Apparatus and process for packaging a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214394-B2
Application number	US-201414783816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2013
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A process for packaging a product (P) arranged in a support (4) comprising unrolling a film (10a), transversely cutting the unrolled portion of film (10a) and preparing cut film sheets (18), moving the cut film sheets (18) to a packaging assembly (8) defining at its inside a packaging chamber (24), progressively moving a number of supports (4) inside the packaging chamber (24) of a packaging assembly (8), keeping the packaging chamber (24) open for a time sufficient for a number of supports (4) and for a corresponding number of film sheets (18) to properly position inside said packaging chamber (24), hermetically closing the packaging chamber (24) with the film sheets held above the respective support (4) and at a distance sufficient to allow gas circulation inside the support (4), optionally causing one or both of: a gas withdrawal from the hermetically closed packaging chamber (24) and gas injection of a gas mixture of controlled composition, heat sealing the film sheet (18) to said support (4), wherein the cutting of the film (10a) into film sheets (18) takes place outside the packaging chamber (24) at a station remote from the location where the film sheets are coupled to the supports. An apparatus (1) for performing the above process is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for packaging a product arranged on a support, said apparatus comprising:
a packaging assembly including:
a lower tool configured to hold one or more supports and the product arranged thereon, and
an upper tool facing the lower tool and configured to hold one or more film sheets, the upper and lower tools configured to cooperate to define a packaging chamber therebetween;

wherein said packaging assembly is movable between a first operating condition, where the upper and lower tools are spaced apart so that said packaging chamber is open to receive one or more film sheets and one or more supports, and a second operating condition, where the upper and lower tools engage to close said packaging chamber;
a film supplying assembly configured to supply a continuous film outside of the packaging chamber, wherein the continuous film is a flexible film having a layer of a polymer component;
a film cutting assembly located outside of the packaging chamber, wherein the film cutting assembly is configured to cut film sheets of prefixed length from said continuous film outside of the packaging chamber;
at least one transfer device configured to position the cut film sheets inside the packaging chamber, said transfer device including:
a backing structure having a holding surface adapted to receive the one or more cut film sheets from the cutting assembly, and
a transfer actuator configured to engage the backing structure, wherein the transfer device is movable between a first actuated position, where the backing structure is positioned outside the packaging chamber at the cutting assembly to receive the one or more cut film sheets, and a second actuated position, where the backing structure is positioned inside said packaging chamber to place at least one film sheet above one or more supports held on the lower tool; and

a control unit coupled to the packaging assembly and configured to cause:
activation of the packaging assembly to move between the first and second operating conditions;
activation of the film cutting assembly to cut film sheets from the continuous film into the cut film sheets outside the packaging chamber;
activation of the transfer device to move between the first and second actuated positions; and
synchronization of movements of the transfer device between the first and second actuated positions and the packaging system between the first and second operating conditions to seal a film sheet to a support within the packaging chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured (i) to place the packaging assembly in the first operating condition for a time sufficient for the backing structure of the transfer device to position inside the packaging chamber one or more film sheets, and (ii) to move the backing structure from the packaging chamber before placing the packaging assembly in the second operating condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer actuator is configured for pushing and pulling the backing structure to move the transfer device between said first and second actuated positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transport assembly configured to displace one or more supports along a predefined path to the packaging assembly, the transport assembly including a conveyor configured to displace a prefixed number of supports per time, wherein the control unit is configured for:
controlling the conveyor to displace the prefixed number of supports from a region outside the packaging chamber, to a region inside the packaging chamber where the supports of said prefixed number are in vertical alignment to respective film sheets; and
synchronizing the conveyor such that movement of the prefixed number of supports from the region outside the packaging chamber to the region inside the packaging chamber is caused to take place when the packaging chamber is open in the first operating condition.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one frame carrying:
the transport assembly,
the packaging assembly,
the film supplying assembly, and
the film cutting assembly, which comprises at least one blade to cut the continuous film and located between said packaging assembly and said film supply assembly, wherein the control unit is configured to execute the following cycle:
commanding the transport assembly to displace said support into said packaging chamber;
commanding the film cutting assembly to cut, from the continuous film, at least one film sheet, the cutting separating the cut film sheet from the continuous film outside the packaging chamber and taking place before displacing said cut film sheet inside the packaging chamber,
commanding the transfer device to displace the cut film sheet from outside to inside the packaging chamber and above the respective support,
commanding the upper tool to hold the cut film sheet above, and at a distance from, said support,
commanding the packaging assembly to pass from the first to the second operating condition, and
commanding the packaging assembly to seal the film sheet to said support, wherein said step of commanding the transfer device comprises the following which the control unit is configured to execute:
controlling the transfer device to move the backing structure between said first actuated position, where the backing structure is positioned outside the packaging chamber at the cutting assembly to receive the cut film sheet, and said second actuated position, where the backing structure is positioned inside said packaging chamber to place the cut film sheet above said support.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
(i) a vacuum arrangement connected to the packaging chamber and configured to remove gas from said packaging chamber, wherein said control unit is further configured to control the vacuum arrangement to withdraw gas from said packaging chamber at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition with said packaging chamber closed; and
(ii) a controlled atmosphere arrangement connected to the packaging chamber and configured to inject a gas stream into said packaging chamber, wherein said control unit is further configured to control said controlled atmosphere arrangement to inject said stream of gas at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition with said packaging chamber closed, wherein the controlled atmosphere arrangement is configured to inject gas into the packaging chamber including a quantity of one or more of N2, O2 and CO2 which is different from the quantity of these same gases as present in the atmosphere at 20° C. and sea level (1 atmosphere pressure).

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the apparatus includes both the vacuum arrangement and the controlled atmosphere arrangement; and
the control unit is configured to control said controlled atmosphere arrangement to start injecting said stream of gas either after a prefixed delay from activation of said vacuum arrangement or after a prefixed level of vacuum has been reached inside said packaging chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control unit is configured to operate the vacuum arrangement to remove gas from said packaging chamber and create in the packaging chamber a vacuum level with pressure comprised between 100 and 300 mbar.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the packaging assembly further comprises:
a main actuator active on at least one of said upper and lower tools, the main actuator being controlled by the control unit,
the control unit being configured to act on the main actuator and causing relative movement of the upper and lower tools, along a main direct

Assignees

• Cryovac Inc
• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Palumbo Riccardo

Classifications

• B29C65/32

  Induction · CPC title

• B29C65/78

  Means for handling the parts to be joined, e.g. for making containers or hollow articles {, e.g. means for handling sheets, plates, web-like materials, tubular articles, hollow articles or elements to be joined therewith; Means for discharging the joined articles from the joining apparatus} · 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

  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

• B29C66/112

  Single lapped joints · CPC title