US 12,030,678 B2
Method for packaging products
Sébastien Senechal, Renescure (FR); Christian Ducez, Renescure (FR); and Laurent Dupont, Renescure (FR)
Assigned to BONDUELLE, Renescure (FR)
Appl. No. 17/434,129
Filed by BONDUELLE, Renescure (FR)
PCT Filed Feb. 28, 2020, PCT No. PCT/FR2020/050403
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/174202, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19 02077 (FR), filed on Feb. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144464 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B65B 25/04 (2006.01); B65B 31/02 (2006.01); B65D 81/20 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 25/041 (2013.01) [B65B 31/02 (2013.01); B65D 81/2046 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for packaging oxygen-sensitive products in containers, each of said containers having upper openings, said method comprising the following steps:
providing a packaging plant comprising:
a closure cabinet, said closure cabinet configured to be gas-tight,
a closure system configured to close the upper opening of each container inside said closure cabinet,
a partially tight transfer cabinet opening into the closure cabinet and having a conveyor with an air-lock function, configured to ensure entry of the containers, which are opened, upstream from the closure cabinet into the closure cabinet and to ensure exit of containers, which are closed, downstream from the closure cabinet, said conveyor with the air-lock function comprising movable shutters configured to extend between the containers to ensure progress of the containers,
a source of an oxygen-free process gas,
a system for injecting said process gas into the closure cabinet,
a vacuum source, connected to a dispensing and vacuum regulation chamber and to a plurality of suction pipes joining the dispensing and regulation chamber to said suction areas distributed along said transfer cabinet, configured to vacuumize the transfer cabinet;
filling partially the containers with products, the containers partially filled with the products having a head space filled with air;
conveying in the transfer cabinet the containers partially filled with the products and having said head space filled with air, and ensuring entry of the containers, which are opened, into the closure cabinet;
closing the containers in the closure cabinet;
setting up a controlled atmosphere inside of the transfer cabinet through which the containers, which are opened, progress in a direction of the closure cabinet, by the following combined actions:
a) injecting a process gas flow into said closure cabinet downstream of the transfer cabinet according to the progress direction of the open containers, and
b) vacuumizing the containers that are opened and present inside the transfer cabinet, by implementing suction in the atmosphere inside said transfer cabinet by said suction pipes at several suction areas distributed along said transfer cabinet,
said combined actions creating a vacuum in said transfer cabinet and causing the process gas to flow counter current with the conveyed open containers in said transfer cabinet; and
evacuating the air present in the containers and reducing the concentration of oxygen in the containers by the combined actions of the vacuum created in said transfer cabinet and a replacement of the evacuated air with the process gas flowing in counter_current with the containers, which are opened, that are conveyed in said transfer cabinet, and by an effect of dilution of the air oxygen with the process gas.