Apparatus and method for vacuum packing products
AssigneeTransave, Inc.
InventorsMartin Dominic Smithson, David Richardson, Tien Tjiu Tan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for vacuum packing a product (1) in a flexible enclosure (2) therefor, the apparatus comprising means (6, 7) for evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure (2), the product (1) being disposed within the unsealed enclosure (2), means (18, 19) for restraining sealable meeting portions (3a, 3b) of the unsealed enclosure (2), during the said evacuation of air, in a configuration whereby the said sealable meeting portions (3a, 3b) can be sealed without substantial rucking thereof and means (33, 34) for sealing the sealable meeting portions (3a, 3b) of the unsealed enclosure (2) in an airtight manner in the said configuration thereof, after the said evacuation of air.
Claims40
An apparatus for vacuum packing a product in a flexible enclosure therefor, the apparatus comprising:
- means for evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the product being disposed within the unsealed enclosure;
- means for restraining sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure, during the said evacuation of air, in a configuration whereby the said sealable meeting portions can be sealed without substantial rucking thereof;
- and
- means for sealing the sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure in an airtight manner in the said configuration thereof, after the said evacuation of air.
An apparatus for vacuum packing a plurality of products in a desired packing configuration in a flexible enclosure therefor, the products being liable to movement with respect to one another during vacuum packing, the apparatus comprising:
- means for evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the products being disposed within the unsealed enclosure in the desired packing configuration;
- means, disposed externally of the unsealed enclosure containing the products disposed therein, for constraining the products in the said desired packing configuration within the enclosure for the said extraction of air;
- and
- means for sealing sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure in an airtight manner after the said evacuation of air.
An apparatus for vacuum packing a compressible product in a flexible enclosure therefor, the apparatus comprising:
- means for evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the product being disposed within the unsealed enclosure;
- means, disposed externally of the unsealed enclosure containing the product disposed therein, for compressing the product within the enclosure prior to evacuation of the air from within the enclosure, whereby air trapped in the enclosure and the product is pushed out of the enclosure and/or the product prior to evacuation of air from the enclosure;
- and
- means for sealing sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure in an airtight manner after the said evacuation of air.
A method for vacuum packing a product in a flexible enclosure therefor, the method comprising, in any suitable order:
- (a) disposing the product in an unsealed flexible enclosure therefor, and optionally, if desired, constraining a plurality of unconstrained products in a desired packing configuration within the enclosure and/or compressing the product within the enclosure;
- (b) restraining sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure whereby the said sealable meeting portions can be sealed without substantial rucking thereof;
- (c) inserting air evacuation means between the said sealable meeting portions of the enclosure;
- (d) clamping the said sealable meeting portions of the enclosure in the said restrained condition in substantially airtight manner around the air evacuation means, optionally, if desired, with adjustment of the said restrained condition to avoid substantial rucking of the sealable meeting portions of the enclosure;
- and
- (e) evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the product being disposed therein.
A method for vacuum packing a plurality of products in a desired packing configuration in a flexible enclosure therefor, the products being liable to movement with respect to one another during vacuum packing, the method comprising, in any suitable order:
- (a) disposing the plurality of products in the desired packing configuration in an unsealed flexible enclosure therefor;
- (b) constraining the products in the desired packing configuration within the enclosure by applying a pressure on the products externally of the enclosure, the pressure serving to substantially prevent undesired movement of the products and optionally, if desired, to compress the products within the enclosure;
- (c) inserting air evacuation means between sealable meeting portions of the enclosure;
- (d) clamping the said sealable meeting portions of the enclosure in the said restrained condition in substantially airtight manner around the air evacuation means;
- (e) evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the products being disposed therein;
- and
- (f) sealing the sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure in an airtight manner after the said evacuation of air, the method further comprising:
- (g) restraining the sealable meeting portions of the unsealed enclosure whereby the said sealable meeting portions can be sealed without substantial rucking thereof.
A method of vacuum packing a product in a flexible enclosure therefore, the method comprising, in any suitable order:
- (a) disposing the product in an unsealed flexible enclosure therefor;
- (b) disposing within the unsealed flexible enclosure between the product and sealable meeting portions of the enclosure a film of a material at least a portion of which is substantially non-adhesive to the material of the enclosure;
- (c) evacuating air from within the unsealed enclosure, the product being disposed therein;
- and
- (d) sealing the sealable meeting portions of the enclosure in an airtight manner after the said evacuation of air;
- whereby the product and the film of material are retained in the flexible enclosure, which is collapsed onto the product and the film of material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.