Packaging unit and method for producing sealed packages

A method of producing sealed packages from a tube of a sheet packaging material fed along a feed path having a first axis;

• each said package comprising a pair of axially opposite sealing bands, a main body and two axially opposite pairs of folded flaps projecting on opposite lateral side of said main body;
• said method comprising:
• controlling jaw means between a rest position in which they are detached from said tube, and a seal position in which they grip and seal said tube to form said sealing bands;
• and
• controlling folding flaps between an open position in which they are detached from said tube and a fully closed position in which they fold said tube, so as to form one pair of said folded flaps;
• said controlling of the jaw means comprising moving said jaw means from said rest position to a plurality of intermediate positions, which are set between said rest position and said seal position;
• wherein said controlling of the folding flaps comprises moving said folding flaps relative to said jaw means into a partly closed position which is arranged between said open position and said fully closed position, when said jaw means are set in at least one of said intermediate positions.

A packaging unit for producing a formed package from a tube of a sheet packaging material fed along a feed path having a first axis;

• the formed package comprising a pair of axially opposite sealing bands, a main body and two axially opposite pairs of folded flaps projecting on opposite lateral sides of the main body;
• the packaging unit comprising:
• jaws configured to move between a seal position in which the jaws grip and seal the tube to form the sealing bands, and a rest position in which the jaws are out of contact with the tube;
• folding flaps configured to move relative to the jaws;
• a cam configured to move the folding flaps between an open position in which the folding flaps are out of contact with the tube, a fully closed position in which the folding flaps contact the tube for forming one pair of the folded flaps, and a partly closed position between the open position and the fully closed position;
• and
• the cam being configured to move the folding flaps relative to the jaws into the partly closed position when the jaws are at an intermediate position between the seal position and the rest position.