U.S. patent application number 10/195610 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-15 for apparatus and method to more effectively vacuum package foods and other objects.
Invention is credited to Backus, Alan L., Popeil, Ronald M..
Application Number | 20040007494 10/195610 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29780165 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040007494 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Popeil, Ronald M. ; et
al. |
January 15, 2004 |
Apparatus and method to more effectively vacuum package foods and
other objects
Abstract
Raised irregular surfaces on the walls of packaging, with
specific application to the interiors of evacuated flexible wall
packaging which contains food or other articles. Such raised
irregular surfaces may facilitate package evacuation and, when
contrasted against regular pattern raised surfaces, may eliminate
undesirable, unnatural, regular patterns from being imprinted on
package contents caused by: cooking, freezing, storage, chemical
reaction, microbes, evacuative pressure or other reasons.
Inventors: |
Popeil, Ronald M.; (Beverly
Hills, CA) ; Backus, Alan L.; (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
350 WEST COLORADO BOULEVARD
SUITE 500
PASADENA
CA
91105
US
|
Family ID: |
29780165 |
Appl. No.: |
10/195610 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/524.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/2038
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/524.8 |
International
Class: |
B65D 081/20 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bag used for vacuum packaging items comprising: a first wall
and an opposing second wall which act together in the formation of
a bag; the first and second walls both being made of gas
impermeable material; the first wall having a first interior face
which fronts the second wall; the second wall having a second
interior face which fronts the first wall; the bag having an
opening through which the bag may be evacuated; the first wall
having on the first interior face adjacent to the opening, a first
raised irregular surface, and the first raised irregular surface
extending away from the opening along the first interior face such
that the bag is adapted to be evacuated by drawing air through the
opening and through interior air passages, at least some of which
are formed between the first raised irregular surface other
surfaces it contacts; and a seal to close the opening air tight
after the bag is evacuated.
2. The bag of claim 1 wherein the raised irregular surface has a
depth from peak to adjacent valley of at least 0.001 inch.
3. The bag of claim 1 wherein the raised irregular surface has a
depth from peak to adjacent valley of between 0.004 and 0.029
inches.
4. The bag of claim 1 further including the first wall having an
essentially uniform thickness in areas containing the first raised
irregular surface.
5. The bag of claim 1 further including the first wall having a
first exterior face which fronts away from the second wall and the
first exterior face being generally flat in locations backing areas
containing the first raised irregular surface.
6. The bag of claim 1 wherein the first wall has a first and a
second layer with the first layer including the first interior face
and being able to be welded to the second interior face, and the
second layer being gas impermeable.
7. The bag of claim 1 further including the second wall having a
second raised irregular surface along the second interior face,
such that the bag is adapted to be evacuated by drawing air through
the opening and through air passages, at least some of which are
channels created between the second raised irregular surface and
other surfaces it contacts.
8. The bag of claim 7 further including at least half of the
combined surface area of the first and second interior faces
including a raised irregular surface.
9. A package for containing foods or other articles and the package
comprising: a flexible perimeter containment wall; the flexible
perimeter containment wall being integral to a formed container; an
opening through which air may be evacuated from the container; the
containment wall including an inside face fronting the interior of
the container; a raised irregular surface extending along the
inside face, from a location adjacent to the opening, to an area
away from the opening; and the container adapted to be evacuated by
air being drawn out of the container through the opening and
through air channels, at least some of which are formed between the
raised irregular surface and surfaces contacted by the raised
irregular surface.
10. The package of claim 9 further including an air tight seal
adapted to close the opening after the container has been
evacuated.
11. The package of claim 9 further including the raised irregular
surface having a depth of between 0.004 and 0.029 inches from peak
to adjacent valley.
12. The package of claim 9 wherein at least 50% of the interior
surface of the flexible perimeter containment wall includes a
raised irregular surface.
13. The package of claim 9 further including the containment wall
being transparent.
14. The package of claim 9 wherein the raised irregular surface is
transparent.
15. The package of claim 9 wherein the package is adapted to
receive foods having a soft outer surface which is able to be
imprinted by d raised patterned surface being pressed against the
package contents by pressures caused by the evacuation of the
container.
16. The package of claim 9 wherein the package is adapted to
receive foods having an outer surface able to be imprinted by a
raised patterned surface causing uneven freezer burn while the
foods are in frozen storage.
17. A method of food storage using evacuated flexible wall
containers which have interior wall faces which include a raised
irregular surface, comprising the steps of: forming a container
having flexible containment walls which include an interior raised
irregular surface; loading contents into the container; drawing air
out of the container at least in part using air passages formed
between the raised irregular surface and surfaces it contacts; and
sealing the container air tight.
18. The method of claim 17 further including sealing the container
air tight using heat welding.
19. The method of claim 17 further including the contents being
food.
20. The method of claim 17 with the further step after sealing the
container air tight of placing the container in cold storage.
21. The method of claim 17 with the further step after sealing the
container air tight of placing the container in a microwave
oven.
22. The method of claim 17 with the further step after sealing the
container air tight of placing the container in boiling water.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to flexible packaging and
method which is more efficient and effective than current designs
in containing and protecting foods and other articles, and in
particular has specific advantages when used in conjunction with
evacuated containment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Flexible packaging used for containing foods and other
articles is widely used throughout the world.
[0003] In recent years, one market has emerged which offers home
users advantages which earlier, only commercial users had enjoyed.
Vacuum packaging using flexible film at one time required expensive
and cumbersome commercial equipment. Today several companies offer
attractively priced and relatively compact vacuum packaging
products for home use. These products offer home users the ability
to store foods and other articles for periods far exceeding
packaging which does not utilize evacuated packaging.
[0004] Examples of this new home use equipment may be found in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,561,925, 4,941,310, 5,048,269, 5,352,323, 5,784,862,
5,893,822, and 6,256,968. Essentially, this new equipment can be
broken into two subcategories; the machinery that performs the
evacuation and sealing operations; and the packaging materials that
ultimately contain the articles being packaged. The present
application is primarily directed to such packaging materials. As
will be suggested in the following specification, however, much
broader uses are apparent for the present inventions.
[0005] Earliest flexible packaging utilized single ply flexible
films or sheet stock to contain goods. Closure was accomplished by
wrapping goods, such as with clear plastic films, or by twist ties,
overlapping closures, clips, molded in zippers, or by other means.
Later improvements to closures included heat welding pouches of
single ply material around stored articles.
[0006] An improvement over single ply materials used two or more
ply laminate sheets which allowed for a heat sealable layer backed
by a gas impermeable layer, thus preventing oxygen or other harmful
gasses from seeping in and contaminating package contents. To
further reduce damage done by undesirable gasses, vacuums were used
to reduce package gas content, and where appropriate, to help
retard microbe growth.
[0007] However, it was difficult to pull a vacuum in a pouch which
had smooth inner walls because the inner walls of the container
would choke around the orifice where the vacuum was being pulled
and retard or prevent the rest of the container from being
evacuated.
[0008] Two inventors in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,778,171, and 4,756,422
(Re. 34,929) suggested ways to prevent this. Both utilized raised
regular patterns embossed or pressed into the inside container
surfaces. These caused gas evacuation channels leading to interior
parts of the container to be formed which generally allowed more
complete evacuation of the container to occur.
[0009] A problem which remains, however, is that even with the
protrusions caused by these regular patterns, there is a still
large amount of predictable surface contact between package
contents and the flexible sheet which forms part or all of the
container. This can cause sticking of packaging to contents after
freezing, and result in artificial looking patterning on the
outside of foods or other contained articles after freezing or
cooking. It can also lead to small pockets between the container
and its contents harboring moisture, microbes or harmful
gasses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the
present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1 is a perspective view
of a pouch formed of film having an irregularly textured inner
surface.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a detail of FIG. 1 as indicated by dotted area 20
in FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3 is the detail shown in FIG. 2 of dotted area 20
showing an alternate embodiment construction.
[0013] FIG. 4 is the detail shown in FIG. 2 of dotted area 20
showing a second alternate embodiment construction.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a section taken through FIG. 2 as indicated in
FIG. 2 showing a possible embodiment construction.
[0015] FIG. 6 is the same section shown in FIG. 5 showing an
alternate embodiment construction.
[0016] FIG. 7 is the same section shown in FIG. 5 showing a second
alternate embodiment construction.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a section taken through FIG. 3 as indicated in
FIG. 3 showing a possible embodiment construction.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a section taken through the first embodiment shown
in FIG. 1 as indicated in FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 10 is the same section shown in FIG. 9 showing an
alternate embodiment construction.
[0020] FIG. 11 shows how the profile shown in FIG. 7 might contact
a smooth surface.
[0021] FIG. 12 show another alternative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Prior art as explained earlier has utilized raised regular
and predictable patterns on the inside of evacuated flexible wall
packaging primarily to help in evacuation. Such patterns have
included waffle patterns, parallel lines, divergent lines,
patterned dimples, etc.
[0023] A first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
FIG. 1, comprises sheets 22 and 24, welded together along side
seams 26 and 28, and bottom seam 30 to form pouch 31.
[0024] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show three example constructions for dotted
area 20 defined in FIG. 1. All three show raised irregular surface
29 (FIG. 1) with differences between constructions comprising
primarily the distribution and form of irregularities.
[0025] Raised irregular surfaces, such as 30, 32 and 34, shown in
FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 respectively, form air passages 36 within pouch 31
when the interior of sheet 24 is formed flat, as shown in FIG. 9,
or is formed with a raised irregular surface 41, as shown in FIG.
10. Raised irregular surfaces 30, 32 or 34 may also form air
passages 38 when contacting smooth surfaces 40 of pouch 31
contents, as shown in FIG. 11.
[0026] Air passages 36 and 38 allow circulation of gasses within
pouch 31. As examples, this circulation may be used to more fully
evacuate pouch 31 when pulling a vacuum from end 42 of pouch 31, or
to help preserve pouch 31 contents, such as the use of C0.sub.2
sealed inside a closed container to help preserve apples. Air
passages 36 and 38 may also help to provide for a more uniform
environment to help more evenly preserve and protect pouch 31
contents.
[0027] Raised irregular surfaces 30, 32 and 34 shown in FIGS. 2, 3
and 4 respectively, as well as air passages 36 and 38 may also help
provide physical protection for pouch 31 contents if pouch 31 and
its contents are struck against other objects, or pouch 31 and its
contents are rested for periods of time against adjacent
surfaces.
[0028] Raised irregular surface 29 (see FIG. 1) may be continuously
irregular, as a few examples; like the surface of sandpaper (see
example--FIG. 6) or the bubbles on the surface of beer foam (see
example--FIG. 5); or raised irregular surface 29 may have spaced
apart irregular protuberances from an otherwise regular surface
(see example--FIGS. 3 and 8). Raised irregular surfaces may have
orientation such as the surface of a steel wool pad which has
parallel linear orientation of irregularly undulating elongated
fibers. Such orientation may also be in the form of a star burst,
or a splay, or a weave, etc.
[0029] Raised irregular surface 29 (see FIG. 1) may be: irregular
in plan view but uniform in profile; or irregular in profile but
regular in plan view; or irregular in both plan and profile. Such
use of the terms "irregular" or "raised irregular surfaces"herein
shall encompass all of the above descriptions.
[0030] Sheet 24 may be fabricated in many different ways. As an
example, it may be embossed through a set of rollers or in a press.
This would produce a sheet with texture on both sides and a
relatively uniform material thickness across the entire sheet (see
examples--FIGS. 5, 6 and 8). Alternatively, sheet 24 might be
textured on one side only (see FIG. 7) through a set of rollers or
by a press or by other means. Sheet 24 might be textured on both
sides through rollers or a press or other means. Any of the above
might be done during a lamination process. Many other fabrication
techniques also might be employed in conjunction with the above or
as an alternative.
[0031] Where the transparency of sheet 22 is desirable, irregular
texturing may have minimal impact on such transparency,
particularly because such irregular texturing generally is in close
proximity to the inside surface of sheet 22 and the contents it may
contact which are to be viewed. Alternatively, raised irregular
surface 29 might be interrupted where and if in any way it impaired
desired transparency.
[0032] Raised irregular surface 29 of sheet 22 may also reduce
after freezing sticking between pouch 31 and its contents. This is
because there is generally less surface contact between pouch 31
and its contents than if the interior of pouch 31 were formed flat
without texture. As an example, a flat surface resting against
another flat surface may have near 100 percent contact, whereas a
properly designed and engineered raised irregular surface may have
less than 80 percent, and possibly less than 60 percent, surface
contact area relative to the full exposed surface area, when
contacting a flat surface (see FIG. 9).
[0033] When compared to flat or regular raised surfaces, raised
irregular surfaces may also provide a wider variety of surface
contact points for package contents with each contact point having
its own unique individual contact area and amount of pressure. This
in turn may provide gas circulation with a more diverse and natural
flow.
[0034] Raised irregular surfaces, when compared to raised regular
surfaces, cannot replicate a regular pattern on the outer surfaces
of the objects they may contact. As an example, objects placed in
pouches having raised regular interior surfaces, may have the
interior pattern of the raised regular surfaces imprinted on the
object's exterior caused by freezing, cooking, storage, contact
pressure against other objects, or other processes. Because raised
irregular surfaces have no regular pattern, they can leave no
imprint of an unnatural regular pattern where they contact
objects.
[0035] Undesirable replication of raised regular surface patterns
may be caused by the soft surfaces of packaged contents, or by
microbes, or by freezer burn, or by uneven heating during cooking,
or by chemical reaction, or by other reasons.
[0036] Raised irregular surfaces may also reduce freezer burn by
more uniformly and naturally distributing moisture around contents
being contacted by the raised irregular surfaces, when compared to
raised regular surfaces or flat surfaces. Also, if freezer burn
does occur to any degree and replicates the raised irregular
surface on the surfaces of package contents, such replication is
far less noticeable due to the more natural appearance of the
irregular surface when compared to regular and predictable surface
patterns.
[0037] Raised irregular surfaces may be used in a variety of
applications including applications for both home and commercial
use. They may be used in wrapping sheet, pouches, bags, carton
interiors, or in other packaging vehicles. This may include such
specific applications as Ziploc.RTM. type bags, Saran.RTM. Wrap
type food wrapping, Food Saver.RTM. type vacuum and heat sealable
bags and rolls, etc.
[0038] In certain applications it may be desirable to combine
raised irregular surfaces with laminated sheets. As an example, in
pouch 31 shown in FIG. 1, where a vacuum may be pulled and
thereafter a heat welded seal made on end 42, a gas-impermeable
heat-sealable laminate may be desirable for both sheets 22 and 24.
Sheet 22 might be fabricated with outer layer 44 (FIG. 9) made of
Mylar.RTM. and inner layer 46 (FIG. 9) made of polypropylene, with
the texture being added using embossing rollers either during,
before, or after the lamination process. Other processes and
materials are alternatively possible including using three or more
laminate layers etc.
[0039] Raised irregular surfaces described herein may be
constructed at any scale. As just one example, raised irregular
surface 30 in FIG. 2 might have a surface texture of sandpaper and
might have texture comparable in scale to a grit of sandpaper
ranging from 40 grit to 400 grit, depending on the application.
[0040] Raised irregular surfaces may also be beneficial when food
pouches are either boiled or microwave. This is because, as
explained earlier, there may be less surface contact and less
predictable surface contact between the pouches and their contents
thus allowing more complete contact between liquid and solid
contents of the pouch during the cooking process.
[0041] Raised irregular surfaces, when used with vacuum pouches,
may provide more complete evacuation of the pouch when compared
with raised regular surfaces or flat surfaces. This is because the
non uniformity of raised irregular surfaces may provide more
complete and extensive pathways for gasses to evacuate.
[0042] Properly designed raised irregular surfaces, by reducing
surface contact between packaging and package contents as explained
earlier, may also reduce the chances of small, inaccessible pockets
being formed between packaging and packaging contents when compared
to raised regular surfaces and flat surfaces. Such pockets might
house moisture, or microbes, or other things deleterious to package
contents.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in pouches, such as illustrated
in FIG. 1, raised irregular surfaces may be used throughout the
interior of a bag or pouch or container or on one side only or on a
portion of one or two sides, depending on the needs and economics
of the application. Such surfaces may be interrupted as shown in
FIG. 4 by interruptions 46 to: ease the marking of containers, or
to create measuring lines, or for creating a labeling surface, or
for increased transparency, etc.
[0044] Use of the embodiments described herein may vary. As just
one example, a bag might be formed using sheet material or a
fabricated tube or by other means. The bag would have raised
irregular surfaces on at least part of its interior. Contents would
be placed in the bag and subsequently air would be withdrawn from
the bag relying at least in part on evacuation air channels formed
between the raised irregular surfaces and surfaces they contact.
Such evacuation could be done through the top entrance of the bag,
or through a hole in the bag, or by other means. The bag would then
be sealed air tight using: heat welding, adhesives, mechanical
fasteners, or other means. The bag then might be: stored at room
temperature, put into cold storage, boiled in water, frozen, put
into additional packaging, or some combination of the above,
possibly with other processes and/or materials involved. As an
example, leftovers might be put into the bag, and the bag stored in
the freezer. Later the bag might be removed from the freezer and
put into boiling water to heat the contents, and then the bag might
be cut open and the contents put onto a plate for serving.
[0045] An alternative example of embodiment use would use sheet
material to be sealed around contents and air withdrawn through an
edge or hole in part relying on air passages formed by raised
irregular surfaces contacting other surfaces.
[0046] Whether one or two walls of a bag or pouch use raised
irregular surfaces on their interiors, such surfaces may help in
opening the bag as such surfaces space apart the two edges at the
bag entrance and thus make it easier to separate the top of the bag
for opening and loading.
[0047] It is believed that a surface texture resembling that of 60
grit sandpaper and having a texture depth from peak to adjacent
valley of between 0.004 and 0.029 inches offers advantages over
other designs for use in evacuated pouches and other packaging used
in the home or for commercial purposes. These advantages include
relatively rapid air evacuation and good economics in production
using current commercially available packaging films and
manufacturing techniques. It is also believed for similar reasons
that raised irregular surfaces in general that practice the present
inventions gain advantage if their depth from peak to adjacent
valley is at least 0.001 inches and with particular advantage when
this dimension is more than 0.004 inches. It is further believed
that there are distinct advantages to applying raised irregular
textures to most or all of both sheets forming a pouch, or to most
or all of perimeter walls forming packaging (more than 50% of the
interior surface), with such advantages including, but not limited
to, reduced chance of imprinting undesirable regular patterning on
package contents and reduction of sticking of packaging to package
contents after freezing. None of the specifications contained in
this paragraph are to be considered limitations of the present
inventions, but merely as guidelines where advantages may be
gained.
[0048] Although evacuation and heat sealing are not inherently
necessary to practice the present inventions, both gain advantages,
as described herein, when used in conjunction with the present
inventions. Also, packages using the present inventions need not
necessarily be frozen, cooked, refrigerated, or stored. However,
packaging undergoing each of these processes may gain advantages as
described herein from practicing the present invention. Packaging
practicing the present invention may be sealed shut using heat
welding, adhesives, static attraction, mechanical fasteners, or by
other means.
[0049] What has been described herein are exemplary embodiments
that incorporate the present invention. One knowledgeable in the
art will readily recognize that many variations are possible from
the descriptions herein without departing from the nature and
spirit of the invention. As but a few brief examples: surface
textures such as might be found on concrete or macadam roadway or
leather might be used; different materials might be employed such
as ceramics, metal foils or laminates using metal foils; the raised
irregular surfaces might be used on the interiors of cartons or
containers either in conjunction with vacuum or with freezing or
with cooking or not; etc.
[0050] Such variations should be incorporated by inference into the
teachings herein. Accordingly, the protection afforded this
application shall be limited only by accepted claims and their
legal equivalents.
* * * * *