Patent ID: 11912448
Assignee: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 11:
12. A packaging apparatus for forming sealed partially-filled packages filled with a pourable product comprising at least:
a tube forming and sealing device configured to form a tube from a web of packaging material and to longitudinally seal the tube;
a filling device adapted to direct, in use, a pourable product into the tube for obtaining a product column within the tube;
a gas feeding device configured to direct a sterile gas into the product column such that, in use, a gas cushion which divides the product column into an upper portion and a lower portion is formed and/or maintained within the product column;
a package forming unit for forming and transversally sealing the tube for obtaining the packages filled with the pourable product and containing a gas space containing a defined volume of the sterile gas present within the gas cushion.