Package making – Methods – With contents treating
Patent
1997-02-18
1999-03-30
Johnson, Linda
Package making
Methods
With contents treating
53542, 53469, 53481, 532847, 533748, B65B 3100
Patent
active
058874097
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of packing a particulate material.
Nuts such as cashew nuts are generally packed in metal drums for transport around the world. The nuts are introduced into the drums through an opening. The opening is closed and the nuts then purged with a gas such as carbon dioxide. Although the drums are robust, this method of packing nuts does give rise to several problems. There is inevitably some ullage space in the drum allowing the nuts to move during transport and this movement can cause attrition of the nuts. The shelf-life of the nuts packed in this way is, at best, six to eight months. Metal containers are expensive and relatively heavy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a method of packing a particulate material includes the steps of providing a flexible bag having an opening, placing the bag in a mould, introducing the material into the bag through the opening, creating a vacuum in the bag, sealing the bag to close the opening while maintaining the vacuum in the bag, and removing the bag from the mould.
The method of the invention has particular application for the packaging of particulate material which is in dry flowable form. An example of such a material is a foodstuff such as nuts. Other materials which may be packaged are finely particulate, granular or powder materials such as fertilisers or pharmaceutical products such as tablets, capsules or the like.
The method of the invention may be used for packing a plurality of block-shaped, filled bags in a container. This may be achieved by producing a plurality of block-shaped filled bags as described above, and then packing these bags in a container which is suitably shaped to receive these bags. For example, the container may be rectangular or block shaped allowing the packing of the bags therein with little or no wasted space.
According a preferred form of the mould, it comprises an open topped box defining a cavity for receiving the bag, a peripheral edge defining the open top, slits formed in the peripheral edge on opposite sides of the box, and a lid, in two sections, each section being moveable between a first position in which it is removed from the open top and a second position in which it closes a portion of the open top, the sections in this position leaving a gap substantially in register with the slits adapted to accommodate the bag, in collapsed form.
The mould may include an adjustable base allowing the volume thereof to be varied to cater for variation in size and/or density of a packed bag produced therein.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate the sequence of steps in an embodiment of the method of the invention,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bag packed with nuts according to the invention,
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a box containing a number of the packed bags of FIG. 5,
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the mould of the invention, and
FIG. 8 is a cross-section through the base of the mould shown in FIG. 7, with an adjustable base in place.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
The method of the invention provides an efficient and effective means of packing particulate materials. The vacuum which is created in the bag ensures that the contents thereof are held in essentially fixed and immovable form. The presence of a vacuum, generally such as to allow for no more than 0,1 percent by mass oxygen, ensures that the contents of the bag are maintained in an essentially oxygen-free atmosphere. It is possible, while maintaining the vacuum, to introduce a minor amount of a purging gas such as carbon dioxide. The shelf-life of the foodstuff, for example, packed in the bag is enhanced.
The use of a mould allows for packed bags to be formed to a desired shape. Typically this shape will take the form of a block allowing the packed bag to be self-standing. A plurality of such bags may be processed and packed in a cardboard box leaving little or no wasted space.
The opening in the bag will generally be provided at an end th
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ICA Profile, ICA, S.p.A.
Johnson Linda
Van Leer South Africa (Proprietary) Limited
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