Apparatus and method of packaging a product
AssigneeCryovac, Inc.
InventorRiccardo Palumbo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaging apparatus includes a conveyor that moves one or more supports towards a packaging station, while a plastic film to be applied to said one or more supports is simultaneously transported to the packaging station itself. A longitudinally cutting unit longitudinally cuts the plastic film in order to form two or more film strips, and a compensating device exerts a tensioning action on one or more portions of said film strips. A packaging method includes longitudinally cutting the plastic film into strips and compensating to suitably tautly hold the film strips during their movement.
Claims23
An apparatus for packaging a product, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame,
- a conveyor engaged to the frame and configured to move along a predetermined advancement path one or more supports of a type having at least one base wall,
- a supplying station configured to supply at least one plastic film to be applied to said one or more supports;
- a packaging station comprising:
- a lower tool defining a predetermined number of seats to receive said one or more supports housing respective products to be packaged, and
- an upper tool configured to couple portions of said plastic film to said one or more supports for making one or more packages, said packaging station being configured to operate at least in at least one first operative condition, wherein the lower tool and upper tool are distanced from each other, and in a second operative condition, wherein the lower tool and upper tool are approached each other in order to form a packaging chamber;
- a longitudinally cutting unit configured to receive the plastic film from the supplying station as a continuous plastic film and to longitudinally cut the continuous plastic film to form two or more film strips,
- at least one positioning element, movable towards and away from the packaging station and configured to grippingly act on the film strips and move said film strips towards the packaging station;
- at least one stop element configured to grippingly receive the film strips moved by the positioning element,
- a compensating device configured to exert a tensioning action on one or more portions of said film strips extending between said longitudinally cutting unit and said positioning element.
A method of packaging a product, said method comprising:
- moving one or more supports on which at least one respective product is placed, along a predetermined advancement path, to a packaging station,
- receiving a continuous plastic film continuous at a longitudinally cutting unit,
- exerting a tensioning action on one or more portions of film strips disposed between said longitudinally cutting unit and said packaging station,
- longitudinally cutting, in said longitudinally cutting unit, the continuous plastic film in order to form two or more film strips,
- moving the film strips towards the packaging station, wherein the step of moving the film strips comprises:
- engaging a free edge of each of said strips with a positioning element, movable towards and away from the packaging station, and moving the free edge of said film strips towards the packaging station, and
- receiving the free edge of said strips by a stop element associated to the packaging station, and
- making, inside the packaging station, one or more packages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.