Method and a packaging apparatus for forming sealed partially-filled packages
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorsDaniele Anzaldi, Nicola Garuti, Yutaka Kaneko, David Arturo Fuga Martin
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Abstract
A method for forming sealed partially-filled packages filled with a pourable product comprises at least forming a tube from a web of packaging material, filling the pourable product into the tube for forming a product column within the tube, directing a sterile gas into the product column for forming and/or maintaining a gas cushion within the product column, and forming and transversally sealing the tube, for obtaining the packages containing the pourable product and a gas space formed from a defined volume of the sterile gas originating from the gas cushion.
Claims20
A method for forming sealed partially-filled packages filled with a pourable product comprising at least:
- forming a tube from a web of packaging material;
- filling the pourable product into the tube for forming a product column within the tube;
- directing a sterile gas into the product column for forming and/or maintaining a gas cushion within the product column which divides the product column into an upper portion and a lower portion;
- forming and transversally sealing the tube, for obtaining the packages containing the pourable product and a gas space formed from a defined volume of the sterile gas originating from the gas cushion.
A packaging apparatus for forming sealed partially-filled packages filled with a pourable product comprising at least:
- a tube forming and sealing device configured to form a tube from a web of packaging material and to longitudinally seal the tube;
- a filling device adapted to direct, in use, a pourable product into the tube for obtaining a product column within the tube;
- a gas feeding device configured to direct a sterile gas into the product column such that, in use, a gas cushion which divides the product column into an upper portion and a lower portion is formed and/or maintained within the product column;
- a package forming unit for forming and transversally sealing the tube for obtaining the packages filled with the pourable product and containing a gas space containing a defined volume of the sterile gas present within the gas cushion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.