Packaging unit for continuously producing sealed packages containing pourable food products, and method of monitoring a sealing operation performed on the packaging unit
US6035604A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 15, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 14, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 15, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB29L2031/7166
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A packaging unit (1) for continuously producing aseptic sealed packages (2), containing a pourable food product, from a tube (14) of packaging material filled with the food product; the unit (1) has a first and second chain conveyor (10, 11) respectively having a number of first and second jaws (12, 13) which interact with and grip the tube (14) at respective equally spaced cross sections (88) to perform, at the cross sections (88), respective sealing operations on the tube (14); and the unit (1) also has a monitoring device (91) for monitoring the sealing operations, and in turn having at least one fixed sensor (92; 93) cooperating with each second jaw (13) to generate at least one monitoring signal (S1, S2; S3, S4) related to an operating value (Vo) of a quantity associated with the second jaw (13), and a comparing circuit (99) for comparing the operating value (Vo) with at least one predetermined reference value (Vf) of the aforementioned quantity, and for generating a fault signal (S5) indicating malfunctioning of the monitored second jaw (13) in the event of a predetermined relationship between the operating value (Vo) and the reference value (Vf).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.