Claims
- 1. Rigid container which provides for selective separation of an off-gas emitted from container contents, while maintaining hermetic sealing integrity of such contents and the separated off-gas prior to opening of the container, comprising
- (A) container body means formed from rigid material which is impervious to ambient atmosphere, consisting essentially of flat-rolled sheet metal, capable of withstanding levels of pressure selected from the group consisting of vacuum purging and inert gas purging,
- such container body means:
- (i) defining an elongated centrally-located axis for such container,
- (ii) having a side wall symmetrically disposed in relation to such centrally-located axis, and
- (iii) a closed bottom wall at one longitudinal end of such axis;
- (B) end closure means for positioning at the remaining longitudinal end of the centrally-located axis, in transverse relationship to such axis,
- such end closure means being formed from a rigid material impervious to ambient atmosphere so as to be capable, in combination with such container body means, of hermetic sealing of container contents;
- (C) chamber space, partially defined by a portion of such container, and by
- (D) an imperforate membrane film, which is permeable to an emitted off-gas selected for separation, with
- the imperforate membrane film being positioned at a fixed location, in transverse relationship to such centrally-located axis between container contents and such end closure means establishing an enclosed chamber for receiving and retaining such off-gas selected for separation, while such container contents and enclosed chamber are hermetically sealed within such container.
- 2. The rigid container of claim 1, in which such container body means comprises
- an elongated side wall having a main body portion, a unitary bottom wall configuration at one longitudinal end of such side wall and a longitudinally opposite open end, with
- a portion of such side wall contiguous to such open end of such elongated side wall being necked-in to a smaller transverse cross sectional area than such main body portion of such side wall, and, in which
- such gas-permeable membrane film establishes such enclosed chamber by selection from the group consisting of
- (a) placement of such film as an integral part of, and contiguous to, such necked-in open end of such container body, and
- (b) placement of such film as an integral part of such end closure means in confronting relationship with such container contents.
- 3. The rigid container of claim 1, in which such container body means comprises
- an elongated sheet metal side wall and unitary endwall configuration fabricated from flat-rolled steel substrate precoated with an organic polymeric coating,
- such side wall defining an open end,
- such unitary endwall configuration being preselected in transverse relationship to such central axis, such that
- the unitary endwall configuration and such end closure means at such remaining longitudinal end coact to facilitate stable stacking of such containers with centrally-located axes vertically aligned.
- 4. The rigid container of claim 1, in which such container body means comprises
- a cup-shaped flat-rolled steel can body having an elongated side wall and a unitary bottom wall configuration at one longitudinal end of such side wall.
- 5. The rigid container body of claim 4, in which
- such can body side wall has a main body portion and a side wall portion located longitudinally opposite to such unitary bottom wall configuration, which is necked-in to provide for an end closure means having a cross section for interfitting in a stabilized stacking arrangement of hermetically-sealed containers with their centrally-located axes vertically aligned.
- 6. The rigid container of claim 1 for hermetically-sealing ground coffee, having
- an elongated sheet metal side wall having a side wall seam,
- a sheet metal end closure structure for each longitudinal end of the elongated side wall
- a necked-in side wall portion at one longitudinal end of the elongated side wall for receiving one of such end closure structures, with
- such remaining end closure structure having a configuration for receiving such end closure, located at such necked-in side wall portion, in a nested interfitting arrangement with central axes of stacked containers in linear alignment.
- 7. The container of claim 6, in which
- such elongated sheet metal side wall includes flange metal at each of its longitudinal ends for receiving a sheet metal end closure structure with flange metal for forming a chime seam, and in which
- such end closure structure for such necked-in side wall portion includes
- a separable plastic overcap for covering such end closure after opening such container by removing an endwall panel at such necked-in side wall end of such container body.
- 8. Method for producing a rigid container, which provides for selective separation of an emitted off-gas from solid particulate container contents while maintaining hermetic-sealing integrity of such contents and separated off-gas prior to opening the container, comprising
- (A) providing an elongated configuration rigid container body formed from flat-rolled sheet metal which is impervious to ambient atmosphere,
- such container body:
- (i) defining a centrally-located axis for such rigid container, and
- (ii) having an elongated side wall symmetrically disposed in relation to such centrally-located axis for the container;
- (B) providing end closure means formed from material impervious to ambient atmosphere so as to be capable, in combination with such container body, of forming a hermetically-sealed container for such contents;
- (C) defining an enclosed chamber within such container by
- (D) providing an imperforate membrane film, which is permeable to a selected off-gas emitted by container contents,
- (E) positioning such film between such end closure means and such container body means in fixed transverse relationship to such centrally-located axis, with
- such film being intermediate such end closure means and such container contents so as to provide for receiving and retaining such off-gas while such container is hermetically-sealed.
- 9. The method of claim 8, in which
- such container body presents a necked-in side wall portion contiguous to one of its longitudinal ends,
- such necked-in side wall portion providing for receiving such end closure means for hermetically sealing such container.
- 10. The method of claim 9, including
- forming a threaded configuration at such necked-in longitudinal end side wall portion of the container body for receiving a screw cap end closure means.
- 11. The method of claim 9, including
- fabricating such container body means from flat-rolled steel to have flange metal at its necked-in longitudinal end, and including the step of
- providing sheet metal end closure means, for such necked-in longitudinal end, which includes flange metal for joining with such flange metal at such necked-in longitudinal end, for hermetic sealing of such container.
- 12. The method of claim 11, including
- forming such enclosed chamber in combination with an easy-open end closure means in a manner such that selected off-gas in such enclosed chamber is vented automatically prior to opening such hermetically-sealed container.
- 13. The method of claim 12, in which such easy-open end closure is provided with
- a peripherally located scoreline defining an endwall panel to be separated by action of an integral opener,
- a back scoreline located contiguous to a unitary rivet securing such opener to the endwall panel, and in which
- such back scoreline is ruptured initially to vent the enclosure chamber before opening of container.
- 14. Packaging procedure for solid particulate contents, which emit off-gases including carbon dioxide during storage, comprising the steps of
- providing a container body with a side wall defining a centrally-located axis for a container,
- such container body being fabricated from rigid packaging material which is impervious to ambient atmosphere and capable of withstanding an internal level of pressure selected from the group consisting of a vacuum level and an inert gas purging pressure level, for use in hermetically-sealed packaging of container contents;
- providing an end closure structure, made from rigid flat-rolled sheet metal which is impervious to ambient atmosphere and capable of withstanding such a selected level of pressure and capable of combining with such container body to provide a hermetically-sealed container;
- providing for an internal chamber space, within such a hermetically-sealed container, which can be separated from remaining space for container contents;
- providing an imperforate membrane film which is permeable to carbon dioxide emitted by such container contents;
- establishing such membrane film in fixed transverse relationship to such centrally-located axis separating such internal chamber space from remaining space for container contents, with
- such membrane film, in combination with such internal chamber space, forming an enclosed chamber for receiving and holding such emitted carbon dioxide after passage through such membrane so as to be held in separated relationship from such container contents; and
- hermetically-sealing such container including such enclosed chamber.
- 15. The procedure of claim 14, in which
- hermetic sealing of such container contents is carried out at a level of pressure selected from the group consisting of:
- use of a vacuum level during hermetic sealing,
- use of an inert purge gas pressure level during hermetic sealing, and
- use of a level of pressure for such enclosed chamber which differs from the level of pressure for such remaining container space for contents during such hermetic sealing steps.
- 16. The procedure of claim 15, including
- augmenting separation of such emitted carbon dioxide from container contents, by
- selectively establishing, prior to hermetic sealing of the container, a level of pressure for such enclosed chamber which is lower than the level of pressure for such container contents in the remainder of such container.
- 17. The procedure of claim 14, including
- providing a sheet metal container body with an elongated side wall having flange metal at each of its longitudinal ends,
- providing a sheet metal end closure structure, for each such longitudinal end, having flange metal for forming a chime seam at each such longitudinal end of such side wall,
- forming one such end closure means to constitute the bottom wall configuration for such end closure, and
- necking-in a portion of such side wall for receiving such end closure opposite to such bottom wall configuration.
- 18. The procedure of claim 17, including
- fabricating such bottom wall configuration so as to receive such end closure at the necked-in longitudinal end of a container in nested stacking relationship.
- 19. The procedure of claim 14, including
- establishing a level of pressure for the enclosed chamber which augments separation of a selected off-gas emitted by container contents after such hermetic sealing step.
- 20. The procedure of claim 19, including
- providing for hermetically sealing the rigid container body, its particulate solid contents, and the enclosed chamber separated by such membrane film from the remainder of the container and its contents, utilizing structure selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) a screw cap end closure structure for one longitudinal end of a one piece sheet metal can body,
- (b) a sheet metal container body with flange metal at each longitudinal end and a sheet metal end closure structure for each such end with flange metal for double-seam jointer with such container body flange metal, and
- (c) a sheet metal end closure with flange metal for joining with flange metal of a sheet metal can body at one longitudinal end of an elongated side wall, with a unitary bottom wall configuration at the remaining end of such side wall.
- 21. The procedure of claim 20, in which
- such end closure at such necked-in longitudinal end includes
- an enclosed chamber, for receiving such off-gas, defined on the product-side surface of such end closure by a lattice-type support framework for such gas-permeable membrane film.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation in part of co-owned U.S. application Ser. No. 08/155,511, filed Nov. 22, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,558; and is a continuation in part of co-owned U.S. application Ser. No. 08/421,777, filed Apr. 14, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,049.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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155511 |
Nov 1993 |
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