JP4420177B2 - Gas replacement packaging method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gas replacement packaging method and apparatus for sealing and sealing a lid material around a container, such as a cup or a tray, in which contents are placed and gas is replaced with an inert gas.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as packaging of solid food, a method of transferring contents to a molded container and heat-sealing a lid material such as a plastic film on a flange formed around the opening of the container is used. If the sealing is performed when the contents are hot, the pressure of the gas existing in the head space left in the upper part of the contents in the container tends to decrease when cooled. For balance with pressure, pressure inward of the container acts on the lid, and even if there is tarmi or wrinkles on the film lid when sealed, such tarmi and wrinkles are naturally caused by the tension acting on the lid. It will be resolved. However, it is difficult to keep the content at a high temperature when the surface of the content is easily cooled or when the content is temporarily stopped for some reason in the packaging process. In this case, the amount of gas in the head space left in the upper part of the contents in the container does not decrease, so the lid material does not stretch, and the lid material that has been sealed does not get rid of tarmi and wrinkles. , The product value will be low.
[0003]
A method of heating the contents with steam before sealing the lid is also conceivable. By blowing steam into the container body filled with the contents leaving a space and heating only the vicinity of the contents, and then blowing in an inert gas, or by blowing a mixture of water vapor and inert gas, It has been proposed to replace the remaining air in the space with an inert gas and steam, and then immediately seal the container body with a lid material so that the amount of oxygen remaining in the space in the container is small. The steam heated only on the surface of the contents is deprived of latent heat and condensed, and adheres to the surface of the contents as water droplets. The condensed water evaporates even during a short period of time until sealing, and becomes steam, and after the container is sealed, the steam condenses on the way to cooling to room temperature, and creates a negative pressure inside the container.
[0004]
At this time, the container has a reduced internal volume due to the condensation of steam into water droplets, etc., and normally the relatively bendable parts such as the bottom wall and the lid part are slightly bent to a position where the internal and external pressure balance is balanced, The lid material is also recessed to the inside of the container by the external pressure. It is expected that the container and the lid material are recessed inward to appeal that the container does not expand due to deterioration of quality, and that the appearance is improved by applying tension to the lid material. In addition, the surface of the contents is sterilized by steam, and fungi such as fungi are difficult to propagate. Furthermore, the heat seal can be further stabilized by warming the container by spraying steam before heat sealing.
[0005]
However, in a clean room in an aseptic manufacturing line where heat sterilization is not performed after filling and sealing, if the amount of steam sprayed becomes large, it is difficult to completely prevent the steam from leaking into the factory. It becomes an environment where bacteria are more likely to propagate than in a humid and dry state, which is not preferable. Further, when an inspection machine or the like is arranged, the high-temperature and high-humidity environment may affect the computer or the like used in the inspection machine or the like.
[0006]
On the other hand, a container having a container body having an opening at the upper end and filled with a filling, and a lid for sealing the opening of the container body, the outside air is the container when the lid is opened. In order to make it difficult for the filling inside to jump out due to entering inside, the bottom of the container body includes a curved portion having a restoring force and curved outward, and the curved portion is deformed inward to reduce the container volume. There has been proposed a container in which the opening of the container body is sealed with a lid in a reduced state and the inside thereof is decompressed by the restoring force of the curved portion (see Patent Document 1).
[0007]
In addition, a deformable portion is provided on the bottom wall of the cup-shaped container body, the deformable portion being deformable between an upward curved state where the central portion rises high and a downward curved state where the central portion sinks, and the deformable portion has a predetermined size or more. A sealed container has been devised that can be reversibly deformed from one state of an upwardly curved state and a downwardly curved state to the other state when the pressure is applied (see Patent Document 2). In this sealed container, when sealing the lid, an external force is applied to at least one of the container body or the lid to cause the deformed portion to deform from the upward curved state to the downward curved state, and the central portion of the lid from the flat state. Deformation is performed in a downward curved state. This sealed container is a container of a type in which a head space to be replaced with an inert gas is not formed, and a topping recess is formed on the top of the contents when the lid is opened.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-43152 (column 4, lines 22-33, FIG. 1C)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2002-68296 A (paragraphs [0032] to [0035]
2 and 3)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, in the gas replacement packaging in which the lid is sealed and sealed around the opening in a cup, tray-shaped container or the like in which the contents are put and gas-substituted with an inert gas, the lid is supplied to the container. There is a problem to be solved in that even if talmi or wrinkles are generated in the lid material at the time of sealing, tension is generated in the lid material and the talmi or wrinkles are stretched and eliminated.
[0010]
The purpose of the present invention is to seal the interior at a low temperature by substituting the interior of the headspace with an inert gas without using steam that creates a hot and humid environment while reducing the pressure due to condensation. However, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gas replacement packaging method and apparatus that can effectively eliminate tarmi and wrinkles that are likely to occur when a lid is sealed around the opening of a container.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the gas replacement packaging method according to the present invention seals the contents around the opening of a container into which the contents are charged and the inside is replaced with an inert gas. In order to eliminate the tarmi and wrinkles that may occur in the lid material when the gas replacement packaging is performed in the container, the volume of the container is reduced by deforming the container so that the seal can be restored. Consists of doing in.
[0012]
According to this gas replacement packaging method, when sealing the lid around the opening of the container in which the contents are charged and the inside is replaced with an inert gas, the container is deformed so that it can be restored. Reduce the volume. Since the lid is sealed in a state where the volume of the container is reduced, when the volume reduction of the container is eliminated after sealing, the container tries to recover its volume due to its resilience. The material is pulled and tensioned inside the container. Accordingly, tarmi and wrinkles that may occur in the lid material at the time of sealing can be eliminated even if they occur.
[0013]
In addition, the gas replacement packaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a gas replacement portion that replaces the inside of a container in which contents are charged with an inert gas, and a seal that seals a cover material around the opening portion of the gas-substituted container. In order to eliminate tarmi and wrinkles that may occur in the lid and the lid member, the seal portion is provided with a volume reducing means for deformably deforming the container when the lid member is sealed to the container.
[0014]
According to this gas replacement packaging apparatus, the inside of the container into which the contents are charged is replaced with the inert gas in the gas replacement portion, and the lid member is sealed around the opening of the container in the seal portion. The volume reducing means reduces the volume of the molded container by deforming the container so that it can be restored when the lid member is sealed to the container at the seal portion. Since the lid is sealed in a state where the volume of the molded container is reduced, when the volume reduction of the molded container is eliminated after sealing, the container is decompressed in an attempt to recover the volume by its resilience, and the sealed lid material Is pulled inside the container and is tense. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the tarmi and wrinkles that may occur in the lid material at the time of sealing.
[0015]
In this gas replacement packaging method, the volume of the container can be reduced by deforming the bottom of the container. Moreover, in this gas replacement packaging apparatus, the volume reducing means can be a pressing member that is pressed against the bottom of the container and deforms the bottom into the inside of the container. As a part which deform | transforms a container for volume reduction, it can be made into the bottom part with little external appearance influence of a deformation | transformation.
[0016]
In this gas replacement packaging method, the bottom portion of the container can be deformed by engaging the volume reducing member with the bottom portion of the container being conveyed. Further, in this gas replacement packaging device, the gas replacement portion and the seal portion are sequentially arranged along the transport path of the container, and the pressing member is at least in the range up to the seal portion along the transport path. , And can be disposed at a position engageable with the bottom of the container to be conveyed. By performing gas replacement and sealing when the container is transported along the transport path, the gas replacement processing and sealing processing of the container are continuously performed. By placing the volume reducing member (pressing member) at a position where it engages with the container being transported, the volume reducing member (pressing member) automatically becomes the bottom of the container when the container being transported approaches the seal portion. The container can be deformed by engaging with.
[0017]
In this gas replacement packaging method, it is preferable that the lid member is sealed while pressed against the periphery of the opening of the container. In the gas replacement packaging apparatus, the seal portion may include a pressing member that presses the lid material against the periphery of the opening of the container. Sealing in a state where the lid member is pressed against the periphery of the opening of the container can suppress the occurrence of sagging and wrinkles on the lid member when the lid member is sealed. By providing a pressing member on the seal part, at the time of sealing, the cover member is pressed against the periphery of the opening of the container by the pressing member to prevent inadvertent movement of the cover material. And wrinkles can be prevented.
[0018]
In this gas replacement packaging method, the cover member can be pressed against the periphery of the opening of the container by the pressure of air blown toward the cover member. In this gas replacement packaging apparatus, the pressing member may include a plurality of nozzles for blowing out air that presses the lid member against the periphery of the opening of the container with pressure. Since the lid is pressed against the container by the pressure of air blown toward the lid, the lid is effectively pressed against the container without increasing the frictional force against the lid, unlike pressing by contact. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of talmi and wrinkles on the lid material due to the increase in frictional force.
[0019]
In the above-described gas replacement packaging method in which the lid material is pressed by the pressure of air, the air spreads toward the downstream side in the traveling direction with respect to the lid material that is fed along with the conveyance of the container. Can blow out in position. Further, in the gas replacement packaging apparatus having a pressing member provided with a plurality of nozzles for blowing out air, the nozzle is expanded toward the downstream side in the traveling direction with respect to the lid material fed out as the container is conveyed. It can be arranged on a line that spreads out. The pressing member provided in the seal portion blows air toward the lid member from a plurality of nozzles arranged on a line that spreads the lid member that is unrolled as the container is transported in the direction of travel. In the lid member that is fed out along with the conveyance of the container and travels, the pulling force in the lateral direction gradually moves outward in the lateral direction. Accordingly, even if the cover material may be crushed or wrinkled, the talmi or wrinkle can be eliminated by extending it in the lateral direction.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the gas replacement packaging method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a gas replacement packaging apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of the gas replacement packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is A of the gas replacement packaging apparatus shown in FIG. -A sectional view, FIG. 4 is a figure which shows the side pressing member of the gas replacement packaging apparatus shown in FIG.
[0021]
A gas replacement packaging apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to an aseptic filling and sealing process, and is made of a heat-weldability such as polypropylene or a synthetic resin subjected to the treatment and molded into a tray 6 (one 2 is filled with the contents 7 (see FIG. 2), and the interior of the container 6 containing the contents 7 is replaced with an inert gas such as nitrogen gas. In this state, the lid 9 made of a synthetic resin film subjected to heat-weldability or its treatment is heat-sealed to produce a package 9 in which the contents 7 are sealed in the container 6. The gas replacement packaging apparatus 1 includes a container station and a content transfer station 2, a chamber station 3 for spraying steam and a nitrogen gas as an inert replacement gas, and contents 7 in order as viewed in the transport direction. The container 6 is provided with a sealing station 4 for heat-sealing the lid 8 and a package take-out station 5 for taking out the package 9 of the contents 7 sealed with the lid 8.
[0022]
The container and content transfer station 2 is configured as a sterile closed space including a transfer portion 2a of the container 6 and a content filling portion 2b that is located downstream of the container 6 and fills the content 7. The container and contents transfer station 2 is surrounded by a chamber as a whole (not shown), and aseptic air is supplied into the container and the container 6 is aseptically dried. In the transfer section 2a, the container 6 is supplied onto a receiving base 16 as a container holder described later by a container supply mechanism (not shown). The container 6 placed on the cradle 16 is filled with the content 7 in the content filling unit 2b.
[0023]
The chamber station 3 is a station for spraying steam and nitrogen gas as an inert gas onto the container 6 containing the contents 7. Nitrogen is supplied to the inside and appropriately exhausted, and the interior is filled with high purity nitrogen. Gas replacement is performed in a gas atmosphere. In FIG. 1, the chamber station 3 is depicted in a compact manner. However, the dissolved oxygen is contained in the contents 7, and the dissolved oxygen affects the oxygen concentration after replacement. The conveyance section to be conveyed is set to a considerable length. In the chamber station 3, a chamber 10 is disposed, and the containers 6 supported by the receiving table 16 are sequentially transported.
[0024]
Each of the container and content transfer station 2, the chamber station 3, the sealing station 4, and the package take-out station 5 is, for example, along the transport path of the upper traveling unit 15e of the transport device 15 using a chain. Arranged in order. The conveying device 15 includes a driving sprocket 15a, a driven sprocket 15b, and a chain 15c (see FIG. 3) wound around the driving sprocket 15a and the driven sprocket 15b. The conveying device 15 is connected to the chain 15c while the upper traveling portion 15e is conveyed. The container 6 is conveyed by being supported by the cradle 16 provided. Thereafter, the cradle 16 is appropriately cleaned and dried while being transported through the lower traveling unit 15f, and is carried into the container and contents transfer station 2 at a position where the cradle 16 returns to the upper traveling unit 15e.
[0025]
The sealing station 4 includes a lid material roll 12 around which the lid material 8 is wound up, and an excess lid material winding portion 13 that winds up the lid material surplus portion 8a generated by cutting the lid material 8. A sealing mechanism 20 is disposed between the lid material roll 12 and the surplus lid material winding portion 13. The lid 8 is sterilized by a UV lamp (not shown) before heat sealing. The seal mechanism 20 is a first seal portion 21 that seals the annular heat-sealed portion around the opening in the container 6 containing the contents 7 of the lid material 8 fed out from the lid material roll 12 in order from the upstream side. A second seal portion 22 disposed downstream of the first seal portion 21 in the conveying direction and re-sealing the lid 8 at a portion where the first seal is applied; and a downstream side of the second seal portion 22. And a cooling unit 23 for cooling the heat-sealed sealing region, and a lid material cutting unit 24 arranged on the downstream side of the cooling unit 23 and cutting the lid material 8 for each container 6 while trimming. .
[0026]
FIG. 2 shows a main part of the seal mechanism 20 of the gas replacement packaging apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 together, the pair of left and right rails 17, 17 provided in the transport device 15 are arranged in a row in a state of being supported by a cradle 16 that is connected to a chain (not shown) and can travel. Immediately before entering the seal mechanism 20, the transported container 6 is continuously covered with the cover material 8 supplied from above by the pressing roller 18. A flange portion 6 a is formed in an annular shape around the opening 6 b of the container 6, and the container 6 is conveyed in a state where the flange portion 6 a is supported by the receiving table 16. The first seal portion 21 is provided with a heating member 25 as a heat sealer that applies a first seal to the flange portion 6a of the container 6 into which the contents 7 are put in the annular region 30 surrounding the opening 6b. In the first seal portion 21, immediately after the cover material 8 is covered, the heat seal scheduled portion is sealed in the annular region 30 of the container 6.
[0027]
In a range extending from the chamber station 3 to the sealing station 4, a pressing member 35 is disposed as a volume reducing member that engages with the bottom 6c of the traveling container 6 and reduces the container volume. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the pressing member 35 is configured such that, on the upstream side, the lid member 8 is attached to the container 6 by the pressing roller 18 disposed at the boundary position between the chamber station 3 and the sealing station 4. When it starts to be pressed against the flange portion 6a, it extends to a position where it presses substantially all the bottom portion 6c of the container 6 still running on the chamber station 3 side. On the downstream side, the pressing member 35 extends to a position that presses substantially all the bottom portion 6 c of the container 6 in a state where the sealing is performed by the first seal portion 21 of the sealing station 4. It is preferable that the pressing member 35 borders the peripheral edge 36 and smoothly changes the contact with the bottom 6c.
[0028]
The container 6 simply travels from the chamber station 3 to the sealing station 4 and is previously replaced with nitrogen gas as an inert gas. Thereafter, the bottom portion 6c is pressed by the pressing member 35 while being in the gas replacement state. The container volume is reduced due to deformation. The volume reduction state of the container 6 is continuously maintained while being pressed by the pressing member 35. Therefore, the container 6 is sealed by the first seal portion 21 while the gas is replaced and the volume is reduced. When the container 6 passes through the pressing member 35, the bottom 6c of the container 6 tries to return to its original state by a restoring force (or the weight of the contents 7 is added), and as a result, the volume of the container 6 tends to increase. At this time, since the inside of the container 6 is depressurized, the lid member 8 is deformed to the inside of the container 6 by an external air pressure higher than the internal pressure, and tension is given. A state in which the lid member 8 is deformed inside the container 6 is depicted at the leftmost position in FIG. As a result, even if it is a case where tarmi or wrinkles are about to occur in the lid member 8, it can be eliminated by stretching the tension due to tension.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 3, in the first seal portion 21, pressing members 27, 27 that press the lid 8 against the flange portion 6 a of the container 6 are provided on the left and right outer sides with respect to the moving direction of the heating member 25. It has been. An air supply pipe 28 is connected to the pressing member 27, and the air supply pipe 28 is opened to a plurality of passages 28 a in the pressing member 27 and opens to a distal end portion 27 a facing downward of the pressing member 27. The nozzle 29 is connected. In the first seal portion 21, a heating member 32 is disposed between the heating members 25, 25 so as to be movable up and down. The heating member 32 heats the inner region 31 of the lid member 8, and when the lid member 8 is crushed or wrinkled, the talmi or wrinkle is extended and further eliminated.
[0030]
Details of the pressing member 27 are shown in FIG. 4 (a) is a side view of the pressing member, FIG. 4 (b) is a sectional view of one side of the pressing member shown in FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 4 (c) is a double pressing shown in FIG. 4 (a). It is a bottom view of a contact member. As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the tip end portion 27a is tapered from the viewpoint of reducing the running resistance with the lid member 8, as shown in FIG. 4 (b). preferable. As shown in FIG. 4C, the opening positions of the plurality of nozzles 29 formed in the both pressing members 27 are positions on a line 37 that spreads toward the traveling direction of the lid member 8 accompanying the conveyance of the container 6. Is arranged.
[0031]
Air blown from the nozzles 29 of the pressing members 27 is blown against the left and right edges of the lid member 8, and the lid member 8 is pressed against the flange portion 6 a of the container 6 by the pressure of the air. Since the nozzles 29 of the respective pressing members 27 are arranged at positions on the line 37 that spreads toward the traveling direction of the cover member 8, the cover member 8 that is fed along with the transport of the container 6 always travels. It is possible to apply a force in the direction of tensioning in the direction transverse to the direction. By this tension force, the tarmi and wrinkles that can occur in the lid member 8 can be stretched and eliminated in addition to the effects of volume reduction and decompression of the container 6.
[0032]
According to this gas replacement packaging method, after the contents 7 are put into the container 6 and replaced with gas, when the lid 8 is heat sealed to the container 6, the inside of the container 6 is reduced in volume, and The lid member 8 is pulled in the lateral direction by the pressing members 27 on both sides, and the lid member 8 is sealed in the annular region 30 in such a state. After the lid 8 is sealed, the reduced volume of the container 6 is disengaged from the pressing member 35 and attempts to increase its volume by a restoring force. Further, the cooling effect is added to the interior of the container 6. The lid 8 is deformed inward by reducing the pressure. At that time, due to the tension acting on the lid member 8, it is possible to extend the tarmi and wrinkles that can occur in the heat-sealed lid member 8 and possibly impair the appearance, thereby eliminating the tarmi and wrinkles.
[0033]
FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of another gas replacement packaging apparatus according to the present invention. Since the gas replacement packaging device 40 shown in FIG. 5 is different in the structure of the volume reducing member that reduces the volume of the container 6 as compared with the packaging device 1 shown in FIGS. Similar components and parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In order to reduce the volume of the container 6 containing the contents 7 that has arrived at the first seal portion 21, an operating mechanism 41 such as an air cylinder is disposed at a lower position that does not interfere with the cradle 16. The container 6 containing the contents 7 which has arrived at the first seal portion 21 and is stopped is in a state where the gas is replaced and covered with the lid material 8, but the lid material 8 is not yet sealed.
[0034]
With respect to the container 6 that has arrived at the first seal portion 21, the operation mechanism 41 is operated, whereby the piston 43 that can be moved up and down in the cylinder 42 is raised into the cradle 16. The pressing member 44 attached to the tip of the piston 43 comes into contact with the bottom portion 6c, and the container 6 is reduced in volume by pressing the bottom portion 6c and deforming it inward. Thereafter, when the container 6 is in a reduced volume state, the lid member 8 is sealed to the flange portion 6 a of the container 6 by the heating member 25. After the sealing of the lid 8 to the container 6, the operation mechanism 41 moves backward, and the pressing member 44 moves backward below the cradle 16. Since the volume of the container 6 tends to increase as the bottom 6c of the container 6 is restored, the inside of the container 6 is depressurized and the lid member 8 is deformed and tensioned inward, and this occurs when the lid member 8 is sealed. The tarmi and wrinkles you get are eliminated.
[0035]
Various modifications and additions can be made in the above embodiment. For example, although the containers 6 are supplied in a single row, it is of course possible to configure the containers 6 so that they can be processed in multiple rows. The volume reducing members 35 and 44 may be flat and flat, but may be a plurality of rails extending in the transport direction of the container 6.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is configured as described above, and is generated in a sealed lid material when the container is sealed by sealing the lid material around the opening of the container into which the contents are charged and gas-substituted. To eliminate the tarmi and wrinkles that can be obtained, the lid is sealed with the volume reduced. After the lid member is sealed, the volume of the reduced volume is reduced in pressure when the volume is restored, and the lid member is deformed and tensioned to the inner side of the container. Tension acts on the lid, and the appearance and appearance can be improved by eliminating the possible tarmi and wrinkles. Although steam can be expected to reduce pressure due to condensation, it creates a hot and humid environment, but the gas replacement packaging method and apparatus according to the present invention does not use steam, so regardless of the temperature of the contents, Even when the sealing is performed at a low temperature, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of tarmi and wrinkles when the lid is sealed to the opening of the container. Simultaneously with the sealing of the lid material, the lid material is pressed by the pressing members on both sides, and the lid material fed out by the air blow-out has an action of pulling in the lateral direction with respect to the running direction, thereby preventing the distortion of wrinkles and wrinkles. Further elimination can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a gas replacement packaging apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging device shown in FIG.
4 is a view showing a side pressing member of the packaging device shown in FIG. 3, wherein (a) is a side view thereof, (b) is a sectional view thereof, and (c) is a bottom view thereof.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of another gas replacement packaging apparatus using a container according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Gas replacement packaging device 2 Container and contents transfer station
3 Chamber station 4 Blocking station
5 Package removal station
6 Container 6a Opening 6b Flange 6c Bottom
7 Contents 8 Lid
9 Packaging
15 Transport device 16 Receiving base
20 Seal Mechanism 21 First Seal Part 22 Second Seal Part
23 Cooling unit 24 Cover material seal cut unit
27 Pushing member 27a Tip
28 Air supply pipe 28a Passage
29 nozzles 30 annular area
31 inner region 32 heating element
35 Pressing member 36 Edge
37 lines
40 Gas replacement packaging equipment 41 Actuation mechanism
42 Cylinder 43 Piston
44 Pressing member

Claims (2)

When the contents are charged and packaged in the container by replacing the contents around the opening of the container where the contents are charged and the inside of the container is replaced with an inert gas, the contents may be generated in the cover material. In order to eliminate tarmi and wrinkles, the lid is sealed against the periphery of the opening of the container by the pressure of the air blown toward the lid, and the container is being transported. A gas replacement packaging method comprising performing a volume reducing member by engaging a volume reducing member with a bottom portion of the container and deforming the bottom portion inwardly so that the volume of the container is reduced. A gas replacement part for replacing the inside of the container in which the contents are charged with an inert gas, a seal part for sealing a cover around the opening of the gas-replaced container, In order to eliminate wrinkles, an air supply means that presses the lid against the periphery of the opening of the container when the lid is sealed to the container at the seal portion, at least along the transport path of the container A gas replacement packaging apparatus comprising a volume reducing means comprising a pressing member that reversibly deforms a bottom portion of the container disposed in a range up to a seal portion .

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