EP0833774B1 - Method for closing a liquid packaging container - Google Patents
Method for closing a liquid packaging container Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0833774B1 EP0833774B1 EP96919834A EP96919834A EP0833774B1 EP 0833774 B1 EP0833774 B1 EP 0833774B1 EP 96919834 A EP96919834 A EP 96919834A EP 96919834 A EP96919834 A EP 96919834A EP 0833774 B1 EP0833774 B1 EP 0833774B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- container
- fill opening
- oxygen
- liquid
- closing flap
- 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
Links
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 title claims description 27
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 22
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 title claims description 9
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 34
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 18
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 18
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 18
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 6
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- MYMOFIZGZYHOMD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Dioxygen Chemical compound O=O MYMOFIZGZYHOMD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 229910001882 dioxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000008258 liquid foam Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229920006395 saturated elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000002939 deleterious effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011087 paperboard Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
- B65B31/06—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzle being arranged for insertion into, and withdrawal from, the mouth of a filled container and operating in conjunction with means for sealing the container mouth
Definitions
- This invention relates to a method for closing a liquid packaging container to reduce the oxygen content of the gas remaining inside the container, the container comprising a casing - which includes body, cover and bottom parts - and a single opening on the cover part for filling, the said method including three steps as specified in the preamble of claim 1.
- EP-A-0063235 and FR-A-1497690 disclose a method for closing a packaging container, respectively.
- the amount of oxygen remaining inside the container above the filled product is reduced by feeding at least essentially oxygen free gas into the space inside the container.
- the gas is introduced into the fee space above the filled product by lifting the cover of the container at least partially.
- the cover is lifted at two portions of the junction between the cover and the body part of the container, the portions being opposite of each other, such that the oxygen free gas flows into the container through the first opening and leaves the container through the second opening.
- the cover parts are flexible such that a feeding nozzle can be introduced between the cover part and the bottom part of the casing and the cover part and the body part can be closed together after retracting the feeding nozzle.
- the aim of the present invention is to introduce a method which when applied helps essentially reducing the oxygen content of the gas remaining inside a liquid packaging container.
- a closing flap is placed on top of the fill opening either before or after the container is filled and it is first attached only partly to the part of the cover part that surrounds the fill opening; after the container is filled, a feed nozzle is lead into the container through the gap between the edge of the fill opening and the closing flap; through the feed nozzle, gas which is at least essentially oxygen-free is fed into the container; the feed nozzle is removed from the container through the gap between the edge of the fill opening and the closing flap, and the closing flap is pressed against the part of the cover part that surrounds the fill opening and attached to this part to close the container.
- a method according to the invention can be further improved if an additional stage is included where at least essentially oxygen-free gas is fed into a container when the casing is ready before the container is filled with liquid.
- Such rinsing which takes place before the container is filled helps significantly reducing the oxygen content of the foam bubbles which may form when liquid is fed into the container.
- the foam inside the container contains essentially less oxygen gas than what it would if it had not been rinsed in advance.
- an essentially lower oxygen content is achieved inside the container. It is possible to reach an oxygen content as low as a few per cent which significantly improves the keeping of the liquid inside the container.
- a cylindrical liquid packaging container comprising a casing (1) which includes a cylindrical body part (2) and cover and bottom parts (3 and 4) attached to the ends of the body.
- a fill opening (5) is formed on the cover part (3) which later, when the container is used, can operate as a pour spout or a drink opening.
- a container according to the invention is made of paperboard based material laminated with suitable plastic layers to make it as liquid impermeable and gas tight as necessary.
- the casing could also be made of metal, such as steal or aluminium, or plastic.
- the container When the casing (1) of the liquid packaging container is ready, the container is filled through the fill opening (5) with liquid (6). At this stage it can only be filled partly because the liquid typically foams and some room must therefore be left for the foam, although during the filling foam is typically sucked from the container, e.g., through a suction hose coaxially fitted around the feed nozzle which feeds liquid into the container.
- Another reason why the container cannot be filled completely is that in the next stage the container must be closed with a closing flap (7) and it is impossible to attach the closing flap to the cover (3), typically by heat sealing, if the closing flap is not dry. Just for this reason alone the container cannot be filled too full, to avoid the risk of liquid spilling on the cover (3) before the closing flap (7) is attached.
- a closing flap (7) is placed on top of the fill opening (5) on the cover (3) either before or after the container is filled, but at this stage the closing flap is attached to the cover (3) only partly, from the area marked in the drawing as (7a). If the closing flap is attached to the cover already during the filling it has to be folded aside to some extent while the container is being filled.
- the advantage of attaching the closing flap to the cover before the filling is that it can be sterilized together with the rest of the container.
- the desired end result is in any event that the end part (7b) of the closing flap remains to some extent apart from the cover (3) so that after the container has been filled, a feed nozzle (8) can be lead through the gap between the closing flap part (7b) and the edge of the fill opening (5) on the cover (3) into the container.
- Another method that can be used is naturally that the area (7b) of the closing flap (7) is at first kept clearly apart from the cover (3) and it is not pressed closer to the cover (3) before the feed nozzle (8) has been lead into the container. What is essential is that the gap between the closing flap (7) and the cover (3) is as small as possible when the feed nozzle (8) has been placed inside the container.
- essentially oxygen-free gas is fed into the container through the feed nozzle (8), e.g., carbon dioxide, saturated water vapour or perhaps preferably nitrogen.
- the feed nozzle e.g., carbon dioxide, saturated water vapour or perhaps preferably nitrogen.
- the gas coming from the feed nozzle spreads first along the surface of the liquid, pushing the air inside the container from underneath out through the fill opening (5).
- the amount of gas fed through the feed nozzle (8) is optimized so that an oxygen content as low as possible is achieved in the gas space inside the container, yet with the minimum amount of oxygen-free gas since the gas is typically relatively expensive.
- the feed nozzle (8) is pulled out from the container and, immediately after this, the area (7b) of the closing flap (7) is pressed against the cover (3) and attached to it by, e.g., heat sealing.
- the cover (3) is attached to it by, e.g., heat sealing.
- the methods described above help reducing the oxygen content of the gas remaining inside the container to perhaps a quarter of the oxygen content in the air.
- a better end result can be achieved if the interior of the container is rinsed with oxygen-free gas before the container is filled with liquid.
- the air inside the container is first displaced to as great extent as possible and replaced with oxygen-free gas, and only after this liquid is fed into the container, the result of which is that instead of oxygen gas, the liquid foam created inside the container contains essentially oxygen-free gas used to replace air.
- This additional procedure which nevertheless increases the cost rather significantly since relatively large amounts of oxygen-free gas must be used, helps further reducing the oxygen content of the gas remaining inside the container to very little, perhaps a few per cent. This procedure improves the storing of the liquid inside the container significantly.
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
- Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
Description
Claims (2)
- A method for closing a liquid packaging container having a smallish fill opening to reduce the oxygen content of the gas remaining inside the container, when the container comprises a casing (1) - which includes a body part (2), cover part (3) and bottom part (4) - and a single opening (5) on the cover part for filling, the said method including the filling of a container when the casing is ready with liquid (6) through the fill opening (5), the feeding of at least essentially oxygen-free gas into the still free space inside the container, and the closing of the container by attaching a closing flap (7) on top of the fill opening, characterized in that,
the closing flap (7) is placed on top of the fill opening (5) either before or after the container is filled, and it is first attached only partly to the cover part (3) surrounding the fill opening (5),
after the container is filled, a feed nozzle (8) is lead into the container through a gap between the edge of the fill opening and the closing flap, through which the aforesaid at least essentially oxygen-free gas is fed,
the feed nozzle (8) is removed from the container through the gap between the closing flap (7) and the edge of the fill opening (5) and
the closing flap (7) is pressed against the cover part (3) surrounding the fill opening and attached to this part to close the container. - A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an additional stage where at least essentially oxygen-free gas is fed into the container when the casing (1) is ready before the container is filled with liquid (6).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI952903A FI98614C (en) | 1995-06-13 | 1995-06-13 | Method for use in closing a liquid package |
| FI952903 | 1995-06-13 | ||
| PCT/FI1996/000313 WO1996041743A1 (en) | 1995-06-13 | 1996-05-31 | Method for closing a liquid packaging container |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP0833774A1 EP0833774A1 (en) | 1998-04-08 |
| EP0833774B1 true EP0833774B1 (en) | 2002-08-07 |
Family
ID=8543595
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP96919834A Expired - Lifetime EP0833774B1 (en) | 1995-06-13 | 1996-05-31 | Method for closing a liquid packaging container |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0833774B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH11510459A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69622865T2 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI98614C (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1996041743A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1426301A1 (en) | 2002-12-06 | 2004-06-09 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg Zweigniederlassung der Huhtamaki Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. | Tubular bag for liquids, a method for producing the bag and the use of the bag |
| USD585763S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-02-03 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| US8056209B2 (en) | 2004-05-27 | 2011-11-15 | Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland, Gmbh & Co. Kg | Tubular, especially can-shaped, receptacle for the accommodation of fluids, a method of manufacture and use |
| US8153216B2 (en) | 2001-12-14 | 2012-04-10 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Packaging with passage regions and sealing tool for production thereof |
| US8240546B2 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2012-08-14 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Film packaging having tamper-evident means |
| US8468782B2 (en) | 2004-11-04 | 2013-06-25 | Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik Gmbh & Co. Kg | Method for producing a bottle-like or tubular container, particularly a tubular bag, comprising a sealed-in bottom, and a correspondingly produced tubular bag |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FI98354C (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 1997-06-10 | Upm Kymmene Oy | Device for filling the package |
| GB0906430D0 (en) * | 2009-04-14 | 2009-05-20 | Wine Innovations Ltd | Filling and sealing beverage containers |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2889674A (en) * | 1956-04-23 | 1959-06-09 | Ball Brothers Co Inc | Steam vacuum apparatus for closing containers |
| FR1497690A (en) * | 1966-09-19 | 1967-10-13 | Scientific Atlanta | Method and apparatus for packaging under inert atmosphere |
| US3990615A (en) * | 1974-09-18 | 1976-11-09 | The Continental Group, Inc. | Convenience opening of containers for liquid products |
| AU6727581A (en) * | 1980-02-15 | 1981-08-20 | Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company | Curled adhesive tape |
| DE3113445C2 (en) * | 1981-04-03 | 1986-01-09 | Messer Griesheim Gmbh, 6000 Frankfurt | Process for packaging food under protective gas in plastic cups |
| US4602473A (en) * | 1982-06-28 | 1986-07-29 | Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Method and apparatus for replacing air within a container head space |
-
1995
- 1995-06-13 FI FI952903A patent/FI98614C/en active
-
1996
- 1996-05-31 EP EP96919834A patent/EP0833774B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1996-05-31 DE DE69622865T patent/DE69622865T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1996-05-31 WO PCT/FI1996/000313 patent/WO1996041743A1/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-05-31 JP JP9502344A patent/JPH11510459A/en active Pending
Cited By (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8153216B2 (en) | 2001-12-14 | 2012-04-10 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Packaging with passage regions and sealing tool for production thereof |
| EP1426301A1 (en) | 2002-12-06 | 2004-06-09 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg Zweigniederlassung der Huhtamaki Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. | Tubular bag for liquids, a method for producing the bag and the use of the bag |
| US8056209B2 (en) | 2004-05-27 | 2011-11-15 | Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland, Gmbh & Co. Kg | Tubular, especially can-shaped, receptacle for the accommodation of fluids, a method of manufacture and use |
| US8468782B2 (en) | 2004-11-04 | 2013-06-25 | Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik Gmbh & Co. Kg | Method for producing a bottle-like or tubular container, particularly a tubular bag, comprising a sealed-in bottom, and a correspondingly produced tubular bag |
| US8240546B2 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2012-08-14 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Film packaging having tamper-evident means |
| USD585763S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-02-03 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| USD586232S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-02-10 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| USD587136S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-02-24 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| USD592529S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-05-19 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| USD599676S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-09-08 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
| USD599655S1 (en) | 2005-04-19 | 2009-09-08 | Huhtamaki Ronsberg, Zweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland Gmbh & Co. Kg | Foil package |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FI952903A0 (en) | 1995-06-13 |
| JPH11510459A (en) | 1999-09-14 |
| FI98614B (en) | 1997-04-15 |
| EP0833774A1 (en) | 1998-04-08 |
| DE69622865D1 (en) | 2002-09-12 |
| FI952903A7 (en) | 1996-12-14 |
| FI98614C (en) | 1997-07-25 |
| DE69622865T2 (en) | 2003-03-27 |
| WO1996041743A1 (en) | 1996-12-27 |
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