The present invention refers to an improved packaging machine.

Vacuum packaging machines are known in the art: in general, packaging through such machines occurs by introducing the product to be packaged inside an envelope made of plastic material or a vessel suitable for vacuum packaging, and by placing the envelope containing the product inside a decompression chamber composed of a tank and a basculating bell comprising elements adapted for welding the envelope or the vessel and for keeping vacuum inside such tank.

By then closing the basculating bell onto the tank, a suction cycle is started by means of a pump. At the end of the cycle, the remaining pressure inside the vacuum chamber can reach 2 mBar absolute: at that time, welding is performed together with welding of the envelope containing the product by using the same pressure difference between the decompression chamber interior and the atmosphere through membranes connected to the welding bars of the basculating bell and to a solenoid valve.

After having ended the welding phase, atmospheric air enters into the decompression chamber and the atmospheric pressure allows to completely adhere the envelope to the packaged product, at the same time guaranteeing welding of the package: in fact, should the package be opened or damaged, the envelope would not adhere any more to the packaged product, alerting the possible purchaser of the product.

Known packacing machines as described above are however affected by a series of inconveniences that do not contribute to optimise their manufacture, operation and use; in particular, in known art, often the packaging operation by means of the above machines is followed by a subsequent and different step of labeling the packaged products, for example in order to include the packaging and/or expiry date of such product, followed by another operator in addition to the one responsible for packaging. Moreover, in known machines, there are no systems that allow an immediate labeling of the newly packaged product in such a way as to guarantee the traceability of the product itself.

Moreover, in known, machines, the maintenance or replacement operations for internal components are particularly cumbersome, since they often require disassembling and reassembling numerous parts and, anyway, a difficult access of the hands of an operator or of suitable tools. Such difficulties occur in particular upon replacing the extending devices of the basculating bell, such operation requiring the removal or lifting of the heat-shrinking tank in the welding and packaging area, resulting consequently scarcely practical and with a long execution. The same difficulties occur, for example, if it is necessary to check the oil level of internal pumps into such machine, since also such simple operation requires the operator to access inside the machine.

Moreover, in known machines, traditional transformers are used, that disadvantageously have big sizes, preventing the machine from being made compact, and producing "spikes" (known in the art as sudden and out-of-control electric currents) upon activating the machine.

Moreover, known machines are not equipped with means that prevent the possible overheating of the welding bars: in fact, in such machines, ofther an excessive electric supply of the welding bars generates their overheating and sometimes even the ignition of the bars with flames.

Moreover, in known machines, atmospheric air re-enters inside the decompression chamber without control, with the risk of damaging the newly packaged envelope.

Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing an improved packaging machine equipped with communication means connected to processing means and to printing means, such as for example a label- printing machine, that allows applying labels onto newly packaged products, such labels including, among other things, information related to traceability of the products themselves.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an improved packaging machine equipped with access openings that allow a better access by an operator to the machine sides.

Another object of the present invention is providing an improved packaging machine equipped with at least one window or hole suitable to allow the immediate and practical control of the oil level for a pump of such machine.

Another object of the present invention is providing, an improved packaging machine equipped with at least one lamellar transformer as replacement of the traditional transformer, allowing to obtain a more compact machine and to guarantee a better operating regularity.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an improved packaging machine equipped with protecting means against overheating of the welding bars .

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an improved packaging machine equipped with means for optimally regulating the air speed when re-entering into the decompression chamber, in order not to impair the stability of the envelopes in favour of the final aesthetic result of the package .

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained by an improved packaging machine as disclosed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims .

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b respectively show a front perspective view and a rear view of another embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention;

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c respectively show front perspective views and a rear view of another preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention;

Figures 4a and 4b respectively show a front perspective view and a rear view of another preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention;

Figures 5a and 5b respectively show a top perspective view and a side view of another preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention;

Figures 6a and 6b respectively show two side views of another preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention; and

Figures 7a and 7b respectively show a top perspective view and a side view of another preferred embodiment of the improved packaging machine according to the present invention.

With reference then to the Figures, it is possible to note some preferred embodiments of the improved packaging machine 1 according to the present invention.

The following description, for brevity, will not include all structural and operating details of the packaging machine 1, that are known and belonging to the prior art.

With reference in particular to the Figures, it is possible to note that the improved packaging machine 1 according to the present invention is composed of a supporting and containing structure 3, obviously adapted to contain therein all functional members of the machine 1, that are substantially known in the art, and possibly to externally support at least one command and control panel 5 of the operation of the machine 1, such supporting and containing structure 3 comprising at least one decompression chamber 7 for a vacuum packaging of a product, for example inside an envelope made of plastic material or another suitable vessel, such chamber 7 being composed of at least one tank covered by at least one basculating bell 9 adapted for welding the open edges of such envelope, preferably through perimeter welding bars with which such bell is equipped .

Advantageously, the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention is equipped with communication means connected to processing means and to printing means (suich as a printer or a label-printing machine) . In particular, with reference for example to Figure 4a, it is possible to note that such communication means can be at least one communication port of the RS-232 type, through which it is possible to take, from the machine, operating packaging data, such as packaging date, expiry date of the packaged product, operator code, batch number, packaging data (percentages of vacuum, gas, pressure, welding time, etc.) in order to be afterwards processed by such processing means and such printing means.

In particular, advantageously, the external printing means, such as for example the label- printing machine, allow making, exactly at the time of packaging, the related adhesive labels to be directly and quickly applied to the newly packaged product, thereby practically integrating the labeling operation with the packaging operation, by means of the same and single operator. In order to make still more pratical the use of such external printing means, the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention, and in particular next to the command and control panel 5, can be equipped with at least one housing seat 21 suitable for housing therein such printing means, and in particular the printer or the label-printing machine. Obviously, the communication means are arranged next to such housing seat 21. The application then of the printing of an adhesive label integrated with the machine 1 according to the present invention is a major item to guarantee the packaging: in fact, once that suitable means of the machine 1 have detected the above operating packaging data, all or part of such data are transmitted to the processing means and to the printing means through the communication means; in particular, such data can be transmitted to the label-printing machine, which includes them on a printout on an adhesive label that will be applied onto the envelope containing the product. In this way, the warranty of the vacuum packaged product is not limited to its package, but is also given by the traceability of the product itself.

Obviously, in addition to the above-described preferred embodiment, the communication means can be made according to any technology, also of the wireless type, known in the art and suitable for such purpose.

Moreover, with particular reference to Figures 1, 2a,, 3b, 4a, 5b, 6b and 7b, it is possible to note that the supporting and containing structure 3 of the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can comprise at least one first access opening 11, possibly covered by at least one protecting panel (not shown) that can be easily removed, such first access opening 11 being suitably arranged next to the connections 13 of the extending devices 14 for opening the basculating bell 9 inside the supporting and containing structure 3: the first access opening 11 therefore allows a better access by an operator on the sides of the machine 1 for maintenance and, in particular, allows replacing the extending devices 14 themselves without the need of lifting the heat- shrinking tank, thereby making such operation easier and quicker.

In addition, the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can be equipped with at least one suitable power card as replacement of the traditional electro-mechanical box present in packaging machines belonging to the prior art: advantageously therefore, with particular reference to Figures 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a and 7a, it is possible to note that the supporting and containing structure 3 of the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can comprise at least one second access opening 15, also possibly covered by at least one protecting panel (not shown) that can be easily removed, such second access opening 15 being suitably arranged next to the power card arranged inside the supporting and containing structure 3: the second access opening 15 therefore allows a better access by an operator on the sides of the machine 1 for maintenance and, in particular, easily and quickly allows directly operating on the power card.

In addition, with particular reference to Figures 2b, 3c and 4b, it is possible to note that the supporting and containing structure 3 of the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can comprise at least one window or hole 17 arranged next to a visor of the pump placed inside the supporting and containing structure 3, such hole 17 being preferably arranged on a rear wall 19 of such supporting and containing structure 3 and being adapted to advantageously allow the immediate and practical check of the oil level of such pump without the need, by an operator, of accessing inside the machine 1.

In addition, the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can comprise at least one lamellar transformer as replacement of the traditional transformer used in known packaging machines: such lamellar transformer in fact advantageously confers more compactness to the machine 1 and guarantees a better operating regularity, being free from "spikes" upon activating the machine 1 according to the present invention .

In addition, the packaging machine 1 according to the. present invention can comprise protecting means, preferably made as at least one electronic card, against overheating of the welding bars of the basculating bell 9: in particular, such protecting means control the electric supply of the welding bars, avoiding that it becomes excessively prolonged, stopping it after a preset period of time (for example 4 seconds) in order to prevent a following overheating and sometimes the ignition of the bars with flames.

In addition, the packaging machine 1 according to the present invention can comprise means for controlling and regulating the inlet speed of atmospheric air inside the decompression chamber 7 at _. the end of the welding step, such means comprising at least one suitable inlet valve for such air controlled by means for managing the machine 1: advantageously, such means for controlling and regulating the inlet speed of atmospheric air allow optimally regulating the speed with which air re-enters inside the decompression chamber 7, in order not to impair the stability of the envelopes in favour of the final aesthetic result of the package.