Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a packaging apparatus. In particular, the invention relates to a form, fill, and seal packaging apparatus. The invention further relates to a method of operating a packaging apparatus.

Background art

[0002] Form, fill, and seal (FFS) machines are known from the prior art. These machines use a continuous film of flexible material such as plastic or paper, which is moved in a forward direction by a film transportation subsystem, to form packages. The FFS machines further include seal bars configured to join pieces of the film at predefined locations to create sealing lines of the package and a cutting mechanism configured to separate individual packages. During this process, a product content is released into the formed package by a filling tube. Depending on a relative position of the filling tube with respect to the forward moving direction of the film, the FFS machines are categorized into a vertical or a horizontal FFS machines. In the vertical FFS (VFFS) machines, the film is wrapped around the filling tube and moves in a direction along the filling tube, while in the horizontal FFS (HFFS) machines, the film is arranged to move in a direction perpendicular to the filling tube.

[0003] US2019009936A1 discloses a machine which includes a longitudinal tool for longitudinally sealing longitudinal ends of the tubular-shaped film together and generating a film tube, a module for moving the film tube, and a transverse tool for transversely sealing and cutting the film tube. The module is configured for rotating with respect to a longitudinal axis of the forming tube, being arranged in different operating positions, such that it allows arranging the longitudinal tool required in different positions for generating packages having different topologies and/or different sizes without the need of moving the transverse tool.

[0004] Fig. 1 shows a part of the packaging machine according to the prior art. The packaging machine comprises a vertically disposed filling tube 21 , on the inlet side of which a feed tube 22 is present. A band of foil material 24 from a roll is passed over shoulder-like parts 23a and 23b and subsequently led between filling tube 21 and guide element 23, so that an elongated container of foil material 24a is created around the filling tube 21. The passing of the foil material 24 over rollers 25a, 25b and guide element 23 takes place by transport means 26a, 26b. First joining means 27 are disposed at the longitudinal free sides of the foil container 24a that has been created round the filling tube 21 . In this manner, a closed foil container 24a having a longitudinal joint 28 is created. The packaging machine furthermore comprises second joining means 29a and 29b, which are disposed on either side of the outlet side of filling tube 21 . By moving the second joining means 29a and 29b towards each other, the foil container 24a is pressed together between the two joining means, after which a transverse joint 30a can be formed. As a result, the foil container 24a is closed from below, after which it can be filled with all kinds of products, for example cookies or candies, via feed tube 22. Then the second joining means 29a and 29b form a second transverse joint 30b in the foil material just above the products that are present in foil container 24a, so that a closed foil package 24b is obtained.

[0005] In the production line, the FFS machines are typically used to generate and fill packages with various contents. Therefore, FFS machines capable of generating packages of different shapes and/or sizes are preferred. Furthermore, different product contents usually require different types of the package such as pouches, boxes, stand-up pouches such as Doypack®, side gusset bags having four sealed corners such as Quadroseal® package, or similar.

Summary of the invention

[0006] In many cases the same production line is used to create packages for different products, often requiring change of a format of the package. However, adjusting the FFS machines to generate packages of different type, shape, and/or size is not an easy task. It requires manually adjusting each of the seal bars to a correct position which is time consuming process prone to errors.

[0007] Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an FFS machine which at least partially overcomes the problems found in the prior art.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is a packaging apparatus for producing packages from a continuous film provided as defined by claim 1. The packaging apparatus comprises: a film transportation subsystem arranged to transport the film along a film transportation path defining a longitudinal direction, wherein the film transportation path comprises a film forming means configured to form the film into a tubular shape, at least one joining means configured to join the film at at least one configurable joining position, displacement means configured to displace the at least one joining means according to the at least one configurable joining position, and configuration means to configure the at least one configurable joining position before displacing the at least one joining means by the displacement means.

[0009] This configuration allows the adjustment of the joining means to be more efficient and/or reproducible by separating the configuration of the joining position from the actual displacement of the at least one joining means. For example, it may become less cumbersome to adjust the joining means to the dimensions or characteristics of a different type of package.

[0010] Advantageously, the packaging apparatus according to the present invention is arranged to generate packages of different formats, wherein the format of the package is at least partially defined by a type, a size, and/or a shape of the package. Additionally, the type of the package may be defined by a number of sealing lines and the positions of the sealing lines. For example, the side gusset bag, also referred to as a four-side-seal bag, may comprise four longitudinal sealing lines and two transversal sealing lines. The standup pouch may comprise three longitudinal sealing lines and two transversal sealing lines. The packaging apparatus is configured to allow a user to quickly adapt the packaging apparatus to a new package format without a need to alter the rest of the production line.

[0011] The packaging apparatus may comprise a placement position configured to receive a former set comprising at least a tubular structure. The tubular structure may be a filling tube configured to fill the package with a pre-determined amount of a product content. The film forming means may be located in the proximity of the designated place of the tubular structure and configured to form the tubular shape of the film around the tubular structure. In certain embodiments the former set may comprise the film forming means.

[0012] Further, the configuration means may be configured to configure one or more configurable joining positions based on the former set. The configurable joining positions may be at least partially defined by dimensions of the tubular structure. The former set may be arranged to fit within the placement position and the former set may comprise a connection means configured to form a connection with the packaging apparatus. The packaging apparatus may further include a former set fixation means configured to cooperate with the connection means in order to form a reversible connection with the former set. The packaging apparatus according to the present invention is advantageous over the prior art as it offers a simple and efficient manner of generating packages of different formats by replacing the former set. For example, the packaging apparatus used to generate a stand-up pouch having a volume V may be quickly adjusted to generate a side gusset bag having a volume 2V by simply replacing a previous former set with a new former set. The new former set my have the filling tube of a larger transversal cross-section configured to release the product content twice as fast as the previous former set in order to keep a package filling time unchanged. Since the configuration means of the packaging apparatus configures the joining positions based on the former set, a manual adjustment of the joining means may be avoided. In this manner, a change of the package format may be executed with minimal modifications of the production line.

[0013] The at least one joining means may be a longitudinal joining means configured to join the overlapping pieces of the film along the longitudinal direction. Alternatively or additionally, the packaging apparatus may comprise two or more longitudinal joining means arranged around the designated place for the tubular structure. For example, two or four longitudinal joining means may be provided to allow two or four longitudinal joining lines to be configured.

[0014] The packaging apparatus may be configured to obtain an indication of the configurable joining position from the former set. This way, the joining positions can be configured automatically for the former set that is placed in the placement position. The former set may, for example, comprise a template plate and the indication may be mechanically integrated into the template plate, for example, in a form of a groove, a slot, a protrusion or similar configured to cooperate with the at least one joining means in order to displace the at least one joining means to the configurable joining position. The indication aids in displacing the at least one joining means to a desired position in an seamless and effortless manner when the change the format of the package is required. Alternatively or additionally, the packaging apparatus may comprise a sensor configured to generate an electric signal relating to the configurable joining positions based on a sensed signal associated with the former set. The former set may be, for example, configured to send an electric, an optic, a mechanical and/or a similar configurational signal and the sensor may be configured to sense the configuration signal and send the electric signal to the packaging apparatus. The packaging apparatus may be further configured to configure the configurable joining positions based on the electric signal and displace the joining means to the configurable joining positions.

[0015] The former set may further comprise a guiding member and the configuration means may comprise a member configured to cooperate with the guiding member of the former set to displace the at least one joining means towards the configurable joining position. The guiding member may be the guiding groove formed in the template plate. Such a configuration is beneficial as it allows for a quick set up of the at least one joining means to an operational position and for a visual check by the user that the at least one joining means is in a correct position for forming the sealing line. The member of the configuration means may comprise an arm having a proximal and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to engage with the former set and the proximal end is connected to the at least one joining means. The arm may be configured to cooperate with the guiding member in order to displace the at least one joining means to the configurable joining position. Preferably, the packaging apparatus comprises a plurality of joining members connected to a corresponding plurality of members of the configuration means and the former set comprises a plurality of corresponding guiding members, wherein each of the guiding members is configured to cooperate with at least one member of the configuration means to displace at least one joining means to a configurable joining position.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the displacement means may further comprise a slider configured to move in a first direction, and the joining means may be configured to slide along the slider in a second direction different from the first direction. The first and the second direction may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and/or perpendicular to each other. The slider may comprise a sliding bar and the joining means may be arranged on the sliding bar. Preferably, two joining means may be arranged on the slider and configured to slide with respect to each other in the second direction. The slider may be further arranged on a slider guide and configured to move along the slider guide in the first direction. This combination is beneficial because it provides an effective way to configure the joining position. When the slider is moved along the slider guide, this may cause the joining means to slide along the slider as guided by the groove in the template plate of the former set. Moreover, it offers freedom in selecting the configurable joining positions as the joining means may be displaced to any point in a plane defined by the first and the second direction. For example, the displacement means may comprise two sliders arranged on the slider guide, wherein each of the sliders may have two joining means. The two sliders may be arranged on opposite sides of the tubular structure when the former set is inserted into the placement position. The displacement means may comprise an actuator, such as a motor, configured to provide an automatized movement of the at least one slider along the slider guide.

[0017] In an embodiment, the former set and the slider guide may be arranged to cooperate in order to displace the at least one joining means to the joining position. The guiding member of the former set may be arranged to guide the at least one joining means to the configurable joining position as the slider having at least one joining means arranged thereon is moved along the slider guide. [0018] The displacement means may be configured to displace at least one of the joining means to an idle position, if the configurable joining position corresponds to the idle position. The idle position may be defined as any position wherein the joining means does not influence a package generation process. For example, the idle position may be a position arranged at a distance from the film transportation path such that the joining means cannot form the sealing line. This is particularly useful when the change of the type of the package is made. For example, a switch from generating the side gusset bag having four longitudinal sealing lines formed by four longitudinal joining means to the stand-up pouch having three longitudinal sealing lines formed by three longitudinal joining means may be performed by displacing one of the longitudinal joining means to the idle position. This idle position may be configured by e.g. the former set as set forth herein.

[0019] In an embodiment, the displacement means may be configured to displace the at least one joining means to an inoperative position in order to remove the former set from the packaging apparatus and optionally, to replace a first former set with a second former set, wherein the first former set is configured to generate packages of a first format and the second former set is configured to generate packages of a second format. The inoperative position and the idle position may correspond to each other. Moreover the inoperative position may correspond to a portion of the groove in the placement set (e.g. a first end of the groove). After the second former set is placed, the joining means may be automatically displaced to their correct positions as set forth herein.

[0020] The configuration means may comprise a memory configured to store at least one selectable joining position, wherein the displacement means is configured to displace the at least one joining means to a selected one of the at least one selectable joining positions upon activation of said selected joining position. The memory may be in a form of an electronic memory such as a computer memory. The at least one selectable joining position may be manually stored in the memory by the user, for example, based on a usage history of the packaging apparatus and/or the packaging apparatus may be configured to automatically add the at least one selectable joining position to the memory based on the configurational signal from the former set.

[0021] The at least one joining means may comprise at least a first longitudinal joining means to join two longitudinal edges of the film; and at least one second longitudinal joining means to join a double folded strip of the film. The first longitudinal joining means may be configured to form a tubular shape of the film while the second longitudinal joining means may be configured to form longitudinal sealing lines along longitudinal edges of the film. [0022] At least one dimension of the package may be determined by the former set. In certain embodiments, all dimensions of the package may be determined by the former set. The former set may further comprise a fine adjustment means configured to fine-tune the indication of the at least one joining position. Such fine adjustment means may comprise a manual adjustment means, for example a rotatable knob. This allows to set the position of the joining means more accurately. For example this may address variations occurring in the apparatus.

[0023] The packaging apparatus may further comprise a transversal joining arrangement comprising a first transversal joining means, a second transversal joining means and a cutter therebetween, wherein the transversal joining means are configured to join pieces of the film along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in order to form two transversal sealing lines and the cutter is configured to cut the film in between the two transversal sealing lines.

[0024] Different types of joining means can be used. For example, the joining means may comprise a joining member or a pair of joining members. The joining member(s) may generate e.g. pressure and/or heat to effectively join pieces of film together. Such a joining member may comprise a seal bar. Alternatively, the joining member may comprise a seal belt. For example, the joining means may comprise a first joining member and a second joining member, wherein the first and the second joining member are configured to translate forward towards the joining position where the first and second joining member may be pressed onto each other with the film in between, in order to join pieces of the film, and translate backwards after the joining process is finished.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the present invention a former set for a packaging apparatus is provided, wherein the former set comprises a tubular structure corresponding to a dimension of a package and an indication of at least one joining position, to configure at least one configurable joining position of the packaging apparatus. This way the at least one configurable joining position does not need to be configured manually. The former set may be configured for use in a packaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0026] The indication may be in a form of a template plate comprising at least one guiding member to mechanically guide at least one joining means to the at least one joining position. The guiding member may be in a form of a guiding groove, a slot, and/or a protrusion. The template plate may be transverse to the tubular structure of the former set and the guiding member may be provided on the surface of the template plate. Alternatively, the indication may be in a digital form, such as a barcode or digital signal. [0027] The former set may further comprise a fine adjustment means configured to provide adjustment of the configurable joining position. The fine adjustment means may be in a form of two knobs wherein, the two knobs are configured to incrementally change the position of the at least one joining means in the first and the second direction, respectively, wherein the incremental change is arranged to improve overall positional accuracy of the joining means. The indication may be used to quickly guide the at least one joining means to the general vicinity of the at least one configurable joining position and the fine adjustment means may be used to fine-tune the configured position of the at least one joining means. In this way the process of setting up the joining position of the at least one joining means may be improved by reducing a joining position adjustment time and improving a joining position accuracy.

[0028] Another aspect of the invention provides a method of operating a packaging apparatus, the method comprising: configuring a configuration means of the packaging apparatus to set at least one joining position of at least one joining means of the packaging apparatus; activating a displacement means of the packaging apparatus to displace the at least one joining means according to the at least one joining position; transporting a film along a film transportation path of the packaging apparatus; forming the film into a tubular shape by the packaging apparatus; and joining a film by the at least one joining means at the at least one joining position.

[0029] The configuring step separate from the actual displacement helps to improve efficiency and/or reproducibility of displacing the joining means.

[0030] The step of configuring the at least one joining position may comprise providing a former set comprising a tubular structure and an indication of the at least one joining position. By combining the step of configuring the joining position with the step of providing a former set, the configuration is automatically performed at the right time of switching former sets.

[0031] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that two or more of the above- mentioned embodiments, implementations, and/or aspects of the invention may be combined in any way deemed useful. Also, it will be appreciated that aspects of the invention explained in respect of the apparatus may be applied by the skilled person to define variations of the method, and vice versa.

[0032] Further advantages of the disclosed invention will become evident in the following.

Brief description of drawings [0033] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the drawings described hereinafter. The drawings are all diagrammatic. Throughout the figures, similar items have been labelled with the same reference numeral.

[0034] Figure 1 depicts a part of a form, fill, and seal (FFS) apparatus according to the prior art;

[0035] Figure 2A depicts a front view of a former set according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2B depicts a side view of a former set according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 depicts in a perspective view a part of a packaging apparatus according to the present invention comprising a former set;

[0038] Figure 4A depicts in a perspective view an enlarged area of the packaging apparatus of Figure 3 around a plurality of joining means;

[0039] Figure 4B depicts a front view of the area of Figure 4A;

[0040] Figure 4C depicts a bottom view of the area of Figure 4A;

[0041] Figure 5A depicts a perspective view of a template plate provided on a packaging apparatus;

[0042] Figure 5B depicts a front view of the template plate of Figure 5A; and

[0043] Figures 6A-D illustrate in a cross-sectional top view a few exemplary joining means configurations for generating packages of different formats;

[0044] Figure 7A-E depict a few exemplary packages of different formats generated by the packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

[0045] Figure 8 depicts a block diagram representing an embodiment of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention; and

[0046] Figure 9 depicts a block diagram representing a further embodiment of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention.

Description of embodiments

[0047] Certain exemplary embodiments will be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The matters disclosed in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments can be carried out without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known operations or structures are not described in detail, since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.

[0049] The packaging apparatus disclosed herein may be a form, fill, and seal (FFS) apparatus. The joining means may be in a form of a seal bar, seal belt, or similar, configured to create a sealing line by joining pieces of the film. The packaging apparatus may be configured to fold the film into a tubular shape, so that the film may have an inner face forming an inner surface of the package and an outer face forming an outer surface of the package. The sealing lines described throughout this disclosure may be created by joining means. Such joining means may comprise, for example, thermal means, an adhesive, a pressure means, and/or similar. The joining position may correspond to the sealing line of the package. The package may have longitudinal sealing lines and transversal sealing lines. The longitudinal sealing lines are formed along a longitudinal direction of the film by joining the longitudinal edges of the film or joining folded pieces of the film. The longitudinal sealing line formed by joining a first and a second longitudinal edge of the film, may be called a length seal. Sealing lines formed by joining pieces of the film folded along the longitudinal direction may be called edge seals. These edge seals may be located at a distance from the first and the second longitudinal edge of the film. Moreover, the length seal may also be an edge seal. Additionally, the length sealing line may be an overlap sealing line, formed by placing the inner face of the first longitudinal edge on the outer face of the second longitudinal edge and joining these edges to form a flat sealing line. Alternatively, the length sealing line may be a fin seal, wherein the inner face of the first longitudinal edge is placed over the inner face of the second longitudinal edge and joined. Depending on the design of the package, the fin seal may form one of the edge seals. The transversal sealing lines are formed along a transversal direction of the film, wherein the transversal direction is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0050] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate an example of a former set 40 according to the present invention in a front view and a side view, respectively. The former set 40 is configured to be interchangeably connected to a packaging apparatus. The former set 40 comprises a filling tube 42 and an optional spreader 44 placed at a proximal end 41 of the former set 40. In this exemplary embodiment, the filling tube 42 has a rectangular crosssection, however, other cross-sections are possible, such as circular, elliptic, hexagonal or any other suitable shape. At a distal end 43 of the former set 40, there are two support plates 48,49 located and separated by a number of spacers 52 which are used to hold the former set 40 during installation or removing the former set 40 from the packaging apparatus. For example, the former set 40 is fixed to the packaging apparatus by a clamp that clamps the support plate 48 or 49. The filling tube 42 has a hollow tubular shape with a conduit 54 extending along the whole length of the filling tube 42, from the proximal end 41 to the distal end 43 of the former set 40. In between the support plates 48,49 a shoulder is located. The shoulder is a part of the film transportation subsystem 58, used to guide a film (not shown) around the filling tube 42 in order to form the film into a tubular shape. The film is transported by the film transportation subsystem 58 along the filling tube 42, defining a longitudinal direction L. The tubular shape of the film is maintained by a film forming means 60, shown in Fig. 2A in a form of a slot formed between a wall of the filling tube 42 and a strip 62 arranged for insertion of open edges of the film. In the illustrated embodiment, the former set 40 further comprises an indication 45 of the at least one joining position in form of a template plate 46 connected to an underside of a lower support plate 48. In the illustrated embodiment, the former set 40 further comprise a fine adjustment means 56 connected to the indication 45 of the at least one joining position and configured to finely tune the position of a joining means 66. In alternative embodiments, the indication 45 may be integrally formed with the support plate 48, for example. Yet alternatively, the indication 45 may be provided in any other way, such as in form of an optical indicator, such as a bar code or QR code, or by an electrical component, such as a near field communication (NFC) chip. Also the fine adjustment means 56 are optional.

[0051] Figure 3 illustrates a part of an exemplary packaging apparatus. The drawing shows the packaging apparatus provided with the former set 40. The former set 40 is provided with a feed funnel 64 connected to an upper support plate 49 of the former set 40 and positioned directly above the conduit 54 forming an open connection for conveying a product content from the feed funnel 64 to the proximal end 41 of the former set 40. The optional spreader 44 placed at the proximal end 41 of the former set 40 has a number of outwardly protruding legs arranged to prevent tubular shape of the film from collapsing as the product content is released from the filing tube 42. The packaging apparatus further has a number of longitudinal joining means. In the present example, the apparatus has four longitudinal joining means 66 for forming longitudinal sealing lines arranged on two sliders 68 which are part of a displacement means 130. Two of the longitudinal joining means 66 are arranged on each slider 68. Each slider 68 is mounted on a slider guide 72 connected to the rest of the packaging apparatus (not illustrated) by a slider guide connection means 74. The slider guide 72 and the sliders 68 may be used to displace the joining means 66 as it will be explained in more detail below. In Figure 3 the indication 45 is shown in a form of two template plates 46. These two template plates 46 are fixed to the underside of the support plate 48, so that the two template plates 46 and the lower support plate 48 together form one template plate. Moreover, in alternative implementations the two template plates 46 may be any number of template plates fixedly connected to the former set 40, for example one template plate for each joining means of the packaging machine that will be positioned.

[0052] The displacement means 130 may comprise an actuator or motor 92 to effectuate the displacement of the joining means. Alternatively, the displacement may depend on human force. The displacement means 130 may further comprise, as illustrated, slider guide 72, and slider 68. The configuration means 47 comprises, in the illustrated example, member 82 that can engage with a groove of a template plate. In certain embodiments, the displacement means comprises the configuration means.

[0053] Figures 4A, 4B, 4C illustrate in a perspective view, front view, and bottom view, respectively, enlarged area around the joining means 66 of the packaging apparatus shown in Figure 3. Each of the joining means has a first 67A and a second 67B joining member configured to form a sealing line of a package by thermal means therebetween. The joining means 66 are placed onto the sliders 68 such that each slider 68 has two joining means 66 connected to sliding rods 78. The sliding rods 78 allow for a sliding motion of the joining means 66 along a second direction Y. The sliders 68 are connected to the slider guide 72 which allows for a sliding motion of the sliders 68 along a first direction X. The sliders 68 are further connected to an automatized subsystem 92 controlled by a motor or cylinder (not shown) and configured to provide an automated movement of the sliders 68 along the slider guide 72. The sliders 68 can linearly move along the first direction X from end points 71 A,B of the slider guide 72 towards the filling tube 42 and back. This means that the joining means 66 are automatically moved to a joining position by a motion of the sliders 68 along the slider guide 72. The joining position is determined by the format of the package to be generated. Thus, the packaging apparatus according may offer a simple yet highly adjustable apparatus for generating packages by automatically moving the joining means to any point in a horizontal plane, defined in terms of the first X direction and the second Y direction. Each joining means 66 may have a member 82 in a form of an arm for engaging with the template plate 46. Figure 4C shows, by means of example, that the joining means 66 placed on the same slider 68 are connected to different template plates 46. However, the former set 40 may have any number of template plates. For example, in an alternative embodiment all grooves may be provided in one template plate. In a yet alternative embodiment, each joining means 66 may have a separate template plate 46. Since these template plates 46 may be fixed onto the support plate 48 of the former set 40, the ensemble of template plates 46 and support plate 48 may be regarded as a single template plate. [0054] An example of the engagement of the members 82 with the template plate 46 is illustrated in Figure 5A. Distal ends 81 of the members 82 fall within guiding members 94 of the template plate 46, shown in Fig. 5A as guiding grooves, such that each member 82 follows a different guiding member 94. The packaging apparatus may include an idle position stopper 76 at one end of the member 94 away from the filling tube 42 and having, for example, a first V-shaped recess 75 for accommodating the member 82 of the joining means 66 when the joining means 66 are not in use or when the former set 40 is to be exchanged. The first V-shaped recesses 75 may be positioned such that their positions in the first direction X agree with the end points 71 A,B of the slider guide 72. After exchanging the former set 40, to prepare the joining means 66 for use, the automatized subsystem 92 may be configured to move the slider 68 from the idle position towards the filling tube 42. As the slider 68 moves, the guiding members 94 guide the joining means 66 via their arms 82 to the joining positions corresponding to the format of the package to be generated. A schematic view of the template plate 46 is shown in Figure 5B. The guiding members 94 A,B define a path for the joining means 66. The paths do not have to be the same for each of the joining means 66, as shown in Figure 5B, but rather they depend on the format of the package to be generated. The joining means 66 reach the joining position when the distal end 81 of the member 82 reaches a groove end 95. The groove end 95 may have a shape (for example a circular shape) which is wider than the distal end 81 of the member 82. The extra space provided at the groove end 95 may be used to finely adjust the joining position of the joining means 66. This may be achieved by using the fine adjustment means 56, which may be located below at least one of the guiding members 94. In the illustrated example each groove end 95 has such a fine adjustment means 56, fixed to the former set 40. For example, fine adjustment means 56 may be omitted for guiding members 66 that guide the joining means to an idle position. The fine adjustment means 56 may comprise a second V-shaped recess 57 that can be moved with respect to the template plate 46 in the horizontal plane by a first 84 and/or a second 86 knob controlling the position of the second V-shaped recess 57 in the first X direction and/or the second Y direction, respectively. The adjustment of the position of the second V-shaped recess 57 results in a small adjustment of the distal end 81 of the member 82 within the circular groove end 95. In this manner, the joining positions of the joining means 66 can be manually adjusted or corrected in an efficient way.

[0055] Figures 6A-D illustrate, in a cross-sectional view through the horizontal plane, a few examplary configurations of joining positions of joining means 66 that may be realized using the techniques disclosed herein. These configurations may result in different package types, a few of which are shown in Figures 7A-E. [0056] In Figures 6A-C, a filling tube 42A of a former set, having the film 50 wrapped around it, is shown together with four joining means 66 A,B,C,D for generating edge sealing lines 97 A,B,C,D. in these illustrative examples, a first edge sealing line 97A is also a fin sealing line formed by placing longitudinal edges 51 A,B of the film 50 over each other and joining them by a first joining means 66A to close film 50 into a tubular form.

[0057] Figure 6A illustrates a configuration of the joining means 66 A,B,C,D, which is suitable for producing, for example, a first side gusset package 70A, shown in Figure 7A, having four edge sealing lines 97 A,B,C,D created by the four joining means 66 A,B,C,D. Figure 6B illustrates a configuration to produce e.g. a standing pouch 70B, shown in Figure 7B, having three edge sealing lines 97 A,B,C created by three joining means 66 A,B,C, while the fourth joining means 66D is in an idle position, as it is not used for this format. Note that the standing pouch 70B is shown in its standing position, resting on two edge sealing lines 97 B,C. However, the standing pouch 70B may be produced such that the two edge sealing lines 97 B,C are parallel to the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the standing pouch formed by the configuration shown in Figure 6B needs to be rotated by 90° in a clockwise direction in order to stand. Figure 6C illustrates a configuration to produce e.g. a standard pouch 70C, shown in Figure 7C, having two edge sealing lines 97 A,B created by two joining means 66 A,B. The other two joining means 66 C,D are in an idle position, as they are not used. Yet other configurations are possible, although not illustrated in Figures 6A-D. For example, another standard pouch 70E, shown in Figure 7E, may be formed by creating only one edge seal 97A, in particular a fin sealing line or a flat sealing line, to join the longitudinal edges 51 A,B of the film 50. In such a case, any remaining longitudinal joining means may be put in an idle position. Packages shown in Figures 7 A-E also have two transversal sealing lines 99 A,B, which may be formed by transversal joining means 29a, 29b (not shown in Figures 6A-D).

[0058] Each of the described configurations may be realized by a different former set, each former set having a different template plate and filling tube, support plate(s), and shoulder. These former sets might be identical in shape, the only difference being the grooves of the template plate. Alternatively, the three configurations may be realized by replacing only the template plate. That is, the same filling tube, support plate(s), and shoulder may be used, while different template plates may be provided with grooves indicating the appropriate positions for the joining means. The desired template plate(s) may be mounted on the former set or packaging machine when configuring the packaging machine for a particular package type. Yet alternatively, the positions of the joining means for each configuration may be stored in a memory of the packaging machine or a memory of the former set, as described elsewhere in the present disclosure. [0059] Although the diameter of the filling tube 42A is the same in the above three examples, this is not a limitation. Different diameters of the tubular film can be realized, for example by providing former sets with differently sized filling tubes. This facilitates making differently sized packages. This is illustrated in Figure 6D, which shows another configuration for producing a second side gusset package 70D, shown in Figure 7D. The configuration illustrated in Figure 6D differs from the configuration illustrated in Figure 6A in that the diameter of the filling tube 42B is different from the diameter of the filling tube 42A. Also, although not illustrated, the grooves in the template plate of the former sets are different, so that the grooves lead the joining means close to the filling tube 42A or 42B, respectively, as shown in Figure 6A and Figure 6D. The filling tube 42B of the configuration shown in Figure 6D has a smaller cross-sectional circumference compared to the filling tube 42A of the configurations shown in Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C, resulting in a smaller volume of the package compared to the first side gusset package 70A. Likewise, a former set with a filling tube that has a larger cross-sectional circumference compared to the first former set 42A may be provided. The second gusset package 70D has another difference compared to the first gusset package 70A. The second gusset package 70D has four edge sealing lines 97 A,B,C,D and one flat sealing line 97E. This is achieved by using a fifth joining means 66E, as shown in Figure 6D, to join the longitudinal edges 51 A,B of the film 50 while the other joining means 66 A,B,C,D are used for edge sealing lines 97 A,B,C,D.

[0060] Figure 8 depicts a block diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplary packaging apparatus 100. The packaging apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110 in a form of, for example, a computer processor or a controller. The packaging apparatus may further comprise a memory unit 120, such as a flash memory. The control unit 110 may be configured to receive a signal from a user interface unit 140 and control a displacement means unit 130. The user interface unit 140 may comprise, for example, one or more buttons, a touch screen, or the like. For example, the user may interact with the user interface unit 140 to select a package format. The package format may be pre-stored in the memory unit 120. For example, a plurality of package formats may be pre-stored in the memory unit 120 and the user interface unit 140 may be configured to receive a selection of one of the plurality of package formats. Alternatively, the interface unit 140 may allow the user to create a new package format. The new package format is received by the control unit 110, and may be stored in the memory unit 120 for future use as a pre-stored package format. Based on the received package format from the user interface 140, the control unit 110 may be configured to send a signal to the displacement means unit 130 in order to move the joining means 66 to the joining positions corresponding to the received package format. For example, the format set 40 does not need to have the guiding members 94 and the displacement of the joining means 66 may be fully controlled by the control unit 110. For example, the automatized subsystem 92 may be extended to control the displacement of the joining means 66 in two directions as part of the displacement means unit 130. The control unit 110 may send control signals to move sliders 68 to a correct position in the first direction X, and move the joining means 66 along the sliders 68 to a correct position in the second direction Y, in accordance with the selected package format. Alternatively, the automatized subsystem 92 may be part of the displacement means unit 130 and the control unit 110 may send control signals to move sliders 68 to a correct position in the first direction X, while the position of the joining means 66 in the second direction Y is determined by the template plate 46.

[0061] Figure 9 depicts a block diagram illustrating aspects of a further example of a packaging apparatus 100’ provided with a replaceable former set 40. The former set 40 comprises a package format indicator 150. The packaging apparatus 100’ includes a sensory unit 160. The sensory unit 160 is configured to read the indicator 150 and send a signal to the control unit 110, based on the read indicator 150. The control unit 110 is configured to, based on the received signal, determine a package format information. The control unit 110 is further configured to send a control signal to the displacement means unit 130 in order to move the joining means 66 to the joining positions corresponding to the package format information. Similarly as in the previous example, the control unit 110 may be configured to fully control the position of the joining means 66 or, alternatively, the joining means 66 may be moved to the joining positions by cooperation of the control unit 110 and the template plate 46. The package format indicator 150 may comprise, for example an NFC chip, and the sensory unit 160 may comprise an NFC reader. Alternatively, the format indicator 150 may comprise an optical code, such as a barcode or a QR code, and the sensory unit 160 may comprise an optical detector, such as a camera. Other types of format indicator 150 and sensory unit 160 are within reach of the skilled person in view of the present disclosure. The sensory unit 160 may be configured to read the format indicator 150 in response to a command from the control unit 110. For example, the reading action of the sensory unit 160 may be triggered by the placement of the former set 40 in the packaging apparatus 100’. This placement may be detected for example by a button that is depressed when the former set 40 is put in place. Alternatively, the control unit 150 may be configured to activate the sensory unit 160 in response to a command received through the user interface unit (not illustrated). The actual displacement of the joining means 66 may be triggered by similar events.

[0062] In a horizontal fill form seal (HFFS) apparatus, similar techniques may be applied. Thus, the longitudinal joining means may be positioned in one of the manners described above. Moreover, the template plate may be provided as a separate object that can be placed in the packaging apparatus. Alternatively, also in HFFS systems, the template plate may be integrated with a replaceable tube around which the tubular package film may be formed.

[0063] An example method of producing packages may comprise steps of: configuring at least one joining position of a joining means; displacing at least one joining means according to the at least one configured joining position, transporting a film along a film transportation path defining a longitudinal direction, forming the film into a tubular shape, and

- joining the film at the at least one configured joining position.

[0064] The method may provide an efficient and straightforward manner of generating packages from a film. Unlike the prior art, the method according to the present invention offers additional freedom in generating packages of different formats using the same packaging apparatus. For example, the method may allow to switch to different package types more efficiently. The method may be performed using the packaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention and/or the former set according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0065] The step of configuring the at least one joining position may further comprise a step of providing a former set comprising a tubular structure corresponding to a dimension of the package. The step of configuring may further comprise a step wherein the packaging apparatus determines the configured joining position based on the former set.

[0066] The method may further comprise one or more of the following: arranging the at least one joining means on at least one slider, arranging the at least one slider on a slider guide; moving the at least one slider along the slider guide in a first direction, wherein the first direction may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, moving the at least one joining means along the at least one slider in a second direction, wherein the second direction may be perpendicular to both the first and the longitudinal direction, and/or configuring the former set to cooperate with the slider guide in order to displace the at least one joining means to the configured joining position as the at least one joining means, arranged on the at least one slider, is displaced along the slider guide. [0067] A method of operating a packaging machine, in particular a packaging machine set forth herein, may comprise the following steps. A first step may comprise configuring a configuration means (47) of the packaging apparatus to set at least one joining position of at least one joining means (66) of the packaging apparatus. The step of configuring the at least one joining position may comprise providing a former set (40), wherein the former set (40) comprises a tubular structure (42) and an indication (45) of the at least one joining position. A second step may comprise activating a displacement means (130) of the packaging apparatus to displace the at least one joining means (66) according to the at least one joining position. A third step may comprise transporting a film (50) along a film transportation path of the packaging apparatus. A fourth step may comprise forming the film (50) into a tubular shape. A fourth step may comprise joining a film (50) by the at least one joining means (66) at the at least one joining position.

[0068] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive to the inventive concept. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that alternative and equivalent embodiments of the invention can be conceived and reduced to practice. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular configuration or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.

[0069] All modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

[0070] Some or all aspects of the invention may be suitable for being implemented in form of software, in particular a computer program product. The computer program product may comprise a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable media. Also, the computer program may be represented by a signal, such as an optic signal or an electro-magnetic signal, carried by a transmission medium such as an optic fiber cable or the air. The computer program may partly or entirely have the form of source code, object code, or pseudo code, suitable for being executed by a computer system. For example, the code may be executable by one or more processors.

[0071] The examples and embodiments described herein serve to illustrate rather than limit the invention. The person skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Reference signs placed in parentheses in the claims shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of the claims. Items described as separate entities in the claims or the description may be implemented as a single hardware or software item combining the features of the items described. Certain aspects are disclosed in the following clauses.

1 . A packaging apparatus (100) for producing packages (70) from a film (50), the apparatus comprising: a film transportation subsystem (58) arranged to transport the film (50) along a film transportation path; wherein the film transportation path comprises a film forming means (60) configured to form the film into a tubular shape; at least one joining means (66) configured to join the film (50) at at least one configurable joining position; displacement means (130) configured to displace the at least one joining means (66) according to the at least one configurable joining position; and configuration means (47) to configure the at least one configurable joining position before displacing the at least one joining means (66) by the displacement means (130).

2. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 1 , comprising a placement position configured to receive a former set (40) comprising at least a tubular structure (42), wherein the film forming means is configured to form the tubular shape of the film around the tubular structure (42); wherein the configuration means (47) is configured to configure the joining position based on the former set (40).

3. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 2, wherein the packaging apparatus (100) is configured to obtain an indication (45) of the configurable joining position from the former set (40).

4. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 2, wherein the configuration means (47) comprises a member (82) configured to cooperate with a guiding member (94) of the former set (40) to displace the at least one joining means (66) towards the configurable joining position.

5. The packaging apparatus (100) of clause 4, wherein the member (82) of the configuration means (47) comprises an arm and/or the guiding member (94) comprises a groove in a template plate (46) of the former set (40).

6. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 4, wherein the displacement means (130) comprises a slider (68) configured to move in a first direction (X), and the joining means (66) is configured to slide along the slider (68) in a second direction (Y) different from the first direction (X).

7. The packaging apparatus (100) of clause 3, wherein the configuration means (47) comprises a sensor (160) configured to generate an electric signal relating to the configurable joining positions based on a sensed signal associated with the former set (40).

8. The packaging apparatus (100) of clause 1 , wherein the configuration means (47) comprises a memory (120) configured to store at least one selectable joining position, wherein the displacement means (130) is configured to displace the at least one joining means (66) to a selected one of the at least one selectable joining positions upon activation of said selected joining position.

9. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 1 , wherein the film transportation path defines a longitudinal direction (L), and wherein the at least one joining means (66) is configured to join pieces of the film (50) along the longitudinal direction L.

10. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 9, wherein the at least one joining means (66) comprise at least a first longitudinal joining means (66A) to join two longitudinal edges of the film (50); and at least one second longitudinal joining means (66 B,C,D) to join a double folded strip of the film (50).

11. The packaging apparatus (100) according to clause 1 , wherein the displacement means (130) is capable of displacing at least one of the joining means (66) to an idle position, if the configurable joining position corresponds to the idle position.

12. The packaging apparatus (100) according to any one of clauses 5 to 11 , wherein at least one dimension of the package (70) is determined by the former set (40).

13. A former set (40) for a packaging apparatus (100), wherein the former set (40) comprises: a tubular structure (42) corresponding to a dimension of a package (70); and an indication (45) of at least one joining position, to configure at least one configurable joining position.

14. The former set (40) according to clause 13, wherein the indication comprises at least one guiding member (94) to mechanically guide at least one joining means (66) to the at least one joining position.

15. The former set (40) of clause 13 or 14, further comprising a fine adjustment means (56) to adjust the indication of the at least one joining position.

16. A method of operating a packaging apparatus (100), the method comprising configuring a configuration means (47) of the packaging apparatus to set at least one joining position of at least one joining means (66) of the packaging apparatus; activating a displacement means (130) of the packaging apparatus to displace the at least one joining means (66) according to the at least one joining position; transporting a film (50) along a film transportation path of the packaging apparatus; forming the film (50) into a tubular shape; and joining a film (50) by the at least one joining means (66) at the at least one joining position. 17. The method according to clause 16, wherein the step of configuring the at least one joining position comprises: providing a former set (40) comprising a tubular structure (42) and an indication (45) of the at least one joining position.