초록 ▼

Flexible pouches filled with product are advanced to a steaming station where steam from a steam nozzle is directed downwardly toward the pouches to drive air therefrom. A vacuum nozzle is inserted downwardly within the steam nozzle and into each pouch at the steaming station, the upper end portion

Flexible pouches filled with product are advanced to a steaming station where steam from a steam nozzle is directed downwardly toward the pouches to drive air therefrom. A vacuum nozzle is inserted downwardly within the steam nozzle and into each pouch at the steaming station, the upper end portion of the pouch is closed around the vacuum nozzle and then a vacuum is drawn through the vacuum nozzle to evacuate the air in the pouch. The top of the pouch is sealed immediately after the vacuum nozzle is retracted out of the pouch. To close the pouch around the vacuum nozzle, two heads are disposed on opposite sides of the pouch but are located out of contact with the pouch. Jets of pressurized air are directed from the heads and against the pouch to close the pouch against the vacuum nozzle without creating wrinkles in the pouch.

대표청구항 ▼

A packaging machine for filling, purging and sealing flexible pouches having open upper end portions, said machine comprising means for advancing the pouches open end up along a predetermined path, means for introducing product into each pouch, a nozzle, means for inserting said nozzle downwardly in

A packaging machine for filling, purging and sealing flexible pouches having open upper end portions, said machine comprising means for advancing the pouches open end up along a predetermined path, means for introducing product into each pouch, a nozzle, means for inserting said nozzle downwardly into each filled pouch, closing means operable to close the upper end portion of the pouch around said nozzle, means for creating a flow of gas through said nozzle to purge the pouch, means for retracting said nozzle out of the pouch, said closing means holding the upper end portion of the pouch closed around said nozzle as the nozzle is retracted, and means for sealing the upper end portion of the pouch after retraction of the nozzle, said machine being characterized in that said closing means comprise a pair of heads disposed on opposite sides of the upper end portion of the pouch, and means for directing pressurized gas through said heads and against the pouch whereby said pressurized gas closes the pouch around said nozzle and holds the pouch closed during retraction of the nozzle. A method of filling, purging and closing flexible pouches having open upper end portions, said method comprising the steps of advancing the pouches open end up along a predetermined path, introducing product into each pouch while holding the upper end portion of the pouch in an open position, inserting a nozzle downwardly into each filled pouch, directing pressurized gas towards opposed sides of the pouch to close the upper end portion of the pouch around the nozzle, creating a flow of gas through the nozzle to purge the pouch, retracting the nozzle upwardly from the pouch while directing pressurized gas toward the sides of the pouch to hold the upper end portion of the pouch around the nozzle during retraction of the nozzle and closing the upper end portion of the pouch immediately after retraction of the nozzle.