The invention relates to a method for top sealing a cardboard tray lined with a plastic foil. The method includes the steps of providing a cardboard tray having a bottom, upstanding walls arranged along the periphery of the bottom and a horizontal flange arranged along the upper edges of the upstanding walls, wherein the inside of the cardboard tray is lined with a plast foil, which plastic foil extends at least onto the horizontal flange; arranging the cardboard tray in a lower sealing tool member having a compressible support edge, wherein at least the horizontal flange is supported by the compressible support edge of the lower sealing tool member; arranging a cover foil over the cardboard tray arranged in the lower sealing tool member to cover the opening of the tray defined by the upper edges of the upstanding walls; and pressing a heated upper sealing tool member onto the lower sealing tool member, wherein the cover foil, the plastic foil liner and the horizontal flange are pressed together to seal the cover foil onto the plastic foil liner along the horizontal flange. The overlapping area of the plastic foil liner, the cover foil, and the compressible support edge extends at least partially outside of the area of the horizontal flange.

Provided is packaging machine with a sealing station that includes a mold with an upper tool and a lower tool facing each other and suitable for cooperating with one another in an operative position of the mold, between which there is delimited an inner area. The lower tool includes a cavity that is configured to receive a tray. A gas injection opening is located adjacent to a first side of the cavity and communicated with the inner area. The upper tool includes a sealing tool and an actuator device facing an actuation region of the lower tool defined between the first side of the cavity and a contact location of the upper and lower tools, and being closer to the lower tool than the sealing tool.

A method and a device for setting vacuum time in a packaging apparatus and in a packaging process are described. The method and device provide for determining, from pressure signals or from humidity signals detected in the vacuum chamber (4; 24; 54), a reference time instant (T.sub.1). The method and device also provide for commanding a vacuum device (6; 26; 56) either to stop extracting gas from the vacuum chamber (4; 24; 54) or to execute one or more prescribed steps preluding to end of the vacuum cycle at expiration of a delay time (DT) interval following said reference time instant (T.sub.1).

Packaging apparatus, such as a tray sealer, with a gas supply arrangement enabling a flushing gas to be conducted between a flushing gas outlet (26) and a flushing gas inlet (14) which are relatively moveable. The flushing gas inlet is positioned above the flushing gas outlet. The gas supply arrangement includes a barrel 15 connected to the inlet (14) and sliding in a sleeve connected to the outlet (26). In a first predetermined relative position of the flushing gas outlet and flushing gas inlet a fluid flow connection is established between the flushing gas outlet and flushing gas inlet. In a second predetermined relative position the flushing gas inlet and flushing gas outlet are disconnected and liquid may drain from the barrel 15.

A method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine, wherein the method may include one or more of the following steps: filling a packing volume of a package with a gas to create a desired atmosphere to a preset gassing target pressure for a finished package, wherein the packaging volume may be defined by a lower and an upper packaging material; discharging a partial amount of the gas introduced into the packaging volume from the packaging volume into a collection volume while retaining the packaging volume generated by the preceding filling, which reduces the pressure within the packaging volume; and reducing the packaging volume by moving the upper packaging material to an end position that corresponds to a desired appearance such that the pressure inside the package increases again to near the gassing target pressure. A sealing station that performs this method is also described.

A plant for vacuum packaging of products includes a plurality of packaging stations, a vacuum pump, a first circuit, an auxiliary pressure device, and a second circuit. The plurality of packaging stations are distinct from each other and configured to separately perform the vacuum packaging of products. The first circuit is configured to put said vacuum pump in fluid communication with said packaging stations. The second circuit is configured to put at least one of said packaging stations in fluid communication with the auxiliary pressure device. The auxiliary pressure device is configured to suction a gas through the second circuit from at least one of said packaging stations.

According to one embodiment a packaging machine and method for packaging a product is provided in which a cover film is arranged on the product and on a base film which supports the product and is narrower than the cover film; the superimposed films are moved in a first direction to a joining station where both films are attached to one another; and the attached films are moved in the first direction to a cutting station where the films are cut transversely and where the areas of the cover film projecting from the base film are cut longitudinally. The movement of the films is caused by acting on the cover film.

The present invention relates to a method and a system (400) for filling a closed container (200) with a fixative solution. The system comprises a container (200) comprising a container body (230) for receiving a biological specimen, a lid (220) for selectively closing the container body (230) and a port (100) forming a unidirectional barrier in a direction from the inside (IC) to the outside (OC) of the closed container (200). The system further comprises a dispensing apparatus (500) having a filling nozzle (300) for dispensing the fixative solution. The filling nozzle (300) is relatively moveable with respect to the container (200) between a retracted position and a filling position to fill the container (200) with the fixative solution.

A sealing tool for a tray sealing machine, comprising an upper tool and a lower tool with a main body having a tray depression for receiving at least a part of a tray to be sealed, and a tray carrier, wherein a gas channel runs through the tray carrier. The sealing tool is characterized in that the tray carrier comprises a first plate with a first pressing surface and a second plate with a second pressing surface and the first plate has a first depression which extends from the first pressing surface, wherein the first depression forms at least a section of the gas channel when the first plate and the second plate are pressed against each other at the first and the second pressing surface, respectively.

A sealed plastic container having an airtight chamber. The container includes an elongated body portion having at least one opening and at least one enclosure portion welded to the opening of the body portion, thereby hermetically sealing the chamber. The chamber may have a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The enclosure portion and the body portion may be biodegradable.