Apparatus and method for vacuum skin packaging of a product

Abstract

A method and apparatus can be used for vacuum skin packaging of a product. The product can be arranged on a support comprising providing a film sheet above said support with said product being arranged between the support and the film sheet. The film sheet can be air tightly fixed to the support. The wall of the support can be perforated to form at least one through hole. At least a portion of air from within the support underneath said film sheet can be removed through the at least one hole. A packaged product is obtainable using the method and apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A perforating tool comprising:
 a pointed tip configured to contact a side wall of a support;   cutting edges positioned on the pointed tip to define a profile that is include with respect to a direction of perforation, wherein the cutting edges are positioned and configured such that, upon perforation of the side wall of the support, the pointed tip cuts a flap element in the side wall;   non-cutting surfaces, wherein each of the cutting surfaces terminates in one of the non-cutting surfaces; and   an aperture in the perforating tool, wherein the aperture is delimited at least in part by the cutting edges and the non-cutting surfaces;   wherein a distance between the non-cutting surfaces is smaller than a maximum distance between the cutting edges such that, upon perforation of the side wall of the support, the non-cutting surfaces urge the flap element in the open position.   
     
     
         2 . The perforating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the perforating tool presents an elongated conformation along a longitudinal axis and each of the cutting edges has a side profile that is inclined by an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The perforating tool of  claim 2 , wherein the angle is an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The perforating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting edges have distal portions converging to form a V-shaped geometry at a distal end of the cutting tip, the distal portions being inclined by an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the perforating tool. 
     
     
         5 . The perforating tool of  claim 1 , wherein each of the cutting edges includes a further portion, wherein the further portion terminates into one of the non-cutting surfaces, and wherein the further portions of the cutting edges converge to define the non-cutting surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The perforating tool of  claim 5 , wherein the further portions of the cutting edges are arc-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The perforating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture has a sufficient size to allow suction of gas from an inside of the support. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 the perforating tool of  claim 7 ; and   a vacuum arrangement in fluid communication with the aperture of the perforating tool, wherein, after perforation of the side wall of the support by the perforating tool, the vacuum arrangement is configured to suction gas from the inside of the support.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a packaging assembly configured to fix a film sheet to the support before perforation of the side wall of the support by the perforating tool.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a frame; and   a transport assembly arranged on the frame and configured to displace the support along a predefined path.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 fixing a film sheet to a support;   perforating a side wall of the support using a perforating tool, the perforating tool comprising:
 a pointed tip configured to contact the side wall of a support, 
 cutting edges positioned on the pointed tip to define a profile that is include with respect to a direction of perforation, wherein the cutting edges are positioned and configured such that, upon perforation of the side wall of the support, the pointed tip cuts a flap element in the side wall, 
 non-cutting surfaces, wherein each of the cutting surfaces terminates in one of the non-cutting surfaces, and 
 an aperture in the perforating tool, wherein the aperture is delimited at least in part by the cutting edges and the non-cutting surfaces, 
 wherein a distance between the non-cutting surfaces is smaller than a maximum distance between the cutting edges such that, upon perforation of the side wall of the support, the non-cutting surfaces urge the flap element in the open position; and 
   withdrawing gas from inside the support via the aperture in the perforating tool.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the withdrawing of the gas from inside the support is done by a vacuum arrangement in fluid communication with the perforating tool. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the perforating tool presents an elongated conformation along a longitudinal axis and each of the cutting edges has a side profile that is inclined by an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the angle is an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cutting edges have distal portions converging to form a V-shaped geometry at a distal end of the cutting tip, the distal portions being inclined by an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the perforating tool. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the cutting edges includes a further portion, wherein the further portion terminates into one of the non-cutting surfaces, and wherein the further portions of the cutting edges converge to define the non-cutting surfaces. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the further portions of the cutting edges are arc-shaped. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the aperture has a sufficient size to allow suction of gas from an inside of the support.