A gas source for pressuring sparkling and other beverage containers, e.g., to re-pressurize the container to keep a carbonation level of beverage during storage.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for storing perishable items under reduced pressure conditions. Total atmospheric pressure within a vacuum chamber containing a perishable item is reduced below a total pressure limit. Oxygen partial pressure and total pressure within the vacuum chamber are monitored. When oxygen partial pressure falls below a lower oxygen partial pressure limit, an oxygen-containing gas is admitted to raise oxygen partial pressure above the lower oxygen partial pressure limit. When the total atmospheric pressure reaches or exceeds the total pressure limit, total pressure is once again reduced. The vacuum container or chamber comprises a section of cylindrical pipe open at both ends, a first end cap and a second end cap, and formed of a plastic material. Notwithstanding that the pipe and end caps are formed of plastic, they are formed with a structure capable of withstanding pressure created by a high vacuum in the vacuum container.

A work station (40) for a packaging line having an apparatus (4) for executing a simultaneous action on packages (10) of an alignment of packages with a tool (46); and a transfer mechanism (31) for the simultaneous transport of an alignment of packages to be processed (10b) to the apparatus (4) and of an alignment of processed packages (10c) from the apparatus (4). The alignments are arranged parallel to each other and the transport direction of the packages are perpendicular to the alignments, the transfer mechanism (31) thus having a first and a second transport group (31a, 31b), one of which hangs from two movable parts (60) of the transfer mechanism (31) which are movable on respective parallel planes of movement and which do not interfere with the vertical projection of the tool (46). A packaging line (101, 102, 103) with modular construction having such work stations.

Food products can be stored and sold in packaging. For example, a perishable food product can be stored in a first compartment of a packaging, and a second food product can be stored in a second compartment. The first compartment can include a modified atmosphere to increase the shelf life of the food product in the first compartment. The second compartment can be under normal atmosphere. This allows a more perishable food product to be stored in the first compartment, and a prepackaged, or otherwise less perishable food product to be separately stored in the second compartment, while extending the shelf life of the food products. The first product could be a sandwich, and the second product be one or more condiments for the sandwich.

A system and process for forming and sealing a filter in a capsule is provided. The system includes a filter forming station having a mandrel for forming a filter preform, a capsule holder for holding a body of a capsule for receiving the mandrel with the filter preform and a filter sealing station including a sealer for sealing the filter preform to the body at a desired location within the interior surface of the body. The mandrel is adapted to hold the filter preform at a desired position for placement and sealing within the body. The process includes forming a filter preform on a mandrel from a filter material, positioning a body of a capsule for receiving the mandrel with the filter preform, the mandrel being adapted to hold the filter preform, and sealing the filter preform at a desired location to an interior surface of the body.

There is provided a filling-and-sealing device and a filling-and-sealing method capable of reducing an amount of use of a replacement gas used for replacing air in a container. The filling-and-sealing device includes a filling machine that fills a container with a content fluid; a sealing machine that seals the container transferred from the filling machine with a lid; a chamber that covers the filling machine and the sealing machine; a gassing system that replaces, in the chamber, a gas in the container with a carbon dioxide gas by introducing the carbon dioxide gas as a second replacement gas supplied from a tank; and a pre-gassing system that replaces the gas in the container with a first replacement gas that remains in the chamber containing the carbon dioxide gas before processing by the gassing system.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for sealed dimpled film packages. A vacuum box having apertures, a dimpled bottom film sheet is placed on the base plate and an item to be packaged can be placed on the bottom dimpled film sheet. A top film sheet in a clamp frame is heated to a processing temperature and lowered towards the item and dimpled bottom film sheet. Vacuum suction causes sealing of the clamped top film sheet against the package from the base to the perimeter extending at an angle more than 5 degrees. The top film sheet is pulled down using the vacuum suction into contact with the dimpled film sheet from the base perimeter on the dimpled film sheet outward toward the perimeter of the dimpled film sheet forming a seal.

In a blow/fill/seal packaging machine, aseptic environment is provided by a telescoping fill station shroud through which a sterile curtain gas flows. The telescoping fill station shroud includes an open-ended lower sleeve, an open-ended upper sleeve slidably coacting with the open-ended lower sleeve, and a manifold plate mounted over a proximal end portion of the upper sleeve.

A system and method for storing perishable items under controlled atmospheric conditions is provided. Total atmospheric pressure within a vacuum chamber containing the perishable items is reduced to below a predetermined total pressure limit. Oxygen partial pressure within the chamber is monitored. When the Oxygen partial pressure falls below a predetermined lower Oxygen partial pressure limit, an Oxygen-containing gas is admitted to the vacuum chamber to raise the Oxygen partial pressure above the lower Oxygen partial pressure limit. Total atmospheric pressure within the chamber is also monitored. When the total atmospheric pressure reaches or exceed the predetermined total pressure limit, total pressure within the vacuum chamber is once again reduced below the predetermined total pressure limit.

The invention relates to a method for preserving the fresh juice of citrus fruits or pomegranates following the conventional treatment of the fruit and corresponding extrusion or expression of same to obtain the juice. The method consists of: applying, prior to introducing the juice into a container, CO.sub.2 in the form of dry ice, which removes the oxygen content in the container; then introducing the juice continuously; subsequently adding, according to the characteristics of the juice, a dose of liquid nitrogen that allows the atmosphere of the headspace thereof to be corrected; and hermetically sealing the container, such that the absence of oxygen therein is ensured, preventing the product from oxidising and increasing the durability thereof, as long as said product is preserved at a final temperature between 1 and 4 C.