This invention discloses a process for forming a pouch having an evacuated headspace containing a flowable material. The process relates to optimizing both, the evacuation of the headspace in the pouch and the accuracy of the flowable material filled in the pouch. Specifically, the present invention employs a process that includes a multiple-step or a continuous compression of the pouch headspace to accomplish the goals. Also disclosed is a vertical form-fill-seal apparatus for forming a pouch containing a flowable material and having an evacuated headspace.

A form-fill-seal machine is configured to adjust for changes in the thickness of bags within a short time, and is provided with seal jaws, gas removal members, an air cylinder, and a control unit. The seal jaws transverse-seal a cylindrical film in a widthwise direction forming a bag. The gas removal members come into contact against the bag prior to transverse sealing of an upper edge part, discharging a gas upward from the bag. The air cylinder moves the gas removal members, switching the position of the gas removal members between a first position and a second position with respect to the seal jaws. The control unit, in a time slot just prior to the start of a transverse sealing action performed by the seal jaws, changes the timing of switching between the first position and the second position, and adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the bag.

An apparatus and process for packaging a product, such as a waste product, in a sealed tubular plastic container involves providing a source of a sheet of a plastic film and moving a portion of the film away from the source and about an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe. The film is then moved toward an open top end of the pipe to form a second portion of the film into a tubular form around the pipe with the second widthwise end potions overlapping each other. The overlapping portions are sealed and the tubular form of the film is moved into an open top end of the pipe, so that the interior of the tube, formed by the film is open at the top of the pipe to receive the product. The product may then be transported downwardly through the tube, which is then sealed above and below the encapsulated product.

A jaw assembly (10) that receives a tubular bag material (11) that is transversely sealed and transversely cut by the jaw assembly (10) to form bags 12 of snack food. The tubular bag material (11) is delivered in a downward direction (13). The jaw assembly (10) includes sealing jaws (27, 28), with the jaws (27, 28) operating in pairs to transversely seal the tubular bag material (11). Each of the jaws (27,28) has an end surface (29) that heats and engages the tubular bag material (11), to form the seal therein. Each surface (29) is spaced from its respective rotational axis by a radius (31). Most preferably the radius (31) is less than 85 mm, but greater than 65 mm.

A method and apparatus for vacuum packaging a product. According to one embodiment a film tube is generated, and, in the film tube a product (P) is introduced and at least one cut is made. In the method, a vacuum may also applied inside the film tube, and a transverse seal is formed therein, a film tube closed at one end being obtained upstream of the cut and a package closed at both ends being obtained downstream. Furthermore, the film tube is transversely pinched, a portion the inside of the film tube which is isolated from the inside of the rest of the film tube being obtained, and a chamber is demarcated around at least part of said portion, the vacuum being applied and the transverse sealing operation being performed inside said chamber.

Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

There is described a machine for packaging products in tubular wrappings of thermoplastic material obtained from continuous film unwound from a reel, equipped with a double transverse heat-sealing and intermediate cutting assembly that, with a horizontal translation movement, accompanies the pack that the assembly is closing the trailing end of to be unloaded while it is simultaneously closing the leading end of the tubular wrapper of the future pack that the heat-sealing and cutting assembly, also due to the presence thereon of pressers and counter-pressers, extracts from a tube-forming and longitudinal heat-sealing mandrel and that, by the same assembly, is separated from the pack upstream with a transverse cut.

At the end of its active movement, the transverse heat-sealing and cutting assembly opens and with a horizontal movement in the opposite direction to and at a higher speed than the preceding one returns to the cycle start position, upstream of a new pack already filled and ready to be heat sealed at the trailing end and accompanied to be unloaded, repeating the cycle described. The transverse heat-sealing and cutting assembly is aided by a conveyor that supports and advances the packs being formed and those finished and separated, and that is equipped with a gap with variable geometry, which opens during the active horizontal movement of the same assembly and closes during the reverse horizontal movement of the same assembly.

A sealing device for forming a transversal seal to a tetrahedral packaging container is provided. The sealing device comprises a sealing element and an imprint ruler arranged at a longitudinal distance from the sealing element. The sealing element is configured to provide a top transversal seal to a packaging container while the imprint ruler is configured to provide a transversal imprint to the same packaging container.

According to one embodiment a packaging method is provided in which a film is fed to a vertical forming tube, whereby the film is formed into a tubular shape, the ends of the tubular-shaped film are longitudinally sealed to one another by applying pressure on said ends, the product to be packaged is introduced into the forming tube and the film formed downstream of the forming tube is transversely sealed and cut. Furthermore, in the method, the ends of the film are pressed to one another with a force that keeps both ends static, the drop of the product upstream of the transverse seal is stopped or limited, and by maintaining said pressure and said stop or limitation, an airflow is generated inside the forming tube.

Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.