Packaging apparatus and process

A packaging apparatus (1) comprising:

• a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P), each one of the semi-sealed packages (P) having a terminal portion (TP) with at least one opening and a main portion (MP) housing one or more products, the conveyor (8) being further configured for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), the terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4),
• evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) and configured for providing the vacuum chamber (4) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (4) thereby evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P);
• a heat sealer (13) arranged along the main movement direction (M) and configured for receiving the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P), the heat sealer (13) comprising a heat sealing station (14) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P),
• at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) and configured for pre-heating at least a band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• further comprising a control unit (47) communicatively connected at least with the pre-heating unit (39, 40), with the conveyor (8) and with the heat sealing station (14), the control unit (47) being configured for implementing a sealing procedure comprising:
• setting or allowing setting of the pre-heating temperature and the heat sealing temperature,
• controlling the conveyor (8) to guide at least the terminal portion (TP) of the semi-sealed packages (P) through the elongated opening (5) of the vacuum chamber (4) along or parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• controlling the pre-heating unit (39, 40) based on said pre-heating temperature to pre-heat at least said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each semi-sealed package (P) while the conveyor (8) moves the terminal portion (TP) of each semi-sealed package (P) along or parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• controlling the heat sealing station (14) based on said heat sealing temperature to heat seal the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P) while the conveyor (8) moves the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P) along or parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• optionally, the control unit (47) being communicatively connected also with the sealing belt (18) and being configured for controlling the sealing belt (18) in synchrony with the conveyor (8).

A packaging apparatus (1) comprising:

• a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P), each one of the semi-sealed packages (P) having a terminal portion (TP) with at least one opening and a main portion (MP) housing one or more products, the conveyor (8) being further configured for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), the terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4),
• evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) and configured for providing the vacuum chamber (4) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (4) thereby evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P);
• a heat sealer (13) arranged along the main movement direction (M) and configured for receiving the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P), the heat sealer (13) comprising a heat sealing station (14) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P),
• at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) and configured for pre-heating at least a band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• further comprising a first pre-heating unit (39) and a second pre-heating unit (40) arranged opposite each other with respect to the elongated opening (5) of the vacuum chamber (4) and configured for receiving therebetween the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• optionally the pre-heating body (42) of the first pre-heating unit (39) being configured for pre-heating a first surface of said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P) and the pre-heating body (42) of the second pre-heating unit (40) being configured for pre-heating a second surface, opposite to the first surface, of said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P).

A packaging process of semi-sealed packages (P) comprising the steps of:

• providing a packaging apparatus (1) comprising:
• a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
• a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P), each one of the semi-sealed packages (P) having a terminal portion (TP) with at least one opening and a main portion (MP) housing one or more products, the conveyor (8) being further configured for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), the terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4),
• evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) and configured for providing the vacuum chamber (4) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (4) thereby evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P);
• a heat sealer (13) arranged along the main movement direction (M) and configured for receiving the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P), the heat sealer (13) comprising a heat sealing station (14) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P),
• at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) and configured for pre-heating at least a band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• providing at least one semi-sealed package (P) having a terminal portion (TP) with at least one opening and a main portion (MP) housing one or more products,
• moving the semi-sealed package (P) along the main movement direction (M), the step of moving the semi-sealed package (P) along the main movement direction (M) comprising:
• introducing at least the terminal portion (TP) of the semi-sealed package (P) in the vacuum chamber (4) at the elongated opening (5),
• moving at least the terminal portion (TP) of the semi-sealed package (P) inside the vacuum chamber (4) along or parallel to the elongated opening (5),
• evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed package (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed package (P) while moving the semi-sealed package (P) along the main movement direction (M),
• heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• before heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed package (P), pre-heating at least a band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
• wherein the step of pre-heating at least said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) comprises:
• pre-heating at least said heat conveying tract of a sealing belt (18) acting on the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P), the sealing belt (18) optionally cooperating in guiding the terminal portion (TP) along the main movement direction (M),
• pre-heating said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) by means of the heat conveying tract of the sealing belt (18).