EP0566173B1 - Verfahren und Anlage zum Entlüften, Begasen und Verschliessen von Lebensmittel enthaltenden Metalldosen - Google Patents

Verfahren und Anlage zum Entlüften, Begasen und Verschliessen von Lebensmittel enthaltenden Metalldosen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0566173B1
EP0566173B1 EP93200768A EP93200768A EP0566173B1 EP 0566173 B1 EP0566173 B1 EP 0566173B1 EP 93200768 A EP93200768 A EP 93200768A EP 93200768 A EP93200768 A EP 93200768A EP 0566173 B1 EP0566173 B1 EP 0566173B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hermetically sealed
inert gas
bell
plant
container
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93200768A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0566173A1 (de
Inventor
Filippo Mancino
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sasib Processing and Seaming Machinery SpA
Original Assignee
Sasib Food SpA
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Publication date
Application filed by Sasib Food SpA filed Critical Sasib Food SpA
Publication of EP0566173A1 publication Critical patent/EP0566173A1/de
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Publication of EP0566173B1 publication Critical patent/EP0566173B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/02—Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers or wrappers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
    • B65B31/022—Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers or wrappers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas the chambers moving in an endless path

Definitions

  • the seaming methods have the serious drawback that if the level of vacuum created within the can is to be sufficient to reduce the oxygen content to below that which would be damaging to the preservation of the product, the walls of the can must be sufficiently robust not to deform under the action of the vacuum.
  • a vacuum level of 96-97 kPa (72-73 cm of mercury) is the ideal for proper product treatment, but cannot be currently adopted for strictly economical reasons concerning the cost of the can.
  • US-A-2578815 discloses an apparatus for vacuumizing, gassing and closing containers comprising a vacuumizing and gassing machine and a closing machine and means for feeding filled containers and closures into the vacuumizing and gassing machine.
  • the vacuumizing and gassing machine is of the turntable type comprising a rotating plate, container support platform vertically movable on said plate and individual bells for creating individual chambers into which vacuumizing and gassing of the containers occurs.
  • the closures comprise means for effecting a temporary friction closure of the containers after they have been vacuumized and gassed in the individual chambers.
  • Means are provided for withdrawing the temporary closed container from the individual chambers and for transferring the temporary closed container to the closing machine, where they are definitively and permanently sealed.
  • the above apparatus is cumbersome, slow in operation and presents the drawback to be suitable only for vacuumizing and gassing containers having a closure that can be frictionally and temporary applied to the container.
  • the present invention proposes to obviate this drawback by providing means which enable cans containing food products to be hermetically sealed after extracting their contained oxygen to a level safe for their preservation, without subjecting the cans to compressive forces which could damage their walls. This means that cans with extremely thin walls can be used, resulting in substantial cost reduction.
  • the can is placed in a hermetically sealed bell-shaped chamber communicating with a vacuum chamber, so that said hermetically sealed chamber and hence the interior of the can can be put under vacuum without generating any force on the can walls.
  • the hermetically sealed chamber containing the can is then saturated with an inert gas at a pressure slightly greater than atmospheric, an overpressure of at least 10 kPa (0,1 bar) being considered sufficient, the inert gas hence occupying the space previously occupied by the air.
  • the can is then conveyed to a usual seaming machine within an environment saturated with the said inert gas, so that seaming can take place before the can is exposed to the atmosphere.
  • a squirt of water vapour is fed into the can and condensed after seaming, to put the interior of the can under very slight vacuum in order to prevent undesirable deformation of the lid and further reduce the oxygen content of the can.
  • the invention also relates to the particular means for its implementation, these being described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.
  • Figures 1-6 show a common conveyor belt 1 which with the aid of a spacing screw 2 and a star-shaped insertion wheel 3 loads the cans 4 containing the food product onto the platforms or segments 5 of a plate 30 rotating about a vertical central axis A.
  • each bell cap 10 In a position above the circular rim structure formed by the platforms 5 and rotating together with this latter there is a series of bell caps 10 of a number equal to the number of underlying platforms. At the centre of each bell cap 10 there is a pad 11 the purpose of which is to rest on the product contained in the can 4 while this moves into the interior of each bell cap 10, to prevent any unsettling and spilling of the product during deaeration.
  • the bell caps 10 are supported by an annular vessel 13 containing the inert gas to be fed into the can 4 when the platform 5 has inserted it into one of the bell caps 10.
  • the inert gas is fed via a usual rotary valve 12 positioned at the top of each bell cap 10, the axis of which coincides with the axis of the container 4.
  • the bell cap 10 is connected alternately, by the valve 12, to the vessel 13 and to a duct 14 connected to a vacuum vessel 25, preferably in two stages: firstly to 60-65 kPa (45-50 cm of mercury) and then to 36.97 kPa (72-73 cm of mercury).
  • valve 12 By this means, along a first portion of the path a strong vacuum is created within the bell cap, by which the air contained in the container 4 and in the relative product is completely removed without the container walls being stressed in any way.
  • the valve 12 On command, the valve 12 then shuts off the vacuum and allows inert gas to be fed into the relative bell cap 10. A further command to the valve 12 isolates the bell cap both from the vacuum and from the gas.
  • Figure 5 shows a container contained within said bell cap, with the supporting circular rim structure in an angular position in which the relative platform 5 is completely raised.
  • platforms 5 slide vertically in sealed relationship both with each other and with two side walls 8 and 9.
  • the wall 9 has a constant height along the entire machine periphery, whereas the wall 8 has an upper outline which comprises a reduced-height portion (Figure 4) for the insertion of the container 4.
  • Figure 4 a reduced-height portion for the insertion of the container 4.
  • the container 4 lies in an environment saturated with inert gas. It has terminated its travel along the circular rim structure formed by the platforms 5, and is withdrawn from the deaeration and gas-charging turntable by a conveyor, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, which is enclosed in a tunnel 15 hermetically connected to the walls 8 and 9 between which the platforms 5 rise and fall, hermetically connected to the plane of the circular rim structure formed by the platforms 5, and hermetically connected to an upper plane defined by the lower mouth of the bell caps 10.
  • the containers 4 are withdrawn from the circular rim structure formed by the platforms 5, by a deviator 16 which forces the containers 4 into said tunnel 15, where they are collected and pushed forwards by a series of equidistant appendices 17.
  • the appendices 17 are positioned at equidistant points on a chain 18 which travels as an endless vertical loop adjacent to one side of the tunnel 15, as shown in Figure 6, whereas on the opposite side to the chain 18 there is a horizontally adjustable guide 19 which compels the containers 4 to maintain a straight path.
  • the tunnel 15 leads to a housing 20 of completely hermetically sealed construction containing usual lid seam-joining means.
  • the lids are fed via an entry 21 and after the lids have been seam-joined the cans leave from an exit 22.
  • the ports providing communication with the outside of the housing 20 are very small and practically the same size as the cans, so that the loss to the outside of the inert gas contained in the housing 20 is amply compensated by the feed into the housing 20 of the inert gas contained in the bell caps 10, as these open.
  • Steam feeding means 23 are provided inside the housing 20 and are adjusted to direct a squirt of steam onto the mouth of the container 4 just prior to seam-joining the lid.
  • This squirt of steam is such that, after seaming and once the can has cooled, it condenses to put the interior of the can under slight vacuum, to ensure that the lids always remain slightly convex towards the interior of the can so that annoying noisy deformation does not take place.
  • the steam fed on closure ensures further rarefying of the small quantity of oxygen which has remained in the can.
  • the main difference lies in the connection between the bell caps 10 and the vacuum creation and inert gas supply means.
  • each bell cap 10 is connected via a respective pipe 61 to a central distributor 62 fixed above the rotary turntable.
  • the distributor 62 is formed from a fixed part 63 and a movable part 64, which rotates relative to the fixed part, in hermetically sealed relationship therewith, about the turntable axis A.
  • the movable part 64 is connected to the bell caps 10 by the pipes 61 and rotates rigidly with the plate 30 and hence with the bell caps 10.
  • the fixed part 63 lies on the movable part 64 and comprises a first chamber 65 shaped as an arc of increasing width, and a second chamber 66 also arc-shaped. Downstream of the chamber 66 there is a third chamber 66' shaped as an arc but shorter than the chamber 66 (see Figure 12).
  • the chamber 65 is connected by a pipe 75 to vacuum creation means.
  • the chamber 66 is connected by a pipe 76 to inert gas supply means.
  • the chamber 66' is also connected to inert gas supply means.
  • each mouth 61' encounters firstly the chamber 65 so that vacuum is created in the respective bell cap 10, this being gradual (because of the increasing width of the chamber 65) in order not to damage the product.
  • the mouth 61' then encounters the second chamber 66 which feeds inert gas to the bell cap 10. This also happens when it encounters the chamber 66'.
  • the mouths 61' are closed by the solid continuous surface 63; via which the fixed part 63 is in contact with the movable part 64.
  • the manner and the angular position in which the mouths 61' of the pipes 61 communicate with the chambers 65, 66 are the same as for the vacuum creation and inert gas feed stages already described in relation to the first embodiment.
  • the chamber 66' is used to feed further inert gas to the bell caps 10 in the region in which the containers 4 enter the tunnel 15.
  • FIGs 9, 10 and 11 show the region in which the containers 4 pass from the deaeration and gas charging turntable to the tunnel 15. This region is substantially identical in both embodiments.
  • the tunnel 15 meets the turntable via two opposite fixed lateral walls 31 and 32 at such a distance apart as to allow the containers 4 to pass.
  • the initial part of the outer lateral wall 31 has a cylindrical surface 31' which matches and is in sliding contact with the outer lateral wall of the platforms 5 and with the outer lateral wall of the lower part 10' of the bell caps 10.
  • the initial part of the inner lateral wall 32 matches and slides in sliding contact along the upper surface of the platform 5; said initial part defines the deviator 16 which urges the containers 4 towards the tunnel entrance by gradually removing them from their contact with the platforms 5.
  • abutment elements 33 are fixed on the platforms 5 to retain the containers 4 in a central position on the platforms 5. Said elements 33 slide within a channel 32a provided in the lower face of the deviator 16.
  • the tunnel 15 also possesses a horizontal lower wall 34 which blends into and sealedly engages the turntable, in that its upper surface for supporting the containers 4 is at the same level as the upper face of the platforms 5 when these reach the entrance to the tunnel 15. Finally there is a horizontal upper wall 35 which upperly closes the tunnel 15 and blends into and sealedly engages the lateral outer face of the parts 10' of the bell caps 10.
  • the tunnel 15 has a cross-section which is just larger than the containers 4, and in it there travels only the upper branch of the chain 18, the appendices of which urge the containers 4 forward by firstly extracting them from the deaeration and gas charging turntable in cooperation with the deviator 16, and then advancing them along the tunnel 15 as far as the lid seaming means located within the housing 20.
  • the lower branch of the chain 18 travels within a lower longitudinal chamber 37 parallel to the tunnel 15.

Claims (7)

  1. System zum Schließen von Lebensmittelbehältern oder Dosen, bestehend aus: Einfügung des abgefüllten Behälters und der Schließvorrichtungen in eine eigene dicht verschlossene Kammer, Erzeugung eines Vakuums von mindestens 90 kPa (70 cm Quecksilber) in dieser Kammer, Carbonisierung der genannten Einzelkammer mit Inertgas, provisorischer und einstweiliger Verschluß des Behälters, indem er aus der eigenen Kammer herausgezogen wird, sowie Dauerverschluß des Behälters, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die abgefüllten Behälter in die eigene, dicht abgeschlossene Kammer ohne die Schließvorrichtungen eingeführt werden und dadurch, daß nach der Carbonisierung mit Inertgas bis zu einem Überdruck von wenigstens 10 kPa die obengenannte Einzelkammer in einem dicht geschlossenen Gehäuse, welches das gleiche Inertgas mit ca. dem gleichen Druck enthält, geöffnet wird und im obengenannten dicht geschlossenen Gehäuse die Deckel zugeführt und mit dem Behälter wulsfförmig zusammengefügt werden.
  2. Anlage zur Entlüftung, Gasaufladung und Verschluß der Lebensmittelbehälter oder Dosen, bestehend aus einer Maschine zur Vakuumerzeugung und Carbonisierung des Typs mit drehbarer Plattform, die eine Rotationsplatte (30), Plattformen (5) zur vertikalen Beförderung der Behälter zur Rotationsplatte (30), Vorrichtungen zur Deckelbeschickung einer Verschließmaschine des Typs mit Drehplattform, die mit einer Entlüftungs-Drehplattform verbunden ist, hat, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Rotationsplatte (30) eine Struktur (55) mit kreisförmigem Rand aufweist, die aus mehreren Plattformen (5) in Form von Blöcken besteht, die, zueinander in einer Abdichtungsbeziehung stehend, vertikal verstellbar sind und im abgedichteten Zustand zwischen den aufder Basis befestigten koaxialen Zylinderwänden (8,9,3) bleiben, während über jedem Block ein glockenförmiger Deckel (10) positioniert ist, auf deren Unterseite die darunterliegende Plattform (5) in einer Abdichtungsbeziehung in der entsprechenden Hochstellung anliegt, und der obengenannte glockenförmige Deckel (10) in einer Abdichtungsbeziehung zwischen den obigen Zylinderwänden (8,9,3) verschiebbar ist und abwechselnd an eine Vorrichtung zur Vakuumerzeugung und an eine Vorrichtung zur Inertgaszuführung angeschlossen ist.
  3. Anlage gemäß Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie einen Inertgastank (13), der sich gemeinsam mit der Plattform (30) und den glockenförmigen Deckeln (10) dreht, sowie eine Reihe von Rotationsventilen (12), eines pro glockenförmigen Deckel (10) enthält, auf dem das Ventil so positioniert ist, daß es den betreffenden glockenförmigen Deckel (1 0) abwechselnd mit dem obengenannten Inertgastank (13) und mit der Vorrichtung zur Vakuumerzeugung verbindet.
  4. Anlage gemäß Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie mit einem Verteiler (62) versehen ist, der aus zwei Teilen besteht, ein fester Teil (63) und ein beweglicher Teil (64), der sich in Bezug auf den festen Teil, in einer Abdichtungsbeziehung mit diesem, auf der Achse A der Dreh-Plattform dreht und der bewegliche Teil starr mit den glockenförmigen Deckeln (10) rotiert, während der obengenannte feste Teil (63) wenigstens zwei Kammern aufweist, die mit der Vorrichtung zur Vakuumerzeugung bzw. mit der Vorrichtung zur Inertgaszuführung in Verbindung stehen und jeder glockenförmige Deckel (10) mit jeder Kammer (65), (66) nacheinander in Verbindung tritt, indem er der Drehung des beweglichen Teils (64) zum festen Teil (63) folgt.
  5. Anlage gemäß Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie ein abgedichtetes Gehäuse (20) enthält, das mit der Station (15) verbunden ist, in der die Behälter (4) von der drehbaren Entlüftungsplattform abgeladen werden und dadurch, daß es die Vorrichtungen zur wulstförmigen Zusammenfügung des Deckels mit dem Behälter (4) enthält.
  6. Anlage gemäß Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jeder glockenförmige Deckel (10) intern mit einem kleinen gegenwirkenden Tampon (11) versehen ist, der das Produkt während der Entlüftung nicht auslaufen läßt.
  7. Anlage gemäß Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß intern des abgedichteten Gehäuses (20) linienaufwärts und nahe der Deckelzuführungsstation Vorrichtungen (23) installiert sind, die einen leichten Dampfstrahl in die Behälteröffnung sprühen.
EP93200768A 1992-04-13 1993-03-16 Verfahren und Anlage zum Entlüften, Begasen und Verschliessen von Lebensmittel enthaltenden Metalldosen Expired - Lifetime EP0566173B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITRE920027 1992-04-13
ITRE920027A IT1257493B (it) 1992-04-13 1992-04-13 Procedimento e impianto di deaerazione, gasatura, chiusura, di barattoli metallici contenenti prodotti alimentari

Publications (2)

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EP0566173A1 EP0566173A1 (de) 1993-10-20
EP0566173B1 true EP0566173B1 (de) 1996-10-16

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EP93200768A Expired - Lifetime EP0566173B1 (de) 1992-04-13 1993-03-16 Verfahren und Anlage zum Entlüften, Begasen und Verschliessen von Lebensmittel enthaltenden Metalldosen

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EP (1) EP0566173B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE144221T1 (de)
DE (1) DE69305408D1 (de)
IT (1) IT1257493B (de)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITMI20111619A1 (it) 2011-09-08 2013-03-09 Technology For Beverage S R L Macchina per assemblaggio, riempimento e chiusura di capsule per bevande porzionate
US11117696B2 (en) * 2017-12-08 2021-09-14 Plf International Limited Vacuum extraction and sealing of containers
DE102018200291A1 (de) * 2018-01-10 2019-07-11 Optima consumer GmbH Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Entgasen und Begasen von Behältern
DE102018200292A1 (de) 2018-01-10 2019-07-11 Optima consumer GmbH Vorrichtung zum Entgasen und Begasen von Behältern
CN112299342B (zh) * 2020-10-29 2022-11-04 轻工业杭州机电设计研究院有限公司 一种回转式真空瓶罐封口机
CN113955192B (zh) * 2021-12-20 2022-04-05 常州久煜自动化设备有限公司 一种高速抽真空充保护气装置

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB625903A (en) * 1945-05-08 1949-07-06 Trufood Of Australia Ltd Improvements in apparatus for sealing containers of powdered milk and other light powdered materials
US2578815A (en) * 1946-12-20 1951-12-18 Continental Can Co Apparatus for vacuumizing, gassing, and closing containers

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITRE920027A1 (it) 1993-10-13
ITRE920027A0 (it) 1992-04-13
ATE144221T1 (de) 1996-11-15
DE69305408D1 (de) 1996-11-21
IT1257493B (it) 1996-01-25
EP0566173A1 (de) 1993-10-20

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