A method of operating a packaging machine

Abstract

A method of operating a machine for producing sealed packages for a product, comprises the step of changing the configuration of the machine so that the machine, which was producing a package (2) having a first conformation, becomes capable of producing a package (102) having a second conformation. The first conformation is different from the second conformation. The package (2) having the first conformation is produced from a first sheet packaging material (1) comprising a first basic unit (3) having a length (L) and a width (W), the package (102) having the second conformation being produced from a second sheet packaging material (101) comprising a second basic unit (103) having a length (L) and a width (W) respectively equal to the length (L) and width (W) of the first basic unit (3).

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a machine for producing sealed packages for a product, the method comprising:
 advancing a sheet packaging material along an advancement direction;   sealing the sheet packaging material longitudinally with respect to the advancement direction to form a continuous tube;   sealing and cutting the tube transversely with respect to the advancement direction to obtain from the tube respective preliminary sealed packaging units filled with the product and to produce corresponding packages having a first package conformation;   adjusting a configuration of the machine to produce packages having a second conformation,   wherein:   the first conformation is different from the second conformation,   the packages having the first conformation is produced from a first sheet packaging material comprising a first basic unit having a first length and a first width,   the packages having the second conformation is produced from a second sheet packaging material comprising a second basic unit having a second length and a second width respectively equal to the first length and the first width of the first basic unit, and   the first basic unit and the second basic unit having respective crease patterns that differ from each other.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the packages having the first conformation has a shape that is different from the shape of the packages having the second conformation. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the packages having the first conformation has a volume that is different from the volume of the packages having the second conformation. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the packages having the first conformation has at least a first end cross-section, the packages having the second conformation having at least a second end cross-section, the first end cross-section and the second end cross-section being perpendicular to a main dimension of the corresponding package, the first end cross-section and the second end cross-section having the same linear dimension.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the package having the first conformation has at least a first longitudinal border zone and the package having the second conformation has at least a second longitudinal border zone, the first longitudinal border zone and the second longitudinal border zones having respective shapes that differ from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the first longitudinal border zone comprises a straight longitudinal edge. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the second longitudinal border zone comprises a corner panel interposed between a side wall and a front wall of the package having the second conformation. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the corner panel is delimited by two borders obtained by folding the second basic unit respectively along two crease lines that extend between common points. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the two crease lines are each concave, with respective concavities facing one another. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein each one of the two crease lines is selected from a group comprising: a curved crease line, a crease line defined by a sequence of at least two straight crease segments, a combination of a curved crease line and a straight crease segment. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the advancement direction is parallel to the length of at least one of the first basic unit and the second basic unit. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first sheet packaging material and the second sheet packaging material are advanced along the advancement direction by at least a pair of gripping jaws.