Apparatus and method for packaging a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230397-B2
Application number	US-201716339882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus can be used for packaging a product. The apparatus includes a frame, a conveyor, and a packaging station. The packaging station receives a support at a respective positioning seat, receives a portion of a film above the support so that, between the support and the film portion, a reception volume is defined, and sealingly constrains the film portion to the support. The packaging station comprises a penetrating tool having a first through opening and a second through opening. The penetrating tool is arranged in an advanced position in which a part of the tool crosses the support arranged in the positioning seat, accessing the reception volume. At the advanced position, the first through opening is arranged at least partly in the reception volume, beyond the base wall or beyond the lateral wall and the second through opening is arranged astride the base wall or the lateral wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for packaging a product arranged on a support, the apparatus comprising:
a frame,
a conveyor engaged to the frame and configured to move one or more supports along a pre-set advancement path,
a packaging station configured to:
receive a support at a respective positioning seat, the support comprising a base wall,
receive a portion of a film above the support so that, between the support and the film portion, a reception volume is defined for the product,
sealingly constrain the film portion to the support,

the packaging station comprising a penetrating tool being configured to be arranged in at least one advanced position in which a part of the tool crosses the base wall or a lateral wall of a support arranged in the positioning seat, accessing the reception volume,
wherein the penetrating tool has at least one first through opening and at least one second through opening distinct and separate from each other,
and wherein the penetrating tool is configured to have, at the advanced position:
the first through opening arranged at least partly in the reception volume, beyond the base wall or beyond the lateral wall,
characterized by the fact that the penetrating tool is configured to have, at the advanced position, the second through opening arranged astride the base wall or the lateral wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second through opening—in the advanced position of the penetrating tool—partly extends into the reception volume, beyond the base wall or beyond the lateral wall, and partly outside the reception volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating tool comprises a distal portion which—in the advanced position of the penetrating tool—is suitable to be arranged at least partly in the reception volume, wherein the first and the second through openings are defined at the distal portion,
wherein the distal portion has a shape elongated along a main extension direction and it comprises:
a front portion,
a rear portion,
an intermediate portion interposed between the front portion and the rear portion,

wherein the front portion, when the penetrating tool is in advanced position, is arranged in the reception volume while the intermediate portion is arranged astride the base wall or the lateral wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second through opening at least partly extends on the intermediate portion, and wherein the first through opening extends along the entire longitudinal extension of the front portion and the intermediate portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the front portion and the intermediate portion are joined as a single piece and are arranged one immediately after the other according to the main extension direction of the distal portion,
wherein the second through opening is defined by a single opening perimetrically delimited by a single closed continuous edge, and
wherein the intermediate portion has—according to a section defined at the first through opening and transverse to the main extension direction of the distal portion—an open profile.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the intermediate portion comprises:
a base,
a first and a second lateral wall emerging from the base starting from opposed perimeter edges of the latter, the first and second lateral walls being connected to each other exclusively by the base, and
wherein the first and second lateral walls have—on the opposite side with respect to the base—respective free ends at least partly delimiting the first through opening.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second through opening is defined on the base of the intermediate portion, and wherein the base of the intermediate portion is flat or slightly convex and it has a substantially rectangular shape, the second through opening extending along the entire extension of the base—according to the main extension direction of the distal portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first through opening has a closed continuous edge comprising:
a first section defining a cutting end, with a single tip or multiple tips, of the front portion,
a second and a third section, mutually parallel and emerging from ends of the first section,
a fourth section transverse to the second and third section which connects ends of the second and third section axially opposed to the first section, the sections conferring, to the closed continuous edge, a shape that is non-planar and extended along the longitudinal extension of the penetrating tool, and
wherein the first through opening is defined by a single opening perimetrically delimited by the closed continuous edge.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating tool is movable with respect to the positioning seat of the same packaging station between:
a receded position in which the penetrating tool is arranged outside the reception volume spaced from or in contact with the base wall or the lateral wall of the support, and
the advanced position,
wherein a distal portion of the penetrating tool comprises a free cutting edge configured to enable the perforation of the wall of the support during the relative movement of the tool, with respect to the positioning seat, from the receded position to the advanced position, defining a hole on the wall of the support.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the packaging station is configured to sealingly constrain the film portion to the support to define a chamber for housing the product,
wherein the apparatus comprises a suctioning system associated with the penetrating tool, the suctioning system being configured to remove air—through the first and second through opening in the advanced position of the penetrating tool—from the housing chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a control unit connected to the packaging station and to the penetrating tool, the control unit being configured to:
control the positioning of the penetrating tool in the advanced position,
control the packaging station to sealingly constrain the film portion to the respective support,
control the suctioning system to determine the removal of air from the housing chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the suctioning system to continuously remove air—through the first and second through opening of the penetrating tool—also following the sealing constraint of the film portion on the support.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is also configured to:
control the movement of the upper and lower tool mutually approaching each other to define the second operating condition,
subsequently, control the suctioning system to remove at least part of the air present in the packaging chamber in order to therein define a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure,
control the packaging station to sealingly constrain the film portion on the support, and
following the sealing constraint, control the continuous removal of air from the packaging chamber.

Assignees

• Cryovac Llc
• Mondini Paolo
• Barbariga Stefano

Inventors

• Mondini Paolo
• Barbariga Stefano
• Ciocca Maurizio

Classifications

• B65B55/18

  by liquids or gases (B65B55/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B31/08 Primary

  the nozzle being adapted to pierce the container or wrapper · CPC title

• B65D81/2038

  with means for establishing or improving vacuum · 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

• B65D75/305

  Skin packages · CPC title