Frozen aerated product in a container and a method for manufacturing such

Abstract

A frozen aerated product in a container, the container having a wall delimiting a cavity and having an opening, the cavity containing a bag, the opening being closed by a valve having a product inlet and a product outlet, the bag containing the product inlet, the cavity containing a propellant, the frozen aerated product being contained within the bag and gastightly separated from the propellant by the bag, there being an annular hermetic seal between the bag and the wall; characterised in that the bag is resiliently inflatable and the frozen aerated product is under a gauge pressure of between 4 and 18 bar.

1 . A frozen aerated product in a container, the container having a wall delimiting a cavity and having an opening, the cavity containing a bag, the opening being closed by a valve having a product inlet and a product outlet, the bag containing the product inlet, the cavity containing a propellant, the frozen aerated product being contained within the bag and gastightly separated from the propellant by the bag, there being an annular hermetic seal between the bag and the wall; 
 characterised in that the bag is resiliently inflatable and the frozen aerated product is under a gauge pressure of between 4 and 18 bar.    
     
     
         2 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the bag is attached to the valve.  
     
     
         3 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the bag comprises an elastomeric membrane.  
     
     
         4 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the frozen aerated product has a temperature of less than −10° C., preferably between −15° C. and −25° C.  
     
     
         5 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the wall consists of a single piece.  
     
     
         6 . A frozen aerated product in a container according  claim 1  wherein the wall has a single opening.  
     
     
         7 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the annular hermetic seal is coaxial with the opening.  
     
     
         8 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the annular hermetic seal covers a region of the wall extending from the opening for an area of between 10% and 50% of the whole surface area of the cavity.  
     
     
         9 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the hermetic seal comprises an adhesive.  
     
     
         10 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the wall is of plastic material.  
     
     
         11 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the container has a dispensing residue of less than 0.1 g ml −1 , preferably less than 0.05 g ml −1 .  
     
     
         12 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the frozen aerated product contains freezing point depressants in an amount between 20% and 40% w/w, preferably above 25%, and between 0% and 15% fat, preferably between 2% and 12%, the freezing point depressants having a number average molecular weight <M>n following the following condition:  
           <M>   n =<(330−8 *FAT ) g mol −1    
       wherein FAT is the fat level in percent by weight of the product.  
     
     
         13 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 1  wherein the frozen aerated product contains a soluble gas in an amount between 0.1% w/w and 5% w/w, preferably between 0.3% and 2%.  
     
     
         14 . A frozen aerated product in a container according to  claim 13  wherein the soluble gas is nitrous oxide.  
     
     
         15 . A process for manufacturing a container comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bag, a valve and a wall delimiting a cavity and having an opening;    introducing a propellant into the cavity up to a gauge pressure of 1 to 10 bar;    whilst maintaining the pressure in the cavity, inserting the bag into the cavity and attaching the valve to the opening to form a gastight container;    forming an annular hermetic seal between the bag and the wall.    
     
     
         16 . A process according to  claim 15  wherein prior to inserting the bag into the cavity an adhesive is applied to one or both of an inner surface of the cavity and an outer surface of the bag; and the hermetic seal is formed by making a contact between the inner surface of the cavity and the outer surface of the bag, the contact being made via the adhesive prior to curing of the adhesive and being maintained until the adhesive is cured.  
     
     
         17 . A process according to  claim 15  further comprising the step of introducing a viscous product into the bag until a gauge pressure of between 4 and 18 bar is reached.  
     
     
         18 . A process according to  claim 17  wherein the hermetic seal is effected by inflation of the bag owing to introduction of the viscous product into the bag.  
     
     
         19 . A process according to  claim 17  wherein the viscous product is a frozen aerated product.  
     
     
         20 . A frozen aerated product in a container, the container having at least two compartments (A) and (B), compartment (A) containing a propellant, compartment (B) containing the frozen aerated product and compartment (B) being provided with a valve; characterised in that the compartments are gastightly separated from each other by the membrane of a bag and the container has a dispensing residue of less than 0.1 g ml −1 , preferably less than 0.05 g m −1 .