Packaging for perishable goods

• US 5,514,392 A
• Filed: 06/27/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seawell Corporation N.V.
• Original Assignee: Seawell Corporation N.V.
• Inventors: Garwood, Anthony J. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B.
• Application Number:
  US08/265,933
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 426/106, 426/129, 426/263, 426/392, 426/396, 426/411, 426/413, 53/284.5, 53/329.4, 53/329.5, 53/432, 53/433, 53/467, 53/473, 53/477, 53/485, 53/488, 53/510, 53/511, 206/213.1
• US Class Current: 426/106
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/028 closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/102 Straps, bands, strings or other elongate elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/02 Wrappers or flexible covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/2076 in an at least partially rigid container

Abstract

Improved packaging for perishable goods such as meats comprising a base over which the goods are placed, and a lid positioned over the top of its base and sealed to said base. Strands are placed over the goods for holding said goods relative to the packaging, with a space above the goods and under the lid. A gas is introduced in the space for enhancing preservation of the packaging goods by contacting the surface of the goods. The gas contacts the goods by passing through the strands, with the strands being of a size permitting viewing of a major portion of an upper surface of the goods. The invention further includes the method of and apparatus for producing the packaging.

Claims

1. Improved packaging for perishable goods comprising:

a base over which said goods are placed,

strand means over said goods holding said goods relative to said packaging,

a lid positioned over the top of said base and sealed to said base,

a space above said goods and under said lid,

a gas in said space, said gas selected for enhancing preservation of the packaging goods by contacting the surface of said goods,

said gas contacting said goods by passing said strand means and said strand means being of a size permitting viewing of a major portion of an upper surface of said goods.

2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strand means is stretched over said goods and held to said packaging so said strand means is maintained stretched to firmly hold said goods to the packaging.

3. Packaging as claimed in claim 2 wherein said base is of a tray like configuration with a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip, and wherein said goods are contacting the bottom, and the upper surface of said goods is above the upper surface of said lip, and said strand means extends over the top of said goods and is held to the peripheral lip.

4. Packaging as claimed in claim 2 wherein said base has a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip and wherein said goods are contacting said bottom, and said strand means are held to said packaging at a position below the top of said goods.

5. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein said strand means are held to the bottom of said base.

6. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein said lid is of tray like configuration with a top displaced in height from a peripheral lip and wherein said strand means is integrally held to said lid across said peripheral lip, and wherein when said lid is closed over said base and sealed to said base said strand means is tensioned by engaging with said goods.

7. Packaging as claimed in claim 6 wherein said lid has a rib means at said peripheral lip the bottom of which is displaced in height a greater distance from said top than said peripheral lip and wherein said strand means is connected to said rib means.

8. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein the top of said goods is below said peripheral lip and there is provided a web of plastics material sealed to said lid with a space between said web of plastics material and said lid with a desired gas in said space which can either permeate said web of plastics material or pass through apertures therein to enhance the keeping of said goods.

9. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein the top of said goods is below said peripheral lip and there is provided a web of gas permeable plastics material sealed to said lid with a space between said lid and said web and a gas in said space for enhancing keeping of said goods by permeating said web and wherein said lid is independently removable from said packaging leaving said web sealed to said packaging whereby oxygen can permeate said web from atmosphere to bloom said goods to a red colour following discolouring of said goods from extended packaging.

10. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lid and said base are substantially gas impervious gas barrier material.

11. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein said goods are suspended between said base and said lid by said strand means so said goods are not touching either said lid or said base.

12. A method of packaging perishable goods in packaging so said goods will be a gas environment which will enhance the keeping properties of said goods said method comprising providing a base, placing goods over said base, applying strand means over said goods, applying a lid over said base over said strand means providing a desired gas between said lid and said base which will enhance the keeping properties of said goods by contacting the surface of said goods and sealing said lid to said base with said gas therebetween, said strands means then holding said goods relative to said packaging and being of a size permitting viewing of a major portion of an upper surface of said goods and allowing said gas to contact said goods by passing said strand means.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said strand means is stretched over said goods and held to said packaging so said strand means is maintained stretched to firmly hold said goods to the packaging.

14. Apparatus for packaging perishable goods in a gas environment to enhance the keeping properties of said goods comprising means for holding a packaged base with said goods over said base, means for applying strand means over said goods over said base, means for applying a lid over said base, means for bringing said base, said strand means and said lid together with a desired gas therebetween said gas being for enhancing the keeping properties of said goods by contacting the surface of said goods, and means for sealing said lid to said base with said strand means and with said gas therebetween whereby said strand means will hold said goods to said packaging, said gas contacting said goods by passing said strand means and said strand means being of a size permitting viewing of a major portion of an upper surface of said goods.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said base has a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip and wherein said means for holding a packaging base comprises a plate with an aperture therein so said bottom passes into said aperture and said peripheral lip rests on the upper surface of said plate around the perimeter of said aperture, and wherein said means for bringing said base said strand means and said lid together with a desired gas therebetween comprises a platen for sealingly engaging with the undersurface of said plate around said aperture, and a further platen for sealing said lid and said strand means to said peripheral lip with said desired gas between said lid and said base.

16. A method of packaging goods, said method having the following steps:

(a) providing three overlapping webs, the two outer webs being gas barrier webs and the inner web being a gas permeable web;

(b) providing goods between a gas barrier web and said gas permeable web;

(c) sealing gas flushing chamber means closed about the three webs and the goods prior to any of the three webs being sealed together at a seal path near a perimeter of the packaging;

(d) gas flushing the gas flushing chamber means with a gas to enhance the keeping of the goods; and

(e) then sealing the three webs together by a sealing means which defines a seal path near what will be a perimeter of the packaging and which extends completely around said seal path, said sealing being of all three webs around said seal path and in said gas flushing chamber means to define a substantially gas impermeable package with said goods and said gas both sealed therein, and allowing said gas to contact said goods.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said goods are meats and said gas is typically 80% O₂ and 20% CO₂.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the volume of said gas in the package is substantially equal to the volume of meat in the package.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the remaining gas barrier web is of tray-like configuration with a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip and wherein said sealing path is effected on said peripheral lip.

20. A method as claimed in claim 16, comprising stretching said gas permeable web taut prior to said sealing so said gas permeable web remains taut within said packaging.

21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said gas permeable web has openings therein and allowing said gas to pass through said openings.

22. A method as claimed in claim 16, comprising providing strand means between said gas permeable web and said goods and sealing said strand means to hold said goods to the gas barrier web.

23. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said remaining gas barrier web has an intermediate lip and sealing said gas permeable web to said intermediate lip so there is a space between said gas permeable web and said one of the gas barrier webs, and said gas is also in said space.

24. A method as claimed in claim 19, comprising selecting the height from said bottom to said lip of said remaining gas barrier web to be higher than the height of said goods, and effecting sealing so said gas permeable web is not contacting the upper surface of said goods when said goods are on said remaining gas barrier web.

25. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said gas flushing chamber means is evacuated of atmospheric gas prior to said gas flushing.

26. A goods package, said package having two gas barrier webs and an intermediate gas permeable web, goods between a gas barrier web and said gas permeable web, said webs being sealed together by a seal extending completely around and near the perimeter of the packaging, a gas sealed in a gas barrier manner in the packaging and contacting said goods, said gas selected for enhancing the keeping of said goods,

and wherein the gas barrier web and said gas permeable web that said goods are between is of tray-like configuration with a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip, said seal being on said peripheral lip and wherein said height is greater than the height of said goods so when said goods are resting on said gas barrier web said gas permeable web is not touching said goods.

27. A goods package as claimed in claim 26, wherein said gas permeable web has openings therein to allow said gas to pass through said openings.

28. A goods package as claimed in claim 26, wherein said gas permeable web is stretched and said package is sealed with it stretched so it remains taut over said bottom.

29. A goods package as claimed in claim 26, wherein said gas is typically 80% O₂ and 20% CO₂.

30. A goods package as claimed in claim 26, wherein the volume of said gas in said package substantially equals the volume of meat in said package.

31. Apparatus for packaging perishable goods in a gas environment to enhance the keeping of said goods, comprising a gas flushing and sealing chamber means for holding a first web of a gas barrier material with said goods over said first web, and characterized by means for feeding an intermediate web of gas permeable material over said first web, and means for applying a further web of gas barrier material over said first web, said gas flushing and sealing chamber being closeable to bring all three webs together prior to any of those webs being sealed together at a seal path near a perimeter of the packaging, and means for introducing a gas to enhance the keeping of said goods into said gas flushing and sealing chamber, and sealing means in said gas flushing and sealing chamber for then sealing all three webs together in said gas flushing and sealing chamber with said gas sealed in the resulting package.

32. Apparatus for packaging perishable goods as claimed in claim 31, characterized that said first web has a bottom displaced in height from a peripheral lip and wherein said means for holding said first web comprises a plate with an aperture therein so said bottom passes into said aperture and said peripheral lip rests on the upper surface of said plate around the perimeter of said aperture, and wherein said gas flushing and sealing chamber closes over the top and bottom of said plate when said gas flushing and sealing chamber is sealed, evacuated, and gas flushed, and said three webs are sealed with said gas sealed in the resulting package.