Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING AND CLOSING A
CONTAINER IN TWO STAGES
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for closing a
filled container, and to such a container when closed and filled.
Containers such as cans, bottles, or wide mouthed containers for beer
and other carbonated beverages, for example, are generally filled and closed
on automated filling lines. During the filling process, particularly where the
container is wide-mouthed, that is, has a mouth opening with a diameter of
io 45mm or more, some of the content may spill, slop or foam onto the exterior
of
the container. Sometimes foam is deliberately produced during filling to purge
the headspace at the opening of the container of oxygen andlor other
contaminants.
is When the container is a can and has an end member seamed thereon
after filling, the can can be washed to remove any residues or other
contamination. However, if the closure is to be mechanically engaged on the
opening of the container, for example, is a screw closure, then the area
around the opening which is contacted by the interior of the closure will be
2o hidden from any subsequent cleaning process.
Any area on the exterior of the container which has been contacted
with the beverage, but cannot be subsequently cleaned, could create a bio-
hazard as the carbonated beverage provides nutrients for microbial growth. It
2s is particularly important to prevent the chance of any such contamination
where the container is specifically designed to be drunk from. European
patent 0578711, for example, describes a wide mouthed plastics material
container for beer, having external screw threads, which is specifically
designed for use as a drinking vessel after opening. With such a container,
3o therefore, there is a clear need to ensure that the external screw threads
are
clean and uncontaminated after the filling and closing processes.
Beer, and other carbonated beverages, contain sugar. If the sugar
remains on screw threads or other engaging means on the exterior of a
3s container it will act as an adhesive when a closure is engaged thereon.
This
can make it subsequently very difficult for the consumer to open the
container.
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This is particularly significant with a wide mouthed drinking vessel as shown
in
European patent no. 0578711. European patent 0975527 shows a two-part
screw closure for such a container which is designed to keep the opening
torque low. However, if the screw threads of the closure become adhered to
s those of the container, even that closure becomes unopenable.
The present invention seeks to overcome or reduce the problems which
can arise on the filling of containers, as outlined above.
io In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method of closing a filled container, the method comprising the
steps of:
temporarily closing the filled container by holding a first closure member
in position to close the container opening;
is cleaning the exterior of the container whilst it is temporarily closed, and
applying a second closure member to said container opening to seal
the filled container.
With a method of an embodiment of the invention, the temporary
2o closure protects the contents of the container from contamination by the
cleaning process whilst enabling the exterior of the container to be cleaned.
Once cleaning has been completed, the container opening may be sealed.
It is possible to have a temporary closure which is not intended to
2s remain on the container. Once the cleaning process has been completed,
therefore, said second closure member is applied to said container opening to
replace said first closure member.
The first closure member, which is to be subsequently discarded, may
~o be a plate or other closure which is held in position on the container
opening
by pressure applying means such as an arm. Alternatively, the temporary
closure may be part of the arm and subsequently reused. Where there is
reuse of the first closure member, of course, it will be necessary to arrange
for
the first closure member to be cleaned.
~s
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The second closure member, which is used to seal the container
opening, may be of any type and/or configuration required. For example, the
second closure member may be a one part closure, or may be a two-part or a
multi-part closure.
s
Currently it is preferred that the closure used to seal the filled container
is a two-part closure, for example, as described in European patent 0975527.
The closure in this patent specification has a first part which extends across
the opening and a second depending rotatable part which screws onto the
io container to hold the first closure member in position to seal the
container.
Such an arrangement is particularly suited to a method of an embodiment of
the invention where the temporary closure of the container may be by way of
the first part of the two-part closure, which is subsequently retained in
position
to seal the container by the second part of the two-part closure.
Specifically,
is in an embodiment of the invention, said second closure member is applied to
the container to hold said first closure member in position, such that said
first
and second closure members together seal the filled container.
As noted previously, it is possible to have a closure which has more
2o that two parts. For example, the multi-part closure may incorporate a
jetting
device and/or an oxygen scavenging part. Generally, such a multi-part
closure is assembled, and is applied to the container, when the container
opening is to be sealed. In this case, part of the multi-part closure forms
said
second closure member.
2s
Whilst the filled container is temporarily closed, the container is cleaned
in any appropriate manner. For example, the exterior of the container may be
cleaned by spraying a fluid at that exterior. The fluid may be water or air.
For
example high pressure jets of water and air may be used as alternatives or in
3o sequence. Additionally and/or alternatively, the exterior of the container
may
be cleaned by brushing.
It is also possible with a method of the invention to perform any further
treatments required on the exterior of the container whilst it is temporarily
3s closed. For example, the further treatments performed may apply fungicides,
and/or antibacterial agents to the exterior of the container.
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In an embodiment, the exterior of the container is dried whilst the
container is temporarily closed.
Preferably, the container has been filled with a foodstuff, such as a
carbonated beverage. A method of the invention finds particular utility where
the carbonated beverage is beer.
In an embodiment, a method of the invention further comprises the step
to of applying nitrogen into the container by way of its opening before said
first
closure member is held thereon. The nitrogen may be used, for example, to
purge the headspace of oxygen. Preferably, a jetting device is inserted into
said container before the container opening is sealed by the application of
said second closure member. The nitrogen is taken into the jetting device to
is charge it ready for subsequent use.
Although a method of the present invention is not restricted to use with
any particular type of container, it does find particular usefulness where the
container opening is an unrestricted mouth opening and has a diameter which
2o exceeds 30mm, and generally exceeds 45mm. The 45mm size can generally
be taken to divide bottles with narrow mouths from containers with wide
mouths. Where a container has a wide, unrestricted, mouth opening, there is
likely to be a larger problem of spillage of the container contents than with
narrow necked containers.
2s
The second closure member may be seamed, bonded, clipped, push
fitted, screwed onto or otherwise appropriately engaged on the container to
seal the filled container.
~o In an embodiment, first interengaging means are provided on said
second closure member, and second interengaging means are provided on
said container, said first and second interengaging means being engaged
when the second closure member is applied to the container, and wherein
said first closure member is held in position during cleaning such that the
3s second interengaging means are accessible and thereby subject to the
cleaning.
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The present invention also extends to apparatus for closing a filled
container, the apparatus comprising:
means for cleaning the exterior of a container,
s means for temporarily closing the opening of a filled container whilst the
container is cleaned by said cleaning means, and
closure means for sealing the container opening of the filled and
cleaned container.
io Preferably, said means for temporarily closing the opening of the filled
container comprises means for applying a first closure member to the opening,
and means for holding the first closure member in position to close the
container opening.
is For example, said holding means comprises a pressure applying arm
arranged to engage the first closure member and hold it in position against
any pressure from the contents of the filled container.
Alternatively, said means for temporarily closing the container and said
2o holding means comprise a pressure applying arm carrying a first closure
member at one end thereof, said pressure applying arm being arranged to
locate the first closure member in position to close the container opening and
then to hold the first closure member in position against any pressure from
the
contents of the filled container.
In an embodiment, said cleaning means comprises means for spraying
a fluid against the exterior of the container to effect cleaning thereof. The
fluid
sprayed may be water and/or air.
3o The spray means is preferably arranged to provide a high pressure jet
of the fluid used.
Additionally and/or alternatively, said cleaning means comprises means
for brushing the exterior of the container.
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To facilitate cleaning, the cleaning means may comprise means to
rotate the container during cleaning thereof.
In an embodiment, said closure means comprises means for applying a
s second closure member to the opening of the container, and means for
securing the second closure member to the container to seal the container
opening.
For example, the securing means may be arranged to seam or bond
io the second closure member to the container after the first closure member
has
been removed therefrom.
In an alternative embodiment, said securing means applies the second
closure member to the container by clipping, engaging, or by screwing.
is Preferably, in this case, said first closure member is maintained on the
container and is retained in position by said applied second closure member.
The first and second closure members may constitute a two-part
closure for the container or may be two parts of a multi-part closure.
Apparatus of the invention may further comprise further treatment
means for performing further treatments on the exterior of the container
whilst
said means for temporarily closing the opening maintains the container
opening temporarily closed. For example, said further treatment means may
2s comprise means for drying the container exterior. Additionally and/or
alternatively, said further treatment means comprises means for applying
fungicides and/or antibacterial agents to the exterior of the container.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises means for moving
3o a container from the means for temporarily closing the container, to the
cleaning means, and then to the closure means.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the shared moving means
comprises either a linear conveyor or a rotatable carousel provided in a
~s substantially conventional filling line.
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According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided
a filled and closed container which has been closed by a method as defined
above or has been closed by apparatus as defined above.
s A filled and closed container of the invention preferably has an opening,
and a closure secured to the container to seal the opening, wherein said
opening is an unrestricted mouth opening.
In an embodiment, said unrestricted mouth opening for the container
1o has a diameter which exceeds 30 millimetres, and preferably, exceeds 45
millimetres.
A headspace is defined within the container opening between the
contained product and the closure, and preferably the container and/or closure
is are configured to reduce the volume of the headspace.
For example, said closure is inwardly deformed to extend into the
headspace, and may be inwardly domed, or inwardly indented.
2o In an embodiment, a jetting device is provided within the container.
To reduce the amount of oxygen in the headspace, an inner surface of
the closure may be coated with, or carry, an oxygen scavenging material.
2s Preferably the contained product within the container is a foodstuff.
In a preferred embodiment, a filled and closed container of the
invention contains a carbonated beverage, preferably beer.
3o The container has a body member within which the product is
contained, and on which the container opening is defined. In one
embodiment, the body member is metal, in an alternative the body member is
glass, and in a further alternative, the body member is plastics material.
The closure for the container may be a two-part or a multi-part closure.
Where the closure is a two-part closure, the first part thereof may constitute
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the first closure member which temporarily closed the container, with the
second part of the closure constituting said second closure member.
Alternatively, the closure may be a single part closure and comprise said
second closure member.
A multi-part closure or a two-part closure may be made of metal and
plastics material, of metal, or of plastics material.
Similarly, a single part closure may be made of metal or of plastics
to material.
Preferably the closure is secured to the container by engaged screw
threads on the container and on the closure. However, alternative means to
secure the closure on the container, such as seaming, clipping or crimping,
is may be employed.
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described, by
way of example, with a reference to the accompanying drawings, in it:
2o Figure 1 shows schematically a carbonated beverage container with a
rotatable two-part closure:
Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the container of Figure 1
to illustrate steps in a method of the invention, and
Figure 3 shows a plan view from above of apparatus for closing a
container in accordance with the present invention.
The invention described herein is, as set out above, applicable to any
3o containers which are to be sealed to retain a contained product. However,
for
clarity, the container will be described further below with specific reference
to
containers for containing beer and other beverages.
Beer is commonly contained in plastics or glass, thin-necked bottles
3s having screw closures or crown corks. Beer is also commonly contained in
aluminium cans which have a wide mouth opening to which an end closure is
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seamed. The present invention is clearly applicable to these types of
containers, and it's also applicable to any other containers it may be
required
to use.
s Figure 1 illustrates an example of a beverage container of plastics
material for beer or other beverages having a rotatable closure, as described
in W098/46493. The container of Figure 1 comprises a substantially
cylindrical body member 2 of plastics material having closed end 4 and a
generally circular mouth opening 6 at the end thereof opposed to said a
io closed end 4. An interrupted external screw thread 8 is provided on the
body
member 2 and surrounds, but is spaced from, the mouth opening 6.
The container of Figure 1 is also provided with a closure 10 having an
internal screw thread (not visible in Figure 1 ) arranged to engage the screw
is thread 8 of the container. Thus, when the body member 2 has been filled
with
beer, the closure 10 can be engaged thereon by engaging the screw threads
of the closure 10 and of the body member 2, and then rotating or screwing the
closure 10 to its position.
2o Containers, such as that illustrated in Figure 1, are filled on
conventional filling lines which may comprise linear conveying means or
rotatable carousels effective to place each container in its turn under a
filling
head so that the container can be charged with beer. Particularly where the
container is wide mouthed as that illustrated, it is likely that there will be
2s fobbing or slopping of the beer out of the container and onto the exterior
thereof. Spillage will continue as the container is moved from the filling
head
to a closure station. In addition, foam may be deliberately produced during
the filling process to purge the headspace of oxygen.
3o The container of Figure 1 is provided, as shown in Figure 2, with a two
part closure 10 comprising a first closure member 12 which engages with the
mouth opening 6, and a second closure member 14 which has internal screw
threads 16 for engagement with the external screw thread 8 provided on the
exterior of the body member 2 of the container. The first and second closure
3s members 12, 14 are configured such that the second closure member 14,
when screwed onto the external thread 8 of the container, holds the first
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closure member 12 across the mouth opening 6 whereby the container is
sealed. In this respect, the configuration of the two-part closure may be
chosen as required and may be, for example, as described in European
patent 0975527.
s
During a filling operation, beer, indicated at 20, is charged into the body
member 2. Then the first closure member 12 is positioned across the mouth
opening 6 to close the mouth opening. The closure member 12 is held in
position against the pressure of the carbonation in the beer 20 by way of a
io pressure applying arm (not shown) of the filling line which contacts the
exterior
of the first closure member 12 and applies pressure to keep it in place. With
the container thereby closed, its exterior can be subject to cleaning. For
example, high pressure jets of air and water may be used to remove
contaminants from the exterior of the container. Where the cleaning is carried
is out by water, the container may subsequently be subjected to a drying
process. The container can be brushed, or subjected to other mechanical
processes. To facilitate the cleaning, the container may be rotated about its
longitudinal axis. All of these processes can be arranged to take place as the
container is moved along a filling line from the filling head to the closure
2o station.
The filled and cleaned container arriving at the closure station already
has the first closure member 12 in position. At the closure station,
therefore,
the second closure member 14 is engaged over the first closure member and
2s screwed into place. During this process, the pressure applying arm holding
the inner closure 12 in position is removed. In this respect, the arm may
comprise a forked member which co-operates with the second closure
member in any suitable manner.
3o It would alternatively be possible to close the container by a single part
closure after cleaning. In this circumstance, the first closure member 12 is
removed from the container after the cleaning process, and the second
closure member is then applied to the container to seal it.
3s Apparatus for cleaning and closing a filled container is preferably
incorporated in a filling and closing line for the containers as indicated in
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Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a filling head or station 30 in the form of a
carousel.
Filled but open containers, as indicated at 32, are discharged from the
filling
station 30 and are fed to apparatus of the invention generally indicated at
34.
As shown schematically, the apparatus 34 generally comprises a carousel 36
s arranged to receive containers and convey them around an annular path
between an input 38 and a discharge exit 40.
The apparatus 34 is provided with means 42 for temporarily closing an
arriving, filled container 32. These means 42 may comprise arms to move a
io first closure 12 into engagement at the top of a filled container and to
hold that
closure in position. The temporary closure arrives in place to close the
container at closure station 44, and remains held in place by the pressure
applying arm until the container is subsequently sealed. The container is then
moved to a washing station 46, and then to a drying station 48, at which the
is temporarily sealed container is first cleaned and then dried. This may be
by
spray high pressure jets of water, and then air, against the container
exterior.
At a sealing station 50 the filled and cleaned container 32 is then sealed by
way of closure means. As indicated at 52, closure means pick up a second
closure member and are effective, at sealing station 50, to engage that
2o closure member over the first closure member and screw it onto the
container.
The filled, cleaned and sealed container is then discharged at exit 40.
As indicated, variations in and modifications to the embodiments as
described and illustrated may be made within the scope of the appended
2s claims.
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