A THERMOFORMING PACKAGING MACHINE

Abstract

The invention is directed to a thermoforming packaging machine (1) for producing sealed packages (2) having a planar surface (3) and a shaped recess (4) comprising a sealing station (6) with a lower sealing tool (7) comprising of a first part (8) provided with a first seal seam support (8a) for supporting a first sealed seam (9) at the outer perimeter (10) of the planar surface (3) of the moulded product (2a) and a second part (11) provided with a second support (11a) provided with a seal seam support opening (12). The second support (11a) supports a second sealed seam (12a) on the planar surface (3) of the moulded product (2a) following the perimeter (13) of the shaped recess (4). The first part (8) and the second part (11) are separate parts which are detachable connected.

Claims

1. A thermoforming packaging machine for producing sealed packages having a planar surface and a shaped recess comprising a forming station with a shaped mould suited to form a moulded product having the planar surface and the shaped recess, and a sealing station with a lower sealing tool, the lower sealing tool comprising of a first part provided with a first seal seam support for supporting a first sealed seam at the outer perimeter of the planar surface of the moulded product and a second part provided with a second seal seam support provided with a seal seam support opening to receive the shaped recess of the moulded product and wherein the second seal seam support supports a second sealed seam on the planar surface of the moulded product following the perimeter of the shaped recess and wherein the first part and the second part are separate parts which are detachable connected.

2. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the second part is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

3. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the second seal seam support is provided with a gasket as present in a groove in the upper surface of the second part and running along the perimeter of the seal seam support opening.

4. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the first part and the second part are detachably connected to an upper end of a lower sealing tool box.

5. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 4, wherein the first part can support a first sealed seam at the outer perimeter of the planar surface of more than one moulded product and wherein more than one parts are detachably connected to the first part.

6. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 5, wherein the first part is provided with more than one openings for positioning the more than one second parts and wherein the combined first and second parts are bolted to a support as present in the lower sealing tool box thereby fixing the first and second parts to the lower sealing tool box.

7. A thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 2, wherein the shaped mould of the forming station is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

8. Use of a thermopackaging machine according to claim 7, wherein differently shaped sealed packages are produced using differently shaped moulds and differently shaped second parts and the same first part.

Description

[0020] The invention will be illustrated making use of the following FIGS. 1-7.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a thermoforming packaging machine (1) according to the present invention for producing sealed packages (2). The machine is provided with a forming station (5) with a shaped mould (20) suited to form a moulded product (2a) from a plastic sheet (21) as fed from roll (22). Moulded product (2a) moves in direction of Arrow (R) towards a filling station (23). On top of the filled moulded product (2a) a cover sheet (24) is placed as fed from roll (25). In sealing station (6) the cover sheet (24) is sealed to the upper side of moulded product (2a) by sandwiching the moulded product (2a) and sheet (24) between lower sealing tool (7) and a hot plate (26). The sealed moulded products (2a) may be connected to neighbouring sealed moulded products (2a). In cutting station (27) the sealed moulded products (2a) may be separated from neighbouring products in the (R) direction. In cutting station (28) the sealed moulded products (2a) may be separated from neighbouring products (2a) in the perpendicular direction relative to (R). FIG. 8 shows the lower sealing tool for simultaneously sealing four moulded products (2a) in the perpendicular direction relative to (R).

[0022] FIG. 2 shows in a simplified manner how moulded product (2a) is provided with a cover sheet using the first and second parts of the lower sealing tool. A moulded product (2a) is shown at the right hand side having the planar surface (3) and a shaped recess (4). The planar surface (3) has a rectangular shaped outer perimeter (10). The shaped recess (4) meets the planar surface (3) at a perimeter (13) of the shaped recess (4). Perimeter (13) will be more irregularly shaped than the rectangular outer perimeter (10) and may change depending on the chosen three dimensional shape of recess (4). In the middle the same moulded product (2a) is shown between a cover sheet (24) and a first part (8) and a second part (11) of the lower sealing tool which will be described in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. By sandwiching the moulded product (2a) and the cover sheet (24) between a heated upper plate and the first and second parts (8,11) of the lower sealing tool a sealed package (2) is obtained which is shown at the left hand side of the Figure. Two sealed seams (9, 12a) connect the moulded product (2a) with the cover sheet (24). A first sealed seam (9) at the outer perimeter (10) of the planar surface (3) of the moulded product (2a) and a second sealed seam (12a) on the planar surface (3) of the moulded product (2a) following the perimeter (13) of the shaped recess (4).

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a first part (8) of a lower sealing tool (7) provided with a first seal seam support (8a) and an opening (18) for positioning a second part (11). Such a second part (11) is shown in FIG. 4. The seal seam support (8a) as shown is a gasket as present in a groove. This gasket may alternatively run via groove part (8b) instead of forming a rounded corner (8c) as shown in FIG. 3. This will result in that the sealed package (2) will have two corner flaps wherein the cover sheet is not sealed to the moulded package. This enables a more simple opening of the sealed package when tearing away the cover sheet.

[0024] Second part (11) is provided with a second seal seam support (11a) and provided with a seal seam support opening (12). Opening (12) should be such that the shaped recess (4) of the moulded product (2a) fits when the actual sealing takes place and wherein the shaped recess can be easily removed after sealing. Openings (29) are present for bolts (30) when the first and second parts are combined with a lower tooling box (7) as shown in FIGS. 6-7.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of combined first and second parts of FIGS. 3 and 4. Here it is shown that a gasket (14) is present in a groove (15) forming the second seal seam support (11a). The first seal seam support (8a) also consists of a gasket as present in a groove.

[0026] FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of a lower sealing tool (7) provided with a single first part (8). First part (8) supports a first sealed seam (9) at the outer perimeter (10) of the planar surface (3) of four moulded products (2a). 4 first parts (11) are detachably connected to this single first part (8). The first par (8) and the 4 second parts (11) are detachably connected to an upper end (16) of a lower sealing tool box (17).

[0027] In FIG. 7 the separate elements shown in FIG. 6 are combined. The 4 second parts (11) are placed in first part (8). This combination is placed on top of sealing tool box (17) and bolted together by means of 8 bolts (30) via openings (29) support (19) as present in the lower sealing tool box (17) . In this manner the first part (8) and 4 second parts (11) are fixed to the lower sealing tool box (17).