An apparatus for cutting off and joining a sheet element to a container includes an operating unit including a cutting device with a cutting edge surrounding a joining device. The operating unit and the container are movable with respect to one another along a movement axis between a spaced condition, in which a sheet material is interposed therebetween and is spaced therefrom, and a joined condition, in which the joining device joins the material to the container. A retaining device retains the material during joining and cutting. In the joined condition, the cutting device remains fixed relative to the joining device and the retaining device moves along the axis from tensioning to cutting positions, the sheet element being cut on the cutting edge from the material during movement of the retaining device from the tensioning to the cutting positions.

A process for packaging a product arranged on a support comprising unrolling a film, moving the film to a packaging assembly defining at its inside a packaging chamber, progressively moving a number of supports inside the packaging chamber of the packaging assembly, closing the packaging chamber with the film sheets held above the respective support, optionally causing one or both of: a gas withdrawal from the hermetically closed packaging chamber and gas injection of a gas mixture of controlled composition, heat sealing the film to said support, wherein the heat sealing uses one or more heaters having heating surfaces which are heated for discrete and short time periods only. An apparatus for performing the above process is also disclosed.

A process for packaging a product arranged on a support comprising unrolling a film, moving the film to a packaging assembly defining at its inside a packaging chamber, progressively moving a number of supports inside the packaging chamber of the packaging assembly, closing the packaging chamber with the film sheets held above the respective support, optionally causing one or both of: a gas withdrawal from the hermetically closed packaging chamber and gas injection of a gas mixture of controlled composition, heat sealing the film to said support, wherein the heat sealing uses one or more heaters having heating surfaces which are heated for discrete and short time periods only. An apparatus for performing the above process is also disclosed.

Liner having an induction heat sealable layer for sealing to a rim of a container, and a pull tab for ease of removal of the liner from the container rim. A folded insert disposed between multilayer upper and lower components, has a heat bondable polyolefin layer that is thermally laminated to polyolefin layers of the upper and lower components, forming a pull tab between the integrated polyolefin layers. The resulting composite resists delamination and can be formed in a single thermal lamination step, avoiding the multiple lamination steps, associated high equipment costs, and complex layer constructions of the prior art.

A packaging device, particularly for packaging trays containing food products or technical materials in a controlled atmosphere and by means of a film of plastic material, comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber, which can be fastened by mutually superimposing them and are each provided internally with a plurality of heat-sealing and/or cutting and/or die-cutting elements arranged concentrically, the lower chamber being provided centrally with a plurality of supporting elements for a tray.

A method and device for creating an environmentally sealed connection for transfer between a first region and a second region, the first region and the second region each having an at least partially flexible barrier with connection portions, comprising the following steps: (i) superposition of said connection portions of the barriers in a sandwich arrangement, wherein each connection portion comprises a first area at least partially made of thermo-resistant material and a second area comprising a first welding band zone of a closed geometrical shape, said first and second area of each barrier being arranged to face one another, with the first areas of the two barriers forming the outside layers of the sandwich arrangement, and the second areas of the two barriers forming the inside layers of the sandwich arrangement, wherein the first areas are positioned to cover the first welding band zones of the second zones, (ii) joining the second areas by welding of the first closed welding band zones, whereby a first separation line, comprised inside and along the length of the first welding band zone, is cut as a result of the welding and whereby the barrier areas enclosed by the separation line are welded along their edges to form an insert, which becomes detached from the at least partially flexible barriers, and (iii) distancing the first areas of the super-positioned connection portions from each other, for example by pulling them apart, thereby revealing an opening confined by the welded seam connecting the second areas of the at least partially flexible barriers and joining the first region with the second region.

A packaging apparatus includes a conveyor that moves one or more supports towards a packaging station, while a plastic film to be applied to said one or more supports is simultaneously transported to the packaging station itself. A longitudinally cutting unit longitudinally cuts the plastic film in order to form two or more film strips, and a compensating device exerts a tensioning action on one or more portions of said film strips. A packaging method includes longitudinally cutting the plastic film into strips and compensating to suitably tautly hold the film strips during their movement.

Liner having an induction heat sealable layer for sealing to a rim of a container, and a pull tab for ease of removal of the liner from the container rim. An insert is disposed between multilayer upper and lower components, has a heat bondable polyolefin layer that is thermally laminated to polyolefin layers of the upper and lower components, forming a pull tab between the integrated polyolefin layers. The resulting composite resists delamination and can be formed in a single thermal lamination step, avoiding the multiple lamination steps, associated high equipment costs, and complex layer constructions of the prior art.

A sealing station for a packaging machine, the sealing station may be a tray sealer. The sealing station includes an upper die with a sealing plate and a lower die with a tray holder for receiving at least one packaging tray to be sealed. A cutting blade is arranged within the sealing station, and cuts a lid for closing the packaging tray out of a top film. The cutting blade has an endless cutting edge for cutting out the lid along its contour. The cutting blade includes a first and a second blade section, for cutting out a first and second section of the contour of the lid respectively. The second blade section may produce a tear-off corner in the lid projecting beyond the edge region. The sealing station may include a first clamping jaw on the sealing plate, and a second clamping jaw on the tray holder.

Liner having an induction heat sealable layer for sealing to a rim of a container, and a pull tab for ease of removal of the liner from the container rim. A folded insert disposed between multilayer upper and lower components, has a heat bondable polyolefin layer that is thermally laminated to polyolefin layers of the upper and lower components, forming a pull tab between the integrated polyolefin layers. The resulting composite resists delamination and can be formed in a single thermal lamination step, avoiding the multiple lamination steps, associated high equipment costs, and complex layer constructions of the prior art.