EP0132034B1 - Container sterilization - Google Patents
Container sterilization Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0132034B1 EP0132034B1 EP84303744A EP84303744A EP0132034B1 EP 0132034 B1 EP0132034 B1 EP 0132034B1 EP 84303744 A EP84303744 A EP 84303744A EP 84303744 A EP84303744 A EP 84303744A EP 0132034 B1 EP0132034 B1 EP 0132034B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- mandrel
- blank
- tubular blank
- conveyor means
- sterilant
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
- B65B43/42—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
- B65B43/50—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using rotary tables or turrets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B55/00—Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging
- B65B55/02—Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
- B65B55/04—Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging
- B65B55/10—Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging by liquids or gases
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to sterilization techniques and, more specifically, to an improved apparatus and method for sterilizing thermoplastic coated, liquid carrying paperboard containers prior to their being filled with a liquid and sealed.
- thermoplastic coated, liquid carrying paperboard containers has typically been accomplished on the forming, filling and sealing machine at a location between the station where the bottom formed container is stripped from an indexing mandrel and a station downstream thereof where the container is filled with a liquid, such as milk or juice.
- a liquid such as milk or juice.
- One object of the invention is to enable efficient sterilization of paperboard containers, by means and compatible with existing forming, filling and sealing machine, and further, in conjunction with the indexing sprocket and mandrel assembly currently included on many models of forming, filling and sealing machines.
- an atomising or nebulizing nozzle on a forming, filling and sealing machine so as to dispense a suitable sterilant in a fog state into and through a tubular, open ended carton blank, just after the blank has been removed in a folded-over flattened state from a magazine and opened in the usual manner, and just prior to and during the time that the tubular blank is being slidably mounted on a mandrel of a forming, filling and sealing machine.
- FIGS 1-3 illustrate a sterilization arrangement 10, including a nebulizing nozzle 12 mounted on the frame 14 of a conventional forming, filling and sealing machine, represented as 16.
- the latter includes a magazine 18, a blank feeder assembly 20, a blank loader assembly 22, and an indexing mandrel assembly or bottom closing mechanism 24 mounted on a drive shaft 26.
- the assembly 24 includes six equally spaced mandrels 28 extending radially from a hub 30 mounted on the drive shaft 26.
- Connected to the nebulizing nozzle 12 is a line 32 which leads from a suitable generator 34 connected via lines 36 to a source (not shown) of a suitable sterilizing fluid under pressure.
- the feeder and loader assemblies 20 and 22 are adapted generally to withdraw blanks successively from the magazine 18, erect them into an open-ended tubular form, and then load them onto respective mandrels 28 of the bottom closing mechanism 24.
- these mechanisms are driven in synchronism with each other from the main drive of the machine 16.
- thermoplastic coated paperboard container blank 40 ( Figure 4A) is removed by vacuum pick-up or suction cups 42 (Figure 2) from the magazine 18 ( Figure 1), causing the blank 40 to open into a four-sided tube 44 ( Figure 4B), and deposited upon a small conveyor 46 ( Figure 1).
- the conveyor 46 moves the tube 44 toward and onto one of the mandrels 28 at a load station A located in the 4:00 o'clock position, as viewed in Figure 1.
- the nebulizing nozzle 12 is located adjacent the rear end of the tube 44, aligned with the longitudinal axis thereof.
- the blank feeder assembly 20 ( Figure 2) comprises a pivotally mounted gate member 48 adapted to swing through an angle of about 90 degrees between the two positions shown in Figure 2.
- a plurality of the vacuum pick-up cups 42 are mounted on the gate member 48, adapted to engage a side panel of the lowermost blank 40 in the magazine 18.
- Outward movement of the gate member 48 after engagement with a blank causes such blank to commence opening, as shown in Figure 2, and snap past the stop abutments 50.
- the left-hand lateral edge of the blank is cammed against a fixed arcuate guide 52, opening the blank still further until it reaches its fully opened position at the end of the arcuate travel of the gate member 48, whereupon it is deposited on the small conveyor 46.
- the blank loader assembly 22 typically comprises an endless chain 54 having an outwardly projecting finger 56 formed thereon.
- the chain is arranged to move the finger through a stroke generally parallel to the side walls of the squared blank 44. In the course of such movement, the finger engages the rear outer edge of a bottom closure panel.
- the vacuum cups 42 on the gate member 48 release the blank and the latter is urged along fixed guides (not shown) until it telescopes over an aligned mandrel 28 of the indexing mandrel assembly 24.
- the mandrel assembly 24 indexes from the load station A to a bottom panel pre-breaker station B in the 2:00 o'clock position, prior to indexing to a bottom panel heat station C in the 12:00 o'clock position.
- the next index is to the bottom panel tuck and pressure station D at 10:00 o'clock, followed by transfer to a station E which may be used as a second pressure station at 8:00 o'clock, and finally indexing to a discharge or stripper station F at 6:00 o'clock as a bottom-sealed container 58 ( Figure 2C).
- the stripping of the bottom-sealed container 58 from each successive mandrel 28 is effected by a reciprocally actuated mechanical stripper 60 having a rubber vacuum cup 62 mounted on the end thereof for engagement with the closed and sealed bottom of the container 58.
- the container 58 is pulled downwardly by the mechanical stripper 60 from the mandrel 28 at station F and deposited on a suitable conveyor, represented at 64 in Figure 1.
- the open-topped container 58 is thereafter acted upon at a top pre-breaker station G, such pre- breaking serving to facilitate the subsequent folding and sealing of the top closure.
- the container 58 is next conveyed to a filling station H where a measured volume of a product, such as juice, is dispensed into the open end of the container.
- the container 58 is then caused to encounter a top partial folding or tucking station I, prior to indexing to a heating station J which heats the thermoplastic top closure panels just prior to transfer of the container to a sealing station K where the top closure panels are brought together with a combined pressure and cooling action to become tightly sealed into a completed gable top container 66, prior to delivery to a discharge station L.
- the axially aligned nebulizing nozzle 12 serves to dispense a sterilant fog into the tube, substantially along the entire inside surfaces of the four sides thereof.
- the fog strikes the bottom of the mandrel 28 and bounces or swirls back into the tube 44 to further settle onto the four interior wall surfaces.
- the heat therefrom is believed to enhance the action of a sterilant, such as chlorine dioxide, within the tube 44.
- the above-described sterilisation apparatus provides an improved means for initiating the sterilization of carton blanks once formed into a tube, prior to being formed into bottom-sealed containers, rather than after the bottom forming operation at a remote station along a forming, filling and sealing machine, thereby substantially increasing the sterilizing time allotted to each carton.
- Such sterilization apparatus serves to intermittently distribute the chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide fog throughout any machine enclosure (not shown) in which the indexing mandrel assembly 24 is mounted while the tubular blank 44 is being mounted on a mandrel 28. This feature thus serves to continuously sterilize the complete mandrel assembly 24 all the while that it is operational.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Making Paper Articles (AREA)
- Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
- Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
- Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
- Closing Of Containers (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US51437383A | 1983-07-15 | 1983-07-15 | |
US514373 | 1983-07-15 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0132034A1 EP0132034A1 (en) | 1985-01-23 |
EP0132034B1 true EP0132034B1 (en) | 1987-01-07 |
Family
ID=24046870
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP84303744A Expired EP0132034B1 (en) | 1983-07-15 | 1984-06-04 | Container sterilization |
Country Status (14)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0132034B1 (fi) |
JP (1) | JPS6036056A (fi) |
AU (1) | AU564499B2 (fi) |
BR (1) | BR8403508A (fi) |
CA (1) | CA1232188A (fi) |
CH (1) | CH665398A5 (fi) |
DE (1) | DE3461908D1 (fi) |
DK (1) | DK157482C (fi) |
ES (1) | ES8506528A1 (fi) |
FI (1) | FI75316C (fi) |
IN (1) | IN159815B (fi) |
NO (1) | NO159648C (fi) |
PT (1) | PT78893B (fi) |
ZA (1) | ZA844351B (fi) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4683701A (en) * | 1986-02-13 | 1987-08-04 | Ex-Cell-O Corporation | Container sterilization apparatus |
DE4039040C2 (de) * | 1990-12-07 | 2000-03-23 | Merz Verpackungsmaschinen Gmbh | Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Entkeimen der Innenseiten von Folienschläuchen |
DE102007033197B4 (de) * | 2007-07-17 | 2015-11-05 | Jürgen Löhrke GmbH | Desinfektionsverfahren |
DE102017102916A1 (de) * | 2017-02-14 | 2018-08-16 | Sig Technology Ag | Verpackungsmaschine sowie Verfahren zum Betreiben einer Verpackungsmaschine |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3723060A (en) * | 1968-02-26 | 1973-03-27 | Ex Cell O Corp | Aseptic packaging machine |
-
1984
- 1984-06-04 DE DE8484303744T patent/DE3461908D1/de not_active Expired
- 1984-06-04 EP EP84303744A patent/EP0132034B1/en not_active Expired
- 1984-06-05 IN IN462/DEL/84A patent/IN159815B/en unknown
- 1984-06-05 AU AU29054/84A patent/AU564499B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1984-06-08 ZA ZA844351A patent/ZA844351B/xx unknown
- 1984-07-02 JP JP59135385A patent/JPS6036056A/ja active Pending
- 1984-07-03 CH CH3198/84A patent/CH665398A5/de not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1984-07-04 CA CA000458108A patent/CA1232188A/en not_active Expired
- 1984-07-06 DK DK332984A patent/DK157482C/da active
- 1984-07-10 FI FI842763A patent/FI75316C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1984-07-12 PT PT78893A patent/PT78893B/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1984-07-13 BR BR8403508A patent/BR8403508A/pt unknown
- 1984-07-13 NO NO842872A patent/NO159648C/no unknown
- 1984-07-13 ES ES534283A patent/ES8506528A1/es not_active Expired
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2905484A (en) | 1985-01-17 |
NO159648B (no) | 1988-10-17 |
ES534283A0 (es) | 1985-08-01 |
DK332984D0 (da) | 1984-07-06 |
EP0132034A1 (en) | 1985-01-23 |
PT78893A (en) | 1984-08-01 |
ZA844351B (en) | 1985-02-27 |
CA1232188A (en) | 1988-02-02 |
NO842872L (no) | 1985-01-16 |
CH665398A5 (de) | 1988-05-13 |
DE3461908D1 (en) | 1987-02-12 |
FI75316B (fi) | 1988-02-29 |
BR8403508A (pt) | 1985-06-25 |
IN159815B (fi) | 1987-06-06 |
FI75316C (fi) | 1988-06-09 |
ES8506528A1 (es) | 1985-08-01 |
PT78893B (en) | 1986-06-05 |
DK157482C (da) | 1990-06-11 |
FI842763A0 (fi) | 1984-07-10 |
JPS6036056A (ja) | 1985-02-25 |
NO159648C (no) | 1989-01-25 |
DK332984A (da) | 1985-01-16 |
DK157482B (da) | 1990-01-15 |
AU564499B2 (en) | 1987-08-13 |
FI842763A (fi) | 1985-01-16 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
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