Pressure element and sealing device for a packaging assembly having a pressure element

1 . Pressure element for a sealing device having a sealing member and a countersealing member facing one another and configured to be pressed against one another to seal therebetween a tube of packaging material adapted to be filled with a pourable product, the pressure element comprising:

a fitting portion configured to be fitted to the countersealing member and a contact portion defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with a sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween;

the pressure element also comprising at least one engagement element configured to cooperate with a complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member to guide the pressure element according to a predetermined orientation during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member and to prevent fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member in any other orientation different from the predetermined orientation, the at least one engagement element of the pressure element that is configured to cooperate with the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member being distinct from the fitting portion and the contact portion; and

the pressure element being an elongated pressure element that extends in a first direction from one free end of the elongated pressure element to an opposite free end of the elongated pressure element, the at least one engagement element of the elongated pressure element being a free end portion of the elongated pressure element that is located at the one free end of the of the elongated pressure element and that projects away from the opposite free end of the elongated pressure element.

2 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one engagement element of the pressure element includes a shaped portion configured to cooperate in contact with a guide wall defined by the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member at least during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member.

3 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the shaped portion of the pressure element has an inclined surface inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction and configured to cooperate in contact with a correspondingly inclined wall defined by the guide wall to guide the pressure element according to the predetermined orientation during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member.

4 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the inclined surface of the pressure element is arranged at the one free end of the pressure element;

said inclined wall being arranged, in use and when the pressure element is fitted to the countersealing member, adjacent to said one free end at a side thereof.

5 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the inclined surface of the pressure element is a first inclined surface, and comprising a second inclined surface at the opposite free end of the pressure element, the first and second inclined surfaces being configured to cooperate in contact with respective inclined walls carried by the countersealing member to guide the pressure element according to the predetermined orientation at both sides thereof during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member.

6 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the shaped portion is configured to engage the guide wall to define a geometric constraint for fitting the pressure element to the countersealing member according to the predetermined orientation.

7 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 1 , the pressure element being made of an elastomeric material.

8 . Pressure element as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elongated pressure element has two sides that each extend along the first direction from the one free end of the elongated pressure element to the opposite free end of the elongated pressure element as seen in a plan view of the elongated pressure element, the at least one engagement element of the elongated pressure element being an inclined surface of the elongated pressure element, the inclined surface of the elongated pressure element being inclined at either an acute angle or an obtuse angle relative to the sides of the elongated pressure element as seen in the plan view of the elongated pressure element.

9 . Countersealing member of a sealing device configured to seal a tube of packaging material adapted to be filled with a pourable product, the countersealing member facing, in use, a sealing member of the sealing device with interposition of the tube and being configured to be pressed against the sealing member to seal the tube therebetween, the countersealing member comprising:

at least one pressure element including a fitting portion fitted to the countersealing member at a groove thereof and a contact portion opposite to the fitting portion and defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with a sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween;

the pressure element comprising at least one engagement element in cooperation with a complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member, the at least one engagement element of the pressure element allowing the pressure element to be fitted into the groove of the countersealing member according to a predetermined orientation while also preventing fitting of the pressure element into the groove of the countersealing member in any other orientation different from the predetermined orientation;

the at least one engagement element of the pressure element that is in cooperation with the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member being distinct from the fitting portion and the contact portion;

the pressure element having an elongated shape that extends along a first direction from one free end of the pressure element to an opposite free end of the pressure element; and

the at least one engagement element of the pressure element being an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction, and the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member being correspondingly inclined with respect to said plane and being configured to cooperate in contact with the inclined surface of the at least one engagement element to guide the pressure element during fitting of the pressure element according to the predetermined orientation into the groove of the countersealing member.

10 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the inclined surface of the pressure element is arranged at the one free end of the pressure element;

said complementary engagement element being a guide wall that is arranged at a lateral side of the pressure element adjacent to said one free end, the guide wall and the inclined surface being parallel to one another.

11 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the pressure element is a first pressure element, the groove of the countersealing member is a first groove, the predetermined orientation is a first predetermined orientation, the at least one engagement element is a first engagement element, the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member is a first complementary engagement element, the fitting portion is a first fitted portion and the contact portion is a first contact portion; and

comprising a second pressure element spaced apart from the first pressure element along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

the second pressure element including a second fitting portion fitted to the countersealing member at a second groove thereof and a second contact portion opposite to the second fitting portion and defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with a sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween;

the second pressure element having an elongated shape that extends along the first direction from one free end of the second pressure element to an opposite free end of the second pressure element;

the second pressure element comprising at least one second engagement element in cooperation with a second complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member, the at least one second engagement element of the second pressure element allowing the second pressure element to be fitted into the second groove of the countersealing member according to a second predetermined orientation while also preventing fitting of the second pressure element into the second groove of the countersealing member in any other orientation different from the second predetermined orientation, the at least one second engagement element including a shaped portion;

the at least one second engagement element of the second pressure element being distinct from the second fitting portion and the second contact portion, the shaped portion of the at least one second engagement element of the second pressure element having a second inclined surface inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction; wherein the inclined surface of the first pressure element has an inclination different from an inclination of the second inclined surface of the second pressure element, with respect to the first direction;

and wherein the guide wall comprises:

a first inclined wall configured to cooperate in contact with the inclined surface of the first pressure element to guide the first pressure element according to the first predetermined orientation during fitting of the first pressure element to the countersealing member; and

a second inclined wall configured to cooperate in contact with the second inclined surface of the second pressure element to guide the second pressure element according to the second predetermined orientation during fitting of the second pressure element to the countersealing member.

12 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the second pressure element comprises a pair of inclined surfaces arranged at respective opposite free ends of the second pressure element;

and wherein the countersealing member comprises a pair of second guide walls, each one arranged at a respective lateral side of the second pressure element adjacent to one respective free end to guide the second pressure element during fitting of the second pressure element into the second groove of the countersealing member.

13 . Sealing device configured to seal a tube of packaging material adapted to be filled with a pourable product, the sealing device comprising:

a sealing member carrying at least one sealing element; and

a countersealing member as claimed in claim 9 ;

the sealing element and the pressure element facing one another and being configured to be pressed against one another to seal the tube therebetween.

14 . Packaging assembly configured to produce packages containing pourable product starting from a tube of packaging material and comprising a sealing device having:

a sealing member carrying at least one sealing element; and

a countersealing member as claimed in claim 9 ;

the sealing element and the pressure element facing one another and being configured to be pressed against one another to seal the tube therebetween.

15 . Countersealing member of a sealing device configured to seal a tube of packaging material adapted to be filled with a pourable product, the countersealing member being elongated and having a front surface that faces, in use, a sealing member of the sealing device with interposition of the tube and being configured to be pressed against the sealing member to seal the tube therebetween, the countersealing member comprising:

a groove formed in the countersealing member, extending from the front surface of the countersealing member to a bottom of the groove;

an elongated pressure element extending in a first direction from one free end of the elongated pressure element to an opposite free end of the elongated pressure element, the elongated pressure element including an elongated fitting portion positioned in the groove and an elongated contact portion opposite to the fitting portion and defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with a sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween, the elongated pressure element also including an undersurface that faces away from the contact surface and that at least in part contacts the front surface of the countersealing member;

the pressure element comprising an engagement element that has a configuration complementary to an engagement element that is carried by the countersealing member, the engagement element of the pressure element cooperating with the engagement element carried by the countersealing member to ensure the pressure element is fitted properly to the countersealing member according to its predetermined orientation only while also preventing the pressure element from being fitted to the countersealing member in any other orientation different from the predetermined orientation; and

the engagement element of the pressure element that is in cooperation with the engagement element carried by the countersealing member being distinct from the fitting portion and from the contact portion, and being different from the undersurface of the elongated pressure element.

16 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the one free end of the pressure element is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction, the engagement element that is carried by the countersealing member also having an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the plane orthogonal to the first direction, an inclination of the inclined surface of the pressure element and an inclination of the inclined surface of the engagement element that is carried by the countersealing member being the same so that the inclined surface of the pressure element and the inclined surface of the engagement element that is carried by the countersealing member are parallel.

17 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the inclined surface of the pressure element is a first inclined surface of the pressure element and the inclined surface of the engagement element that is carried by the countersealing member being a first inclined surface of the countersealing member, the opposite free end of the pressure element being a second inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction, the second inclined surface of the pressure element being in contact with and parallel to a second inclined surface of the countersealing member.

18 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first inclined surface of the pressure element and the second inclined surface of the pressure element have equal and opposite inclinations.

19 . Countersealing member as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the groove formed in the countersealing member is a first groove, the elongated pressure element is a first elongated pressure element, the fitting portion is a first fitting portion and the contact portion is a first contact portion, and the engagement element carried by the countersealing member is a first engagement element;

further comprising:

a second elongated pressure element extending from one free end of the second elongated pressure element to an opposite free end of the second elongated pressure element, the second elongated pressure element including a second elongated fitting portion positioned in a second groove formed in the countersealing member and a second elongated contact portion opposite to the second fitting portion and defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with another sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween, the second elongated pressure element also including an undersurface that faces away from the second contact surface and that at least in part contacts the front surface of the countersealing member;

the second pressure element comprising an inclined surface cooperating with an inclined surface of the second engagement element carried by the countersealing member, the inclined surface of the second pressure element and the inclined surface of the second engagement element being parallel to one another.

20 . Pressure element for a sealing device having a sealing member and a countersealing member facing one another and configured to be pressed against one another to seal therebetween a tube of packaging material adapted to be filled with a pourable product, the pressure element comprising:

a fitting portion configured to be fitted to the countersealing member and a contact portion defining a contact surface facing, in use, the sealing member and configured to interact with a sealing element of the sealing member to press and seal the tube therebetween;

the pressure element also comprising at least one engagement element configured to cooperate with a complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member to guide the pressure element according to a predetermined orientation during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member and to prevent fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member in any other orientation different from the predetermined orientation, the at least one engagement element of the pressure element that is configured to cooperate with the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member being distinct from the fitting portion and the contact portion;

the at least one engagement element of the pressure element including a shaped portion configured to cooperate in contact with a guide wall defined by the complementary engagement element carried by the countersealing member at least during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member;

the pressure element having an elongated shape that extends along a first direction from one free end of the pressure element to an opposite free end of the pressure element; and

the shaped portion of the pressure element having an inclined surface inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the first direction and configured to cooperate in contact with a correspondingly inclined wall defined by the guide wall to guide the pressure element according to the predetermined orientation during fitting of the pressure element to the countersealing member.