Packaging arrangement

A packaging arrangement for packaging products, comprising:

• a. a movable support base having on its upper surface a plurality of substantially identical support pallets, spaced equally apart along the movable support base, each of which supports and aligns an array of individual package bases;
• b. means for sequentially moving the support base through substantially equal incremental movements, with stops between each sequential movement, wherein each support pallet with any array of individual package bases thereon is sequentially stopped at spaced stations in the packaging arrangement;
• c. at a first station, a loader unit for loading an array of package bases in the support pallet then at the first station;
• d. at a subsequent foil placement station, a placer unit for placing a sheet of laminated covers over the array of package bases;
• e. at a subsequent heat sealing station, a heated seal head for heat sealing the laminated covers to the package bases;
• and
• f. at a subsequent unloading station, an unloader for unloading the sealed packages from the packaging arrangement for subsequent processing, wherein the unloader comprises a handling arm which lifts the array of packages from the support pallet on the movable support base, and deposits the array of packages at an output position, wherein the handling arm incorporates thereon a precision sensor plate which defines thereon a placement position for a cover sheet relative to the precision sensor plate, said placement position being defined by a plurality of photoelectric sensors mounted on the precision sensor plate around the perimeter of and surrounding the placement position, with each of the plurality of photoelectric sensors detecting an edge of a cover sheet in the placement position, and wherein if one of the plurality of photoelectric sensors does not detect an edge of a cover sheet, the cover sheet is improperly positioned or is not properly sized.

A packaging arrangement for packaging products, comprising:

• a. a movable support base having on its upper surface a plurality of substantially identical support pallets, spaced equally apart along the movable support base, each of which supports and aligns an array of individual package bases;
• b. means for sequentially moving the support base through substantially equal incremental movements, with stops between each sequential movement, wherein each support pallet with an array of individual package bases thereon is sequentially stopped at spaced stations in the packaging arrangement;
• c. at a first station, a loader unit for loading an array of package bases in the support pallet then at the first station;
• d. at a subsequent foil placement station, a placer unit for placing a sheet of laminated covers over the array of package bases;
• e. at a subsequent heat sealing station, a heated seal head for heat sealing the laminated covers to the package bases;
• f. at a subsequent unloading station, an unloader for unloading the sealed packages from the packaging arrangement for subsequent processing;
• and
• g. first and second side by side accumulator rails, wherein the first accumulator rail accumulates and positions a first plurality of individual package bases, each of which has a product therein, in a first queue line, and the second accumulator rail accumulates and positions a second plurality of individual package bases, each of which has a product therein, in a separate and discrete second queue line side by side with the first queue line, and the package bases are transferred from the first and second queue lines on the first and second accumulator rails by the loader unit to the movable support base.

A packaging arrangement for packaging products, comprising:

• a. a movable support base having on its upper surface a plurality of substantially identical support pallets, spaced equally apart along the movable support base, each of which supports and aligns an array of individual package bases;
• b. means for sequentially moving the support base through substantially equal incremental movements, with stops between each sequential movement, wherein each support pallet with an array of individual package bases thereon is sequentially stopped at spaced stations in the packaging arrangement;
• c. at a first station, a loader unit for loading an array of package bases in the support pallet then at the first station;
• d. at a subsequent foil placement station, a foil placer unit for placing a sheet of laminated foil covers over the array of package bases, wherein the foil placer unit comprises a foil pick and place unit, having an array of suction cups, which simultaneously lifts and places at least one sheet of laminated foil covers over the array of package bases;
• e. at a subsequent heat sealing station, a heated seal head for heat sealing the laminated foil covers to the package bases;
• f. at a subsequent unloading station, an unloader for unloading the sealed packages from the packaging arrangement for subsequent processing;
• and
• g. at a subsequent verification station after the first station, an array of fiber optic probes are positioned above the array of package bases, with each fiber optic probe illuminating a package base, and then detecting radiation reflected therefrom to verify a presence of each package base in the support pallet, and further including at least one alignment probe for verifying alignment of the packaging bases in the support pallet to check that no package bases are skewed or tilted in the support pallet.