Container Technologies, Inc.

Franrica Mfg. Inc.

Ronald J Reiss

John C Davis

Albert F Rica

Lloyd F Hay

Steven A Rechtsteiner

John W Schneiter

J Richard Heron

Albert G Enskat

A fitmentless, aseptic, temporarily sealed pouch is formed from two multiple-ply side walls sealed together at marginal edges. A portion of the seal is removable. Half seals joining the plies within each side wall are disposed in the side walls proximate the removable seal, but do not seal the side walls together. Apparatus and processes for handling, filling and sealing the pouch in an aseptic chamber include apparatus for moving the pouch through a sterilant bath, into and out of an aseptic chamber, a cutter for cutting off the removable seal, and vacuum jaws for engaging, stretching and opening the pouch. Once opened, the pouch is filled, then closed, sealed and moved out of the chamber through the bath.

Apparatus and methods for filling and sealing an aseptic fitmentless

There is disclosed apparatus for aseptically filling a flexible container having a rigid fitment including a neck, outer flange surrounding the neck, a frangible membrane and an outer rim. The apparatus includes an enclosed filling chamber including a platen with an opening, clamping jaws for holding the fitment in the opening, a vacuum head and sealing unit for removing a lid loosely placed on the fitment and supporting it within the sealing chamber while the sealing chamber, fitment and lid are sterilized, a fill tube which is retractable within a housing and shiftable to a position in sealed engagement with the neck to introduce product into the container. After the container is filled, the fill tube is withdrawn and enclosed in its housing, the lid is transferred back onto the rim and heat sealed in place. The fitment is then unclamped to end the filling cycle.

Method and apparatus for aseptically filling containers

There is disclosed an aseptic flexible walled container having a rigid fitment member cooperative with an aseptic filling apparatus and including a neck, outer flanges surrounding the neck, a frangible membrane and an outer end rim receptive of an hermetically sealed lid. The neck is formed with an internal chamferred seating shoulder for fluid-tight engagement with a fill tube. One outer flange cooperates with clamping jaws of the aseptic filling apparatus for detachably sealing the fitment to a sterilizing chamber and placing it in position for insertion of the filling tube which ruptures the membrane and permits the aseptic introduction of product to the container's interior. The other outer flange is secured to an opening in a wall of the flexible container. The joined fitment and container are presterilized prior to filling. Selected materials for the multi-ply container walls and the fitment permit the container to withstand gamma ray and other sterilization treatment, heat and pressure while maintaining required strength. After the container is aseptically filled, such as with flowable food product, the fill tube is withdrawn and a lid is hermetically sealed onto the rim of the fitment. A heat shield adjacent a container wall surrounds the fitment to protect the container from excessive heat generated by the associated filling apparatus during filling.

Flexible walled container having membrane fitment for use with aseptic

A connector apparatus for use with various types of disposable flexible foodstuff containers, such as polymeric bags containing soft drink syrups, of the type having a fitment attached to a wall of the container. The novel fitment includes a displaceable valve means having a seal plug member slidably received within a passageway and capable of being releasably retained at a pre-fill position and lockably retained at a post-fill position. A mating probe connector is permanently attached to the food product delivery hose system and includes an inner cap and sleeve comprising a probe adapter capable of being detachably secured to the novel fitment and a probe member for engaging the seal plug member. Product drain and positive evacuation structures are provided to assure substantially complete draining of product from the container during use. The probe is movable in response to rotation of a screw-threaded outer cap member.

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Hoffman Estates, IL, United States of America

Ronald J Reiss