Method and apparatus for eliminating oxygen in the filling of a flexible bag with a beverage utilizing sources of inert gas, vacuum, and beverage. A filling head regulates the injection of inert gas and applies a vacuum to the flexible bag the bag spout. The bag spout is separately rinsed of oxygen prior to recapping the same on the flexible bag.

A device (1) for evacuating gas from a package (50) in a packaging apparatus, the package (50) having an open end (55), the open end (55) having a terminal portion (54), a non-terminal portion (52), and an intermediate portion (53) located between the terminal portion (54) and the non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55), the device (1) comprising a vacuum chamber (10) having an elongated opening (14) extending along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10), an evacuation means configured for providing the vacuum chamber (10) with an internal vacuum pressure that is lower than an ambient pressure outside the vacuum chamber (10), means for moving (30) a package (50) relative to the vacuum chamber (10), and a control unit (60) programmed for controlling the means for moving (30) to relatively move a package (50) to be evacuated with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), the package (50) and the means for moving (30) each being arranged with respect to the vacuum chamber (10) so that a main movement direction (40) of packages (50) placed on the means for moving (30) and the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber (10) are substantially parallel to one another, the package (50) to be evacuated being positioned so that, during the relative movement of the package (50) with respect to the vacuum chamber (10), a terminal portion (54) of the open end (55) of the package (50) relatively moves within the vacuum chamber (10) and a non-terminal portion (52) of the open end (55) relatively moves outside the vacuum chamber (10), an intermediate portion (53) of the open end (55) passing through and relatively moving along the opening (14), and activating the evacuation means to provide the vacuum chamber (10) with the internal vacuum pressure. A packaging process using the gas evacuation device and a packaging apparatus including the device are also disclosed.

A bulk container vacuum filing system includes a base portion and movable portion. The bulk container vacuum filing system serves to position and maintain a bulk container within a chamber, seal the interior of the chamber, dispense material into the bulk container, and draw a vacuum or create positive pressure within the chamber and/or the bulk container during at least a portion of the dispensing process. Base portion of the bulk container vacuum filing system includes a vacuum source and a material supply line along with electronic controls and sensors for operating and monitoring the filling process. The moveable portion include a support structure for supporting the bulk container, such as a bulk bag, in the proper place.

A packaging system includes a bag feeding device for forming a packaging bag series having a continuous bag portion partitioned by a side seal portion from a long film and a bag mouth opening/closing device having a conveying path formed between a conveying device for pulling and conveying the packaging bag series with first grips and a guide rail parallel to the conveying path. The movers traveling on the guide rail has second grips for gripping the side seal portion. By controlling and adjusting the distance between one mover and the mover immediately after that, an upper end opening of the bag portion is opened or closed according to various processes of the packaging process.

A sterilization unit for sterilizing a product can include a body having an internal volume for receiving the product to be sterilized, and comprising at least one opening through which product can be introduced and/or withdrawn from the internal volume; a gas inlet in fluid communication with the internal volume for introducing one or more of an inert gas and a sterilizing gas into the internal volume during sterilization; a screen disposed in the gas inlet through which the one or more of the inert gas and the sterilizing gas must pass before entering into the internal volume; and a pressure release valve. The body can be capable of being pressurized to a pressure of 10 atm or more.

A vacuum packing apparatus includes a box, a lid, a solenoid, a vacuum pump, a pressure gauge, a time relay, a thermal sealer and a controller. The box includes a chamber. The lid is connected to the box. The thermal sealer is located in the chamber. The controller is electrically connected to the vacuum pump, the solenoid, the thermal sealer and the time relay. The panel is electrically connected to the controller.

Disclosed is a content discharging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The content discharging device includes a flexible pouch having an opening at one side thereof, a fixing ring coupled to the opening, and a discharging portion coupled to the fixing ring and capable of conveying content. The flexible pouch is inserted into a rigid container with a shape, and the discharging portion is coupled to the opening of the rigid container. The content discharging device according to the present disclosure provides the effect of allowing consumption of content completely without remainder even when the liquid with high viscosity is filled in the rigid container, and the effects, in which the pouch with the elasticity is deformed in conformity with a shape having the rigid container and the content can be contained therein when the content have been contained in the pouch in the case of providing the pouch with the elasticity capable of being inserted into the rigid container, and that can discharge the content into the outside of the container by a restoring force according to the elasticity.

A package, system and method for packaging a fresh food product having an improved shelf-life. The system includes: one or more individual packages having a food product sealed therein, the packages are made from an oxygen permeable film having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of at least 10,000 cc (STP)/m.sup.2/day/1 atm at 23° C. at 0% relative humidity (RH) measured according to ASTM 3985. The individual packages are disposed in an interior space of a master pouch. The master pouch is made from a film having an oxygen barrier layer such that the OTR of the master pouch film is less than 20 cc (STP)/m.sup.2/day/1 atm at 23° C. at 0% RH measured according to ASTM 3985. The interior space of the master pouch includes a modified atmosphere having CO.sub.2 and has an oxygen concentration that is less than 0.1% by volume.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for vacuum packaging drilling fluid additives and is particularly effective for low bulk density material. Vacuum sealing technology is employed to decrease the volume of the additive, thereby enabling packaging of larger quantity of additive per bag, effective utilization of storage space and reduced transportation costs. The invention overcomes the drawback of conventional vacuum packing machines where the material being packaged drifts out of the packaging bag into the vacuum chamber on vacuum creation and further deposits on the sealable portion at the open end of the bag leading to ineffective sealing of the bag opening. The apparatus of the invention is modified to increase the headspace between the sealing element of the apparatus and drilling fluid additive being sealed, thereby eliminating the movement of the additive into the vacuuming chamber and deposit on the bag opening.

A method of providing a plurality of filled product bags of sterile fluid includes positioning a bag assembly onto a filling machine. The bag assembly includes a tube, a filter assembly, bladders, and stems. A stem is attached to a bladder, forms a fluid passageway, fluidly connects to the tube, and provides fluid communication into the bladders. The method includes fluidly coupling an inlet of the filter assembly to a connection line in fluid communication with a fluid source, and filling the bag assembly with a fluid. Filling the bag assembly includes passing the fluid through the filter assembly, the fluid passageway, and into the bladder. The method includes sealing the fluid passageway at a location between the tube and the bladders. The method includes cutting the stem to form a partially filled product bag having the sealed passageway. The method includes performing an integrity test on the filter assembly.