Patent ID: 6038838
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B29C,B29L,B65B

Abstract:
A packaging unit for continuously producing aseptic sealed packages, containing a portable food product, from a tube made of heat-seal packaging material in sheet form and fed along a vertical supply path, said tube being filled with said food product, said unit comprising:a first chain conveyor having a number of jaws and defining an endless first path along which said jaws are fed;a second chain conveyor having a number of counter-jaws and defining an endless second path along which said counter-jaws are fed;said first path and said second path each comprising respective work portions adjacent to said supply path of the tube of packaging material and extending substantially symmetrically on opposite sides of said supply path, so that said jaws of said first conveyor cooperate with respective counter-jaws of said second conveyor along at least part of the respective said work portions to grip said tube at respective equally spaced cross sections;at least said jaws comprising heating means for heat-sealing said tube;said chain conveyors comprising respective volume control devices for controlling the volume of the packages being formed, and each of which volume control devices comprises a number of half shell elements cooperating with respective half shell elements on the other chain conveyor to define the volume of the packages being formed;each of said half shell elements are movably fitted to respective jaws and counter-jaws for relative movement toward and away from said supply path;wherein said half shell elements are each hinged to a single respective jaw and counter-jaw at only a single axis each and not connected to the adjacent upstream and downstream jaw and counter-jaw for movement about respective axes perpendicular to said tube supply path, said relative movement of said half shell elements comprising rotation about the respective axes;said volume control devices also comprising, for each chain conveyor, guide means extending along said work portions of the respective paths for guiding said half shell elements and for controlling said relative movement of said half shell elements.