Apparatus and process for packaging a product

Abstract

An apparatus and process can be used for packaging a product arranged on a support or on a support portion of a continuous support using a packaging assembly configured for tightly fixing a film portion of a plastic film to said support or support portion. A conveyor extends through or in correspondence of the packaging assembly and is configured to move the supports or the support portions inside the packaging assembly. A vacuum arrangement is controlled to extract—through the conveyor and through holes in the support or support portion—gas present in the packaging assembly between the film portion and the underlying support or support portion for then forming a vacuum skin packaged product.

1 . An apparatus for packaging a product arranged on a support, comprising:
 a conveyor having an operative tract configured to displace along a predetermined path:
 either a plurality of distinct supports positioned at a distance the one from the other, or 
 consecutive support portions of a continuous support; 
   a film supply assembly configured to supply a plastic film;   a packaging assembly operative at said predetermined path and configured to tightly fix at least one film portion of said plastic film to at least one respective of said supports or of said support portions, wherein the packaging assembly includes:
 a lower tool; 
 an upper tool operative above the lower tool, the packaging assembly being configured to operate at least in:
 a first operating condition, where the upper tool is spaced from the lower tool allowing positioning of one or more of said supports or support portions and of said film portion inside the packaging assembly, and 
 a second operating condition, where the upper tool is approached towards the lower tool and is configured to sealingly apply the at least one film portion to the at least one underlying support or support portion present in the packaging assembly; 
 
   a vacuum arrangement;   at least one of:
 a support loading station configured to allow loading of the one or more supports on the operative tract of the conveyor, with each one of said supports being provided with respective one or more through holes; 
 a continuous support supply configured to supply said continuous support to the conveyor operative tract, with a hole making device configured to make one or more through holes in each one of said consecutive film portions of said continuous support; 
   a control unit configured to control the packaging assembly and the conveyor, wherein the control unit is configured to execute the following cycle:
 with the packaging assembly in the first operating condition, causing the conveyor to position one or more of said supports or support portions, with a respective product thereon, inside the packaging assembly, 
 with the packaging assembly in the second operating condition, commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support or support portion, forming a vacuum skin packaged product. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the conveyor to position said one or more of said supports or said support portions inside the packaging assembly and to control the packaging assembly in the second operating condition, such that the extraction by the vacuum arrangement of gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support or support portion takes place at least in part through the one or more through holes present in the one or more supports or support portions present inside the packaging assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the apparatus comprises the support loading station, the control unit is further connected to the support loading station to control deposition of the one or more supports on the conveyor operative tract and wherein the cycle, which the control unit is configured to execute, further includes commanding the support loading station to position the one or more supports on the operative tract such that each support is located at a pre-determined distance from an adjacent support and each through hole of each support is positioned at a known location relative to the conveyor operative tract; or   when the apparatus comprises the continuous support supply, the control unit is connected to the hole making device to control formation of through holes in the continuous support, wherein the cycle further includes controlling the hole making device to form said holes into the continuous support according to a predetermined sequence such that each through hole practiced on the continuous support is positioned at a known location relative to the conveyor operative tract.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the cycle, which the control unit is configured to execute, further comprises:
 controlling the support loading station, the conveyor and the packaging assembly to bring each one of said supports inside the packaging assembly with its one or more through holes in fluid communication with the vacuum arrangement at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition, wherein commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support includes extracting gas via said one or more through holes present in each respective support, or   controlling the hole making device, the conveyor and the packaging assembly to bring each one of said support portions inside the packaging assembly with its one or more through holes in fluid communication with the vacuum arrangement at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition, wherein commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support portion includes extracting gas via said one or more through holes present in each respective support portion.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the support loading station which is configured to store a plurality of said one or more supports and to supply said one or more supports to the conveyor operative tract. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the continuous support supply with the hole making device being positioned between the continuous support supply and the packaging station, optionally in a position where the continuous support has not reached yet the operative tract . 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cycle which the control unit is configured to execute comprises the following:
 with the packaging assembly in the first operating condition
 first causing the conveyor to move in order to position the one or more of said supports or support portions, with a respective product thereon, inside the packaging assembly, 
 then causing the conveyor to stop, 
   thereafter, with the conveyor stopped, causing the packaging assembly to move to the second operating condition and seal the film portion to the underlying at least one support or support portion at least in correspondence of a peripheral border of the same support or support portion;   wherein the apparatus further comprises heating means at least associated to the upper tool and configured to at least heat the at least one film portion received in the packaging assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt configured to define a resting surface to receive the one or more supports or the one or more support portions and at the same time allow passage of gas through a conveyor thickness between a superior side and an inferior side of the operative tract of the conveyor;
 wherein the conveyor extends through the packaging assembly and comprises:
 a plurality of discrete apertures extending through the entire conveyor thickness and positioned along the conveyor, and/or 
 at least a permeable portion extensive through the entire conveyor thickness and made from gas permeable material. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the lower tool is operative below the inferior side of said operative tract and the upper tool operative above the superior side of the operative tract, wherein the lower tool—in correspondence of said second operating condition of the packaging assembly—is configured to position against the inferior side of the operative tract. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the conveyor is configured such that a number of the conveyor apertures and/or at least a part of the conveyor permeable portion are/is located inside the packaging assembly when the packaging assembly is in the second operating condition. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the cycle, which the control unit is configured to execute, further comprises:
 controlling the support loading station, the conveyor and the packaging assembly to bring each one of said supports inside the packaging assembly with its one or more through holes in alignment with at least one respective conveyor aperture and/or conveyor permeable portion and in fluid communication with the vacuum arrangement at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition, wherein commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support includes extracting gas via said one or more through holes present in each respective support and via said at least one respective conveyor aperture and/or conveyor permeable portion; or   controlling the hole making device, the conveyor and the packaging assembly to bring each one of said support portions inside the packaging assembly with its one or more through holes in alignment with at least one respective conveyor aperture and/or conveyor permeable portion and in fluid communication with the vacuum arrangement at least when the packaging assembly is in said second operating condition, wherein commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support portion includes extracting gas via said one or more through holes present in each respective support portion and via said at least one respective conveyor aperture and/or conveyor permeable portion.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for packaging a product arranged on a support, comprising:
 a conveyor having an operative tract configured to displace along a predetermined path:
 either a plurality of distinct supports positioned at a distance the one from the other or 
 consecutive support portions of a continuous support; 
   a film supply assembly configured to supply a plastic film;   a packaging assembly operative at said predetermined path and configured to tightly fix at least one film portion of said plastic film to at least one respective of said supports or of said support portions, wherein the packaging assembly includes:
 a lower tool; 
 an upper tool operative above the lower tool, the packaging assembly being configured to operate at least in:
 a first operating condition, where the upper tool is spaced from the lower tool allowing positioning of one or more of said supports or support portions and of said film portion inside the packaging assembly, and 
 a second operating condition, where the upper tool is approached towards the lower tool and is configured to sealingly apply the at least one film portion to the at least one underlying support or support portion present in the packaging assembly; 
 
   a vacuum arrangement   a support loading station configured to allow loading of the one or more supports on the operative tract of the conveyor, with each one of said supports being provided with respective one or more through holes, wherein the support loading station is further configured to store a plurality of said one or more supports and to supply said one or more supports to the conveyor operative tract   a control unit configured to control the packaging assembly and the conveyor, wherein the control unit is configured to execute the following cycle:
 with the packaging assembly in the first operating condition, causing the conveyor to position one or more of said supports or support portions, with a respective product thereon, inside the packaging assembly, 
 with the packaging assembly in the second operating condition, commanding the vacuum arrangement to extract gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support or support portion, forming a vacuum skin packaged product; and 
   a positioning device configured to position the supports on the operative tract, wherein the positioning device comprises one or more of:
 seats defined on a superior side of the operative tract, each one of the seats being located at a pre-defined distance from an adjacent seat and being shaped to receive and keep a respective support in a position fixed relative to the conveyor, 
 a position sensor connected to the control unit and configured to detect the position of said one or more supports on the operative tract or of holes present in said one or more supports, and a positioner also connected to the control unit, the control unit being configured to receive from said position sensor a signal related to a detected position of a support on the conveyor or related to a position of said holes relative to the conveyor, compare said signal with a reference indicative of a proper position of the support on the conveyor, and issue a control signal for the positioner to reposition the support if said comparison indicates that the detected position does not match the proper position of the support. 
   
     
     
         13 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A process of packaging a product arranged on a support, comprising the following steps:
 displacing, along a predetermined path and towards a packaging assembly, at least one of:
 a plurality of distinct supports located at a distance the one from the other, wherein each of the one or more supports has a base wall provided with respective one or more through holes; or 
 consecutive support portions of a continuous support each one of said consecutive film portions presenting a base wall provided with one or more through holes; 
 wherein the packaging assembly is configured to tightly fix at least one film portion of said plastic film to at least one respective of said supports or of said support portions and includes a lower tool and an upper tool, operative above the lower tool, the packaging assembly being configured to operate at least in a first operating condition, where the upper tool is spaced from the lower tool allowing positioning of one or more of said supports or support portions and of said film portion inside the packaging assembly, and a second operating condition, where the 5 upper tool is approached towards the lower tool and is configured to sealingly apply the at least one film portion to the at least one underlying support or support portion present in the packaging assembly; 
   placing at least one product to be packaged on each respective support or on each respective support portion;   supplying a plastic film from a film supply assembly to the packaging assembly;   with the packaging assembly in the first operating condition, moving at least one of the supports or at least one of support portions into the packaging assembly;   receiving and holding at least one film portion of said plastic film above said at least one respective support or said at least one support portion located in the packaging assembly;   bringing the packaging assembly from said first operating condition to said second operating condition and tightly sealing the at least one film portion of said plastic film to the at least one respective of said supports or support portions; and   extracting gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support or support portion forming a vacuum skin packaged product, during gas extraction at least part of said extracted gas passing through the one or more through holes of the same support or support portion located in the packaging assembly.   
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein a support loading station loads the one or more supports on an operative tract of a conveyor, which displaces the supports along the predetermined path and towards the packaging assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein a continuous support supply supplies said continuous support to a conveyor operative tract and a hole making device makes the one or more through holes in each 30 one of said consecutive film portions of said continuous support. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the conveyor positions said one or more of said supports or said support portions, with a respective product thereon, inside the packaging assembly, and wherein, with the packaging assembly in the second operating condition, the extraction of by the vacuum arrangement of gas present between the at least one film portion and the underlying support or support portion takes place through the one or more through holes of the one or more supports or support portions present inside the packaging assembly. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the support loading station positions the one or more supports on the operative tract such that each support is located at a pre-determined distance from an adjacent support and each through hole of each support is 5 positioned at a known location relative to the conveyor operative tract. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the hole making device forms through holes in the continuous support according to a predetermined sequence such that each through hole practiced on the continuous support is positioned at a known location relative to the conveyor operative tract. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein with bringing of the packaging assembly to the second operating condition the film portion is sealed, optionally heat-sealed, in correspondence of a peripheral border of the support encircling the one or more through holes present in the same support or in correspondence of a peripheral border of the support portion encircling the one or more through holes present in the same support portion. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein a step of releasing the film portion from the upper tool takes place either during or after the step of extracting the gas, the film portion draping down and adhering to an exposed surface e of the product and to an upper surface of the support not occupied by the product,
 further wherein the process comprises a step of venting suction apertures in the lower tool before or after starting to move the packaging assembly back to the first operating condition.   
     
     
         32 .- 43 . (canceled)