Device For Filling Food Products

Abstract

A device for filling liquid or pasty food products in prefabricated individual containers which form a sealing rim, the device including carrier elements which are run through the device by a drive in a continuous cycle and which include receiving openings for the individual containers; operating stations into whose operating area the carrier elements move during the continuous cycle through the device; at least one operating station configured as a sealing device which fixes a sealing foil on the sealing rim of each individual container using a sealing tool; a web shaped sealing foil spanning the carrier elements transversal to their width measured transversal to their feed direction wherein the sealing foil is run between the sealing rim of the individual containers and a sealing head; a pulley device which is arranged upstream of the sealing device in the feed direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for filling liquid or pasty food products in prefabricated individual containers which form a sealing rim, the device comprising
 carrier elements which are run through the device by a drive in a continuous cycle and which include receiving openings for the individual containers;   operating stations into whose operating area the carrier elements move during the continuous cycle through the device;   at least one operating station configured as a sealing device which fixes a sealing foil on the sealing rim of each individual container using a sealing tool;   a web shaped sealing foil spanning the carrier elements transversal to their width measured transversal to their feed direction wherein the sealing foil is run between the sealing rim of the individual containers and a sealing head;   a pulley device which is arranged upstream of the sealing device in the feed direction and which transfers the sealing foil into an orientation that is parallel to the feed direction and configured for sealing;   a gas exposure device arranged upstream of the sealing device in the feed direction; and   at least one sealing foil down holder that is arranged in a portion of the sealing device,   wherein the gas exposure device fills an unfilled head portion of the individual containers with an oxygen reduced or oxygen free gas,   wherein the sealing foil down holder is oriented parallel to the feed direction, and   wherein the sealing foil down holder supports the sealing foil between the sealing foil down holder and the carrier elements at a defined distance from the carrier elements.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sealing foil down holder includes at least one rotatably supported wheel,   wherein the sealing foil is essentially supported without friction at the rotatably supported wheel when the sealing foil runs between the sealing foil down holder and the carrier elements.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the sealing foil down holder includes plural wheels that are arranged in the feed direction behind each other. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein a belt runs continuously about the wheel assembly and the sealing foil is run along the continuously running belt essentially without friction. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a respective sealing foil down holder is arranged above each edge portion of the carrier elements running through the sealing device, and   wherein the edge portion is parallel to the feed direction.   
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein a sealing tools are enveloped by a frame below which the sealing foil is run and which supports the sealing foil down holders.