Retortable Closures and Containers

Abstract

A retortable container (C) or a retortable closure (10) for use with the container (C). A receptacle (R) is included that may incorporate fasteners (F) attaching the closure (10). The closure (10) includes a retainer (20) received with a sealing barrier (100) formed from a polymeric material. The sealing barrier (100) includes a heat transfer material such as powdered metal in a volume that is between about 25% and about 65% of the closure (10) and an an oxygen barrier material such as a nanocompound or other barrier material having a relative volume of approximately between 10% and 60%. Variations of the closure (10) may incorporate seal layer of a thermoplastic elastomeric vulcanizate such as a santoprene and the heat transfer material may be an economically attractive powdered and / or oxide material such as zinc, aluminum, copper, nanotube, or similarly available material, which preferably is diffused throughout the closure (10).

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 082,640 filed Jul. 22, 2008BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The invention relates to the field of retortable and / or sterilizable containers and closures that are in use for packaging pharmaceuticals, comestibles, nutraceuticals, and related liquids and powders. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved retortable closure and container-closure combination that can be retort processed and / or heat sterilized, before and / or after filing and sealing of the contemplated container.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]For as long as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, beverage, and comestible products have been packaged for sale and distribution, there has been a need to ensure that the consumer or end user will receive the products in an unspoiled and uncontaminated condition. Such products may sometimes become contaminated and / or may spoil before delivery to...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]Many heretofore unmet needs are met and problems of the prior art are solved with the innovative retortable closures and retortable containers according to the principles of the invention. Such features and capabilities may preferably or optionally include, among other elements and for purposes of illustration and example but not for purposes of limitation, retortable closures that can obtain higher degrees of sterility and which cost less to manufacture and to sterilize with heat and retort processing.

Problems solved by technology

Such products may sometimes become contaminated and / or may spoil before delivery to the consumer or end-user in a variety of circumstances.

A number of environmental and toxicological factors may have adverse effects on such products when the contemplated closures and containers are exposed to various airborne, vapor-borne, and other types of chemical, physical or biological agents before, during, and after the packaging process.

With refrigeration, highly-sterilized product containers may have very long shelf-lives.

This need sometimes arises when product inadvertently spills and / or splashes during the filling process onto an exterior portion of the container.

More specifically, an upper portion of the container proximate to an opening into the interior, which is sometimes referred to as the upper finish, can become soiled with spillage of the product that may occur during the filling operation.

Such spillage may spoil prematurely and may impair the cleanliness of the container and closure.

However, Ocha's metal disc containing ring configuration leads those in the field to a time-intensive and more expensive means to manufacture a closure than may be desirable.

However, a significant disadvantage with any venting capability persists in that an opportunity to vent necessarily creates the opportunity for external contaminants to be communicated to the product contained in interior of the container.

But, this retortable closure relies upon a complex and expensive to fabricate closure that includes a plethora of undesirable interstices that impede rather than improve the retortability of the closure, and which create additional, unnecessary, and undesirable sterilization challenges and obstacles.

As a result of many constraints and shortcomings in the prior art, frequently cited challenges complained of by those practicing in the retort processing fields of technology include the need for lower costs and improved manufacturability and better sterilization results with a resultant lengthening of product shelf-life.

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