US4148933A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Preserving food products
Assignee: In Da Te AG
•
Filing: 1977-08-30
•
Granted: 1979-04-10
•
Expires: 1997-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A food product, such as fruit or vegetables either whole or in pieces, or in the form of a pulp, or meat in pieces, is preserved by feeding hot liquid or steam into a contained body of the product to sterilize the product. Some liquid is retained in the product which is sealed in a container under aseptic conditions. The sterilization preferably takes place in the container in which the sterile product is ultimately sealed.
Inventors
- 👤 Viacheslav J. Janovtchik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 15:05
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B55/00; B65B55/02; B65B55/12; B65B55/14; A; A23; A23B; A23B2/00; A23B2/30; B65B31/00; B65B31/02; B65B31/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
11 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of:
Claim 2
Independent Claim
11 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of:
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
placing a body of food product in a container in which it is ultimately sealed; placing the container in a sealed chamber; capping the container with a cover; admitting steam into the sealed chamber to create and maintain sterile conditions therein; lowering an injector tube through the cover into the product in the container; feeding a hot fluid through the tube into the product to sterilize the product; cooling the product in the container; retaining a predetermined amount of liquid in admixture with the sterile product in the container; withdrawing the injector tube and the cover; sealing the container while it is within the aseptic environment in the chamber; and then opening the chamber to remove the sealed container of sterile product.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
placing a body of food product in a container in which it is ultimately sealed; placing the container in a sealed chamber; capping the container with a cover; admitting steam into the sealed chamber to create and maintain sterile conditions therein; lowering an injector tube through the cover into the product in the container; feeding a hot fluid through the tube into the product to sterilize the product; cooling the product in the container; retaining a predetermined amount of liquid in admixture with the sterile product in the container; withdrawing the injector tube and the cover; sealing the container while it is within the aseptic environment in the chamber; and then opening the chamber to remove the sealed container of sterile product.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising flash cooling the sterile product by exhausting said hot fluid therefrom.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of: inserting into a retracted lower part of a sealable enclosure, a sealable container containing a body of a food product, which lower part substantially encloses and supports said container; sealing the enclosure by raising said lower part into sealing engagement with the apertured floor of a fixed upper part of said enclosure; admitting steam into the sealed enclosure to create and maintain aseptic conditions therein; sterilizing the body of food product in the container with a fluid; sealing the container within the aspetic environment within the sealed enclosure; and then unsealing the enclosure by lowering said lower part of said enclosure and the sealed container therein.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of: inserting into a retracted lower part of a sealable enclosure, a sealable container containing a body of a food product, which lower part substantially encloses and supports said container; sealing the enclosure by raising said lower part into sealing engagement with the apertured floor of a fixed upper part of said enclosure; admitting steam into the sealed enclosure to create and maintain aseptic conditions therein; sterilizing the body of food product in the container with a fluid; sealing the container within the aspetic environment within the sealed enclosure; and then unsealing the enclosure by lowering said lower part of said enclosure and the sealed container therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 3, comprising sterilizing the product by feeding a hot fluid into the body of food product in the container, and removing excess liquid from the sterile product so that the sterile product sealed in the container is mixed in a desired proportion with the liquid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
78 words
A method as claimd in claim 3, comprising sterilizing the body of food product in the container by capping the container containing the product with a cover, lowering an injector tube through the cover into the product in the container, feeding a hot fluid through the tube into the bottom of the container, and when the product in the container is sterile and cooled, withdrawing the cover and tube prior to sealing the container within the aseptic environment.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of: feeding a body of the food product to be sterilized into a sealable container; inserting the container with the product into a retracted lower part of a sealable enclosure; sealing the enclosure by raising said lower part, which substantially encloses and supports said container, into sealing engagement with the apertured floor of a fixed upper part of said enclosure; admitting steam into the sealed enclosure to create and maintain aseptic conditions therein; capping the container with a cover; lowering an injector tube through the cover into the product in the container; sterilizing the product by feeding a hot fluid through the injector tube into the product; retaining a predetermined amount of liquid in admixture with the sterile product in the container; removing the cover and the injector tube; sealing the container in the aseptic environment within the sealed enclosure; and then unsealing the enclosure by lowering said lower part of the enclosure and the sealed container enclosed therein.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of preserving a food product comprising the steps of: feeding a body of the food product to be sterilized into a sealable container; inserting the container with the product into a retracted lower part of a sealable enclosure; sealing the enclosure by raising said lower part, which substantially encloses and supports said container, into sealing engagement with the apertured floor of a fixed upper part of said enclosure; admitting steam into the sealed enclosure to create and maintain aseptic conditions therein; capping the container with a cover; lowering an injector tube through the cover into the product in the container; sterilizing the product by feeding a hot fluid through the injector tube into the product; retaining a predetermined amount of liquid in admixture with the sterile product in the container; removing the cover and the injector tube; sealing the container in the aseptic environment within the sealed enclosure; and then unsealing the enclosure by lowering said lower part of the enclosure and the sealed container enclosed therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in claim 6, comprising flash cooling the sterile product by exhausting said hot fluid therefrom.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1639828A
Cited
US1714597A
Cited
US1928903A
Cited
US1940013A
Cited
US2477692A
Cited
US3436170A
Cited
US3332788A
Cited
US3486295A
Cited
US3939287A
Cited
US4059919A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-04-09 | 1982-10-09 | 1983-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-04-09 | 1986-10-09 | 1987-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-04-09 | 1990-10-09 | 1991-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |