Patent ID: 8402723

Claim:
A method for making a vacuum skin package enclosing a product, the method comprising the following steps: a) positioning the product to be packaged on a lower supporting web having a flat configuration and comprising thermoplastic material; b) feeding both (1) the lower supporting web having the flat configuration and loaded with the product and (2) an upper web comprising thermoplastic material positioned above the lower supporting web and the product, to a vacuum chamber machine comprising: an upper element comprising a heated upper concavity and a lower element comprising a female vacuum forming mold defining a cavity; c) closing the upper element and the lower element of the vacuum chamber machine together to provide chamber; d) drawing the upper web to contact the heated upper concavity and heat the upper web; e) drawing the lower supporting web to contact the female vacuum forming mold of the lower element, thereby creating a space between the lower supporting web and the upper web in the chamber; f) evacuating air or gases from the space between the lower supporting web and the upper web in the chamber, while maintaining the upper web and the lower supporting web in contact with the heated upper concavity and the female vacuum forming mold, respectively; g) subsequently moving the heated upper web against the product and the lower supporting web while retaining the lower supporting web in contact with the female vacuum forming mold, wherein the lower support web is formed to conform to and retain the shape of the cavity and the upper web is bonded to the lower supporting web all around the product thereby creating a vacuum skin package enclosing the product.