EP0476834A1 - Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Formen, Füllen und Schliessen in horizontaler Linie - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Formen, Füllen und Schliessen in horizontaler Linie Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0476834A1
EP0476834A1 EP91307585A EP91307585A EP0476834A1 EP 0476834 A1 EP0476834 A1 EP 0476834A1 EP 91307585 A EP91307585 A EP 91307585A EP 91307585 A EP91307585 A EP 91307585A EP 0476834 A1 EP0476834 A1 EP 0476834A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
product
items
film
chamber
sealed chamber
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91307585A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Ian William Mcdonald
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Food Machinery Design Ltd
Original Assignee
Food Machinery Design Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Food Machinery Design Ltd filed Critical Food Machinery Design Ltd
Publication of EP0476834A1 publication Critical patent/EP0476834A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
    • B65B9/06—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it
    • B65B9/067—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it the web advancing continuously

Definitions

  • This invention concerns packaging apparatus for packaging products in a controlled atmosphere, and especially to flow wrap horizontal form fill seal apparatus.
  • Products as diverse as foodstuffs, including biscuits and cheese, and medical products, including syringes and wound dressings, are packaged in controlled atmospheres.
  • Flow wrap horizontal form fill seal apparatus is frequently used to package such products, the products being enclosed in a package formed from a polymeric film which contains the product and the controlled atmosphere.
  • the packages are formed by passing the polymeric film from a roll and through a device which forms the film into a trough into which individual items of the product are placed, the film being brought around the product and sealed longitudinally to form a tube.
  • the tube is then sealed transversely to form individual packages of the product.
  • Gas flushing in such apparatus is effected by feeding the gas through a lance or pipe which extends into the tube of film beyond the position where the longitudinal seal is formed.
  • the remote end of the tube will, of course, have been sealed, and the flushing gas is forced out of the tube past the product in the tube and into the trough where the product is placed on the film.
  • contact of the product with the lance can hold the product back causing mislocation of the product within the tube.
  • contact of the lance with the product can cause the product to become smeared on the lance and this in turn can be transferred to the film. This can result in weak seals and unsightly packages.
  • horizontal form fill seal apparatus for producing sealed packages of items of a product in a controlled atmosphere
  • the apparatus comprising film supply means for supplying a sealable polymeric film in which items of product are to be packaged, product supply means for supplying items of the product to be packaged, gas supply means for supplying the gas to provide the controlled atmosphere, and a substantially sealed chamber containing gas supplied by the gas supply means and into which successive items of product are introduced into the controlled atmosphere, the film in part defining the substantially sealed chamber.
  • successive items of product are introduced into a chamber containing the desired gaseous atmosphere, thereby avoiding the necessity for flushing air from the packages before they are sealed.
  • the substantially sealed chamber has to allow successive items of product to enter it without the ingress of atmospheric air.
  • This can be achieved in a variety of ways, for example by the use of a resilient sealing member which either partially or completely seal the chamber, the resilient sealing member being openable by items of product entering the chamber,
  • the items of product will in general form an integral part of the seal, successive items of product abutting to maintain the seal as they are moved in turn into the chamber, the sealing member thereafter closing behind the items of product to seal the substantial sealed chamber once the item has entered the chamber.
  • successive items of product can be separated from each other before entering the chamber so that the resilient sealing member closes the chamber between successive items of product.
  • the substantially sealed chamber can have a doorway through which successive items of product pass, the doorway being of a size which allows the items of product to enter the chamber with a small clearance.
  • successive items of product which have entered the substantially sealed chamber should be separated within the chamber from the item of product immediately following until the required inter product space has been obtained for effecting a transverse seal forming the desired packages, This particularly so where the items of product enter the chamber in contact.
  • Apparatus of the present invention preferably includes carrier means for supporting successive items of product whilst they in turn seal the substantially sealed chamber, and so that the film can be advanced relative to the item of product without the item contacting the advancing film. This enables the desired inter product spacing to be achieved without the film being slid along the surface of the product.
  • the carrier means is, however, preferably in sealing engagement with the film to prevent the ingress of atmospheric air to the substantially sealed chamber.
  • the film in which the items of product are packaged defines a part of the substantially sealed chamber, and it can be formed into the shape of a trough or into a tunnel shape.
  • the sealable film can be sealed in the in known manner, depending upon the nature of the material forming the seal.
  • the film can be heat sealable and sealed by heat, or it can be provided with a cold seal adhesive.
  • Apparatus of the present invention is particularly suitable for the packaging of items of product which are of uniform cross section considered in their direction of flow through the apparatus. It is also preferred that the items of product are such that when successive items abut, no space is left between them. Rectilinear items of substantially uniform cross section are therefore preferred, for example blocks of cheese.
  • the prior art flow wrap horizontal form fill seal apparatus with gas flushing includes a film supply device (not shown) which feeds a heat sealable polymeric film 1 from a reel (not shown), the film 1 being shown very schematically as it will be clear to those skilled in the art.
  • a device (not shown) forms the film 1 into a trough 3, again shown very schematically, into which individual items of product 2 are introduced at intervals along the length of the trough, by means not shown.
  • the two outer edge portions 4 of the film 1 are brought together and heat sealed around the items of product using ribbed heated rollers 5 to form a fin sealed tube of film around the product.
  • a gas lance 6 extends from the trough 3 past the heated rollers 5 into the longitudinally sealed tube of film. Gas supplied through the lance 6 displaces atmospheric air in the tube, air in the tube and excess flushing gas passing beneath the rollers 5 into the trough 3 past the items of product 2 in the tube. The position of the lance 6 in relation to the tube can be seen more clearly from Figure 2. As the tube of film is advanced through the apparatus items of product 2 in the tube pass the end of the lance 6, and the tube of film is heat sealed transversely to form packages containing the product in a controlled atmosphere.
  • the illustrated apparatus in accordance with the invention is of similar construction to the prior art apparatus of Figure 1, including a mechanism for forming the film 1 into a trough into which items of product are inserted.
  • the apparatus of Figure 3 has a substantially sealed chamber 9 containing the desired atmosphere for the packages into which the items of product are introduced.
  • the chamber 9 is formed by a substantially "V"-shaped barrier plate 7, which tapers inwardly to a point in the direction of movement of the film 1, the trough shaped portion of the film 1, and a resilient rubber door 10 which is itself sealed by an item of product entering the chamber (not shown).
  • a gas supply conduit 8 supplies the desired atmosphere to the chamber 9. Edge portions 4 of the film 1 are held in light but firm sealing but sliding contact with edge portions of the plate 7 by brushes or rods (not shown), thereby providing a moving seal between the film 1 and the plate 7. Supplying gas through the conduit 8 at above atmospheric pressure serves to prevent atmospheric air from entering the chamber 9.
  • gas from the conduit 8 is fed to the chamber 9 until it is full of the desired atmosphere, displaced air escaping for example between the edge portions of the film 1 and the plate 7.
  • the film 1 and items of product 2 are then fed into the apparatus, items of product 2 passing through the door 10 and entering the trough 3 which is full of the desired atmosphere.
  • Continuous flushing of atmospheric air from the trough 3 is unnecessary as the door 10 forms a seal around the product as it enters the trough 3.
  • the product is therefore surrounded by the desired atmosphere at this position in the apparatus, unlike the prior art apparatus where the controlled atmosphere is formed after making the longitudinal fin seal.
  • the plate 7 and the path of the items of product 2 are arranged to converge so that when the edge portions 4 of the film 1 enter the nip between the heated rollers 5, the film 1 forms a tight fit on the product 2. This enables the film to be sealed much tighter on the product 2 than with the prior art apparatus where space has to be left for the lance 6.
  • the resulting longitudinally sealed tube of film having items of product therein has the desired atmosphere between the individual items, and it can then be sealed and cut transversely in known manner to form separate packages of product held in the desired atmosphere.
  • the under surface of a carrier plate forms a gas tight seal with the film 1 as it forms the trough 3, the door 10 being across the carrier plate. Items of product 2 are slid along the carrier plate and through the door 10 into the trough 3, one item of product pushing an item of product already on the carrier plate.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
  • Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
EP91307585A 1990-08-16 1991-08-16 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Formen, Füllen und Schliessen in horizontaler Linie Withdrawn EP0476834A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9017974A GB2246998B (en) 1990-08-16 1990-08-16 Packaging apparatus
GB9017974 1990-08-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0476834A1 true EP0476834A1 (de) 1992-03-25

Family

ID=10680747

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91307585A Withdrawn EP0476834A1 (de) 1990-08-16 1991-08-16 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Formen, Füllen und Schliessen in horizontaler Linie

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0476834A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2246998B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014174471A2 (es) 2013-04-23 2014-10-30 Compañía Nacional De Chocolates S.A.S. Método y dispositivo para empacar productos individuales por empacadoras de tipo horizontal

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0638476B1 (de) * 1993-08-10 1997-04-16 Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits Limited Verpackungsmaschine
US10259602B2 (en) 2012-02-28 2019-04-16 The Procter And Gamble Company Method for forming packages
WO2013130466A1 (en) 2012-02-28 2013-09-06 The Procter & Gamble Company Method for forming packages
IN2015DN00608A (de) 2012-07-24 2015-06-26 Procter & Gamble
US9643812B2 (en) 2014-03-06 2017-05-09 The Procter & Gamble Company Method for pleating or shaping a web
US9783330B2 (en) 2014-03-06 2017-10-10 The Procter & Gamble Company Method and apparatus for shaping webs in a vertical form, fill, and sealing system

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3930350A (en) * 1974-11-29 1976-01-06 W. R. Grace & Co. Packaging assembly and process
US3958390A (en) * 1975-01-02 1976-05-25 Hayssen Manufacturing Co. Packaging

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3274746A (en) * 1963-09-09 1966-09-27 Hayssen Mfg Company Method of and apparatus for packaging units in a preservative atmosphere
DE3130616A1 (de) * 1981-08-01 1983-02-17 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Vorrichtung zum begasen und verschliessen von verpackungsbehaeltern
US4791775A (en) * 1987-04-22 1988-12-20 Raque Food Systems, Inc. Packaging device

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3930350A (en) * 1974-11-29 1976-01-06 W. R. Grace & Co. Packaging assembly and process
US3958390A (en) * 1975-01-02 1976-05-25 Hayssen Manufacturing Co. Packaging

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014174471A2 (es) 2013-04-23 2014-10-30 Compañía Nacional De Chocolates S.A.S. Método y dispositivo para empacar productos individuales por empacadoras de tipo horizontal

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9017974D0 (en) 1990-10-03
GB2246998B (en) 1994-11-16
GB2246998A (en) 1992-02-19

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