Apparatus, method and system for reducing the oxygen content in a product container

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for reducing the oxygen content in a product container having a closure, wherein the product container is filled with a liquid product, comprising at least one first injection nozzle arrangement configured to inert the product container by injecting the inert gas stream into the filled product container solely at an edge region of an opening of the filled product container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for reducing the oxygen content in a product container having a closure, wherein the product container is filled with a liquid product, comprising:
 at least one first injection nozzle arrangement configured to inert the product container by injecting the inert gas stream into the filled product container solely at an edge region of an opening of the filled product container.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one outlet configured to enable an exhaustion of the gas flushed by the inert gas stream. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one second injection nozzle arrangement configured to inert an interior of a closure by injecting a further inert gas stream into the interior of the closure. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising
 at least one detector configured to detect the arrival of the product container at the apparatus,   wherein the detector is located in front of the first injection nozzle arrangement.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at least one controller connected to the detector,   wherein the controller is configured to control at least the first injection nozzle arrangement such that upon detecting the arrival of a product container the injection of the inert gas stream is initiated.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a controller connected to the detector,   wherein the controller is configured to control the second injection nozzle arrangement such that upon detecting the arrival of a product container the injection of the further inert gas stream is initiated.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least two guiding elements for guiding an opening of a product container along a defined travel path. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first injection nozzle arrangement is configured to inject the inert gas stream at a pressure between about 0 bar and 2 bar. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second injection nozzle arrangement is configured to inject the further inert gas stream at a pressure between about 0 bar and 2 bar. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as claimed  claim 1 , wherein
 the first injection nozzle arrangement is configured to inject the inert gas stream such that the inert gas stream impacts the surface at a defined angle of impact, and   wherein the angle of impact is about 90°.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the first injection nozzle arrangement comprises a length between about the length of the inner diameter of the opening of the product container and three times of the length of the inner diameter of the opening of the product, and   the first injection nozzle arrangement comprises a width between about 10% of the inner diameter of the opening of the product container and 40% of the inner diameter of the opening of the product container.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first injection nozzle arrangement comprises a plurality of injection openings. 
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 at least one apparatus reducing the oxygen content in a product container having a closure, wherein the product container is filled with a liquid product, comprising:   at least one first injection nozzle arrangement configured to inert the product container by injecting the inert gas stream into the filled product container solely at an edge region of an opening of the filled product container, and   at least one closing apparatus configured to put a closure onto the opening after the product container has been inerted.   
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the closing apparatus is configured to put the closure onto the opening of the product container substantially directly after at least the product container has been inerted. 
     
     
         15 . A method for reducing the oxygen content in a product container having a closure, comprising:
 filling the product container with a liquid product through an opening of the product container,   injecting an inert gas stream by a first injection nozzle arrangement into the filled product container solely at an edge region of the opening of the product container, and   putting a closure onto the opening of the product container.