Method and apparatus for heating containers having a product liquid therein

In a process for bottling carbonated liquid wherein said liquid is cooled by refrigeration prior to the filling of containers with the liquid and the filled containers are thereafter closed and then warmed so that the surface temperature of the sides of each of the containers is above the dew point of the ambient air, thereby preventing condensation of moisture thereon prior to packing in cardboard cartons, the improvement which comprises:

• compressing a refrigerant vapor;
• transferring heat from a compressed refrigerant vapor to a first liquid heating medium, thereby condensing said vapor to provide a liquid refrigerant;
• contacting the closed filled containers with said heated liquid medium in the first stage of a container heating system having a plurality of stages, thereby transferring heat from said first medium to said containers;
• and
• thereafter contacting said containers with a second liquid heating medium in a second stage of said system, said second medium entering said second stage at a temperature higher than the temperature at which said refrigerant vapor is condensed;
• said containers being heated in said system to a temperature higher than the dew point of the ambient air, thereby preventing condensation of moisture on the outside surfaces of the side walls of said containers leaving said system.

Apparatus for heating containers having a product liquid therein and utilizing a low temperature heat source for supplying a portion of the heat comprising:

• a housing containing a plurality of heating zones;
• a horizontal belt conveyor for transporting said containers through said heating zones;
• means for contacting said containers on said conveyor with a relatively low temperature liquid heating medium in a low temperature heating zone within said housing;
• means for contacting said containers on said conveyor with a higher temperature liquid heating medium in a higher temperature heating zone within said housing downstream of said low temperature zone with respect to transit of said containers on said conveyor;
• a trough in said housing below said conveyor for collection of said media after contact of said containers therewith;
• and
• an insulating partition in said trough defining and serving as a barrier between a low temperature sump upstream of said barrier and beneath said low temperature zone for collection of said low temperature medium and a higher temperature sump downstream of said barrier and beneath said higher temperature zone for collection of said higher temperature liquid medium.

Apparatus for heating containers having a product liquid therein utilizing the heat of condensation of a compressed refrigerant vapor comprising:

• condenser means for transferring heat to a first fluid heating medium from said compressed refrigerant vapor and condensing said vapor to provide a refrigerant liquid useful for cooling;
• a heating system for said containers comprising a plurality of stages,
• the first stage of said system comprising means for contacting said containers with said first medium,
• the second stage of said system comprising means for contacting said containers with a second fluid heating medium,
• heat exchanger means for transferring heat to said second fluid heating medium;
• means for circulating said first medium between said condenser means and said first stage;
• and
• means for circulating said second medium between said heat exchanger means and said second stage.