Method and device for packing a solid into a container such as a bottle

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6782676
  • Patent Number
    6,782,676
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, October 10, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 31, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Original Assignees
  • Examiners
    • Gerrity; Stephen F.
    • Durand; Paul R
    Agents
    • Young & Thompson
Abstract
A bell-shaped element is placed in a sealed position whereby it rests against the outer wall of the container which is full of solid commodities in order to create a partial vacuum in the inner area of said bell-shaped element and in the gaseous area of the container. A sealing armature subsequently places a sealing cap on top of the opening of the container. When the vacuum is created, a cleanliness element rests against the free edge of the opening of the container in a position which is sealed by means of a liner. The cleanliness element comprises a sieve which retains solid materials inside the container during suction. The cleanliness element subsequently retracts on a plane of its own, wiping the free end of the opening in order to remove debris and solid particles which could prevent the opening from being sealed in a desired manner.
Description




The present invention relates to a method for packing a solid, in particular a foodstuff into a container such as a bottle.




The present invention also concerns a device to that effect.




A more particular subject of the invention is to perfect the packing of solid foodstuffs in powder, grains or granules, in leaves, fragmented or non-fragmented, or also constituted by berries or fruits, with the aim of better preserving them, in particular with respect to their aromatic quality.




The creation of a vacuum or a controlled atmosphere in a container above the liquid contained within it, before sealing the container is known from a number of documents, for example FR-A-2 290 356, WO-A-94 25 347, FR-A-2 394 452, EP-A-0 022 084, GB-A-2 322 851, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,566. In the majority of cases, a bell-shaped element is placed around the upper region of the container. The free edge of the bell-shaped element carries a sealing element which presses on the outer wall of the container in such a way as to create inside the bell-shaped element a vacuum chamber which communicates with the interior of the container via its filling opening. Part of the air which it contains is evacuated from the bell-shaped element, and in particular the air found in the container above the level of the liquid. After creation of the desired partial vacuum, a sealing device provided in the bell-shaped element is used to place an appropriate sealing cap over the opening of the container. The sealed container is then extracted from the bell-shaped element then taken to the next handling station. During this time, the sealing device is re-supplied with a new cap and a new container to be sealed is placed in the bell-shaped element.




Documents U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,877 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,153 propose the application of vacuum packing to solid substances such as powdered coffee. To avoid the powder being aspirated at the same time as the air during creation of the partial vacuum, a sieve mounted in a ring which is applied to the free edge of the neck of the container is placed over the opening of the container. However, it should be noted that, in practice, solid particles or debris from the filling substance have a tendency to rest on the surface of the container which is intended to create a seal with the cap. This surface is in principle constituted by the free peripheral edge of the neck of a container manufactured in the form of bottle. Such debris or particles then have the effect of preventing the tight seal of the bottle, or in any case of shortening the life expectancy of the seal.




The purpose of the present invention is more particularly to remedy this specific problem of vacuum packing solids in containers such as bottles.




According to a first aspect of the invention, the method for packing a solid substance, in particular a foodstuff, presented at least in part in the form of powder, grains, whole or fragmented leaves, berries, small fruits and the like into a container such as a bottle, a method in which after filling the container, when the container has been placed in an enclosure under vacuum, part of the air which is initially present in it is evacuated from this enclosure, and from the container via its opening, then the container is sealed, characterized in that after said evacuation and before said sealing the free edge of the opening is wiped to clear it of any fragments originating in particular from said substance.




This wiping makes it possible to eliminate from the free edge particles or other debris that could have settled there either during filling or following it.




It is particularly advantageous to use a protection ring which is placed on the free edge of the opening during evacuation of the air from the enclosure as a means of wiping.




This protection ring prevents debris or particles from settling on the free edge of the opening during the suction process.




After evacuation and before sealing the ring is moved from its active position on the free edge of the opening to a retracted position approximately situated in the plane of said free edge to carry out wiping.




Moreover the aforementioned ring can be used as a mount for a sieve.




According to a second aspect of the invention, the device for sealing a container such as a bottle under vacuum, for the implementation of the method according to the first aspect, comprising:




a vacuum bell-shaped element combined with a means of suction;




a support for the container;




means of relative displacement between the bell-shaped element and the support between an open position allowing the delivery of a new container to be sealed and a closed position in which a tight enclosure is created in the bell-shaped element communicating with the interior of the container via an opening in the container;




a means of sealing taken into the bell-shaped element opposite the opening;




a cleanliness element which is moveable inside the bell-shaped element between an active position adjacent to the free edge of the opening of the container when the bell-shaped element is in the closed position, and a retracted position allowing sealing,




is characterized in that the cleanliness element comprises an element for wiping the free edge of the opening before sealing.




The cleanliness element can for example be a wiper similar to a car windscreen wiper, or also preferably, as mentioned above, a ring. Advantageously the ring is found opposite the opening of the container when it is in the process of being attached to the bell-shaped element, and simply comes to bear axially against the free edge of the opening at the same time as the bell-shaped element reaches the closed position. In this way, the ring can press considerably on the free edge without at any time having to “mount” the free edge by a wiping movement which goes from the retracted position to the position of contact with the free edge. The only wiping movement is that which goes from the position of contact with the free edge to the retracted position. Wear on the wiping ring is thus minimized.




Other features and advantages of the invention also emerge from the description below, which relate to non-limiting examples.











In the attached drawings:





FIG. 1

is a vertical cross section of the device according to the invention, in two successive stages of the implementation of the process, represented either side of the axis of the bottle;





FIG. 2

is a cross section along II—II of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a partial perspective view showing the wiping movement, with a cross section of the ring for greater clarity;





FIG. 4

is a similar view to

FIG. 1

, but representing the sealing operation;





FIG. 5

is a view of a detail of

FIG. 1

on a larger scale, illustrating the ability of the ring to cooperate with two bottle sizes.











As shown in

FIG. 1

, the device according to the invention comprises a bell-shaped element


1


, with a vertical axis


2


. The bell-shaped element


1


, open at the bottom, has on its circumference near its free edge an annular seal


3


. The axial clamping of seal


3


and consequently its expansion towards the axis


2


can be adjusted by means of an adjustable axial compression ring


4


associated with the body


6


of the bell-shaped element


1


. By means which are not illustrated except by a double vertical arrow


7


, the bell-shaped element


1


and the elements that it carries, which are yet to be described, are adjustable in height with respect to a support


8


for the containers


9


to be vacuum-sealed.




In the example represented, it is support


8


, of which a extreme lower position


8




a


and an extreme upper position


8




b


are represented in

FIG. 1

, which can be displaced vertically to establish the aforementioned vertical movement according to arrow


7


, but it is only a convenient means of illustration, displacement of the bell-shaped element


1


with respect to the vertically fixed support


8


is also conceivable.




In position


8




a


, where the distance between the bell-shaped element


1


and the support


8


is at a maximum, the bell-shaped element is in an open situation, and a horizontal relative movement between the bell-shaped element


1


and the support allows a container


9


, filled with the solid goods to be packed, to be placed under the bell-shaped element


1


in the position represented where the axis of the container coincides with axis


2


of the bell-shaped element. By movement according to arrow


7


, the support


8


can be raised to position


8




b


in which seal


3


presses tightly against the outer peripheral wall of the container


9


which in the represented example is a relatively small glass bottle for example about 10 centimeters high. This tight pressing defines inside the bell-shaped element


1


a vacuum chamber


11


which communicates with the inside of container


9


via the upper filling opening


12


of the latter. In order to create the partial vacuum in chamber


11


and in the gaseous area of container


9


, the body


6


of the bell-shaped element


1


comprises an opening


13


connecting with a vacuum source symbolized by arrow


14


. An arrow


10


in the opposite direction illustrates that opening


13


can also be used when sealing is finished to eject the sealed container


9


from the bell-shaped element


1


and thus overcome, when needed, possible adherence between the container


9


and the seal


3


.




The vacuum-sealing device moreover comprises a sealing device. In the example represented, it concerns a device for placing a screw cap


16


, by screwing onto an exterior screw thread


15


of the neck of the container


9


. The cap or screw cap


16


is preferably metallic and the sealing device comprises inside the bell-shaped element


1


a sealing armature


17


. Before the arrival of a container


9


to be sealed in the bell-shaped element


1


, non-represented means, known in themselves, provide the armature


17


with a new cap. The armature


17


comprises permanent magnets, non-represented, which retain the cap in suspension above the opening


12


of the container


9


to be sealed.




The armature


17


is integral with a shaft


18


that extends towards the top via a bore


19


provided axially in the body


6


of the bell-shaped element and provided with a seal


21


. The shaft


18


is supported in rotation relative to the bell-shaped element


1


in sliding bearings


22


mounted in a tubular support


23


fixed to the upper face of the body


6


around the bore


19


. Beyond the tubular support


23


, the shaft


18


is fixed to a driving pinion


24


engaged with a drive pinion


26


integral with the shaft of a servomotor


27


. In the situation represented in

FIG. 1

, the moveable assembly constituted by the shaft


18


, the armature


17


and the pinion


24


is in a position of readiness where a free area E is maintained between the armature


17


and the cap


16


on one side, and the free edge


28


of the opening


12


of the container


9


on the other when the bell-shaped element


1


is in a closed position. Starting from this position of readiness, said assembly


18


,


17


,


24


can be moved along axis


2


(arrow


29


in

FIG. 1

) by a non-represented means such as a vertical jack, to a sealing position represented in FIG.


4


. During this movement, the teeth of the driving pinion


24


slide axially with respect to the teeth of drive pinion


26


. Then the servomotor


27


is actuated so as to screw on the cap


16


onto the screw thread


15


, while the axial movement following arrow


29


continues because of the axial component of the helicoidal screwing motion. The axial dimension of the driving pinion


24


is envisaged to be sufficiently large for pinions


24


and


26


to remain in contact throughout the axial travel, of the assembly


18


,


17


, and


24


.




Once sealing has been carried out, assembly


17


,


18


,


24


is returned to the position of readiness with a force which causes separation between the armature


17


and the cap


16


now fixed onto the container


9


. The cap used comprises, on the innner face of its bottom, a sealing element


31


which at the end of, being screwed on becomes applied in a tight manner against the free edge


28


of opening


12


.




The device according to the invention comprises moreover a cleanliness element


32


comprising a ring


33


serving as a mount for a sieve


34


occupying all of the opening area of the ring. The ring


33


comprises a rigid body


35


and on its lower face an annular element


36


pressing in an approximately tight manner against the free edge


28


of the opening


12


of the container


9


. As

FIGS. 3 and 5

also show, the sealing element


36


is trapped in a recess


37


of the body


35


, the peripheral wall of the recess


37


being an undercut with a conicity corresponding to that of the outer peripheral face of the sealing element


36


. The sieve


34


, for example a metallic sieve, is mounted between the body


35


and the sealing element


36


, and is trapped there due to the fact that its diameter is greater than that of the circular opening of the body


35


and of the sealing element


36


.




The cleanliness element


32


is moveable between the active position represented in FIG.


1


and the retracted position represented in FIG.


2


. In the active position, the ring


33


is aligned with axis


2


below the armature


17


in a position of readiness, and the sealing element


36


is in contact with the free edge


28


when the bell-shaped element is in the closed position. The aforementioned gap E is sufficient for the cleanliness element


32


to occupy the active position which has just been described and is able to carry out its movement towards the retracted position. In the retracted position (FIG.


2


), the ring


33


is off-centre with respect to axis


2


whilst being in the same plane perpendicular to axis


2


as in the active position, and it thus allows the sealing device and in particular the armature


17


to cooperate with the neck of the container


9


as represented in FIG.


4


.




For its movement between the active and retracted positions, the cleanliness element


32


comprises an actuating arm


38


integral with the body


35


and extending radially towards the exterior from the circumference of the latter. At a distance from the ring


33


, the arm


38


is integral with rotation to an articulation and actuating shaft


39


that extends according to an articulation axis


41


parallel to axis


2


and at a distance from it. The arm


38


and its connection to the actuating shaft


39


are housed in a casing


42


fixed to the body


6


of the bell-shaped element


1


. The internal space of the casing


42


is part of the vacuum enclosure. The actuating shaft


39


leaves this enclosure via a guide tube


43


fixed to the casing


42


. The tube


43


defines for shaft


39


a bore equipped with a sealing element


44


and sliding bearings


46


. Outside tube


43


, the actuating shaft


39


is integral with an actuating lever


47


intended to be articulated, at a distance from axis


41


, with the moveable end of an actuating jack, which is not further represented.




The actuating shaft


39


can slide with the cleanliness element


32


along axis


41


with respect to the bell-shaped element


41


. This assembly


32


and


39


is returned to an extreme position by a compression spring


48


in the direction of the free edge of the bell-shaped element


1


. In the presence of a container


9


when the bell-shaped element


1


is closed, the free edge


28


of the container pressed on the sealing element


3


gently pushes the cleanliness element


32


and with it the actuating shaft


39


in an opposite direction to seal


3


with compression of the return spring


48


, as indicated in

FIG. 1

by displacement d.




The operations of the device and at the same time the process according to the invention will now be described.




While a container


9




a


is delivered into a position of co-axiality with the vertical axis


2


of the device, the armature


17


of the sealing device is re-supplied with a new cap


16


by means which are known and not represented, while the cleanliness element


32


was in retracted position. Then, during the end of the horizontal delivery of the container


9




a


and/or during the start of the vertical movement


7


closing the bell-shaped element


1


, the cleanliness element


32


is brought into an active position (

FIG. 1

) in such a way that the free edge


28


of opening


12


meets the sealing element


36


when the outer side wall of the container


9


, reaching position


9




b


, makes contact with seal


3


lining the free edge of the bell-shaped element


1


. The vacuum source is then activated so as to evacuate the air from the enclosure


11


via opening


13


. The air contained in container


9


is evacuated via the opening


12


and the sieve


34


, without being able to bypass it thanks to sealing element


36


. The solid content


49


of the container


9


is prevented from leaving the container


9


due to the sieve


34


and to the sealing element


36


which, at the same time, prevents any solid particles or debris from settling on the free edge


28


constituting the future surface of the seal.




When the desired vacuum (in general of the order of 5×10


4


Pa) is reached, the actuating jack of shaft


39


is activated so as to move the cleanliness element


32


to the retracted position following a movement that is illustrated in

FIG. 3

, in the plane of the free edge


28


. This movement produces a wiping of the free edge


28


by the sealing element


36


. In the retracted position represented in solid lines in

FIG. 2

, the cleanliness element


32


completely clears the free edge


28


and its immediate environment to allow, as represented in

FIG. 4

, the action of the sealing device


17


,


18


and consequently placeing of the sealing cap


16


on the neck of the container


9


.




Then, atmospheric pressure or optionally a slight overpressure to displace the capped container is reestablished in space


11


, then movement


7


is carried out in the direction of the opening of the bell-shaped element


1


whilst the moveable assembly


17


,


18


,


24


of the sealing device returns to the position of readiness represented in FIG.


1


. The armature


17


is provided with a new cap


16


for the next container to be sealed and the described cycle recommences.




The body


35


of the ring


33


and the arm


38


of which it is an integral part can be produced in metal. The sieve


34


is preferably constituted by a metallic sieve with a transversal pore size equal to approximately 100 to 500, preferably approximately 250 μm. The sealing and pressing element


36


can be produced for example in foam or rubber. Foam is preferred in order to avoid the risk of adherence on the free edge


28


of the container.




It is advantageous that, as represented in

FIG. 5

, the radial width of the sealing element


36


is sufficient to be compatible with at least two types of different containers, distinguished by different diameters D1 and D2 of their free edge


28


.





FIG. 2

illustrates the angular travel of the cleanliness element


32


which can typically be of the order of 60°.




Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples described and represented.




In an embodiment where the function of wiping is the only one sought, a long wiper passing from one side to the other of the opening of the container could be used, sweeping all of the free edge after creation of the vacuum and before fitting the cap.




In another embodiment where it is sought above all to avoid depositing debris on the seal surface, a ring can simply be placed over it, during the creation of the vacuum, which is then moved away by a movement moving away from the plane of the free edge, precisely in order to avoid the wiping movement and the wear by rubbing which would result from it in a manner which in this case would be pointless.




And if only sieving is required it is sufficient to place a grille approximately against the free edge of the opening but without particular means sealing the edge of the opening, if only an approximate retention of the solid elements inside the container is thought to be sufficient.




The seal such as


3


could be replaced by an expandable seal.




Instead of permanent magnets, the armature such as


17


can comprise another means of gripping a cap to be placed on the container, for example mechanical means.



Claims
  • 1. A method for packing in a container, a solid substance consisting of solid loose elements, comprising the following steps:while the container filled with said substance is in an enclosure, evacuating air from said enclosure, and from said container via an opening of said container; wiping a free edge of said opening with a cleanliness element, moving thereby to clear any fragment or debris away from said edge; and sealing said container, said sealing including applying a closure element into sealing contact with said edge.
  • 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wiping is produced by rotation of a wiping element around an axis which is spaced apart from and approximately parallel to a central axis of the container.
  • 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the container is a bottle.
  • 4. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:placing a protection ring in an active position onto said free edge of said opening during said evacuating; and performing said wiping by moving said ring from the active position into a retracted position along a plane in which said edge extends.
  • 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said evacuating of air from said container is performed through a sieve supported by said ring forming a mount for the sieve.
  • 6. A method according to claim 4, wherein after said sealing, said enclosure is opened and the ring is returned to the active position while a next container is introduced into enclosure.
  • 7. A method according to claim 4, wherein a force is exerted on the ring when the ring is in the active position and during wiping, said force directed towards the container.
  • 8. A device for sealing a container under vacuum, comprising:a vacuum bell-shaped element combined with a suction means; a support for the container; means of relative displacement between the bell-shaped element and the support between an open position allowing introduction of a container to be sealed and a closed position in which a sealed enclosure is created about the introduced container; a sealing apparatus supported within the bell-shaped element for applying a closure element in sealing contact with an edge surrounding said opening of the container; a cleanliness element which is moveable inside the bell-shaped element between an active position adjacent to said edge when the bell-shaped element is in the closed position, and a retracted position allowing sealing; and means for holding the cleanliness element in contact with said edge of the container independently of the sealing apparatus during movement from the active position towards the retracted position thereby to wipe said edge.
  • 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the circular element has a sufficient radial dimension to fit over at least two diameters of different openings.
  • 10. A device according to claim 8, wherein said means for holding the cleanliness element in contact comprises an elastic means operatively mounted between the cleanliness element and the bell-shaped element in such a way that the cleanliness element is biased towards an open edge of the bell-shaped element.
  • 11. A device according to claim 8, wherein said means for holding the cleanliness element in contact comprises means for urging the cleanliness element into contact with said edge of the container.
  • 12. A device according to claim 8, wherein the container is a bottle.
  • 13. A device according to claim 8, wherein the cleanliness element comprises a ring provided with a circular element which is in contact with a whole annular extent of said edge of the container when the cleanliness element is in the active position.
  • 14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the cleanliness element comprises an arm extending radially outside from the ring and pivoted relative to the bell-shaped element about an axis approximately perpendicular to a plane of said edge of the opening.
  • 15. A device according to claim 13, wherein a sieve is supported by the ring so as to extend radially inside thereof.
  • 16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the sieve has pores of approximately 100 to 500 μm.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
99 15554 Dec 1999 FR
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/FR00/03460 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO01/42086 6/14/2001 WO A
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