CA-3128240-C - COOLING SEALED PACKAGES AFTER HOT FILLING AND SEALING

Abstract

A method of sealing a foil liner (18) to a hot-filled container (10) includes the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface (42) of a seal head (40) with a liner sealing surface (14) of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin (20) of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container, resulting in a sealed package (60); rotating the sealed package from the first position to a second position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package to cool a head space (38) of the sealed package. The head space is disposed between an inner surface (16) of the container and a product (34) packaged in the sealed package.

Inventors

• Brian J. Chisholm
• Brian J. Brozell

Assignees

• OWENS-BROCKWAY GLASS CONTAINER INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20200205

Priority Date

20190206

Claims (13)

1. 12 Claims 1. A method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled glass container, comprising: aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in an upright position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the liner sealing surface of the container, which results in a sealed package; inverting the sealed package from the upright position to an inverted position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the inverted sealed package to cool a head space of the sealed package that is disposed between an inner surface of the container and a product packaged in the sealed package.
2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the upright position comprises the liner sealing surface of the container being located above a base of the container.
3. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inverted position comprises the liner sealing surface of the container being located below a base of the container.
4. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein following the aligning step and before the steps of applying heat, inverting the sealed package, and applying fluid into at least a portion of the inverted sealed package, the method further comprises passing fluid through one or more fluid paths in the seal head, out of the seal head, and towards the foil liner. 13
5. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein following the step of applying heat and before the step of inverting the sealed package, the method further comprises separating the seal head from the sealed package.
6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein following the step of applying heat and before the steps of inverting the sealed package and applying fluid into at least a portion of the inverted sealed package, the method further comprises a step of applying fluid to the foil liner to cool the foil liner and the head space of the sealed package that is disposed between the foil liner and the product packaged in the sealed package, wherein the step of applying the fluid to the foil liner comprises applying the fluid for a period of 5 to 120 seconds.
7. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying fluid includes the fluid cooling the head space disposed between a base of the container and the product packaged in the sealed package, wherein following the inverting step, the method further comprises pasteurizing an interior of the foil liner with the product packaged in the sealed package.
8. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein following the step of applying fluid onto at least a portion of the inverted sealed package, the method further comprises: inverting the sealed package from the inverted position to the upright position; and applying additional fluid to the foil liner to cool the foil liner and the head space of the sealed package between the foil liner and the product packaged in the sealed package, wherein the step of inverting the sealed package from the inverted position to the upright position includes inverting the sealed package so that the liner sealing surface of the container is located above a base of the container, wherein the step of applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package and the step of applying additional fluid to the foil liner comprise applying the fluid for periods of 5 to 120 seconds, respectively. 14
9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package comprises applying the fluid for a period of 5 to 120 seconds to establish a vacuum within the sealed package.
10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein following the step of applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package, the method further comprises disposing the sealed package in a cooler.
11. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: refrigerating the sealed package after the applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package step.
12. 12. The method of claim 1, where in the at least a portion of the inverted sealed package is a base of the container.
13. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid in the applying fluid onto a portion of the inverted sealed package is 1°C to 38°C.

Description

1 COOLING SEALED PACKAGES AFTER HOT FILLING AND SEALING Technical Field [0001] This patent application discloses devices and methods to transport products, more 5 particularly, to package those products. Background [0002] During packaging of products (e.g., food) into containers, the products are often heated prior to packaging so that hot products are deposited into the containers, in a “hot-filling” process. 10 After hot-filling, a closure or a foil liner can be applied to an opening of the containers to seal the containers, producing a sealed package. Heat is often used to bond the foil liner to the container, for example, a glass container having a relatively rigid structure in contrast to the relatively flexible foil liner. [0003] In some cases, after sealing, the sealed packages are immediately inverted so that the hot 15 products contact inner surfaces of the foil liners and sterilize the inner surfaces and the inside surfaces of the containers so that the entire inside surface of the sealed package is sterilized. However, this sterilization method often weakens the bond between the foil liners and the containers, and can cause deformation, stretching, wrinkling, doming, and/or tears in the foil liners. Even if the products are somewhat cooled prior to inverting, the inverting process can shake up 20 and/or reheat the products, leading to defects in the foil liners and/or the bonds to the containers. Brief Summary of the Disclosure [0004] The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other. 2 [0005] In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled container, including the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and 5 sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container to produce a sealed package; rotating the sealed package from the first position to a second position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the exterior of the sealed package to cool the air in the package; such air being the head space of the sealed package that is disposed between an inner 10 surface of the container and a product packaged in the sealed package. [0006] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled container, including the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and 15 sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the liner sealing surface of the container to produce a sealed package; separating the seal head from the container; applying fluid to the foil liner to cool the foil liner and the air head space of the sealed package that is located between the foil liner and a product packaged in the sealed package; inverting the sealed package from the first 20 position to a second position; applying the fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package to cool the air head space of the sealed package that is disposed between an inner surface of the container and the product packaged in the sealed package; inverting the sealed package from the second position to the first position; and applying the fluid to the foil liner to cool the foil liner and 3 the head space of the sealed package that is between the foil liner and the product packaged in the sealed package. [0007] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of cooling a hot-filled, sealed package, including a foil liner sealed to a container. The method includes the 5 steps of (a) applying a cooling fluid to the foil liner; (b) inverting the sealed package from a first position to a second position; (c) applying the cooling fluid to the sealed package; (d) inverting the sealed package from the second position to the first position; and (e) applying the cooling fluid to the liner. 10 Brief Description of the Drawings [0008] The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, and the accompanying drawings, in which: [0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded, side view of a container and a foil liner in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure; and [0010] 15 FIG. 2 depicts steps of a method of sealing the foil liner to the container of FIG. 1 to pro