Method and apparatus for packaging food
First Claim
1. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
- a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays;
a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays;
one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform;
an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content;
a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station; and
one of said stations including means for severing a film from a continuous web and means for heat sealing the film to a tray.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for modified atmosphere packaging uses a rotary conveyor to transport a plurality of trays to be packaged between a plurality of stations in a circular arrangement. The trays may be loaded onto a receiving platform by depositing them over movable beds which can reciprocate downwardly in order to permit the trays to be removably held inside slots in a removable platform. Since the platform is removable from the conveyor, it may be centered in any particular station by lifting the platform from the conveyor and guiding it into a precise alignment at a particular station. The package may then be filled, its atmosphere replaced with one lower in oxygen content, and then the desired atmosphere sealed within the package. This can be done in the continuous fashion so that the film is severed from a continuous web. Advantageously, the cutting blades reciprocate with respect to a heat sealing apparatus inside an enclosed environment wherein the cutting blades have internal cooling means to prevent distortions caused by overheating. The various connections for gas and vacuum supply may be quickly disconnected, and an entire station may be changed through the use of quick disconnect connections of the apparatus of the station to a support. The unloading proceeds generally as the reverse or the loading process wherein the trays are pushed upwardly from the platforms and then slid outwardly onto a conveyor.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content; a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station; and one of said stations including means for severing a film from a continuous web and means for heat sealing the film to a tray. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for making modified atmosphere packaging comprising the steps of:
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loading a plurality of trays on a platform resting on a support on a rotary conveyor; indexing said trays between a plurality of stations arranged in a circular path; aligning said platform to said station; displacing said platform upwardly from said support to a raised position; aligning said platform in its raised position with said conveyor; aligning said trays precisely with said station after said trays arrive at said station; withdrawing the atmosphere from within a tray after a food product has been added; covering said tray with a film so as to maintain an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content within the tray; sealing the film to the tray; severing the film; and lifting said platform from said conveyor after said platform arrives at a station. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content; and one of said stations including a film supplying device, a film severing device and a device for sealing a film to said trays, said severing and sealing devices being reciprocatable relative to one another, the severing device including an internal passage for cooling fluids to prevent the heat of the sealing device from interfering with the severing operation.
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31. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for covering said trays with film; and an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content after covering said trays with a film, said apparatus adapted to lift said film to be sealed to the trays from said trays to provide head space for gas exchange. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method for making modified atmosphere packaging comprising the steps of:
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loading a plurality of trays on a platform resting on a support on a rotary conveyor; indexing said trays between a plurality of stations arranged in a circular path; displacing said platform upwardly from said support to a raised position; aligning said platform in its raised position with said conveyor; withdrawing the atmosphere from within a tray after a food product has been added; covering said tray with a film so as to maintain an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content within the tray by severing the film from a roll of film material and then heat sealing said film to said tray, and providing internal cooling to the mechanism for severing the film; and unloading said trays from the rotary conveyor.
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34. A method for making modified atmosphere packaging comprising the steps of:
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loading a plurality of trays on a platform resting on a support on a rotary conveyor; indexing said trays between a plurality of stations arranged in a circular path; displacing said platform upwardly from said support to a raised position; aligning said platform in its raised position with said conveyor; aligning said trays precisely with said station after said trays arrive at the station by engaging apertures in said platform to remove said platform from said conveyor and guiding said platform into alignment with said station; withdrawing the atmosphere from within a tray after a food product has been added; covering said tray with a film so as to maintain an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content within the tray; and unloading said trays from the rotary conveyor.
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35. A method for making modified atmosphere packaging comprising the steps of:
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loading a plurality of trays on a platform resting on a support on a rotary conveyor by pushing said trays onto supports in said conveyor and then lowering said supports such that said trays engage said conveyor supports; indexing said trays between a plurality of stations arranged in a circular path; displacing said platform upwardly from said support to a raised position; aligning said platform in its raised position with said conveyor; withdrawing the atmosphere from within a tray after a food product has been added; covering said tray with a film so as to maintain an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content within the tray; and unloading said trays from the rotary conveyor.
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36. A method for making modified atmosphere packaging comprising the steps of:
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loading a plurality of trays on a platform resting on a support on a rotary conveyor; indexing said trays between a plurality of stations arranged in a circular path; displacing said platform upwardly from said support to a raised position; aligning said platform in its raised position with said conveyor; withdrawing the atmosphere from within a tray after a food product has been added; covering said tray with a film so as to maintain an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content within the tray by placing a film over said tray, defining at least one substantially gas-tight chamber, drawing a vacuum over said film to lift said film away from said tray and providing the desired atmosphere to the interior of said tray; and unloading said trays from the rotary conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content, said apparatus including an enclosing mechanism for enclosing a platform inside a substantially gas-tight enclosure, said mechanism further including a device for removing the atmospheric gas, sealing the package with a film, and severing the film from the package, said enclosing mechanism including a pair of opposed, substantially air-tight, open-ended chambers, at least one of which is movable toward the other so as to form at least one substantially airtight chamber, at least one of said chambers adapted to seal against the film used to cover said trays; and a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station.
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39. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; a mechanism for automatically aligning a platform with a station, said mechanism including a pair of pins mounted on the station, and adapted to interact with apertures in said platform in a fashion which automatically indexes the platform to the station; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content; and a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a surge tank for providing a supply of gas for various operations at said stations; a rotary conveyor, arranged around said surge tank, for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content; and a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. An apparatus for making modified atmosphere packages comprising:
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a plurality of packaging stations, including at least one station for loading a food product into trays; a tubular support having ends, said stations begin arranged around said tubular support, said tubular support being capped on both ends to serve as a surge tank which provides a supply of gas for various operations at said stations; a rotary conveyor for moving said trays from one station to the next, said rotary conveyor including a platform for carrying a plurality of trays; one of said packaging stations adapted to load said trays on said platform, and another of said stations adapted to unload said trays from said platform; an apparatus for replacing the ambient atmosphere in said trays with an atmosphere reduced in oxygen content; and a mechanism for displacing said platform from a first position on one of said stations upwardly to a second position still aligned with said station.
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Specification