PACKAGING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A MULTILAYER PACKAGE

• US 20120201481A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Multivac SEPP Haggenmã¼Ller GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Holzem, Dieter, Mondry, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 383/105
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2220/14 Adding more than one type of material or article to the same package
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2230/02 Containers having separate compartments isolated from one another B65B29/10 and B65B2220/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/065 of meat
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/068 of cheese
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/08 between layers or strips of sheet or web material, e.g. in webs folded to zig-zag form
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/021 the containers or wrappers being interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/028 closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/04 one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermoform packaging machine for manufacturing a multilayer package, to methods for manufacturing a multilayer package comprising three or four product layers as well as to multilayer packages comprising three or four product layers.

Claims

1. A thermoform packaging machine comprising:

a plurality of work stations for manufacturing a multilayer package, the work stations including a first work station provided as a forming station for thermoforming a trough into a lower web and for cutting evacuation and/or gas flushing openings in the lower web, a second work station provided as a sealing station for evacuating and/or gas flushing and for sealing the lower web and all additionally supplied top webs of the multilayer package onto one another, and at least one intermediate work station arranged downstream of the forming station and upstream of the sealing station, when seen in the direction of production, the at least one intermediate work station comprising a cutting unit for cutting at least one evacuation and/or gas flushing opening as well as a sealing unit for applying a circumferential seal at least sectionwise to at least one evacuation and/or gas flushing opening.

2. A thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one intermediate work station comprises a corner cutting unit for cutting a corner of the multilayer package.

3. A thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one intermediate work station comprises a corner sealing unit for sealing the webs on a corner of the multilayer package.

4. A thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the multilayer package is configured to receive a number n of product layers separated by webs, and the thermoform packaging machine comprises a number n−

1 of the intermediate work stations.

5. A thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the second station comprises an upper tool component and a lower tool component defining together a chamber for hermetically clamping all webs on all sides thereof.

6. A method of manufacturing a multilayer package comprising at least three product layers, which are separated by webs, the method comprising:

forming a trough and cutting evacuation and/or gas flushing openings in a bottom web in a forming station;

cutting a corner cut in the bottom web;

feeding a first product layer into the formed trough;

supplying the bottom web with a first top web into a first intermediate work station for cutting and circumferentially sealing an evacuation and/or gas flushing opening and for cutting a corner cut through both webs;

feeding a second product layer onto the first top web;

supplying the bottom web, the first top web and a second top web into a second intermediate work station for cutting and circumferentially sealing an evacuation and/or gas flushing opening and for sealing a corner and/or for cutting a corner cut through the three webs;

feeding a third product layer onto the second top web;

supplying the bottom web, the first and second top webs and a third top web into a sealing station for evacuating and/or gas flushing all the product layers, for applying a frame seal and for sealing at least two corners; and

separating the multilayer package from the webs.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising:

supplying the bottom web, the first top web, the second top web and the third top web into a third intermediate work station upstream of the sealing station for cutting and circumferentially sealing an evacuation and/or gas flushing opening and for sealing a corner and/or for cutting a corner cut through all four webs; and

feeding a fourth product layer onto the third top web;

wherein the step of supplying the webs into the sealing station further comprises supplying a fourth top web with the bottom web and the first, second and third top webs into the sealing station.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising evacuating and/or gas flushing the fourth product layer in the sealing station.

9. A method according to claim 6 further comprising clamping together all the webs that are present in one of the intermediate work stations by an upper tool component and a lower tool component on all sides thereof.

10. A package comprising:

a bottom web;

three top webs that are attached to the bottom web; and

three product layers that are each positioned between two respective webs;

wherein the webs define multiple package corners, and wherein one of the package corners is configured to facilitate detaching two specific webs from one another to provide access to one of the product layers located between the two webs.

11. A package according to claim 10 wherein at least two of the package corners are sealed together across all webs.

12. A package according to claim 10 further comprising a web corner cut on at least two of the package corners.

13. A package according to claim 10 further comprising an additional top web attached to the bottom web, and an additional product layer disposed between the additional top web and one of the three top webs.

14. A package according to claim 13 wherein at least three package corners are sealed together across all webs.

15. A package according to claim 13 further comprising a web corner cut on at least three of the package corners.