APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXPOSING PRODUCT-FILLED CONTAINERS TRANSPORTED VIA AN INTERMITTENT CONVEYER TO A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

摘要

An apparatus, system and method for exposing product-filled containers or trays being transported by an intermittent conveyer (220) to a controlled environment are provided. The apparatus may include a vertically reciprocating gassing rail (212), a stationary gassing rail (214) and an angled gassing rail (216). The vertically reprocating gassing rail (212) includes a rail head (232) and an outer shell (230), which clamps to the conveyer. High velocity gas is flowed through a longitudinally oriented manifold in the rail head (232) and the exhaust gas is removed by exhaust channels (246). The stationary rail provides a laminarized flow, and the angled rail provides a stream of controlled environment gas beneath the film which is sealed to the tray.