EP1657158A1 - Opening and/or closing device for an hermetic package, in particular for foodstuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a plugging unit (13) through which a sealed packaging (10) is pierced, where the packaging is reclosed after removing a piercing unit (8). The plugging unit is formed of two cage shaped units (1, 2) that are slaved together. The cage shaped unit (1) is fitted with a thermoplastic material that is re-closable after the piercing. The unit (2) has a spreading unit to create a vacuum chamber at the piercing unit. Independent claims are also included for the following: (A) a packaging including a plugging unit (B) an installation for implementing a packaging.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for opening and / or closing a sealed package, in particular for preserving agri-food products.

However, although more particularly intended for hermetic packaging intended for the preservation of agri-food products, it may also be used for the packaging of any other type of product.

Applications are known in which the opening and closing of a package require special precautions aimed in particular to avoid contact between the contents or the inner environment of the packaging and the surrounding environment.

These applications include the opening and closing of hermetic packaging for the preservation of food products after their heat treatment. It is known that after a heat treatment, certain food products reject a cooking or exudate juice that must be removed from the packaging before the product is marketed. It is also known that it may be useful, even essential, to verify during or after the heat treatment certain data such as the temperature or the microbial composition of the product contained in the package.

For these two reasons, and also for other reasons such as the possible injection of additional products into the package, it is necessary to be able to access the products contained in the package.

However, given the nature of the products, it is not possible for sanitary reasons to put in contact the inner environment of the packaging and the surrounding environment during the opening and then make the packaging hermetic again. when closing.

Currently, a solution to overcome this problem is to first open the sealed package and unpack the products and then repackage in a second sealed package. With regard to monitoring such data, that the temperature on the product contained in the packaging, the technique used is the use of a control sample which is perforated and the contents of which are probed, this sample, serving as a reference for the other packagings, however can not, given the perforation and the contact between the indoor environment and the environment, be reused and, therefore, the product will be lost.

Among the applications requiring particular precautions in terms of the opening and closing of packaging, we can also mention in the medical field the aspiration of a predefined dose of liquid contained in a bottle by means of a syringe allowing in particular to avoid contact between the aspirated liquid and the ambient environment. In this application, the package is perforated by the needle of a syringe and said liquid dose is sucked in its entirety into said syringe thus avoiding any contact between the aspirated liquid and the environment, and the empty bottle is then thrown.

This solution, however, has various disadvantages and in particular the packaging can not be reused, resulting in product losses generally expensive.

Furthermore, it is known from EP-1.312.556 a device for opening / closing a sealed package, in particular for the preservation of food products, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks, and allows to open and then close the hermetic packaging, without any contact between the internal environment and the environment. According to this document, the opening / closing device comprises means for piercing the wall of said package and sealing means through which the packaging is pierced. Said closure means are able to close after piercing when the piercing means are removed so as to prevent any contact between the inner environment of the package and the surrounding environment.

However, this device also has certain disadvantages, particularly in terms of sampling the liquid and the risk of perforation of the packaging.

The purpose of the present invention, which is an improvement of the invention described in document EP-1.312.556, is to propose a device for opening / closing a hermetic packaging, in particular intended for the preservation of agri-food products, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and makes it possible to take or inject liquids, semi-liquids or gases, such as nitrogen and / or steam, out of or into the packaging, without any contact being made between the inner environment and the environment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for opening and closing a hermetic packaging, in particular for preserving agri-food products, which makes it possible to obtain data on the inner environment of the packaging by preventing any contact between the internal environment and the external environment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable opening / closing device and whose implementation is easy, especially avoiding the risk of inadvertent perforation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit it.

According to the present invention, the device for opening / closing a hermetic packaging, in particular intended for the preservation of food products, having piercing means, as well as closure means through which the piercing of the food is carried out. packaging, and being able to close after piercing when the piercing means are removed so as to prevent any contact between the inner environment of the packaging and the environment, is characterized in that said closure means consist of two elements, arranged at the wall of said packaging, and secured together, the first element being lined with a thermoplastic material capable of closing after piercing, the second element having spacer means for creating a vacuum chamber at the means piercing.

The present invention also relates to a package equipped with the sealing means described in the present invention.

• la figure 1 montre, selon une vue schématique, un exemple de réalisation du dispositif d'ouverture/fermeture d'un emballage hermétique conforme à l'invention,
• les figures 2 à 4 illustrent, selon une vue en coupe les différentes étapes d'ouverture/fermeture de l'emballage hermétique,
• la figure 5 montre une vue éclatée, en coupe, du dispositif d'ouverture/fermeture de la présente invention préalablement à son assujettissement à l'emballage hermétique à équiper,
• la figure 6 montre une vue en coupe selon l'axe VI-VI de la figure 5,
• la figure 7 montre une vue en coupe selon l'axe VII-VII de la figure 5,
• la figure 8 montre une vue de dessus selon la flèche VIII de la figure 5,
• les figures 9 et 10 montrent une vue en perspective d'un dispositif d'ouverture/fermeture selon un autre mode de réalisation de la présente invention.

The invention will be better described on reading the following description accompanied by the appended drawings among which:

• FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic view, an exemplary embodiment of the device for opening / closing a hermetic package according to the invention,
• Figures 2 to 4 illustrate, in a sectional view the different steps of opening / closing the sealed package,
• FIG. 5 shows an exploded view, in section, of the opening / closing device of the present invention prior to its subjection to the hermetic package to be equipped,
• FIG. 6 shows a sectional view along the axis VI-VI of FIG. 5,
• FIG. 7 shows a sectional view along the axis VII-VII of FIG. 5,
• FIG. 8 shows a view from above according to arrow VIII of FIG. 5,
• Figures 9 and 10 show a perspective view of an opening / closing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The invention relates first of all to an opening / closing device 12 for a hermetic package 10, especially intended for the preservation of agri-food products.

However, this device also applies to hermetic packaging for any other product and for example the storage of pharmaceutical or chemical products.

As shown more particularly in Figure 1, the opening / closing device 12 of a hermetic package 10 comprises piercing means 8 of the wall 3 of said package 10. The opening / closing device 12 also comprises means for shutter 13 at through which the packaging 10 is pierced, and which are able to close after piercing when the piercing means 8 are removed so as to prevent any contact between the inner environment of the package 10 and the ambient environment.

According to the invention, said closure means 13 consist of two elements 1, 2, each in the form of a cage, in particular cylindrical, arranged at the wall 3 of said package 10, and secured together. The first element 1, as developed below, is lined with a thermoplastic material able to close after piercing. The second element 2 has spacer means for creating a vacuum chamber at the level of the piercing means.

It should be noted here that according to the present invention, indifferently, said two functional elements can consist substantially of two independent parts, secured together during their molding, at the level of the package to be equipped, or constituted of a single piece piece.

Moreover, in the case of rigid packages, where the risks of perforation due to the needle 25, as mentioned later, are zero, said element 1 can be used without said element 2.

In the embodiment of Figures 2 to 4, which shows in particular an embodiment of the closure means 13 in two parts, said first element 1, called shutter, is placed on the outside of the package 10, and said second element 2, called depression or strainer, is placed on the inner side, the two said elements 1, 2 taking, in one embodiment, sandwiching the wall 3 of said package 10, as such, between them.

According to another embodiment, the attachment can also be made on the inside or outside of the wall 3 of the package. In this case, the element 2 is previously clipped onto the element 1 before the assembly is welded to the package 10.

When the fixing is carried out on the inside or outside face of the wall 3 of the package 10, it is necessary to carry out a cutting the wall 3 so as to pass respectively the element 1, towards the outside of the package 10, or the element 2 to its interior.

According to a particular embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8, said vacuum element 2 or strainer has a cylindrical body equipped with a closed bottom 15 and at least one hole 11 on its side wall. This has the advantage, on the one hand, to form a dam to prevent solid pieces block the piercing means 8, while allowing the liquid to flow freely, and on the other hand, to avoid the piercing desired two sheets of the package.

The securing of said closure elements 1, and depression 2, when independent, against each other is in particular achieved by gluing or welding or clipping. However, any other means known to those skilled in the field of fixing may be considered.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, said closure means 13 may consist of a single piece 28, one-piece type, which can be fixed on the inside face 29 or external 30 of the wall 3 of the package 10. The functions described about the closure means 13 made in two independent parts remain similar.

One of the advantages of using this type of closure means 13 in the form of a single piece 28 is to allow the welding, in particular, between the piece 28 and the wall 3 of the package 10 at one time . The welding can be carried out either between the surface 32 of the base 33 and the surface 30 of the wall 3 of the package 10, as shown in FIG. 9, or between the surface 31 of the base 33 and the surface 29 of the wall 3 of the package 10, as shown in Figure 10. In other words, the base 33 can be placed either inside or outside of the package.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, said closure means 13 further comprise at least one thermoplastic material advantageously of elastomer type, in particular provided for in FIG. level of said element 1 said shutter.

This thermoplastic material must have specific characteristics allowing when said shutter means 13 are drilled, to close the holes created.

For this, said at least one material used must have a high coefficient of elasticity and also an average hardness so that said sealing means 13 have a good hold and that the hole closes instantly, that is to say that is, at no time does the environment come into contact with the inner environment of the package 10.

After various tests, it has been found that a material having elasticity coefficients of between 600 and 700%, or even between 550 and 650%, and a hardness of between 35 and 55 shores, or even between 55 and 90 shores. , is particularly well suited to form said closure means 13.

In the case of an application of a hermetic packaging 10 for the preservation of agri-food products, a thermoplastic material consisting of a material sold under the trademark "VITAPRENNE" will advantageously be chosen, said material having a shore hardness close to 41 and elongation coefficient close to 50%, the wall of the sealed package 10 being made of a polyethylene film associated with the polyamide, the latter being used as a gas barrier film.

However, this example is of course not limiting, for example, it is possible to use materials marketed under the trademarks "SANTOPRENE" and "SANDOZ" with characteristics of similar hardness and elongation coefficient.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the closure element 1, in the form of a cage, successively has a first external base 4, a hollow zone 6 delimited by a wall 5, in order to housing therein a disk 7, and an opening 21. The decompression element 2, in the form of a hollow cage, successively has a second base 4 ', said bottom 15 and at least one of said holes 11 on its side wall.

Element 1 may furthermore have four anchor points in its periphery (not shown). These anchoring points allow the needle 25 to be held in abutment in the bottom of the element 2 for the duration of the intervention in the package 10 and secondly to ensure that the hole 9 of the needle 25 will always be in the axis of the holes 11. This anchoring system also makes it possible not to exert stress on the package 10 at the time of the perforation of the sealing means 7.

The hollow zone 6 is limited in its lower part by an internal annular shoulder 27 in order to limit the deformation of the disc 7 during its perforation by the needle 25. The perforation is performed by the hole 26, whose diameter may vary between and 10 mm, advantageously 8 mm.

According to the invention, said shutter member 1 is able to contain said disc 7, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, of said thermoplastic material and the front opening 21 is able to author on the one hand the introduction of said disc 7, and secondly its holding crimped in said element 1.

Referring to Figures 5 and 8, it is seen that the disc 7 is circumscribed by said wall 5, so that said wall 5 constitutes a strapping or crimping of the disc 7.

The element 2, called decompression, is able to constitute a stop for the piercing means and an incompressible internal volume.

This element 2 thus constitutes a strainer or a suction filter to avoid, for example, that the wall of the package does not come to press against the suction port of the needle and does not suction circuit.

In addition, and as shown in Figure 3, said bases 4, 4 'are intended to cooperate with the wall 3 of the package 10. In this regard, each base 4, 4' will have an annular groove 23 and a corresponding shoulder 22 for the one hand the location of two elements 1, 2 and secondly facilitate their positioning.

The dimensions of the sealing means 13 are determined firstly to be sufficient to allow easy positioning of the piercing means 8 and secondly relatively small so as to require a minimum of material whose cost is high.

Good results have been obtained with a diameter of between 15 mm and 25 mm and a thickness of between 8 and 15 mm.

Here again it should be noted that the arrangements concerning the sealing means 13, relating to the embodiment in two separate elements, transpose mutatis mutandis to the embodiment with a single piece element as illustrated in FIGS. .

In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, said piercing means 8 consist of a needle 25 having an orifice 9 at the part piercing the wall 3 of said package 10. The shape of said needle 25 makes it possible, in particular, to insert said injecting and / or suction means, injecting and / or aspirating liquids, semi-liquids and gases, such that nitrogen and / or vapor are passed through said orifice 9. Indeed, said orifice 9 allows contact between the inner medium of the package 10 and the inside of said needle 25.

In order not to put the inner environment of the package 10 into contact with the ambient medium, said needle 25 has only one opening constituted by said orifice 9. This orifice 9 prevents any contact between the inner medium of the package 10 and the ambient medium has dimensions determined so that, during perforation, the orifice can not bring into contact the inner environment of the package 10 and the ambient environment.

Thus, for example in the case of a perforation perpendicular to the plane defined by said wall, the dimension of said orifice 9 along the axis of perforation is less than the total width of said closure means 13 and the wall 3 of said package 10.

In a variant of the invention, it is also possible to envisage an orifice 9 having opening / closing means, the orifice 9 then being plugged when the orifice is on the outside of the package, and open when the orifice is inside the package.

The present invention also relates to a package 10 equipped with closure means 13 as mentioned above.

The present invention furthermore relates to an installation for the implementation of such packages, in which provision is made, at the level of said piercing means 8, for injection and / or suction means allowing the injection and / or the aspirating liquids, semi-liquids and gases, such as nitrogen and / or steam, in and / or out of the package preventing contact between the inner environment of the package 10 and the surrounding environment.

The use of steam for a few seconds between each aspiration avoids cross-contamination. The injection of the nitrogen into the package, previously under vacuum, makes it possible to inflate the packaging and to concentrate the liquids by gravity around the opening / closing device. The packaging is re-emptied by suction. nitrogen.

The invention can also provide, at the level of said piercing means, a sensor enabling data to be obtained on the inner environment of the package 10.

Referring to the illustrations of Figures 2 to 4, the operation of the opening / closing device 12 is as follows. In a first step, represented in FIG. 2, said piercing means 8 constituted in the example by the hollow needle 25 are preferably positioned vertically to said closure means 13.

In a second step, piercing of said closure means 13 and the wall 3 of the package 10 is carried out. At this stage, it can be seen that the wall 3 is broken, and it can also be seen that the said closure means 13 consist of said elements 1 and 2 are pierced.

Given the physical characteristics of the material used for said disk 7, the rim 7a of the disk 7 bears against the edges of said needle 25 thus preventing any contact between the inner environment of the package 10 and the environment.

At this stage, illustrated in FIG. 3, the orifice 9 of said needle 25 is in contact with the inner medium of the package 10 through the holes 11 of the element 2, it is therefore possible to suck or inject liquids, semi-liquids and / or gases, such as nitrogen or steam, from the injection and / or suction means 19. It is also possible at this stage by means of said sensor 17 to obtain data on the internal environment of the package 10 and in particular temperature measurements.

At this level, it is important to emphasize that to ensure the hermeticity of the package 10, it is advantageous to choose for the needle a diameter representing approximately one quarter or even one quarter to one sixth of the diameter of the washer.

By way of example, according to a first embodiment, the needle 25 has a diameter of 5 mm and defines an internal conduit 3 mm in diameter, and the washer has a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 8 mm. For example, the injection and / or suction means 19 allow the suction of a liter of liquid in 45 seconds. The suction speed depends of course on the viscosity of the liquid to be injected or aspirated.

According to a second embodiment, the needle 25 has a diameter of 4 mm, and defines an internal conduit of 2 mm in diameter, and the washer has a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 8 mm. The injection and / or suction means 19 allowing suction of one liter of water in one minute.

The choice of the dimensions of the needle 25 and the closure means 13 will be determined in a general manner, on the one hand, by the time available for the injection and / or suction operations and, on the other hand, by the amounts of liquids and semi-liquids to be injected or aspirated.

In a third step, referring to FIG. 4, said needle 25 has been withdrawn from said package 10. It can be seen at this level that said package 10 remains pierced. Upon removal of the needle 25, the flank 7a created by the piercing of said element 7 matches the shape of the needle 25, when it is removed, the flanks 7a touch and the piercing is closed instantly, the flanks gluing together taking into account the material or materials used for the washer 7. Thus, at no time, the inner medium of the package 10 n has been in contact with the environment.

At this level, it is important to note that, when the sealed package 10 is a vacuum package, said flank 7a is, during removal of said needle 25, sucked inwardly of said package 10, this suction allows to ensure an even greater hermeticity.

Thanks to the depression and the material of the washer 7, there is somehow a self-sealing. It will be noted that this effect is further reinforced by the presence of the ring 5 which radially compresses the material of the disc 7.

This device therefore makes it possible, particularly in the case where it is intended for the preservation of agri-food products, not to have to unpack the products and then to repackage them and thus to use only one packaging, which provides this device with a significant ecological and economic advantage over known devices.

Naturally, other embodiments of the device could have been envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims below.

Claims (13)

Device for opening / closing (12) a hermetic package (10), in particular for the preservation of food products, having piercing means (8), as well as closure means (13) through which the piercing of the package (10) is carried out, and being able to close after piercing when the piercing means (8) are removed so as to prevent any contact between the inner medium of the package (10) and the medium ambient, characterized in that said closure means (13) consist of two elements (1, 2), arranged at the wall (3) of said package (10), and secured together, the first element (1) being lined with a thermoplastic material capable of closing after piercing, the second element (2) having spacer means for creating a vacuum chamber at the piercing means. Device according to claim 1, wherein said first shutter member (1) is placed on the outside of the package (10) and said second vacuum element (2) is placed on the inside, the two said elements (1, 2) sandwiching the wall (3) of said package (10), as such, between them, or being fixed on the inner or outer face of said wall. Device according to claim 1, wherein said closure elements (1, 2) are independent and secured against each other by gluing or welding, or clipping. Device according to Claim 1, in which the said closure elements 13 form a single piece (28) which can be fixed on the inside (29) or outside (30) of the wall (3) of the package (10). . Device according to claim 1, wherein said depression element (2) has a bottom (15) closed and at least one hole (11) on its side wall. Device according to claim 1, wherein said closure means (13) consist of two cage-shaped elements (1, 2), whose diameter is between 15 mm and 25 mm and the thickness between 8 and 15 mm. Device according to claim 1, wherein said closure means (13) comprises a first element (1), cage-shaped, having, on the one hand, an outer base (4) intended to cooperate with the wall of the packaging (3), and secondly, a hollow area (6) delimited by a wall (5) to accommodate the disc (7). Device according to claim 1, wherein said closure means (13) comprises a second element (2), cage-shaped, having, on the one hand, an outer base (4 ') intended to cooperate with the wall of the packaging (3), and secondly, at least one lateral orifice (11), the cage being able to constitute a stop for the piercing means and an incompressible internal volume. Device according to claim 1, wherein the closure member (13) in the form of a cage having, on the one hand, said outer base (4) intended to cooperate with the wall (3) of the package, has, on the other hand, a front opening (21), the cage being able to contain a disc (7) of said thermoplastic material, the front opening (21) being able to allow on the one hand the introduction of said disc (7) and on the other hand its maintenance crimped into said cage. Device according to claim 1, wherein said piercing means (8) consist of a needle (25) having an orifice (9) at the portion piercing the wall (3) of said package (10). Packaging equipped with closure means (13) according to any one of the preceding claims. Installation designed for the implementation of packaging according to claim 11, wherein is provided at said piercing means (8), injection and / or suction means for injection and / or suction of liquids, semi-liquids, gases in and / or out of the packaging preventing any contact between the internal environment of the package (10) and the environment. Installation designed for the implementation of packaging according to claim 11, wherein is provided at said piercing means (8), a sensor for obtaining data on the inner environment of the package (10) in preventing any contact between the inner environment of the package (10) and the environment.

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