PACKAGING FACILITY WITH LATCHING STATION AND METHOD

1 . Packaging facility including a thermo-forming packaging machine, said packaging facility comprising:

a forming station;

a loading stretch;

a sealing station;

a package separation device;

a folding device to fold a folding package about a fold line; and

a latching device arranged downstream in said direction of production of said folding device, wherein said latching device is configured such that a first closure element being provided on a first package half of said folding package can be brought to interact with a second closure element of a second package half of said folding package such that said folding package is held together in a folded state.

2 . Packaging facility according to claim 1 , wherein said packaging facility has an intermittent mode of operation.

3 . Packaging facility according to claim 1 , wherein said latching device is configured for simultaneous processing of multiple folding packages.

4 . Packaging facility according to claim 1 , wherein said latching device comprises a latching unit for pressing ends of said first closure element.

5 . Packaging facility according to claim 4 , wherein said latching unit comprises at least one pneumatic cylinder.

6 . Packaging facility according to claim 4 , wherein said latching unit comprises one latching pin for each end of said first closure element.

7 . Packaging facility according to claim 1 , wherein said latching device comprises a support for said first closure element.

8 . Packaging facility according to claim 7 , wherein said support can be raised to a first latching position to said first closure element.

9 . Method for operating a packaging facility for manufacturing a reclosable folding package, said method comprising the following steps:

forming trays in a film;

placing products into said trays;

producing a folding package by sealing a top film onto said trays along a sealing seam, wherein two adjacent trays form a first and a second package half and a fold line is provided between said two package halves;

separating said folding package in a cutting station;

folding said folding package in a folding device; and

latching a first closure element of said first package half into a second closure element of the second package half in a latching device.

10 . Method according to claim 9 , wherein said latching step is performed by pressing ends of said first closure element of said first package half against ends of said second closure element of said second package half, so that said ends of said first closure element bear against an opposite side of said ends of said second closure element in order to keep said folding package closed.

11 . Method according to claim 10 , wherein said ends of said first closure element are pressed by latching pins in the direction of a support, wherein said support acts as a counter support upon a part of said first closure element between its ends.

12 . Method according to claim 11 , wherein said support together with said latching pins simultaneously acts upon said first closure element.

13 . Method according to claim 9 , wherein said folding package is transferred by a robot from said cutting station to a separation belt.