System and method for packaging
AssigneeFDD Technologies sa/ag/ltd
InventorsJean-Francois M. Bardou, Roland Guezennec, Jean-Pierre Lhommond
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment of an apparatus and process for packaging foodstuffs or other materials in a rigid container sealed by a flexible cover, a desired quantity of material to be packaged containing or together with some water or other liquid is placed in the container, the flexible cover is secured on the container so as to leave at least one unsealed opening, the container is heated and/or placed in a partial vacuum to bring the liquid above its boiling point to cause or permit vapor generated by the boiling liquid to expel other gases from the container through the unsealed opening, and the container is sealed while gas or vapor is still flowing out of the container through the unsealed opening.
Claims29
A process for packaging materials in a container comprising a body sealed by a flexible cover, comprising:
- (a) placing a desired quantity of material comprising liquid in the container body;
- (b) securing the flexible cover on the container body so as to leave at least one unsealed opening;
- (c) bringing the temperature of the liquid to a temperature higher than its boiling temperature;
- (d) permitting vapor generated by the boiling liquid to expel other gases from the container through the at least one unsealed opening;
- and
- (e) sealing the container while gas or vapor is still flowing out of the container through the at least one unsealed opening.
Apparatus for packaging materials in a rigid container sealed by a flexible cover, comprising:
- (a) a filling station that in operation places a desired quantity of material including liquid in the container;
- (b) a covering station that in operation secures the flexible cover on the container so as to leave at least one unsealed opening;
- (c) a heating station that in operation heats the container to bring the internal temperature of the container to a temperature higher than the boiling temperature of the liquid, and thereby causes vapor generated by the boiling liquid to expel other gases from the container through the at least one unsealed opening;
- and
- (d) a sealing station that in operation seals the container before gas or vapor ceases to flow out of the container through the at least one unsealed opening.
A method of forming a sealed container under partial vacuum, comprising:
- (a) placing material comprising a volatile liquid in a container body;
- (b) securing a flexible cover on the container body so as to leave at least one unsealed opening;
- (c) bringing the volatile liquid to a subatmospheric pressure and a temperature at which the volatile liquid is above its boiling point at the subatmospheric pressure;
- (d) permitting vapor generated by boiling of the liquid to expel other gases from the container through the at least one unsealed opening;
- (e) sealing the container while vapor is still flowing out of the container through the at least one unsealed opening;
- and
- (f) cooling the container to a temperature at which the vapor pressure of the volatile liquid is substantially less than the ambient pressure outside the container.
A sealed container comprising:
- a rigid body;
- a flexible lid sealed to the rigid body;
- liquid-containing contents within the container;
- wherein the lid has been sealed to the body in at least two stages, with the first stage forming a major portion of the seal and the last stage sealing the portions of the seal previously left unsealed;
- wherein the contents have been treated at a temperature above the boiling point of the liquid;
- and
- wherein the container has a head-space from which uncondensable gases are substantially absent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.