Patent ID: 6550223
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A method of creating an evacuated package, the method comprising:providing a semi-rigid or non-rigid package comprising an upper panel and a lower panel of heat-sealable material between which is an interior region, said package being peripherally sealed except for a peripheral region traversed by a duct comprising fusible material having a network of air spaces permitting the flow of gases therethrough, said duct comprising an internal portion extending between said panels into the interior region of the package and an external portion outside the package and being in association with a vacuum source external to the package; evacuating the interior region of the package by applying vacuum to the external portion of the duct; and heat sealing the unsealed region of the periphery of the package without removing the duct to collapse said network and fuse the same to said panels, thereby completing a fluid-tight barrier between the interior region of the package and the external environment.