensating device active on each positioning element to exert said tensioning action in a differentiated way on each film strip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stop element comprises a respective stop element configured to grippingly act on each film strip when the positioning element is in a position approached the packaging station; wherein the at least one stop element is supported by the packaging station so that—when the positioning element is in a position approached the packaging station—the positioning element is immediately adjacent the stop element and capable of giving to this latter said free edge of each strip; and
wherein the compensating device comprises a respective compensating device active on each stop element to exert said tensioning action in a differentiated way on each film strip.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the transferring device comprises at least one first actuator configured to move the abutment structure of the discrete sheets between said position outside the packaging station and said position inside the packaging station,
the positioning element is supported by the abutment structure of the transferring device of the discrete sheets and is movable with respect to the abutment structure by actions of a second actuator;
the transversally cutting unit comprises at least one third actuator configured to move one or more blades of the transversally cutting unit between a rest position, wherein the one or more blades do not interfere with the film strips, and an active position, wherein the one or more blades are predisposed to transversally cut the film strips in order to form the plurality of discrete sheets of film;
at least one control unit is connected to the first, second and third actuators and is configured to:
command the first actuator to move the abutment structure in a first direction from the external position to the position inside the packaging station,
command the second actuator for imparting to the positioning element a motion with respect to the abutment structure in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the relative motion imparted to the positioning element in the second direction and the motion imparted to the abutment structure in the first direction generally causing the positioning element to approach the stop element,
once the abutment structure has reached the position inside the packaging station and the positioning element is approached the stop element, command the stop element to grippingly act on the film strips, command the positioning element to release the film strips, and command the upper tool to take the discrete sheets from the abutment structure,
with the stop element gripping said film strips and with the stop element releasing the film strips themselves, command the first actuator to move the abutment structure and the positioning element along a third direction opposite to the first direction, bringing the abutment structure to said position outside the packaging station,
command the second actuator to impart to the positioning element a relative motion with respect to the abutment structure in a fourth direction opposite to said third direction until to positioning the positioning element adjacent said abutment structure so that the longitudinal tract of said film strips extending between said positioning elem

Assignees

• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Palumbo Riccardo

Classifications

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title

• B65B31/028

  closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container · CPC title

• B29C65/7841

  Holding or clamping means for handling purposes (clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04) · CPC title

• B65B11/52 Primary

  one sheet being rendered plastic, e.g. by heating, and forced by fluid pressure, e.g. vacuum, into engagement with the other sheet and contents, e.g. skin- {, blister-, or bubble-} packaging · CPC title

• B65B7/164

  Securing by heat-sealing · CPC title