Cryovac, Inc.

Haris Nazic

Giulio Benedetti

Riccardo Palumbo

Stefan Landolt

Jvanohe Rizzi

Peter Thurig

Stefano Landolt

Peter Thürig

Glen Samuel Kirkpatrick

A conveyor belt comprising: a belt body (), one rotatable portion () coupled to the belt body () and configured to turn relative to the belt body (). The rotatable portion comprises a plurality of sub-elements (), with each one of said sub-elements being rotatably connected to an adjacent sub-element and having first opposite side portions and second opposite side portions; each one of the sub-elements () further comprises: one or more first annular features () at each of the first opposite side portions, one or more second annular features () at each the second opposite side portions. The first annular features () of a sub-element mate with the first annular features () or with the second annular features () of an adjacent sub-element forming a coupling seat () located between the two adjacent sub-elements and extending along an axis of rotation; one pin () is inserted in said coupling seat () formed between the two adjacent sub-elements to rotatably connect the two adjacent sub-elements (). It is also disclosed a packaging apparatus using the above conveyor belt.

Conveyor and packaging apparatus provided with said conveyor

A conveyor for a packaging apparatus comprising a conveyor having a conveyor belt () with a rotatable portion () comprising a plurality of sub-elements (). Each one of the sub-elements () comprises first annular features and second annular features. The first annular features of a sub-element mate with the second annular features of an adjacent sub-element forming a coupling seat where a pin is inserted to rotatably connect the two adjacent sub-elements. The rotatable portion () carries driving pieces which are put into motion by a control mechanism such that upon displacement of the conveyor belt () a corresponding rotation by 90&#xb0; or multiples thereof is imparted to the rotatable portion (). A packaging apparatus using the above conveyor belt is also described.

A device () for evacuating gas from a package () in a packaging apparatus, the package () having an open end (), the open end () having a terminal portion (), a non-terminal portion (), and an intermediate portion () located between the terminal portion () and the non-terminal portion () of the open end (), the device () comprising a vacuum chamber () having an elongated opening () extending along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (), an evacuation means configured for providing the vacuum chamber () with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (), means for moving () a package () relative to the vacuum chamber (), and a control unit () programmed for controlling the means for moving () to relatively move a package () to be evacuated with respect to the vacuum chamber (), the package () and the means for moving () each being arranged with respect to the vacuum chamber () so that a main movement direction () of packages () placed on the means for moving () and the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber () are substantially parallel to one another, the package () to be evacuated being positioned so that, during the relative movement of the package () with respect to the vacuum chamber (), a terminal portion () of the open end () of the package () relatively moves within the vacuum chamber () and a non-terminal portion () of the open end () relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (), an intermediate portion () of the open end () passing through and relatively moving along the opening (), and activating the evacuation means to provide the vacuum chamber () with the internal vacuum pressure. A packaging process using the gas evacuation device and a packaging apparatus including the device are also disclosed.

Apparatus and process for evacuation of packages

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Rothenburg, Switzerland

Haris Nazic