Sealing device for a tray sealer

Abstract

A sealing device for sealing trays, the sealing device having a sealing-tool lower part and a sealing-tool upper part. The sealing-tool lower part includes a tray holder. The sealing-tool upper part includes a sealing plate and a cutting knife The tray holder includes a cutting channel into which the cutting knife can dip or, in other words, that may receive the cutting knife, when cutting a film lid for the tray from the film web, the film lid being sealed on the tray.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sealing device for a tray sealer for sealing a tray with a film lid made from a film web, the sealing device comprising:
 a sealing-tool lower part and a sealing-tool upper part,   the sealing-tool lower part including a tray holder,   the sealing-tool upper part including a sealing plate and a cutting knife,   wherein the tray holder includes a support surface for the film web and a reception area as a support for an edge of a tray to be sealed, the reception area being offset relative to the support surface by at least five millimeters (5 mm) in a direction away from the sealing-tool upper part, so that the tray holder has integrated therein a cutting channel into which the cutting knife can be inserted for cutting a film web.   
     
     
         2 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting channel is substantially arranged concentrically with the reception area of the tray holder. 
     
     
         3 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting channel is substantially congruent with the reception area of the tray holder. 
     
     
         4 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein a lateral distance of around three-tenths-of-one millimeter (0.3 mm) to three millimeters (3 mm) is provided between the cutting knife and an edge of the cutting channel. 
     
     
         5 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting channel is arranged above the reception area for an edge of a tray to be held. 
     
     
         6 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the cutting channel corresponds to an external dimension of a tray. 
     
     
         7 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray holder includes a plurality of cutting channels. 
     
     
         8 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the offset of the reception area relative to the support surface is at least six millimeters (6 mm) in a direction away from the sealing-tool upper part. 
     
     
         9 . The sealing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the offset of the reception area relative to the support surface is between around seven millimeters (7 mm) to around ten millimeters (10 mm) in a direction away from the sealing-tool upper part. 
     
     
         10 . A method of sealing a tray in a sealing device comprising:
 inserting a cutting knife into a cutting channel of a tray holder of a sealing device;   cutting a film lid out of a film web with the cutting knife; and   sealing the film lid onto a tray after cutting the film lid.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising clamping the film web between a sealing-tool upper part of the sealing device and a support surface of the tray holder of the sealing device prior to cutting the film web. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising maintaining the cutting knife above a sealing plane while cutting the film lid from the film web. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising moving a sealing plate of the sealing device towards the tray holder, holding the cut film lid with the sealing plate, and compressing the cut film lid onto a tray in the tray holder to seal the cut film lid onto the tray wherein said cut film lid is located in a sealing plane.