DE4142033C1 - Filling bags within container with liq. - using chamber with fluid lock on bag entrance point and airtight exit point with inner and outer bulkheads, to provide tight seal at higher pressure in chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

The chamber has an entry for the string of bags and an outlet for the filled bags, the entries sealed off by a fluid lock through which the bags reach the chamber. The outlet from the chamber has a bulkhead inside and outside of a lock for providing an air tight seal. The chamber and the lock are held at higher than atmospheric pressure. The inner bulkhead (13) and outer bulkhead (14) should be completely closed alternately and the inner bulkhead is designed as a bag parter. The overpressure in chamber (3) is always greater than that in the lock (4). Pref. sterile gas is blown into the lock (4) with outer bulkhead open and inner bulkhead closed. USE/ADVANTAGE - Bag filling line, e.g. concentrates, waters etc. Fluid-seal chamber locks bags in and out for germ-free filling and parting.

Description

The invention relates to a machine for filling Bags of a bag of bags with a liquid in a filling chamber in which devices for opening the Bag closure, for filling the bags and for Reclosing the bag closure are arranged, the filling chamber being an inlet opening for the String of bags and an outlet for the filled Has bag, the inlet opening of the filling chamber through a liquid lock through which the bag of the Filling chamber is fed, and the outlet opening of the Filling chamber for the filled bags with a lock an inner and an outer bulkhead sealed airtight are opposite and in the filling chamber and in the lock the outside pressure is overpressure.

Such machines are used to fill plastic bags, which was then placed in a box and sealed and thus represent a negotiable container.  

It is known in such plastic bags non-aseptic area wines, still waters, cooking oils, Bottling mayonnaises and chemical liquids. in the aseptic area it is known fruit juices, Fruit concentrates, flavorings or the like. To fill with a pH around 3.5.

In the non-aseptic range, the level of germs is usually low Bags necessary while in the aseptic area sterility is required.

It is known which strands of bags to be used to make it aseptic by radiation. The bag strands are welded into a box and sterilized in the box, so that sterility is maintained during later transport remains. The carton is then opened in the bottling plant, so that the ambient air to the outside of the bag and thus also reaches the filling devices of the filling chamber. It is therefore not yet possible with the known machines sterility also during the filling process guarantee.

From German published patent application 33 03 128 is one Machine of the type mentioned is known in which the inner and outer The lock's bulkhead consists of more elastomeric seals, which each have an opening for the filled bags of the Have strands of bags. The tightness of these locks depends essentially on the exact adjustment of the Through openings depend on the shape of the bag. Disadvantageous is also that the bags at their beginning and end change their shape, namely a smaller cross-section have, so that the passage openings in the elastomer Bulkheads do not fit tightly. Absolute airtightness these two bulkheads cannot therefore be guaranteed.  

From the German patent specification 35 25 299 is a device for sterilizing stacked packaging containers, especially of nested plastic cups known that in the entrance area a lock with a inner and outer bulkhead, which alternately are open and closed. This lock is in each case introduced a stack of cups, which is unlike one continuous string of bags is easily possible.

From European patent application 00 88 735 is one Machine for filling bags of a string of bags known in which only the bag closure Filling chamber can be closed by two plates. Disadvantageous is with this machine that during the introduction of the Bag closure in the filling chamber no airtightness given is.

The object of the invention is therefore a machine of the type mentioned in such a way that the Bag of airtight in the filling chamber and the filled Bags can be brought airtight from the filling chamber.

This problem is solved in that the inner bulkhead and the outer bulkhead can be alternately completely closed are that the inner bulkhead is designed as a bag separating knife and that the overpressure in the filling chamber is always greater than the overpressure is in the lock.

Since the inner bulkhead is designed as a bag separating knife, each bag is removed from the filling chamber by Bag strand separated and can be opened after opening the outer Schottes are brought out of the lock. There during bringing the filled bag out of the lock the inner bulkhead is closed, the filling chamber is always  airtight. It is advantageous in the lock with the outer bulkhead open and the inner bulkhead closed injected a sterile gas.

In the walls of the liquid lock, the filling chamber and the lock passage openings provided by in the liquid lock, the Filling chamber, handling gloves reaching the lock are hermetically sealed.

A press plate is preferably in the filling chamber arranged vertically displaceable, the pressing surface larger than the horizontal area of the bag to be filled Bag is and that from the end of the bag to the bag closure runs slightly inclined upwards.  

The liquid bath is advantageous Air stripping device for the bag string arranged downstream.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawings.

It shows

Fig. 1, the machine according to the invention in a side view in schematic representation,

Fig. 2 shows the filling chamber of the machine in side view in an enlarged view and

Fig. 3 shows the lock of the machine in side view in an enlarged view.

According to Figs. 1 to 3, a machine 1 for aseptic filling bags 5 of a bag train 6 of a fluid lock 2, a sleeve 3 and a sluice. 4 The bags 5 of the bag strand 6 to be filled are fed through the liquid lock 2 to the filling chamber 3 . In the filling chamber 3 , the bag closure is opened by devices 7 , the bags are filled and the bag closure is closed again. The bags 5 thus filled are then ejected from the filling chamber through the lock 4 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid lock 2 consists of a tub 8 which extends into the filling chamber 3 and is filled with a disinfectant liquid 9 . A partition wall 10 extends into the liquid 9 from above into the tub 8 , so that the inlet opening of the filling chamber 3, designated 11, is airtight.

The tub 8 of the liquid lock 2 has a length such that the dwell time per bag 5 is at least 15 seconds. The strand of bags is transported in the tub 8 in the usual way by transport rollers.

As shown in FIG. 2 in particular, an air wiping device 12 is provided in the filling chamber 3 downstream of the inlet opening 11 and blows off the disinfectant 9 remaining on the bags 5 in a known manner. The bags 5 are filled in a known manner by the devices 7 .

The filled bags 5 then reach the lock 4 , which is sealed by an inner bulkhead 13 against the filling chamber 3 and by an outer bulkhead 14 against the environment. The bulkheads 13 and 14 can be opened and closed alternately by lifting devices 15 and 16 . The inner bulkhead 13 is also designed as a bag separating knife, so that when the inner bulkhead 13 is closed, the individual bags 5 of the bag strand 6 are separated from one another.

If a bag 5 has been filled in the filling chamber 3 , it is transported in a known manner through a transport device to the inner bulkhead 13 , which is closed. If the lock 4 is empty, the outer bulkhead 14 is then closed and then the inner bulkhead 13 is opened so that the filled bag 5 can be transported into the lock 4 .

Then the inner bulkhead 13 is closed, which uses its bag separating knife to separate the filled bag 5 at the intended perforation of the bag strand 6 . The outer bulkhead 14 can then be opened and the filled bag can be transported out of the lock 4 .

A sterile gas, preferably nitrogen, is continuously blown into the filling chamber 3 and the lock 4 , so that there is an overpressure in the filling chamber and in the lock against the external pressure. This prevents oxygen or air from entering the filling chamber. The pressure conditions are designed so that when the bulkheads 13 and 14 are opened, a gas flow always occurs to the outside, ie the overpressure in the filling chamber 3 is greater than in the lock 4 .

As FIG. 2 further shows, a press plate 17 which is movable in the vertical direction is arranged in the filling chamber 3 , the pressing surface of which is larger than the horizontal bag area of the bags 5 to be filled and which at the end of the bag slopes slightly upwards towards the bag closure. During the filling process, the press plate is moved downward, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it rests on the bag surface. The upward incline thus prevents 5 air bubbles from forming in the bag during the filling of the bags, so that the bags are always completely filled with the liquid.

As FIGS. 1 and 2 further show, passage openings 18 are provided in the machine at suitable points of the liquid lock 2 , the filling chamber 3 and the lock 4 , which are sealed airtight by handling gloves reaching into the interior of the machine. With these handling gloves, it is possible to introduce the bag strand to be filled into the machine aseptically. Disruptions can also be eliminated without affecting sterility.

Claims (5)

1. Machine for filling bags of a string of bags with a liquid in a filling chamber, in which devices for opening the bag closure, for filling the bags and for reclosing the bag closure are arranged, the filling chamber having an inlet opening for the bag strand and an outlet opening for the filled Has bag, the inlet opening of the filling chamber by a liquid lock through which the string of bags is fed to the filling chamber, and the outlet opening of the filling chamber for the filled bags are sealed airtight by a lock with an inner and an outer bulkhead, and wherein in the filling chamber and in the lock is overpressure in relation to the external pressure, characterized in that the inner bulkhead ( 13 ) and the outer bulkhead ( 14 ) can be alternately completely closed, that the inner bulkhead is designed as a bag separating knife and that the overpressure in the filling Oil chamber ( 3 ) is always greater than the overpressure in the lock ( 4 ). 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a sterile gas is blown into the lock ( 4 ) when the outer bulkhead ( 14 ) and the closed inner bulkhead ( 13 ) are open. 3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the walls of the liquid lock ( 2 ), the filling chamber ( 3 ) and the lock ( 4 ) through openings ( 18 ) are provided which through the liquid lock, the filling chamber, the Handling gloves that reach the lock are sealed airtight. 4. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the filling chamber ( 3 ) a pressing plate ( 17 ) is arranged in the vertical direction, the pressing surface is larger than the horizontal bag area of the bags to be filled ( 5 ) and the runs slightly inclined upwards from the end of the bag to the bag closure. 5. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the liquid lock ( 2 ) is followed by an air wiping device ( 12 ) for the bag string ( 6 ).