Closures for a product retaining container and related systems and methods
AssigneeVinventions USA, LLC
InventorsStéphane Vidal, Jean Baptiste Dieval, Malcolm Joseph Thompson, Olav Marcus Aagaard, Katherine Campbell Glasgow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Container closures wherein at least one void comprised in the closure is at least partially filled with a gas or gaseous mixture which by composition or pressure is different from air are disclosed. The oxygen content of said gas can be lower than the oxygen content of air. Through use of such closures for sealing closed containers, the amount of air and therefore oxygen that enters the closed container through closure desorption can be effectively controlled, changed, or even largely eliminated.
Claims41
A closure for a product retaining container, wherein said closure comprises a plurality of voids, wherein the plurality of voids is at least partially filled with a gas which by composition and/or pressure is different from air, wherein the gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, nitrogen, argon, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof, wherein the gas has an oxygen concentration of below about 19.9 vol. %, wherein said closure is further defined as having a substantially cylindrical shape and comprising substantially flat terminating surfaces forming opposed ends of said closure, wherein the closure comprises an elongated, cylindrically shaped core member formed from foamed plastic material and comprising terminating end surfaces forming opposed ends of the core member;
- and
- at least one layer peripherally surrounding and intimately bonded to a cylindrical surface of the core member with the terminating end surfaces of the core member being devoid of said at least one layer;
- wherein the closure comprises a synthetic closure which is capable of completely sealing any desired product in the container;
- and retaining the product in the container for a desired length of time substantially without any degradation of the product or degradation of the closure;
- wherein the core member comprises a plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of voids is further defined as being a space inside the plurality of cells, wherein a cell size of the core member is substantially homogeneous throughout an entire length and diameter of the core member;
- and
- wherein the closure has a total amount of desorption after closing the container of less than about 1.00 mg oxygen.
A storage container comprising an interior containing at least one closure for a product retaining container, wherein said interior is filled with a gas which by composition and/or pressure is different from air, said at least one closure comprises a plurality of voids at least partially filled with a gas or a gaseous mixture which by composition and/or pressure is different from air, all external surfaces of said at least one closure are contained within said storage container and in contact with the gas with which said interior is filled, said storage container is configured to be opened to permit removal of the at least one closure, said at least one closure is configured for enclosing the product retaining container for an edible food or beverage product following removal from the storage container, the gas or gaseous mixture with which the plurality of voids is at least partially filled has an oxygen concentration below about 19.9 vol. %, and the gas with which the interior is filled is selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, nitrogen, argon, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.