Packaging machine and method for producing sealed packages of a food product from a web of a packaging material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637260-B2
Application number	US-201214238387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2012
Priority date	Oct 3, 2011
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

There is described a packaging machine for producing sealed packages of pourable food products from a web of packaging material, comprising: an aseptic chamber through which web is fed and within which a sterilizing agent is applied onto web; a station which is arranged downstream from said aseptic chamber and in which a tube formed by web is, in use, fed; and a sealing device which separate chamber and station; packaging machine also comprise a conveyor fluidically connected with station and adapted to convey away residues of sterilizing agent from station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging machine for producing sealed packages of pourable food products from a web of packaging material, comprising:
an aseptic chamber through which the web of packaging material is fed in a feeding direction, the aseptic chamber within which a sterilizing agent is applied onto the web of packaging material and within which the web is formed into a tube;
a station arranged downstream from the aseptic chamber in the feeding direction and in which the tube is fed;
a member positioned between the chamber and the station, the member possessing an inner surface configured to contact an outer surface of the tube as the tube is fed in the feeding direction from the aseptic chamber, through the member, and to the station to prevent the sterilizing agent in the aseptic chamber from flowing toward the station;
a fluid circuit including an inlet end which opens into the station at a position downstream of the member in the feeding direction, the fluid circuit being fluidically connected with the station to convey away residues of the sterilizing agent located downstream of the member relative to the feeding direction by passing through the inlet end, the fluid circuit being fluidically interposed between the station and an area of the packaging machine, and the fluid circuit receiving air current with the residues by the station and feeding a current of cleaned air to the area;
a separating element interposed along the fluid circuit and configured to separate the residues from the air current; and
a plurality of closable opening devices spaced apart along the tube and projecting from the outer surface of the tube, each of the opening devices possessing an outer surface.

2. The packaging machine of claim 1 , wherein said separating element comprises a source of a scrubbing fluid and means for ejecting said scrubbing fluid onto said current of air containing said residues.

3. The packaging machine of claim 1 , further comprising pumping means interposed along said fluid circuit for pumping away a current of air containing said residues from said station.

4. The packaging machine of claim 1 , comprising a tank fluidically connected with said separating element and fed by said separating element with a mixture containing said residues.

5. The packaging machine of claim 1 , comprising a hood fluidically connected with said fluid circuit, arranged within said station and surrounding at least one part of said tube.

6. The packaging machine of claim 5 , wherein said hood comprises at least one first body and a compartment radially protruding from said first body on an opposite side of said fluid circuit.

7. The packaging machine of claim 6 , wherein the at least one first body possesses a longitudinal axis constituting a first axis, and the tube possesses a longitudinal axis constituting a second axis, wherein said first axis is parallel to and distinct from the second axis;
said hood further comprising a second body fluidically connected to said fluid circuit and defining said compartment, the second body possessing a longitudinal axis constituting a third axis; and
said third axis being parallel to and distinct from both said first and second axes.

8. The packaging machine of claim 1 , comprising a forming and folding unit for forming a plurality of packs from said tube and for folding said packs to form respective packages;
said forming and folding unit being accessible from a human operator, and being arranged downstream from said station, with reference to the advancing sense of said packaging material;
said forming and folding unit being arranged above said area.

9. A method for producing sealed packages of pourable food products from a web of packaging material, the method comprising:
feeding said web through an aseptic chamber of a packaging machine in a feeding direction, the packaging machine also including a station and a member located between the aseptic chamber and the station, the member possessing an inner surface, the web including a plurality of closable opening devices spaced apart along the web;
applying a sterilizing agent onto the web within the aseptic chamber;
forming the web into a tube of packaging material in the aseptic chamber and feeding the tube of packaging material out of the aseptic chamber in the feeding direction, the tube of packaging material possessing an outer surface, the plurality of closable opening devices being spaced apart along the tube and projecting from the outer surface of the tube, each of the opening devices possessing an outer surface;
feeding the tube of packaging material in the feeding direction to the station of the packaging machine such that the tube of packaging material passes through the member while the outer surface of the tube of packaging material contacts the inner surface of the member as the tube of packaging material is fed from the aseptic chamber to the station, the contact of the outer surface of the tube of packaging material with the inner surface of the member preventing the sterilizing agent in the aseptic chamber from flowing toward the station;
conveying away residues of the sterilizing agent located downstream of the member relative to the feeding direction by passing the residues through an inlet end of a fluid circuit, the inlet end opening into the station at a location downstream of the member relative to the feeding direction; and
wherein the conveying away of the residues of the sterilizing agent comprises feeding the fluid circuit with an air current together with the residues, separating the air current from the residues, and feeding an area of the packaging machine with a current of cleaned air.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the separating of the air current from the residues comprises ejecting a scrubbing solution onto the air current containing the residues.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ejecting of the scrubbing solution comprises ejecting scrubbing solution at a lower temperature than the temperature of the air current.

Assignees

• Ghirardello Roberto
• Veroni Danilo
• Melotti Massimo
• Bertacchini Cesare
• Veronesi Alessandro
• Maini Simone
• Bellei Renzo
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Ghirardello Roberto
• Veroni Danilo
• Melotti Massimo
• Bertacchini Cesare
• Veronesi Alessandro
• Maini Simone
• Bellei Renzo

Classifications

• B65B43/10

  by folding the material · CPC title

• B65B55/027 Primary

  Packaging in aseptic chambers · CPC title

• B65B55/103 Primary

  Sterilising flat or tubular webs · CPC title

• B65B9/20

  the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles · CPC title

• B65B51/30

  Devices, e.g. jaws, for applying pressure and heat, e.g. for subdividing filled tubes · CPC title