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US 2006/0230708 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for manufacturing an easy-to-open package
AssigneeCryovac, Inc.
InventorAndrea Granili
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCryovac, Inc.
InventorAndrea Granili
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is an apparatus for manufacturing, through a vacuum skin packaging (VSP) method, an easy-to-open package provided with a device for initiating the opening thereof. The apparatus comprises a sealing station (115) wherein a top web (113) is sealed to a bottom web (104) in a first area (A) all around a product (P) arranged on the bottom web by providing heat and vacuum in a fundamentally closed chamber. The apparatus further comprises a local sealing inhibition unit (130) comprising at least one removable local sealing inhibition tool (150) for inhibiting the sealing between the top and bottom webs in at least a second area (B). A method is also disclosed comprising the step of inhibiting the sealing between the top and bottom webs by arranging at least one removable local sealing inhibition tool between the top and bottom webs in at least a second area.
Apparatus (101) for manufacturing, through a vacuum skin packaging method, an easy-to-open package provided with a device for initiating the opening thereof, the apparatus comprising a sealing station (115) wherein a top web (113) is sealed to a bottom web (104) in a first area (A) all around a product (P) arranged on the bottom web by providing heat and vacuum in a fundamentally closed chamber, characterized in that it further comprises a local sealing inhibition unit (130) comprising at least one removable local sealing inhibition tool (150) for inhibiting the sealing between the top and bottom webs (113, 104) in at least a second area (B).
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the local sealing inhibition tool (150) is made, at least partially, of a material selected from the group consisting of fluorocarbon resins including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluoroethylene polymers (FEP) and copolymers thereof, and more preferably of PTFE.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the local sealing inhibition tool (150) comprises a core (153) and at least one coating (154) that is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Teflon®, PTFE or any mixture thereof.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the local sealing inhibition unit (130) comprises a cooling unit (140) for cooling the at least one local sealing inhibition tool (150).
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the local sealing inhibition unit (130) comprises an arm (132) with one or more protruding extensions (133) carrying corresponding tools (150) at their ends, the arm (132) comprising a bar (135) with a slot (136) for changing the configuration of the tools (150).
Vacuum skin packaging method for manufacturing an easy-to-open package provided with a device for starting the aperture thereof, the method comprising the step of sealing a top web (113) to a bottom web (104) in a first area (A) all around a product (P) that is arranged on the bottom web, said sealing step comprising the step of providing heat and vacuum in a fundamentally closed chamber, characterized by the step of inhibiting the sealing between the top and bottom webs (113, 104) in at least a second area (B) by arranging at least one removable local sealing inhibition tool (150) between the top and bottom webs (113, 104), in said second area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.