Packaging machine with sealing station for gas flushing a package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481480-B2
Application number	US-201313848420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 23, 2012
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging machine including a sealing station which is used for sealing a package comprising a trough and a cover film, and which has at least two sides, the sealing station including a sealing tool provided with at least one evacuation aperture for discharging the atmosphere and at least one gas flushing aperture for supplying a gas volume flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging machine including a sealing station for sealing a package having a trough and a cover film, the sealing station comprising:
a sealing tool including:
a cavity defined at least in part by at least two side surfaces and a bottom surface, the cavity having an enclosed perimeter defined by the at least two side surfaces, the enclosed perimeter corresponding to an outer shape of the package and wherein the cavity is sized to receive the package;
wherein a first side surface of the at least two side surfaces includes a first end and a second end;
at least one evacuation aperture for discharging the atmosphere from the package when the package is received in said cavity, each of said at least one evacuation apertures are disposed on said first side surface proximate said first end of said first side surface, and
at least one gas flushing aperture for supplying a gas volume flow into said package when the package is received in said cavity, wherein each of said at least one gas flushing apertures are disposed on said first side surface proximate said second end of said first side surface.

2. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of evacuation apertures and a plurality of gas flushing apertures are provided, the maximum difference between the overall cross-section area of the evacuation apertures and the overall cross-section area of the gas flushing apertures being 20%.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least three evacuation apertures and at least three gas flushing apertures are provided.

4. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one evacuation aperture and the at least one gas flushing aperture are arranged on said first side surface such that a U-shaped flow profile of the gas volume flow is generated within the package when the package is received in the cavity, said U-shaped flow profile begins at the at least one-gas flushing aperture and ends at the at least one evacuation aperture.

5. The packaging machine according to claim 4 , wherein said U-shaped flow profile is obtained in an upper area and in a lower area of the package when the package is received in the cavity.

6. The packaging machine according to claim 4 , wherein a first said U-shaped flow profile is obtained in an upper area of the package and a second said U-shaped flow profile is obtained in a lower area of the package when the package is received in the cavity.

7. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas flushing aperture is disposed on the first side surface of the sealing tool such that the at least one gas flushing aperture is disposed above an upper edge of the trough of the package when the package is received in the cavity of the sealing tool.

8. A sealing tool for a sealing station included in a packaging machine for sealing a package having a trough and a cover film, said sealing tool comprising:
a cavity defined by at least a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, a fourth side surface and a bottom surface, wherein said first side surface, said second side surface, said third side surface, said fourth side surface at least partially define an enclosed perimeter of said cavity, wherein said enclosed perimeter of said cavity corresponds to an outer shape of the package;
said cavity sized to receive said package;
said first side surface having a first end and a second end, said first end being proximate an intersection between said first side surface and said second side surface, and said second end being proximate an intersection between said first side surface and said third side surface;
at least one evacuation aperture disposed on said first side surface for discharging the atmosphere from the package, each of said at least one evacuation apertures being disposed proximate said first end of said first side surface, and
at least one gas flushing aperture disposed on said first side surface for supplying a gas volume flow into the package, each of said at least one evacuation apertures being disposed proximate said second end of said first side surface.

9. The sealing tool according to claim 8 wherein the enclosed perimeter of the cavity is rectangular in shape, and wherein said first side surface opposes said fourth side surface and said second side surface opposes said third side surface.

10. The sealing tool according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one gas flushing aperture is disposed on the first side surface of the sealing tool such that the at least one gas flushing aperture is disposed above an upper edge of the trough of the package when the package is received in the cavity of the sealing tool.

Assignees

• Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller Gmbh & Co Kg
• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Harlacher Dominik
• Mader Andreas

Classifications

• B65B31/028 Primary

  closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container · CPC title

• B65B31/04 Primary

  Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied · CPC title

• B65B31/043

  the nozzles acting horizontally between an upper and a lower part of the container or wrapper, e.g. between container and lid · CPC title