Patent ID: 7392631

Claim:
A blistering machine for producing blister packs, the blistering machine having a production line which extends along a substantially horizontal continuous feeding path, and comprising: at least one thermoforming station for forming blisters in a first continuous band of thermoformable material, thereby defining a blister band with blisters for containing products; a station for feeding said products and filling said blisters of said blister band with the products; a feeding station for feeding continuously a second band over said blister band filled with said products; a closing station for sealing the blister band and said second band together to form a blister pack band, said closing station having two opposed rollers; a cutting station for cutting said blister pack band into separate blister packs; and, tension means, situated upstream of said closing station along said feeding path, the tension means cooperating with said rollers of said closing station, to perform a determined tensioning on at least said blister band, said tension means including a pair of tensioning rollers, facing each other and situated on the opposite sides of at least said first blister band, at least one tensioning roller being a power-driven roller, said pair of tensioning rollers applying tension on at least said blister band, so as to ensure a correct and complete matching along a seat-blister line determined by at least one blister of said blister band, and a seat provided on one roller of said two opposed rollers of said closing station for receiving said blister therein; detecting and controlling means including an optical sensor situated near the power-driven tensioning roller for sensing along said seat-blister matching line, for detecting and controlling the coupling of said blister and said seat, said detecting and controlling means acting to cause a braking of said tension means to generate a braking tension on said first blister band, when said control means detect an erroneous coupling between said seat and said blister.