Packaging machine having a sealing means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging machine comprising a sealing station which uses a sealing means to join an upper film web to a lower film web by sealing, said sealing means having at least one opening which is connected to a vacuum source and/or a source of substitute gas. The present invention also relates to a sealing frame.

1 . A packaging machine comprising:
 a sealing station which uses a sealing means to seal an upper film web to a lower film web, the sealing means having at least one opening connected to a vacuum source and/or to a source of substitute gas,   wherein the sealing means or a nozzle in the sealing station includes at least one valve with which a flow at the at least one opening is adjustable.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing means is a sealing frame assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing means has a multiplicity of openings the flow of which is at least partially or fully, individually adjustable. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve is drivable by a manual or a motorized means. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening is connected to a conduit that connects the at least one opening to fee vacuum source and to the source of substitute gas,
 wherein the valve has a through bore that when fully aligned with the conduit provides for the valve to be fully opened.   
     
     
         8 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the valve is rotatable so that an overlap of the through bore and the conduit reduces flow through the conduit. 
     
     
         9 . A packaging machine comprising:
 a sealing station having a sealing means for sealing an upper film web to a lower film web, the sealing means having an opening connected to a vacuum source and to a source of substitute gas,   wherein the sealing means includes a valve for adjusting air moving out of the opening gas moving into the opening,   wherein a gas exchange takes place where the air moving out of the opening is extracted from between the upper film web and the lower film web, and the gas moving into the opening is injected between the upper film web and the lower film web, and   wherein the gas exchange takes place before or during the sealing of the upper film web to the lower film web.   
     
     
         10 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the sealing means has multiple valves and multiple openings,
 wherein each of the valves are adjustable so that the air moving out of the openings or the gas moving into the openings can be adjusted so that the volumetric rate of flow per unit of time, flow direction and/or flow velocity is adjustable.   
     
     
         11 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each of the valves include a slot for manually adjusting the valves. 
     
     
         12 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each of the valves has a locking means which locks each of the valves in a respective position so that the valves do not independently shift during operation of the packaging machine. 
     
     
         13 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the lower film web is deep drawn to form a packaging tray, and the upper film web is sealed to the packaging tray. 
     
     
         14 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the openings are arranged in a row running parallel to a transport direction of the lower film web. 
     
     
         15 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein a multiplicity of holes are made in the lower film web during or before the upper film web is sealed to the lower film web, and
 wherein the air is extracted from between the upper film web and the lower film web through the holes and the gas is injected between the upper film web and the lower film web through the holes.   
     
     
         16 ) A packaging machine comprising:
 a sealing station having a sealing means for sealing an upper film web to a lower film web, the sealing means having a plurality of openings connected to a conduit which connects the openings to vacuum source and to a source of substitute gas, the conduit includes a plurality of valves,   wherein a gas exchange takes place in the sealing station where air moving to the vacuum source is extracted out of the openings from between the upper film web and the lower film web, and the gas moving from the source of substitute gas into the opening is injected between the upper film web and the lower film web,   wherein each of the valves are adjustable so that the air moving out of the openings or the gas moving into the openings can be adjusted so that the volumetric rate of flow per unit of time, flow direction and/or flow velocity can be regulated, and   wherein the gas exchange takes place before or during the sealing of the upper film web to the lower film web.   
     
     
         17 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each of the valves have a through bore that when fully aligned with the conduit provides for the valve to be fully opened, and
 wherein the valve is rotatable so that an overlap of the through bore and the conduit reduces flow through the conduit.   
     
     
         18 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the openings are arranged in a row running parallel to a transport direction of the lower film web. 
     
     
         19 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein a multiplicity of holes, are made in the lower film web during or before the upper film web is sealed to the lower film web, and
 wherein the is extracted from between the upper film web and the lower film web through the holes, and the gas is injected between the upper film web and fee lower film web through the holes.   
     
     
         20 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the lower film web is deep drawn to form a packaging tray, and the upper film web is sealed to the packaging tray. 
     
     
         21 ) The packaging machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each of the valves include an O-ring seal.