A method for forming a package for creamy products including the following steps: the formation of a tray starting from a first piece of wrapping material in such a way as to form a base and a continuous perimeter edge perpendicular to the base; dosing a predetermined quantity of creamy product into the tray formed; forming a lid for closing the upper opening of the tray starting from a second piece of wrapping material and positioning the lid formed in contact with the creamy product; the second piece has a surface for covering the creamy product and a raised perimeter edge extending from the covering surface and positioned to face the perimeter edge of the tray; a sealing of the package by sealing the lid to the tray obtained by partial sealing of the perimeter edges placed side by side of the tray and of the lid to the tray in such a way as to define at least a first perimeter zone of the edges sealed together and at least a second perimeter zone of the edges which are not sealed and communicating with the creamy product contained in the tray; a folding of the facing perimeter edges on the covering surface of the lid; a subsequent step of expelling any air present in the tray by pressing on the creamy product contained in the tray; and lastly a complete sealing of the folded perimeter edges in such a way as to define a complete sealing of the package obtained.

A method for forming aggregates of food pieces by arranging a plurality of food pieces such that the food pieces at least partially overlap one another is provided. The method automatically changes the number of food pieces forming each aggregate and a pitch at which the food pieces are arranged so as to limit the weights of the aggregates within a predetermined permissible range and to form each aggregate such that the total length of the aggregate is a preset length. The method also automatically changes the number of food pieces forming each aggregate and the pitch at which the food pieces are arranged according to the length of the food piece in the arrangement direction.

A vacuum-assisted product-handling system is described that includes a carrier to move an unpackaged product into a contact position. The system also includes an actuation unit to move the unpackaged product from the contact position of the carrier to a receiving container. The actuation unit may include a mechanical arm to lift the unpackaged product from the carrier and deposit the unpackaged product in the receiving container, and a vacuum tool connected to an end of the mechanical arm. The vacuum tool may be operable to hold the unpackaged product as the unpackaged product is moved by the actuation unit from the carrier to the receiving container. The vacuum tool may include one or more arrays of suction devices, where each array of suction devices is connected to a single vacuum source.

An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

A sealing machine for the sealing of packages comprises a sealing chamber in which packages can be sealed. The sealing chamber comprises a working platform on which packages can be conveyed; a chamber lid movable relative to the working platform between an open position and a closed position; a sealing mechanism for the sealing of packages; and a suction unit for suction of gas from a volume enclosed by the chamber lid and the working platform. The sealing machine further comprises a protective frame kinematically connected to the chamber lid, and the protective frame has apertures through which gas can flow from the outer space into the enclosed volume.

The invention concerns a conveyor system for formatting slice-shaped food products in product stacks. The conveyor system includes an inlet, a lower product conveyor, an upper product conveyor, a vertically swiveling distributor conveyor for distributing the incoming food products selectively to the lower product conveyor or to the upper product conveyor, an output conveyor receiving the food products partially stacked from the lower product conveyor and the upper product conveyor, and an outlet for outputting the stacked food products in product rows. The individual conveying tracks of the distributor conveyor can be swivelled vertically independently of one another in order to forward the incoming food products individually for each conveying track selectively to the lower product conveyor onto the upper product conveyor.

A reclosable package may comprise a first web thermoformed into a trough shape and a second web that encloses a product cavity with the first web. A first sealing extends over at least a portion of the first web and the second web and connects the first web and the second web. The first sealing at least partially defines a periphery of the product cavity. The package further includes a zipper element comprising a third web, a fourth web and a zipper track that is arranged at an outer border of the third web and the fourth web. The zipper element extends from an overlapping region of the first web and the second web, and the zipper track is arranged outside of the overlapping region. Furthermore, in the overlapping region, the third web is fused with the first web and the fourth web is fused with the second web.

An apparatus for delivering product carriers, in particular L boards, to a conveying line for food products comprises a store for the product carriers and a conveying device for conveying the product carriers, in particular isolated product carriers, along a conveying direction to the conveying line, wherein each product carrier has at least one base section and at least one cover section connected to the base section; and wherein the apparatus comprises a pre-treatment device for the product carriers that is configured to pre-treat the cover section of a product carrier with respect to its base section.

Disclosed is a packaging sheet for packaging of cheese, in particular white moulded soft cheese. The packaging sheet comprises: an inner surface and an outer surface of the packaging sheet, said inner surface being configured for facing the cheese in a packaged use position of the packaging sheet; a paper layer with a first surface and a second surface; a coloured layer provided on a first surface of the paper layer, an outer surface of the coloured layer establishing said outer surface of the packaging sheet; and a polymer layer with a water vapour transmission rate of at least 300 g/m.sup.2/24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity. The polymer layer being coated on the second surface of the paper layer with a first surface of the polymer layer facing the paper layer and a second surface of the polymer layer establishing said inner surface of the packaging sheet.

The invention concerns a conveyor system (2) for formatting slice-shaped food products in product stacks. The conveyor system (2) comprises an inlet (4), a lower product conveyor (8), an upper product conveyor (7, 9), a vertically swivelling distributor conveyor (6) for distributing the incoming food products selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9), an output conveyor (10) receiving the food products partially stacked from the lower prod-uct conveyor (8) and the upper product conveyor (7, 9), and an outlet (11) for outputting the stacked food products in product rows. The invention provides that the individual conveying tracks (6G, 6H) of the distributor conveyor (6) can be swivelled vertically independently of one another in order to forward the incoming food products individually for each conveying track selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9). The invention also includes a corresponding operating method.