Sealing station for a packaging machine

1. A sealing station for a packaging machine, the sealing station comprising:

an outer wall;

a sealing plate for sealing packages, said sealing plate disposed interior of said outer wall;

a pressure chamber between said sealing plate and said outer wall;

an underpressure source for evacuating a package in the sealing station, the underpressure source comprising a first pump;

an overpressure source for providing compressed air into said pressure chamber so as to press the sealing plate against a package in the sealing station, the overpressure source comprising a second pump, said first pump and said second pump separated by a distance; and

a single drive comprising a drive motor and a drive shaft rotated by said drive motor, said drive shaft having a length, and wherein said first pump is operably connected to said drive shaft at a first location along the length and said second pump is operably connected to said drive shaft at a second location along the length such that said first pump and said second pump are both driven by said drive shaft.

2. A sealing station according to claim 1 wherein the first pump and the second pump each have an intake opening and the sealing station further comprises a three-way valve provided upstream of the intake opening of one of the first pump or the second pump;

wherein the three-way valve has a first port in fluid communication with ambient air; and

wherein the three-way valve has a second port in fluid communication with a chamber of the sealing station or with a pressure reservoir of the sealing station.

3. A sealing station according to claim 2 further comprising a second three-way valve disposed downstream of the intake opening of one of the first pump or the second pump.

4. A sealing station according to claim 1 further comprising a compressed air reservoir and/or an underpressure reservoir.

5. A sealing station according to claim 4 wherein one of the compressed air reservoir or the underpressure reservoir is connected to one of the first pump or the second pump.

6. A packaging machine comprising a sealing station according to claim 1 .

7. A sealing station according to claim 1 further comprising an air line disposed between the first pump and the second pump to place the first pump in fluid communication with the second pump.

8. A sealing station for a packaging machine, the sealing station comprising:

a sealing plate for sealing packages;

an underpressure source for evacuating a package in the sealing station;

an overpressure source for providing compressed air so as to press the sealing plate against a package; and

a single drive shaft disposed for rotation to drive the underpressure source and the overpressure source, and one of the underpressure source or the overpressure source comprising a pump configured as a rotary vane pump or as a helical pump, wherein the single drive shaft drives the pump;

wherein the pump has an intake opening and the sealing station further comprises a three-way valve provided upstream of the intake opening of the pump;

wherein the three-way valve has a first port in fluid communication with ambient air;

wherein the three-way valve has a second port in fluid communication with a chamber of the sealing station or with an underpressure reservoir of the sealing station; and

wherein the three-way valve has a third port in fluid communication with the intake opening of the pump.

9. A sealing station according to claim 8 wherein the underpressure source is a first pump and the overpressure source is a second pump separated from said first pump by a distance, and the first pump and the second pump are both driven by the single drive shaft.

10. A sealing station according to claim 8 further comprising a compressed air reservoir, wherein one of the compressed air reservoir or the underpressure reservoir is in fluid communication with the pump.

11. A sealing station according to claim 8 further comprising an additional three-way valve disposed downstream of the intake opening of the pump.

12. A packaging machine comprising a sealing station according to claim 8 .