Forming member for forming sealed packages of pourable food products from a tube of packaging material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387943-B2
Application number	US-201113883253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2011
Priority date	Dec 21, 2010
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

There is described a forming member for controlling the volume of packs of pourable food products formed from a tube of packaging material and sealed at a number of sections of tube crosswise to an axis of tube, comprising: a wall comprising, in turn, a first surface which is adapted to interact with a first portion of tube; and a pair of sidewalls protruding from wall on the same side of wall, and comprising respective second surfaces which are adapted to interact with relative second portions of tube; first surface is at least partially concave.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A forming member for controlling a volume of packs of pourable food products formed from a tube of packaging material and sealed at a number of sections of said tube crosswise to an axis of said tube, comprising:
a wall comprising, in turn, a first surface which is adapted to interact with a first portion of said tube;
a pair of sidewalls protruding from the first surface of said wall in a sidewall protruding direction, and comprising respective second surfaces which are adapted to interact with relative second portions of said tube;
the first surface comprising a first concave surface and a second concave surface, the second concave surface protruding beyond said first concave surface in the sidewall protruding direction; and
the first concave surface surrounding the second concave surface.

2. Forming member according to claim 1 , wherein said first concave surface is bounded by a first top edge and a second bottom edge opposite to the first top edge, and by a third edge and a fourth edge opposite to one another and which extend between said first top edge and said second bottom edge;
said first top edge and said second bottom edge defining a first plane;
said third edge and fourth edge defining side edges of said respective second surfaces and extending at first at increasing and then at decreasing distances from said first plane, proceeding from said first top edge towards said second bottom edge.

3. Forming member according to claim 2 , wherein said third edge and said fourth edge converge towards each other and diverge from each other, proceeding from said first top edge towards said second bottom edge.

4. Forming member according to claim 2 , wherein said third edge and said fourth edge are curved.

5. Forming member according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of said second surfaces is convex.

6. A packaging unit for producing sealed packs of pourable food products, comprising a first jaw and a second jaw movable cyclically between a closed configuration, in which the first jaw and the second jaw grip and seal a tube of packaging material, and an open configuration, in which the first jaw and the second jaw are detached from said tube;
said first jaw having a forming member according to claim 1 ;
said second jaw having a further forming member;
said further forming member comprising:
a further wall comprising a third surface which is adapted to interact with a third portion, opposite to said first portion, of said tube; and
a pair of further sidewalls protruding from said third surface of said further wall, and comprising respective fourth surfaces which are adapted to interact with relative fourth portions, adjacent to the relative second portions, of said tube.

7. The packaging unit according to claim 6 , wherein an angle between said third surface and said fourth surface is more than 90 degrees.

8. The packaging unit according to claim 7 , wherein said angle is greater than 90 degrees and less than 95 degrees.

9. The packaging unit of claim 6 , wherein a maximum distance from said first surface to said second surface is greater than a maximum distance from said third surface to said fourth surface.

10. The packaging unit of claim 6 , wherein said second jaw comprises a cutting element adapted to cut said tube transversally to said axis of the tube when said first and second jaws are arranged in said closed configuration;
said forming member being hinged to said first jaw about a second axis transversal to said axis of the tube, and said further forming member being hinged to said second jaw about a third axis transversal to said axis of the tube;
the distance between said axis of the tube and said second axis measured orthogonally to said axis of the tube and said second axis being greater than the distance between said axis of the tube and said third axis measured orthogonally to said axis of the tube and said third axis.

11. The packaging unit of claim 6 , comprising at least one folding flap which is adapted to fold an axial end and to form at least a part of lateral walls of each of said packs;
said forming members defining, when they are in a closed configuration in which they cooperate with said tube, at least one opening engaged by said folding flap.

12. The packaging unit of claim 11 , wherein said at least one folding flap has a convex surface, which is adapted to interact with said tube when said forming members are in said closed configuration.

13. The packaging unit of claim 11 , comprising a pair of said folding flaps, said sidewalls of said forming members defining a pair of said openings engaged by said folding flaps when said forming members are in said closed configuration.

14. The packaging unit of claim 6 , comprising a wedge which is adapted to fold an axial end of each of said packs; said axial end being intended to form an axial end wall of a corresponding package inclined relative to a fourth axis of said package;
said wedge being carried by one of said first and second jaws and comprising a wall which cooperates with and folds, in use, said axial end of said pack;
said wall having a first and a second end edges joined by a second plane;
said wall extending on an opposite side of said second plane relative to said one of said first and second jaws.

15. The packaging unit of claim 14 , wherein said wall is convex.

16. The packaging unit of claim 15 , wherein said forming members define, when they are in a closed configuration in which they cooperate with said tube, at least one opening engaged by at least one folding flap which is adapted to fold an axial end and to form at least a part of lateral walls of each of said packs, and wherein said wedge engages a part of said opening.

17. A packaging unit for producing sealed packs of pourable food products intended to be folded into corresponding packages; said packages having an end axial slanted wall relative to a longitudinal axis of said packages, being formed from a tube of packaging material, said packages;
said packaging unit comprising a first jaw and a second jaw movable cyclically between a closed configuration, in which they grip and seal said tube and an open configuration, in which they are detached from said tube;
said first jaw and said second jaw having respective forming members for controlling a volume of said packs, when said first jaw and said second jaw are in said closed configuration;
said first jaw comprising a wedge;
said wedge comprising a wall which is adapted to cooperate with and to form an axial end of said pack intended to be folded into said slanted wall,
wherein said wall has a first end edge and a second end edge;
said wall being convex and protruding towards said second jaw, and said wall possessing a curved shape between said first end edge and said second end edge.

Assignees

• Paradisi Stefano
• Galloni Matteo
• De Pietri Tonelli Roberto
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Paradisi Stefano
• Galloni Matteo
• De Pietri Tonelli Roberto

Classifications

• B65B9/12 Primary

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

• B65B9/207

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

• B65B9/2056

  Machines for packages of special type or form · CPC title

• B65B1/02 Primary

  Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles (from flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material B65B9/00) · 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