Receptacles – Closures – With condition responsive vent or valve
Patent
1996-09-30
1998-09-15
Pascua, Jes F.
Receptacles
Closures
With condition responsive vent or valve
22020302, 22020311, 220373, B65D 5116
Patent
active
058067035
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device adapted to discharge steam, vapors or gasses and serves as an opening device during cooking, reheating or storage of food products in their packaging on which it is applied, and serves as a closing device during cooling of the food products, while still in their packaging. This device is necessary because the cooking of food in a sealed container, as is known when using microwaves, often causes the latter to burst.
2. Description of Background and Revelant Information
Cooling of hot products under certain packaging conditions causes a partial vacuum, and poor sealing cannot maintain the products in a sterilized or apertized condition. It is particularly recommended for food products to be reheated in a microwave wherein it is presently recommended to pierce the packaging to prevent a certain bursting of the entire container.
Devices are known which form valves or safety flaps applied on packagings made of cardboard, plastics, aluminum, or other food packagings. Although these devices enable the discharge of vapors during heating, cooking or reheating, they do not make it possible, during cooling, to block the discharge outlet and to seal the packaging in order to prevent any penetration of air, and therefore of any bacteria in the products that are thus no longer sterilized, which causes their degradation.
Furthermore, certain known devices, especially systems having a wax fuse which blocks the discharge outlet and is melted by the heat to let the vapors out. But the wax can no longer be efficient during cooling, since it is gone.
All of these systems do not function to the maximum as required, and the lack of sealing often does not allow for an efficient transportation of the products without risk of overflow, since the packagings must be sealed again manually.
The criteria necessary for preserving the products in a sterilized condition in the known systems are difficult to control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvandages described above and enable a good discharge of vapors, by means of a certain lifting flexibility, while maintaining a certain rigidity for the constant pressure of dynamic closure in view of the cooling and canning or semi-canning of the products.
This device can also be reused to heat or cool the products in a container, at will, without any manual intervention on the device itself. Thus, food, while still in the same tray, can be kept cooled, then cooked, then frozen, and then reheated for consumption.
This device, that is referred to hereinafter as the valve, can be adapted to the containers of any food products or beverages such as fruit juices, or to any packagings for hot sandwiches, French toasts, pizzas, etc., and also for degassing products such as coffee. It is even recommended when using boat-shaped trays for cooking or reheating in a microwave.
The packagings may or may not be initially formed with a cavity for receiving the valve. The products can be transported without risks of overflow or bacterial attack. It can be used on packagings that are rigid or have rigid lids as well as directly on a boat-shaped tray sealed by a film, where it is then applied on or beneath the edge of the tray or of the container. It can also be covered with an adhesive film.
This valve can also be thermoformed or injected in the same manufacturing mold as the tray or the lid itself of the packaging.
It is made of a plastic material resisting high temperatures and, for certain packagings, it can be made of steel or any other material that meets the same requirements.
It is presented in one-piece whose peripheral portion is fixed or adhered on the packaging support. An inner slot clears a movable, but rigid, flap whose end portion is connected to the peripheral portion, and which is determined by "deformation" slots whose shape is calculated so as to maintain a certain rigidity and obtain a retraction "active memory" sensitizes this end portion, during the
REFERENCES:
patent: 1529246 (1925-03-01), Fenn
patent: 2027137 (1936-01-01), Yeomans
patent: 3432087 (1969-03-01), Costello
patent: 4000846 (1977-01-01), Glbert
patent: 5587192 (1996-12-01), Beizermann
LandOfFree
Safety valve device for packagings containing products to be coo does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Safety valve device for packagings containing products to be coo, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Safety valve device for packagings containing products to be coo will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-79203