Method and apparatus for manufacturing packages of products

A method for manufacturing packages of products, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a plurality of trays arranged substantially horizontally and so that cavities of said trays are directed upward and are distributed in a line along at least one advancement direction;
• (b) filling at least one of said trays at a time with a product and stopping said at least one of said trays at an end filling position, where filling ends, with respect to said advancement direction such that said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position remains stationary;
• (c) placing covering means on said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position while said at least one of said trays remains stationary;
• (d) temporarily rigidly coupling said covering means and said tray so as to obtain a package;
• wherein said filling step comprises a step of dispensing a volume of product of the same order of magnitude as a geometric volume of said tray, and wherein said filling step comprises a step of moving a filling means up to said end filling position along said advancement direction and a step of maintaining said filling means stationary at said position, and a step of moving said filling means away from said end filling position in the opposite direction with respect to said advancement direction.

An apparatus for manufacturing packages of products, comprising:

• means for feeding a plurality of trays arranged substantially horizontally and so that corresponding cavities of said trays face upward and are distributed in a line along at least one advancement direction;
• at least one filling unit for filling at least one of said trays at a time, said filling unit being adapted to fill said at least one of said trays at least at an end filling position, where filling ends, with respect to said advancement direction such that said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position remains stationary until said trays are closed;
• at least one application unit for applying covering means to filled trays in order to obtain a package, wherein said application unit is adapted to move in a reciprocating fashion between an initial configuration, which substantially coincides with said end filling position of the tray with respect to said advancement direction, and a final configuration, which is displaced with respect to the initial one, said filling unit being movable in a reciprocating fashion toward and away from said end filling position, and said application unit being adapted to apply said covering means to said filled trays at said initial configuration substantially coinciding with said end filling position when said filled trays remain stationary.

A method for manufacturing packages of products, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a plurality of trays arranged substantially horizontally and so that cavities of said trays are directed upward and are distributed in a line along at least one advancement direction;
• (b) filling at least one of said trays at a time with a product and stopping said at least one of said trays at an end filling position, where filling ends, with respect to said advancement direction such that said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position remains stationary;
• (c) placing covering means on said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position while said at least one of said trays remains stationary;
• (d) temporarily rigidly coupling said covering means and said tray so as to obtain a package;
• said step of temporary rigidly coupling comprising a step of heat-sealing said covering means to said tray, said heat-sealing step being performed by a heat sealing means at least at said end filling position;
• and
• said step of temporary rigid coupling comprising a step of advancing said heat sealing means from said end filling position along said advancement direction, which is performed simultaneously with said heat-sealing step, and a step for returning said heat sealing means to said end filling position.

A method for manufacturing packages of products, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a plurality of trays arranged substantially horizontally and so that cavities of said trays are directed upward and are distributed in a line along at least one advancement direction;
• (b) filling at least one of said trays at a time with a product and stopping said at least one of said trays at an end filling position, where filling ends, with respect to said advancement direction such that said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position remains stationary;
• (c) placing covering means on said at least one of said trays filled with the product at said end filling position while said at least one of said trays remains stationary;
• (d) temporarily rigidly coupling said covering means and said tray so as to obtain a package;
• wherein said filling step comprises a step of moving a filling means up to said end filling position along said advancement direction and a step of maintaining said filling means stationary at said position, and a step of moving said filling means away from said end filling position in the opposite direction with respect to said advancement direction.