Sealing station and method for producing skin packaging with tear-off corner

A method for producing a skin packaging with a packaging machine having a sealing station, the method comprising:

• receiving a packaging tray in a tray holder of a lower die of the sealing station, wherein the sealing station further includes an upper die with a sealing plate;
• cutting out a lid having a tear-off corner from a top film that is a skin film using a cutting blade arranged within the sealing station, wherein the cutting blade is configured to cut out the lid along a contour of the lid and the cutting blade has an endless cutting edge which forms a first blade section and a second blade section, wherein the first blade section is formed for cutting out a first section of the contour of the lid extending in plan view on an edge region of the packaging tray, and the second blade section is formed for cutting out at least one second section of the contour of the lid extending in plan view outside the edge region of the packaging tray in order to produce the tear-off corner in the lid projecting beyond the edge region;
• and
• producing a sealing seam all along the edge region of the packaging tray provided within the sealing station, wherein the tear-off corner of the lid cut out of the skin film projects outside the sealing seam in plan view;
• wherein the sealing plate has a sealing surface for producing the sealing seam, a first clamping jaw is provided on the sealing plate outside the sealing surface, and a second clamping jaw is provided on the tray holder, the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw being pressable together for cutting out the tear-off corner in order to clamp the skin film including at least a portion of the material forming the tear-off corner between the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw.

A sealing station for a packaging machine comprising:

• an upper die with a sealing plate having a sealing surface for producing a sealing seam;
• a lower die including a tray holder for receiving a packaging tray to be sealed;
• a cutting blade arranged inside the sealing station and configured to cut out a lid from a top film for closing the packaging tray, wherein the cutting blade is configured to cut out the lid along a contour of the lid and the cutting blade includes a first blade section and a second blade section, wherein the first blade section is formed for cutting out a first section of the contour of the lid that is extendable in plan view on an edge region of the packaging tray, and the second blade section is formed for cutting out at least one second section of the contour of the lid that is extendable in plan view outside the edge region of the packaging tray in order to produce a tear-off corner in the lid configured to project beyond the edge region;
• a first clamping jaw provided on the sealing plate outside the sealing surface of the sealing plate;
• and
• a second clamping jaw provided on the tray holder;
• wherein the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are pressable together for cutting out the tear-off corner and to clamp the top film including at least a portion of the material forming the tear-off corner between the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw, and wherein the sealing surface is configured to seal the lid to the packaging tray.