Packaging apparatus for forming sealed packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11820540-B2
Application number	US-201917250843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 11, 2018
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

There is described a packaging apparatus ( 1 ) for forming a plurality of sealed packages ( 2 ) from a tube ( 3 ) of a web of packaging material ( 4 ) which is continuously filled with a pourable product. The packaging apparatus comprises an isolation chamber ( 10 ) separating an inner environment ( 11 ) containing a sterile gas from an outer environment ( 12 ). The packaging apparatus further comprises a delimiting element ( 48 ) arranged, in use, within the tube ( 3 ) and being designed to divide the tube ( 3 ), in use, into a first space ( 49 ) and a second space ( 50 ). The packaging apparatus ( 1 ) also comprises a pressurizing device ( 47 ) for pressurizing the second space ( 50 ) by means of a pressurized sterile gas. The delimiting element ( 48 ) is arranged within the isolation chamber ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging apparatus for forming a plurality of sealed packages filled with a pourable product comprising:
a conveying device adapted to advance a web of packaging material along an advancement path;
an isolation chamber separating an inner environment containing a sterile gas from an outer environment;
a tube forming and sealing device at least partially arranged within the isolation chamber and configured to form and longitudinally seal a tube from the, in use, advancing web of packaging material;
wherein the conveying device is also configured to advance the tube along a tube advancement path;
a delimiting element, in use, positioned entirely within the tube and configured to divide the tube in a first space in fluidic connection with the inner environment and a second space arranged downstream of the first space along the tube advancement path, the delimiting element positioned entirely within the isolation chamber;
a filling device configured to direct, in use, a pourable product into the second space, the second space positioned at least partially outside the isolation chamber and configured to receive the pourable product, wherein the filling device comprises a filling outlet configured to release the pourable product into the second space;
a pressurizing device configured to direct, in use, a flow of sterile gas into the second space of the tube for obtaining a gas pressure within the second space that is higher than the gas pressure within the first space;
a package forming unit adapted to at least form and transversally seal the packages from the, in use, advancing tube;
wherein the isolation chamber comprises an outlet-opening for allowing the tube to exit the isolation chamber during advancement of the tube along the tube advancement path;
wherein the delimiting element is arranged upstream of the outlet-opening along the tube advancement path; and
wherein the filling outlet of the filling device is positioned downstream of the outlet-opening of the isolation chamber along the tube advancement path.

2. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation chamber comprises a sealing assembly configured to seal, in use, the outlet-opening in cooperation with the, in use, advancing tube.

3. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the delimiting element is designed to provide, in use, at least one fluidic channel for fluidically connecting the second space with the first space and for allowing, in use, a leakage flow of sterile gas from the second space into the first space.

4. The packaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the fluidic channel has an annular shape.

5. The packaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in use, the fluidic channel is delimited by a peripheral portion of the delimiting element and the inner surface of the, in use, advancing tube.

6. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing device is configured to control the gas pressure within the second space to range between 5 kPa to 40 kPa above ambient pressure.

7. The packaging apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the range is between 10 kPa to 30 kPa above ambient pressure.

8. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing device is fluidically connected to the inner environment of the isolation chamber and is adapted to direct, in use, at least a portion of the sterile gas present in the inner environment into the second space of the tube.

9. The packaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the pressurizing device comprise:
at least one pumping device; and
at least one control unit adapted to control the operating parameters of the pumping device as a function of at least one of the advancement speed of the web of packaging material and/or the advancement speed of the tube and/or the format and/or the shape of the packages to be formed and/or the volume of the packages to be formed.

10. The packaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pumping device is a rotary machine, and the control unit is adapted to control the rotation speed of the rotary machine as a function of at least the advancement speed of the web of packaging material or the advancement speed of the tube or the format or the shape of the packages to be formed or the volume of the packages to be formed.

11. The packaging apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the rotary machine is a compressor.

12. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filling device comprises at least a filling pipe, in use, at least partially extending within the tube and being adapted to direct, in use, the pourable product into the second space; and
wherein the pressurizing device comprises a gas feeding pipe being at least indirectly fluidically connected with the inner environment and the second space for directing the sterile gas from the inner environment into the second space.

13. The packaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the gas feeding pipe and at least a portion of the filling pipe are coaxially arranged to one another.

14. The packaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the delimiting element is connected to at least a portion of the filling pipe and/or the gas feeding tube.

15. The packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the delimiting element is adapted to move along a direction parallel to the, in use, advancing tube.

16. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing device is configured to vary the flow of the sterile gas into the second space such that the gas pressure within the second space remains substantially constant.

17. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delimiting element comprises a curved outer profile.

18. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outlet-opening of the isolation chamber is located between the delimiting element and the filling outlet, along the tube advancement path.

19. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delimiting element comprises an inner edge that is fixedly attached to the filling device.

20. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delimiting element comprises a continually downward profile from an inner edge of the delimiting element to an outer edge of the delimiting element.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Sanibondi Paolo
• Ferrari Claudio
• Garuti Nicola
• Macini Nicola

Classifications

• B65B31/021 Primary

  the containers or wrappers being interconnected · CPC title

• B65B9/12

  Subdividing filled tubes to form two or more packages by sealing or securing involving displacement of contents · CPC title

• B65B9/207 Primary

  the web advancing continuously (B65B9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B9/2028

  Rollers or belts · CPC title

• B65B9/2049

  Package shaping devices acting on filled tubes prior to sealing the filling opening (shaping or reshaping completed packages B65B61/24) · CPC title