Apparatus and method for packaging slab form or cuboidal products

An apparatus for packaging plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in a food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus comprising:

• feeding devices for feeding one product at a time to a packaging station in a conveying direction in a conveying plane;
• guiding devices for providing in the packaging station a blank of the packaging material film matching the respectively fed product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is fed into the packaging station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction;
• wherein the feeding devices are configured and arranged to convey the product, respectively, at least partially through the packaging station such that the product is inserted into the blank of the packaging material film in the conveying direction such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product;
• discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in the conveying direction, wherein the respective blank of the packaging material film remains wrapped around the product;
• holding devices being configured and arranged to move in the conveying plane at least partially in the conveying direction with the product through the packaging station, wherein the holding devices hold the respective blank of the packaging material film being wrapped around the product in a predetermined orientation and arrangement with respect to the respective product, wherein the holding devices are arranged substantially in the conveying plane next to the product, wherein the holding devices are arranged on two opposing sides of the product extending substantially in the conveying direction.

An apparatus for packaging plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in a food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus comprising:

• feeding devices for feeding one product at a time to a packaging station in a conveying direction in a conveying plane;
• guiding devices for providing in the packaging station a blank of the packaging material film matching the respectively fed product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is fed into the packaging station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction;
• wherein the feeding devices are configured and arranged to convey the product, respectively, at least partially through the packaging station such that the product is inserted into the blank of the packaging material film in the conveying direction such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product;
• discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in the conveying direction, wherein the respective blank of the packaging material film remains wrapped around the product;
• holding devices being configured and arranged to move in the conveying plane at least partially in the conveying direction with the product through the packaging station, wherein the holding devices hold the respective blank of the packaging material film being wrapped around the product in a predetermined orientation and arrangement with respect to the respective product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is dimensioned and arranged with respect to the product in such a way that, on two sides of the product extending substantially in the conveying direction, the blank projects beyond the product on each of the two sides of the product with a part of the blank perpendicular to the conveying direction, wherein the holding devices each have a width in the conveying plane substantially corresponding to a width of the respective part of the blank projecting beyond the product on each of the two sides of the product.

An apparatus for packaging plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in a food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus comprising:

• feeding devices for feeding one product at a time to a packaging station in a conveying direction in a conveying plane;
• guiding devices for providing in the packaging station a blank of the packaging material film matching the respectively fed product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is fed into the packaging station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction;
• wherein the feeding devices are configured and arranged to convey the product, respectively, at least partially through the packaging station such that the product is inserted into the blank of the packaging material film in the conveying direction such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product;
• discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in the conveying direction, wherein the respective blank of the packaging material film remains wrapped around the product;
• holding devices being configured and arranged to move in the conveying plane at least partially in the conveying direction with the product through the packaging station, wherein the holding devices hold the respective blank of the packaging material film being wrapped around the product in a predetermined orientation and arrangement with respect to the respective product, wherein the holding devices are configured to be inserted into the blank of the packaging material film together with the product in the conveying direction in such a way that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the holding devices and around the product such that a first part of the blank of the packaging material film lies substantially on an upper side of the holding devices and the product with respect to the conveying plane, that a second part of the blank of the packaging material film lies substantially on a lower side of the holding devices and the product with respect to the conveying plane, and that a third part of the blank of the packaging material film lies substantially on a front side of the holding devices and the product with respect to the conveying direction.

An apparatus for packaging plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in a food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus comprising:

• feeding devices for feeding one product at a time to a packaging station in a conveying direction in a conveying plane;
• guiding devices for providing in the packaging station a blank of the packaging material film matching the respectively fed product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is fed into the packaging station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction;
• wherein the feeding devices are configured and arranged to convey the product, respectively, at least partially through the packaging station such that the product is inserted into the blank of the packaging material film in the conveying direction such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product;
• discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in the conveying direction, wherein the respective blank of the packaging material film remains wrapped around the product;
• holding devices being configured and arranged to move in the conveying plane at least partially in the conveying direction with the product through the packaging station, wherein the holding devices hold the respective blank of the packaging material film being wrapped around the product in a predetermined orientation and arrangement with respect to the respective product, wherein the holding devices comprise openings for generating a negative pressure on the packaging material film in such a way that the packaging material film is sucked by the holding devices.

An apparatus for packaging plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in a food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus comprising:

• feeding devices for feeding one product at a time to a packaging station in a conveying direction in a conveying plane;
• guiding devices for providing in the packaging station a blank of the packaging material film matching the respectively fed product, wherein the blank of the packaging material film is fed into the packaging station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction;
• wherein the feeding devices are configured and arranged to convey the product, respectively, at least partially through the packaging station such that the product is inserted into the blank of the packaging material film in the conveying direction such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product;
• discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in the conveying direction, wherein the respective blank of the packaging material film remains wrapped around the product;
• holding devices being configured and arranged to move in the conveying plane at least partially in the conveying direction with the product through the packaging station, wherein the holding devices hold the respective blank of the packaging material film being wrapped around the product in a predetermined orientation and arrangement with respect to the respective product, wherein the holding devices are movably configured and arranged in such a way that, after the one product has been fully inserted in the conveying direction into the blank of the packaging material film, for a next product to be packaged, the holding devices are configured to move back, substantially opposite to the conveying direction, to an initial position upstream of the packaging station, wherein the holding devices are movably configured and arranged in such a way that during movement back to the initial position upstream of the packaging station, the holding devices do not collide with a longitudinal sealing device for sealing a longitudinal sealing seam running perpendicular to the conveying direction, the longitudinal sealing device being arranged and configured in the conveying direction behind or downstream of the packaging station, wherein the holding devices are movably configured and arranged in such a way that, after being fully inserted in the conveying direction into the blank of the packaging material film, the holding devices are configured to first move substantially perpendicularly to the conveying direction in the conveying plane laterally outwards away from the product, and then move substantially opposite to the conveying direction back into their initial position upstream from the packaging station.