Vertical packaging machine for packaging products in a modified atmosphere

A vertical packaging machine for producing packages made from a film, and for packaging a product in the packages with a modified atmosphere gas, the vertical packaging machine comprising:

• a hopper through which the product to be packaged is introduced;
• a hollow forming element arranged downstream of the hopper and configured to impart a tubular shape to the film, at least the hopper and the forming element forming a supply conduit through which the product to be packaged falls;
• a sealing tool configured to longitudinally seal together first and second longitudinal ends of the tubular-shaped film to create a film tube;
• a sealing and cutting tool arranged downstream the hollow forming element and configured to transversely seal and cut the film tube to obtain a transversely closed film tube upstream of the transverse cut, and a closed package physically separated from the film tube downstream the transverse cut;
• a first injection device configured to inject pressurized air into an inlet area of the supply conduit in a manner that causes the Venturi effect to be generated inside the supply conduit to cause a negative pressure to be generated upstream of the inlet area of the supply conduit;
• a gas source configured to supply the modified atmosphere gas;
• a supply port through which the modified atmosphere gas is introduced into the supply conduit, the supply port being located upstream the inlet area of the supply conduit;
• and
• a supply unit communicating the gas source with the supply port;
• when the injection device injects the pressurized air into the inlet area of the supply conduit, the modified atmosphere gas is suctioned from the supply unit into the supply conduit through the supply port.

A vertical packaging machine for producing packages made from a film, and for packaging a product in the packages with a modified atmosphere gas, the vertical packaging machine comprising:

• a hopper through which the product to be packaged is introduced;
• a hollow forming element arranged downstream of the hopper and configured to impart a tubular shape to the film, at least the hopper and the forming element forming a supply conduit through which the product to be packaged falls;
• a sealing tool configured to longitudinally seal together first and second longitudinal ends of the tubular-shaped film to create a film tube;
• a sealing and cutting tool arranged downstream the hollow forming element and configured to transversely seal and cut the film tube to obtain a transversely closed film tube upstream of the transverse cut, and a closed package physically separated from the film tube downstream the transverse cut;
• a first injection device configured to inject a gaseous fluid into an inlet area of the supply conduit in a manner that causes the Venturi effect to be generated inside the supply conduit to cause a negative pressure to be generated upstream of the inlet area of the supply conduit;
• a gas source configured to supply the modified atmosphere gas;
• a supply port through which the modified atmosphere gas is introduced into the supply conduit, the supply port being located upstream the inlet area of the supply conduit;
• and
• a supply unit communicating the gas source with the supply port;
• when the injection device injects the gaseous fluid into the inlet area of the supply conduit, the modified atmosphere gas is suctioned from the supply unit into the supply conduit through the supply port:
• the first injection device and supply unit being configured such that a total of fluid introduced into the supply conduit constitutes 3% to 5% of the gaseous fluid and 95% to 97% of the suctioned modified atmosphere gas.