Patent ID: 7784253

Claim:
An apparatus for the heat treatment of cuboidal packs ( 10 ) having an outer wrapper ( 11 ) made of shrink film, the apparatus having a shrink-fitting subassembly through which the packs ( 10 ) are conveyed in a conveyance direction cyclically one after the other, the shrink-fitting subassembly ( 20 ) having heating means, namely heating plates ( 22 , 23 , 24 ), butting against the packs ( 10 ) during a standstill phase, wherein: a) the packs ( 10 ), individually or as a pack group ( 13 ) each made up of two packs ( 10 ) arranged one above the other, are transported by a cyclically driven pack conveyor through the shrink-fitting subassembly ( 20 ); b) during the standstill phase of the packs ( 10 ), the heating plates ( 22 , 23 , 24 ) butt against a large-surface top side ( 25 ) and/or a large surface underside ( 26 ) of the packs ( 10 ); c) the pack conveyor comprises endless conveying belts ( 51 , 52 ) arranged on either side of a movement path of the packs ( 10 ) and with conveying strands ( 60 ) face laterally directed pack surfaces; d) the conveying belts ( 51 , 52 ) comprise drivers ( 50 ) for gripping the pack ( 10 ) or the pack group ( 13 ) on its rear side; and e) the packs ( 10 ) or the pack group ( 13 ) are transported at a distance from another of the packs ( 10 ) or the pack group ( 13 ), respectively, due to the corresponding arrangement of the drivers ( 50 ) on the conveying belts ( 51 , 52 ).