Patent Application
20080253701
The present invention relates generally to the handling and packaging of perishable items, and particularly relates to a method and apparatus for handling perishable items which provides an improved manner of allowing perishable items to be readily unpackaged without the use of tools and without fragmenting the packaging.
Plastic bag containers for containing product articles are commonly formed on vertical and horizontal form, fill and seal machines. Vertical form, fill and seal (VFFS) machines typically wrap film around a tube. Seals are made in the film to form a bag and product is dropped through the tube into the bag. Overwrap form, fill and seal machines typically wrap film around a product and seal the film to form a bag. Horizontal form, fill and seal (HFFS) machines generally fold film, transverse seal into a three sided package, drop product into the package, and seal the package closed.
Improvements to such existing related products and processes are always desirable.
The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, in one embodiment, provides an improved container, a method of making same, and a method of using same.
The present invention further provides an improved food container.
The present invention further provides an improved food container which includes improved handling characteristics in that it can be opened without the use of tools such as scissors or knives.
The present invention further provides an improved food container which includes improved handling characteristics in that it can be opened without “fragmenting” or separating a piece of the container from the main body of the container, and thus providing a risk of contamination of the food product with the container material.
The present invention also includes a method of making and/or using the above-referenced food container (a.k.a. “bag”).
Aspects of the present invention thus provide these and other advantages, as further detailed herein.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments, and each variation thereof, is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
The following discussion will include the description of two exemplary bag embodiments; First Bag Embodiment 10 and Second Bag Embodiment 110 will first be described. Following this discussion, the manner in which the bags are manufactured, and ultimately used in a food processing environment, will be described.
Generally described, the first bag 10 according to the present invention is such as that shown in
This first bag 10 is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFS technology, and includes the top and bottom end seals 14, 16, respectively. However, the present invention provides additional features including a peel-away or otherwise separable seal at 18, and a perforated segment 20 having a transverse partial perforation line 21.
It may be understood that by tearing the first bag 10 along the perforation line 21 segment 20, the upper end seal 14 may be bypassed, thus providing access to the internal separable “peel-away” seal 18 (a.k.a. “peel seal” 18) .
As described in more detail elsewhere, this allows for a first bag 10 configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via the first bag 10 from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading, location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from the first bag 10 without the use of tools, and without tear-off discharge during the bag opening process, thus resulting in a one-piece, intact bag which is not fragmented.
As noted above, the first bag 10 according to the present invention is such as that shown in
As seen in
The body portion 11 of the first bag 10 is composed of conventional sheet material such as unrolled plastic sheeting, although other appropriate materials may be used.
The first and second secure seals 14, 16, and the longitudinal seal 17 are not intended to be re-opened, and are provided by conventional VFFS technology, although other technology is not to be precluded from the coverage of the invention. As such a web of the packaging material 11 is drawn along a former (not shown) and then passes downwards in tubular formation; the edges are sealed longitudinally to provide the conventional longitudinal seal 17 as the packaging material moves downwards (assuming, as is preferred, that the packaging material moves continuously), after which horizontal seals are made at regular intervals to form individual bags. During this process, a measured quantity of product to be packaged is dropped into each bag before a top seal is formed by sealing jaws which simultaneously form the bottom seal of the next bag. The sealing jaws commonly include a cutting device which separates successive bags, and in this embodiment separate a single seal into the two seals 14, 16.
In one exemplary embodiment of this invention, whole (processed) chickens are to be transferred from the first, bag loading, location (e.g. a poultry processing facility) to a second, bag unloading, location (e.g. a retail food service location). As such, it is desirable to discourage the introduction of materials other than the intended food items (e.g. plastic cuttings, strips, chips, etc) into the food processing stream. In the prior art, it has been found that the use of removable tear-away strips cause such items to be introduced into the food processing stream. Similarly, if a conventional bag is used which requires the use of cutting tools such as a knife or scissors, such requirements result in the occasional separation of plastic pieces from the main part of the bag. This is undesirable. Furthermore, there is danger inherent in the existence and/or use of sharp edges proximate food preparation personnel.
In order to address the above issues, a second type of seal 18 is provided, that being a separable seal 18. This type of seal could also be referenced as a “peel seal” or “peel-away seal”, in that it is preferably configured such that a typical human operator can provide a sufficient gripping and separation force to separate the seal without the use of tools either to cut or grip the material.
The top and bottom seals 14, 16, respectively, of the bag are also considered “lockup” seals; the seal 18 is considered an internal peel seal that will hold gas and product inside the bag, but will also allow for manual, no-tools, opening after removal of the top seal 14.
Seals 14 and 16 can be provided simultaneously by the use of one sealing element and a knife to provide the seals 14 and 16 as known in the art. The “peel-away” seal 18 may be provided by using an appropriate second sealing element (moving with the first sealing element on a common sealing bar, or moving independently of the first sealing element). The perforated segment 20 and perforation line 21 can be provided by technology known in the art.
In order to unpack the contents of the bag, a food processing personnel (a.k.a. “user”, not shown) will manually tear the bag 10 at the perforated segment 20, while leaving the bridging retention section 22 intact. This will keep the plastic containment bag 10 all “in one piece”, thus enabling more reliable disposal or recycling of the bag 10. The food processing personnel will then separate the “peel away” seal, (typically by using one hand on each of two upper edges) providing access to the items within the bag. The items within the bag are then unloaded from the bag 10, and the bag 10 is removed from the food processing stream.
All seals 14, 16, and 18 are preferably configured to support the entire weight of the product. It may be understood that if the internal separable seal 18 should separate or otherwise become breached before the perforated segment 20 is torn, the upper end seal 14 will still be there as a backup seal.
Therefore it may be seen that this bag 10 is designed for back room packaging and has a simplified opening feature that allows the bag to be opened without the use of sharp instruments or tearing of the bag. After being filled, the packages may be transported to a retail food location. They can then be handled by on-site personnel as needed.
It should be understood that this invention particularly allows for the effective transportation of food elements within a marinating liquid.
Generally described, the second bag 110 according to the present invention is such as that shown in
This second bag 110 is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFS technology.
As described in more detail elsewhere, this allows for a second bag 110 configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via the first bag 110 from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading, location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from the first bag 110 without the use of tools, and without tear-off discharge during the bag opening process.
As noted above, the second bag 10 according to the present invention is such as that shown in
As seen in
The body portion 111 of the second bag 110 is composed of conventional sheet material such as unrolled plastic sheeting, although other appropriate materials may be used.
The secure seal 116, and the longitudinal seal 117 are provided by conventional VFFS technology, although other technology is not to be necessarily precluded from the coverage of the invention. As such a web of the packaging material 111 is drawn along a former (not shown) and then passes downwards in tubular formation; the edges are sealed longitudinally to provide the conventional longitudinal seal 117 as the packaging material moves downwards (assuming, as is preferred, that the packaging material moves continuously), after which horizontal seals are made at regular intervals to form individual bags. During this process, a measured quantity of product to be packaged is dropped into each bag before a top seal is formed by sealing jaws which simultaneously form the bottom seal of the next bag. The sealing jaws commonly include a cutting device which separates successive bags.
In one embodiment of this invention, whole (processed) chickens are to be transferred from the first, bag loading, location (e.g. a poultry processing facility) to a second, bag unloading, location (e.g. a retail food service location). As such, it is desirable to discourage the introduction of materials other than the intended food items (e.g. plastic cuttings, strips, chips, etc) into the food processing stream. In the prior art, it has been found that the use of removable tear-away strips cause such items to be introduced into the food processing stream. Similarly, if a conventional bag is used which requires the use of cutting tools such as a knife or scissors, such requirements result in the occasional separation of plastic pieces from the main part of the bag. This is undesirable. Furthermore, there is danger inherent in the existence and/or use of sharp edges proximate food preparation personnel.
In order to address the above issues, a second type of seal 118 is provided, that being a separable seal 118. This type of seal could also be referenced as a ‘peel away”, in that it is preferably configured such that a typical human operator can provide a sufficient force to separate the seal without the use of tools either to cut or grip the material. In one exemplary embodiment approximately 1.25 inches of free flap is provided for the operator to grasp.
The bottom seals 116, respectively, of the bag are considered a “lockup” seals; the seal 118 is considered an internal peel seal that will hold gas and product inside the bag, but will also allow for manual, no-tools, opening.
Seals 116 can be provided by the use of a first sealing element to provide the seals 116 as known in the art. The “peel-away” seal 116 may be provided by using an appropriate second sealing element (moving with the first sealing element on a common sealing bar, or moving independently of the first sealing element). Cutting and perforation may also be done simultaneously or at some other step.
In order to unpack the contents of the bag, a food processing personnel (a.k.a. “user”, not shown) will separate the “peel away” seal 118, providing access to the items within the bag. The items within the bag are then unloaded from the bag 110, and the bag 110 is removed from the food processing stream.
Seals 114, 116, and 118 are preferably configured to support the entire weight of the product.
Reference is now made to
Referring now also to
The roll of film is mounted on the unwind of a VFFS machine with the peelable seal oriented to the inside of the package to be formed. The film is unwound and formed into a tube as is the typical convention. At Step 302, the back (a.k.a., “longitudinal”) seal is made and is fusion sealed with typical temperatures at 300 F to 400 F. At this point, if desired, inert gas can be pumped down the fill tube to evacuate oxygen to extend shelf life.
The end seals 14 and 16 are made with the cross direction (a.k.a. “transverse”) seal bars. For the particular bag being the subject of the flow chart 300, the seal 16 is made at Step 304. The machine indexes the film according to the prescribed length for each bag. The seal bars close to fusion seal at 300 F to 400 F the top of the last bag made and the bottom of the next to be sealed.
At Step 306, food product is charged into the bag, contained by the end seal 16 and the longitudinal seal 17.
At Step 308, three actions are provided, and can be done simultaneously or in a sub-sequence, as known in the art. In one embodiment, a perforation not the full width of the bag is made below the top fusion seal and above the peel seal which is made by using a secondary set of sealing bars at temperatures typically 220 F to 300 F.
It may be understood that upon the completion of Step 308, “bagged product” is provided, which may be understood as being a discrete bag with one or more food product elements inside.
At Step 310, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged product are loaded into a container such as a cardboard box or the like.
At Step 312, the boxes of bagged product are transported from a first location (for example a food processing facility) to a second location (for example a food service facility).
At Step 314, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged product are unloaded from the container referenced in Step 314.
At Step 316, a user (e.g., a food service cook) does not need to use sharp implements to open the bag. The user opens the bag by pulling the perforated portion of the top fusion seal to expose the peel seal such that the seal can be breached, to access the food.
At Step 318, the emptied bag is discarded. Due to the configuration of the bag, preferably the entire bag which contained the food product has remained intact, albeit in an opened state.
Referring now also to
The roll of film is mounted on the unwind of a VFFS machine with the peelable seal oriented to the inside of the package to be formed. The film is unwound and formed into a tube as is the typical convention. At Step 402, the back (a.k.a., “longitudinal”) seal is made and is fusion sealed with typical temperatures are 300 F to 400 F. At this point, if desired, inert gas can be pumped down the fill tube to evacuate oxygen to extend shelf life.
The end seal 116 is made with a cross direction (transverse) seal bar. For the particular bag being the subject of the Flow Chart 400, the seal 116 is made at Step 404. The seal bars close to fusion seal this seal at 300 F to 400 F. It may be understood that that this can be done simultaneously with the provision of the peel seal of the previous bag in the bagging process.
The machine indexes the film according to the prescribed length for each bag.
At Step 406, food product is charged into the bag, contained by the end seal 116 and the longitudinal seal 117.
At Step 408, the peel seal 118 is provided. It should be understood that this can be done simultaneously with the provision of the bottom seal of the next bag in the bagging process. A cutting process may also be simultaneously (or sequentially as desired) executed, thus detaching the subject bag with product contained therein.
It may be understood that the top of the last bag produced is designed to have excess film above it to allow gripping the film to open the seal. In one embodiment of the invention this is approximately 1.25 inches.
It may be understood that upon the completion of Step 408, “bagged product” is provided, which may be understood as being a discrete bag with one or more food product elements inside.
At Step 410, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged product are loaded into a container such as a cardboard box or the like.
At Step 412, the boxes of bagged product are transported from a first location (for example a food processing facility) to a second location (for example a food service facility).
At Step 414, the one or more (as an example four) bags of bagged product are unloaded from the container referenced in Step 314.
At Step 416, a user (e.g., a food service cook) does not need to use sharp implements to open the bag. The cook opens the bag by grasping the upper end of the bag and separating the peel seal to access the food.
At Step 418, the emptied bag is discarded. Due to the configuration of the bag, preferably the entire bag which contained the food product has remained intact, albeit in an opened state.
It may be understood that the bags 10, 110, in one preferred embodiment may be used in MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) applications where the empty space in the bag is filled with an inert gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen during the filling operation.
In one preferred embodiment the film thickness used to manufacture the bag is 3 mils thick (0.003 inches), although other thicknesses may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In one preferred embodiment, the film structure used in this application is a co-extrusion and is designed to run producing bags on a VFFS machine at 40 bags per minute, although other films, processes, and rates may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In one embodiment the end seals are ½ inch serrated seals as known in the art. In one embodiment the longitudinal seal is a ½ inch wide back fin seal as known in the art.
In one preferred embodiment, the film is also designed to allow the use of bare metal jaws on the VFFS equipment, although other specific methods and apparatuses may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The bag construction, apparatuses for manufacture, and manners of use once the bag is manufactured and loaded, are all included as features under the present invention.
It may be understood that the seals 14, 16, and 116 have substantially similar seal characteristics, in that they are not intended to be opened or otherwise breached without significant difficulty or damage. In contrast, the peel seals 18, 118 are intended to be opened; thus they can be said to have different, less “intact”, sealing characteristics compared to seals 14, 16, and 116.
It should be understood that the term “tubular” is not meant to necessarily mean round, or even to have an appreciable space or volume inside. For example, the body of the bags may be considered essentially tubular along its length notwithstanding the existence of transverse welds lying along axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the film path.
This application claims the full benefit and priority of pending provisional patent application No. 60/829,046, filed Oct. 11, 2006, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Handling Perishable Items”. The entire contents of said application are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60829046 | Oct 2006 | US |
