The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1996
Filed:
May. 11, 1995
Roy Balcombe, Westminister, CA (US);
Kal Kan Foods, Inc., Vernon, CA (US);
Abstract
A method of filling and sealing a package with a product wherein a container having a bottom generally deformable in shape is filled with a product having a volume less than the container volume but equal to the filled volume. A continuous top lid is placed onto the container and positioned adjacent to a sealing surface and rim section of the container. In this position enough headspace exists to permit the proper lid placement without squeezing product onto the seal surface. The filled container supported on an anvil and lid are then transferred into a vacuum chamber within the vacuum chamber and with a sealing head disposed above the anvil in the raised position, the pressure within the chamber is evacuated by a vacuum. This process lowers the pressure of the headspace gas from the container to that of the chamber. When the desired vacuum level is achieved, the sealing head is lowered and the lid is sealed to the sealing surface of the container. The container is then removed from the vacuum chamber and is brought back to atmospheric pressure, and as a result thereof, the bottom is inverted upwardly thereby forcing the product to fill the headspace voids.