US 12,129,063 B2
Packaging apparatus and process
Stefan Landolt, Obernau (CH); Peter Schnurrenberger, Steinhausen (CH); and Peter Müller, Goldau (CH)
Assigned to Cryovac, LLC, Charlotte, NC (US)
Appl. No. 17/768,519
Filed by Cryovac, LLC, Charlotte, NC (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 14, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/078851
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/074194, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19203091 (EP), filed on Oct. 14, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0109678 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B65B 31/04 (2006.01); B65B 7/02 (2006.01); B65B 51/10 (2006.01); B65B 51/18 (2006.01); B65B 51/30 (2006.01); B65B 51/32 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 51/18 (2013.01) [B65B 7/02 (2013.01); B65B 31/048 (2013.01); B65B 51/30 (2013.01); B65B 51/32 (2013.01); B65B 2051/105 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A packaging apparatus (1) comprising:
a vacuum chamber (4) having an elongated opening (5) extending along or parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the vacuum chamber (4),
a conveyor (8) configured for receiving semi-sealed packages (P), each one of the semi-sealed packages (P) having a terminal portion (TP) with at least one opening and a main portion (MP) housing one or more products, the conveyor (8) being further configured for moving the semi-sealed packages (P) relative to the vacuum chamber (4) along a main movement direction (M) such that each semi-sealed package (P) positioned on the conveyor (8) may have, during the relative movement of the semi-sealed package (P) with respect to the vacuum chamber (4), the terminal portion (TP) passing through the elongated opening (5) with its opening relatively moving within the vacuum chamber (4), while the main portion (MP) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (4),
evacuation means (9) fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber (4) and configured for providing the vacuum chamber (4) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (4) thereby evacuating gas present in the semi-sealed packages (P) and forming evacuated semi-sealed packages (P);
a heat sealer (13) arranged along the main movement direction (M) and configured for receiving the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P), the heat sealer (13) comprising a heat sealing station (14) configured for heat sealing the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) thereby forming heat sealed packages (P),
at least one pre-heating unit (39, 40) arranged along the main movement direction (M) upstream of the heat sealing station (14) and configured for pre-heating at least a band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P),
wherein the heat sealer (13) comprises a sealing belt (18) configured for guiding the terminal portion (TP) of the evacuated semi-sealed packages (P) along the main movement direction (M) at least from the pre-heating unit (39, 40) to the heat sealing station (14), the pre-heating unit (39, 40) being configured for pre-heating at least a heat conveying tract of the sealing belt (18) designed to come into contact with said band (TP2) of the terminal portion (TP) of each evacuated semi-sealed package (P) and pre-heat it.