The Coca-Cola Company

George Plester

Horst Ehrich

Stijn Vandekerckhove

Mark Rule

Heinz Humele

Willy Van Esch

Herbert Pickel

A disposable cartridge device is provided for use in a heated cartridge water treatment system in which particles, formed by the heat-induced reaction of bicarbonates in the water, can be efficiently collected in non-turbulent particle settling zones. The cartridge includes multiple containers which are assembled to fit into each other and which form channels for the flow of water within gaps between the walls of the containers. When the particle collecting section becomes full, the water flow automatically is blocked, or cut-off, which signals the need to replace the cartridge. The cartridge also can include a polishing filter and a heater mounted to a surface of the outer container.

Disposable cartridge for on-premises water treatment system

Methods and systems are provided for making a coated plastic container, such as for packaged beverages, possessing a gas barrier and having enhanced resistance to loss in barrier due to handling abuses expansion of walls of the container. The system comprises a vacuum cell, a coating source in the vacuum cell for supplying a coating vapor to an external surface of a plastic container positioned within the vacuum cell, and gas feeds for supplying one or more process gases into an interior space of the vacuum cell. The coating source heats and evaporates an inorganic coating material, such as metal or silicon, to form a coating vapor, which is energized to form a plasma. The process gases include a carbon-containing gas, such as acetylene. The coating source is arranged within the vacuum cell such that the coating vapor and/or plasma reacts with at least one of the process gases and a thin coating is deposited and bonded on the external surface of the plastic container, such that the thin coating comprising carbon and inorganic material, such as an inorganic oxide.

Barrier coated plastic containers and coating methods therefor

A coated plastic container provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. A method and system for coating plastic containers includes applying a thin inorganic oxide layer to the external surface of the containers with plasma-assisted vacuum vapor deposition. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating is flexible and can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating firmly adheres to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container. A method of recycling coated plastic containers and a method and system for packaging a beverage using the coated containers are also disclosed.

Plastic containers with an external gas barrier coating, method and system for coating containers using vapor deposition, method for recycling coated containers, and method for packaging a beverage

A method, composition and system for coating an external surface of containers and in particular, plastic containers, provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. The coating applied to the external surface of the containers is very thin and is comprised of one or several inorganic substances or layers of substances. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating will be flexible and can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating will firmly adhere to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container.

Method for coating a plastic container with vacuum vapor deposition

A water treatment method uses a removable, disposable cartridge having an internal mesh structure. A permanent heater heats water fed to the cartridge. Precipitated solids collect on the mesh surface provided temperature and residence time are appropriately maintained. The heat breaks down the bicarbonate hardness of the water thereby depositing carbonates on the mesh surface and heavy metals will be codeposited due to the resultant change in pH. The cartridge has a head-space for collecting entrained gasses such as volatile organic compounds, chlorine and air. Water sterility is achieved by heating the water over an appropriate period of time. Turbidity is removed within the cartridge due to settling induced by the low fluid velocity controlled by a controller and by a filter provided at the outlet of the cartridge. The filter will become blocked when bicarbonate hardness is carried over forcing a user to replace a spent cartridge. Heat economy and a cool treated water outlet stream are secured by use of a heat exchanger. Water is fed from the cartridge, through the heat exchanger to a storage tank. Water in the storage tank is kept out of contact with air by a movable barrier. Eventually, the water is fed from the storage tank to a dispenser and can subsequently be used in a post-mix beverage dispenser.

On premise water treatment method for use in a post mix beverage dispenser

Apparatuses and methods for use in vacuum vapor deposition coating provide for simpler, economical and continuous operation. A system and method for continuously melting and evaporating a solid material for forming a coating vapor includes the use of a separate melting crucible and evaporating crucible. A system and method for energizing the evaporative solids to form a plasma which includes first and second electrodes and a device for selectively switching polarity between the first and second electrodes to avoid coating vapor deposition on the electrodes. Another a system and method for energizing the evaporative solids to form a plasma which includes an electric arc discharge apparatus with a cathodic and an anodic part. A continuously fed electrode is disclosed for continuous vaporization of electrode members in an electric arc discharge. An apparatus and method provides for measurement of the rate of evaporation from an evaporator and the degree of ionization in a vapor deposition coating system. Lastly, a system is disclosed for in-situ cleaning of vaporizable deposits for cleaning of the enclosure of the vacuum vapor deposition system.

Methods for measuring the degree of ionization and the rate of evaporation in a vapor deposition coating system

A very thin inner layer composed of a polymer chosen for its barrier and/or inertness properties is fabricated within a container preform constructed mainly from another polymer, or a structure of polymers. The inner layer on the preform is produced either by a controlled coating method involving coating of the injection mold core rod prior to injection molding or by a coating applied directly to the preform after injection molding. This enables both inner and main layers to be brought together at a time when the interface between them is molten. A tie layer can be employed, when desirable, to enable the layers to be combined without melting the layer interface.

Hollow containers having a very thin inert or impermeable inner surface layer by coating the inside surface of the preform

A water treatment method uses a removable, disposable cartridge having an internal mesh structure. A disposable heater heats water fed to the cartridge. Precipitated solids collect on the mesh surface provided temperature and residence time are appropriately maintained. The heat breaks down the bicarbonate hardness of the water thereby depositing carbonates on the mesh surface and heavy metals will be codeposited due to the resultant change in pH. The cartridge has a head-space for collecting entrained gases such as volatile or Manic compounds, chlorine and air. Water sterility is achieved by heating the water over an appropriate period of time. Turbidity is removed within the cartridge due to settling induced by the low fluid velocity controlled by a controller and by a filter provided at the outlet of the cartridge. The filter will become blocked when bicarbonate hardness is carried over forcing a user to replace a spent cartridge. Heat economy and a cool treated water outlet stream are s cured by use of a heat exchanger. Water is fed from the cartridge, through an intercooler and the heat exchanger to a storage tank. Water in the storage tank is kept out of contact with air by a movable barrier. Eventually, the water is fed from the storage tank to a dispenser and can subsequently be used in a post-mix beverage dispenser. A visual display indicates the status of the water treatment system.

On premise water treatment system and method

A coated plastic container provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. A method and system for coating plastic containers includes applying a thin inorganic oxide layer to the external surface of the containers with plasma-assisted vacuum vapor deposition. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating is flexible and be can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating firmly adheres to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container. A method of recycling coated plastic containers and a method and system for packaging a beverage using the coated containers are also disclosed.

Plastic containers with an external gas barrier coating

Plasma assisted polymerization and deposition of a very thin inner surface coating in a plastic or metal container without an undesirable increase in container surface temperature is provided to change the surface properties of the internal plastic surface of a container by reaction of the surface with a reactive gas which has been energized to produce a plasma or the surface is activated by a plasma of reactive gas so that it becomes receptive to a further surface reaction. It involves locating the container in an enclosure, inserting means for feeding a reactant gas into the container, selectively controlling the pressure inside the enclosure and inside of the container, cleaning a surface of the container to be coated in situ, pretreating the surface to be coated for enabling a polymer coating subsequently deposited thereon to secure proper adhesion between the coating material and the container material, feeding a reactant gas of predetermined constituency and having barrier properties into the container, generating a plasma of said reactant gas and depositing a relatively thin polymer coating on the surface to be coated, and performing a post polymerization treatment on said polymer coating for eliminating residual monomers and other polymer extractables in situ following deposition of said polymer coating.

Hollow containers with inert or impermeable inner surface through plasma-assisted surface reaction or on-surface polymerization

A water treatment method uses a removable, disposable cartridge having an internal mesh structure. A disposable heater heats water fed to the cartridge. Precipitated solids collect on the mesh surface provided temperature and residence time are appropriately maintained. The heat breaks down the bicarbonate hardness of the water thereby depositing carbonates on the mesh surface and heavy metals will be codeposited due to the resultant change in pH. The cartridge has a head-space for collecting entrained gases such as volatile organic compounds, chlorine and air. Water sterility is achieved by heating the water over an appropriate period of time. Turbidity is removed within the cartridge due to settling induced by the low fluid velocity controlled by a controller and by a filter provided at the outlet of the cartridge. The filter will become blocked when bicarbonate hardness is carried over forcing a user to replace a spent cartridge. Heat economy and a cool treated water outlet stream are secured by use of a heat exchanger. Water is fed from the cartridge, through an intercooler and the heat exchanger to a storage tank. Water in the storage tank is kept out of contact with air by a movable barrier. Eventually, the water is fed from the storage tank to a dispenser and can subsequently be used in a post-mix beverage dispenser. A visual display indicates the status of the water treatment system.

Plasma-enhanced vacuum vapor deposition system including systems for evaporation of a solid, producing an electric arc discharge and measuring ionization and evaporation

Hollow plastic containers with an external very thin coating of low permeability to gases and vapors through plasma-assisted deposition of inorganic substances and method and system for making the coating

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Brussels, Belgium

George Plester