Filling level-independent gassing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511896-B2
Application number	US-201916440617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine, wherein the method may include one or more of the following steps: filling a packing volume of a package with a gas to create a desired atmosphere to a preset gassing target pressure for a finished package, wherein the packaging volume may be defined by a lower and an upper packaging material; discharging a partial amount of the gas introduced into the packaging volume from the packaging volume into a collection volume while retaining the packaging volume generated by the preceding filling, which reduces the pressure within the packaging volume; and reducing the packaging volume by moving the upper packaging material to an end position that corresponds to a desired appearance such that the pressure inside the package increases again to near the gassing target pressure. A sealing station that performs this method is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing packages with packaging appearances being at least essentially similar to one another even if the packages have varying filling degrees, the method comprising the following steps:
filling a packaging volume of at least one package positioned inside a sealing station by introducing an amount of gas to a preset gassing target pressure for a finished package to create a desired atmosphere, wherein the packaging volume is enclosed between a lower packaging material and an upper packaging material;
discharging a partial amount of the amount of gas introduced into the packaging volume from the packaging volume into a collection volume in fluid communication with the packaging volume while maintaining the packaging volume generated by the preceding filling step so that completion of the discharging step creates an intermediate pressure inside the packaging volume, wherein the intermediate pressure is less than the gassing target pressure, and wherein a channel puts the packaging volume into fluid communication with the collection volume;
wherein the discharged partial amount of gas substantially equals an amount of the gas received within a theoretical partial volume of the packaging volume, wherein the theoretical partial volume is defined at least partially by a theoretical plane, which crosses the packaging volume and occupies an edge of the lower packaging material, and by the upper packaging material; and
reducing the packaging volume by the theoretical partial volume by moving the upper packaging material to an end position that substantially overlies the theoretical plane so that a final pressure inside the at least one package is substantially the gassing target pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discharging the partial amount step comprises discharging the partial amount of gas through the channel into the collection volume and wherein the collection volume is at least partially defined by at least one of a tool upper part of the sealing station and the upper packaging material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discharging the partial amount step comprises discharging the partial amount of gas through the channel into the collection volume and wherein the collection volume is a separate collection container.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a target pressure of the collection volume using the discharged partial amount of gas, and keeping open the channel until a pressure inside the collection volume reaches the target pressure of the collection volume.

5. The method according claim 4 , wherein the pressure generated inside the collection volume created by the discharged partial amount of gas remains lower than the intermediate pressure within the packaging volume to maintain the packaging volume during the discharge process.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the upper packaging material is moved into the end position using one of an aeration process or at least one device executing a lifting movement.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the upper packaging material is sealed with the lower packaging material at the end position.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising evacuating the packaging volume prior to the step of filling the packaging volume of the at least one package positioned inside the sealing station by introducing the amount of gas to the preset gassing target pressure for the finished package.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining at least one of the theoretical partial volume and the collection volume using a test run of the sealing station.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is used in the production of packages having a predetermined filling degree which remains approximately the same, and further comprising determining an offset pressure from a difference between the gassing target pressure and the intermediate pressure which is still present within the packaging volume after the partial amount of the gas has been discharged from the packaging volume, and introducing a second amount of gas into a packaging volume of at least one other package positioned inside the sealing station in a subsequent machine cycle, wherein the second amount of gas is based on the difference between the gassing target pressure and the intermediate pressure.

11. A method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing packages with packaging appearances being at least similar to one another even if the packages have varying filling degrees, the method comprising the following steps:
filling a packaging volume, enclosed between a lower packaging material and an upper packaging material, of at least one package positioned inside the sealing station, with a gas intended for creating a desired atmosphere to a preset gassing target pressure for a finished package;
discharging a partial amount of the gas introduced into the packaging volume from the packaging volume via a channel connected thereto into a collection volume linked thereto while retaining the packaging volume generated by the preceding filling so that inside the packaging volume, a pressure reduction relative to the gassing target pressure occurs for a remaining residual amount of the filled gas;
wherein the discharged partial amount of the gas substantially corresponds to an amount of the gas received within a theoretical partial volume of the packaging volume, which theoretical partial volume is at least partially defined by a theoretical plane, which crosses the packaging volume and which occupies an edge of the lower packaging material, and by the upper packaging material; and
reducing the packaging volume by the theoretical partial volume while moving the upper packaging material to an end position essentially falling to the theoretical plane so that pressure inside the at least one package increases again to the gassing target pressure.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the collection volume is at least partially defined by at least one of a tool upper part of the sealing station or the upper packaging material.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the collection volume is a collection container that is separate from an upper tool part and a lower tool part of the sealing station.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising determining a target pressure of the collection volume using the discharged partial amount of the gas, and keeping open the channel until a pressure inside the collection volume reaches the target pressure of the collection volume.

15. The method according claim 11 , wherein a pressure generated inside the collection volume created by the discharged partial amount of the gas remains lower than a pressure within the packaging volume during the discharge process to retain the packaging volume during the discharge process.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the upper packaging material is moved into the end position using one of an aeration process or at least one device executing a lifting movement.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the upper packaging material is sealed with the lower packaging material at the end position.

18. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising evacuating the packaging volume prior to the step of filling the packaging volume.

19. The method according to claim 11 , further compris

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Rädler Michael
• Felch Florian
• Stötzner Alexander

Classifications

• B65B31/006 Primary

  Adding fluids for preventing deformation of filled and closed containers or wrappers · CPC title

• B65B9/04

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

• B65B47/00

  Apparatus or devices for forming pockets or receptacles in or from sheets, blanks, or webs, comprising essentially a die into which the material is pressed or a folding die through which the material is moved · CPC title

• B65B61/06

  by cutting · CPC title

• B65B9/02

  Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs · CPC title