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
  • B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
  • B65B3/02—Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
• • 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
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/10—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs
  • B65B9/24—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs the tubes being formed in situ by extrusion
• • 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
  • B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
  • B65B3/04—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• • 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
  • B65B43/02—Forming flat bags from individual sheets or blanks
• • 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
  • B65B55/103—Sterilising flat or tubular webs

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for producing and filling containers in which at least one tube of plasticized plastic material is extruded into an open mold into the tube. its leading end when closing the mold to form the container bottom is welded, the tube is cut above the mold to form a filling opening by means of a separating element and the mold is moved with the open filling port having hose in a filling position in which the container after it has been formed in the mold by creating a pressure gradient effective on the tubing and expanding it, and then sealing it, the filling opening of the tubing being at least from its formation to filling the associated container under a sterile room with a sterile barrier is covered.
• the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out such a method.
• bottelpack ® under the trade mark a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus is known, which allow automated molding (blowing or vacuum forming), filling and sealing of containers in an economical manner.
• highly sensitive products are to be placed in the containers,
• pharmaceuticals to meet international standards for aseptic packaging the mold, when placed in the filling position, is under a so-called bottling sterile room (ASR), in which sterile air over the open filling opening of the container flows and provides effective protection against the ingress of germs until, after completion of the filling operation, movable head jaws of the mold are closed to form the desired head closure of the container by a combined vacuum welding operation.
• ASR bottling sterile room
• These filling sterile rooms and their facilities for sterile Befullen containers are known in the art, for example in the form of DE 19648 087 A1 or US 6,098,676.
• Hose is cut under the extruder die and the filling opening is formed, not fully protected until reaching der.Füllposition, even if the process is carried out in a clean room. In other words, during the movement of the mold into the filling position, the hose having the filling opening forms an open-topped container.
• a method and a device have been proposed in DE 100 63 282 A1 as the generic prior art, which ensure that the filling opening of the tube during the movement of the mold in the filling position by a sterile barrier is covered.
• the known sterile barrier is formed by a, together with the hose .
• a preferably of more than 120 ° C.
• the movable sterile barrier is in such a position arrangement and provided with such dimensions that, in the working position of the separating element, it is located above the movement path of the mold leading into the filling position and covers the filling opening until it has reached the filling sterile space.
• the present invention seeks to further optimize the known solution in terms of improving the sterility in the filling opening of a container to even sterile / sterile in the highly sensitive products for medical / pharmaceutical application To be able to spend containers.
• This object is achieved by a method having the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety and a device having the features of patent claim 9.
• Sterile air and / or nitrogen and / or further media, such as other inert gases, hydrogen peroxide, etc., which are brought from the media delivery device to the filling opening, are preferably suitable as sterile media.
• the medium conveying device can spend the respective sterile medium in the direction of the filling opening with a prescribable overpressure and / or a suction device as part of the media conveying device supports the conveying direction with negative pressure, whereby the suction device then also removes excess, sterile medium from the location of the filling opening transported to the outside of the molding apparatus, but preferably sucks non-living (non-viable) particles.
• sterile means such as steam or hydrogen peroxide.
• the sterilization of the barrier preferably takes place before the respective start-up, but can be initiated at discrete intervals during production breaks. It is also possible to use the sterile medium, preferably in the form of an inert gas, to fill the container, for example if its product content is sensitive to oxygen.
• the sterile barrier moves as a plate-shaped cover formed with an inlet and a discharge for the respective sterile medium together with the separator for cutting the plastic tubing or there is a synchronous movement with parts of the manufacturing form.
• Fig. 1a, b, c is a perspective view of the essential parts of the first embodiment of a manufacturing device
• Fig. 2a, b, c is a perspective view of the essential parts of the second embodiment of a modified manufacturing device.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 show parts of an apparatus for producing plastic containers in the blow molding process, wherein by means of an extruding device 10, a tube 12 of molten plastic material between the two mold halves 14 of a mold 16 is extruded, in the Fig.1a in the open state and is shown in Figs. 1b and 1c in the closed state. After extruding the tube 12 into the opened mold 16, the tube 12 between the nozzle exit of the extruder device 10 and the upper side of the mold 16 is severed with a knife 28.
• FIG. 1c shows the mold 16 in the closed state, whereby the parts forming the main part of the container to be formed from the tube 12, namely the mold halves 14, have moved together such that bottom welding edges at the lower end of the tube 12 form a Welding process to close the tube 12 along a bottom side weld (not shown).
• FIG. 1c shows the mold 16 in a filling position, in which the mold is displaced sideways in relation to the position shown in FIG. 1a, b directed towards the extruder device 10. In this filling position, the container (not shown), which was previously formed by blown air has been blown through the open filling port 18 by means of a blower, not shown, filled via the filling opening 18 with the respective filling material.
• FIG. 1c shows the mold 16 in a filling position, in which the mold is displaced sideways in relation to the position shown in FIG. 1a, b directed towards the extruder device 10. In this filling position, the container (not shown), which was previously formed by blown air has been
• FIG. 1c shows the end of the filling mandrel 20 to be introduced into the respective filling opening 18 for this purpose.
• the vertical up and down movement of the filling mandrels 20 in FIG. 1c is indicated by a double arrow 22, as are the lateral angles - And moving the mold 16 with a double arrow 24 and the possible opening and closing movement of the two mold jaws 14 of the mold 16 with a double arrow 26.
• the molding and Befullen the container also by means of a combined blowing filling mandrel.
• the mold 16 shown is not limited to the manufacture of one or two containers, but will usually produce a plurality of containers arranged in series next to one another, the simpler representation being explained on the basis of the manufacturing process on only one container.
• the mold In the filling position shown in Fig. 1c, the mold is below a so-called.
• Filling sterile room (ASR) which is not shown in detail in the figures and acts as an aseptic shielding of the filling opening 18, which has been formed by the preceding separation process on the tube 12 is.
• ASR Filling sterile room
• the Standdorn After filling the container, the Golfdorn is moved upwards and the still open movable upper welding or head jaws (not shown) of the mold 16 are moved together to effect the shaping of the container neck and / or to close this simultaneously by welding.
• the pertinent production steps are customary in this respect and subject of the already mentioned bottelpack ® system.
• FIG. 1 a shows the operating state before the severing of the respectively extruded tube 12, wherein a heatable cutting edge serving as a separating element 28 is arranged at a predeterminable distance and thus also without gaps on the front side of a plate-like covering element 30 which serves as a sterile barrier. and the separating element 28 together with the cover element 30 are reciprocated in the directions indicated by double arrow 32, namely from a basic position according to FIG. 1 a into a working position according to FIG. 1 b and vice versa.
• a sterile medium 34 can be transported in the direction of the filling opening 18 by means of a designated as a whole with 36 media conveyor.
• Suitable sterile media 34 are sterile air and / or nitrogen and / or other media, such as other inert gases, hydrogen peroxide, etc., which are brought from the media delivery device 36 to the respective filling opening 18.
• the plate-shaped cover member 30 in the direction of the filling opening 18 on media discharge points 38 as part of the media conveyor 36, forming a kind of perforation in the plate 30 and the supply of the respective medium via entry points 40 in Allow direction of the filling opening 18 by the pertinent sterile medium 34 is blown in the direction of the filling opening 18.
• the pertinent entry points 40 which are also part of the media conveyor, are present in the rear region of the cover 30, on the opposite side of the narrow end face of the cover 30 with the separator or knife 28.
• the sterile medium can be fed via the sterile barrier to the filling openings.
• an inert gas for example nitrogen gas
• this can also be used to keep the container filled with the inert gas, which makes sense, for example, if the product actually to be introduced into the container should be sensitive to oxygen.
• the media conveying device 36 may have a suction device designated as a whole by 42, preferably in the manner of a vacuum device, which carries out a predetermined negative pressure via central suction points 44 in the direction of the arrow to remove the respective sterile medium 34 from the filling opening 18.
• the pertinent suction device as part of the media conveyor 36 is mainly used to extract the non-viable particles that are formed at the hose section. In this case, overflowing, sterile medium can be sucked out and brought out of the device. Preferably, there is an equilibrium between the amount of medium that flows out of the perforation by overpressure and the amount of medium that is sucked by the suction device 42.
• the Abschreibschitzkeit on the central Absaugstellen 44 is shown in the figures with arrows accordingly, and further surrounds the suction or vacuum device 42, the plate-shaped cover 30 like a frame in the form of rectangularly arranged frame members 46, but the rest of the inlet and outlet of the sterile Release the barrier in the form of the cover element 30.
• the sterile medium is supplied at a temperature which satisfies the sterility conditions, for example by the medium 34 having a temperature of more than 120 ° C., preferably a temperature in the range of 150 ° C has up to 200 ° C.
• the sterile barrier and thus the cover 30, which is preferably constructed of stainless steel materials, be heated to the temperature range mentioned. If the suction device 42 has sufficient be heated. If the suction device 42 has the sufficient power potential, the medium 34 need not be supplied via a pump or blower device, but it is sufficient if necessary, the suction to ensure the media management and thus the flow of the respective filling port 18th
• the closed mold 16 comes to the filling station according to the illustration according to FIG. 1c, whereby here the sterile safety, as already explained, on the Filling sterile room (ASR) is ensured.
• ASR Filling sterile room
• the sterile barrier in the form of the covering element 30 is spatially separated from the separating element 28 and can be moved independently of it.
• the cover element 30 is preferably associated with at least one of the mold halves and, as shown in FIG. 2b, the two mold halves 14 can be moved under the sterile barrier, in which case a synchronous movement takes place between the cover element 30 and the mold halves 14 can.
• the sterile barrier in the form of the cover 30 is moved with obvious when moving the mold 16 to the filling station according to the illustration of Fig.2c.
• the mold moves to the separating element 28 (knife), which cuts thereby and synchronously drives the plate as a sterile barrier (identical to the illustration of FIG. 1).
• the mold moves with the plate-like cover member 30 in the filling position. Once there, the plate moves backwards, so that the blowing and filling mandrel can enter into the opening 18.
• After closing the container along its head side then moves the open mold together with the plate as a sterile barrier back into the initial or in the tube position.
• the separating element 28 is arranged at the same height, but preferably below the covering element 30, in a vertical arrangement.
• the inventive method is preferably used for the simultaneous production of a plurality of containers, preferably in the form of small-volume containers in the form of ampoules, wherein the formation of the container by blow molding or in particular in very small-volume containers can also be carried out by vacuum molding.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
• Constitution Of High-Frequency Heating (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=34801300

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (16)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (17)

• 2004
  • 2004-01-30 DE DE102004004755A patent/DE102004004755A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-12-27 WO PCT/EP2004/014724 patent/WO2005073087A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-12-27 KR KR1020067015084A patent/KR101204280B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-12-27 BR BRPI0418489A patent/BRPI0418489B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-12-27 CA CA2549648A patent/CA2549648C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-12-27 DK DK04804314T patent/DK1708923T3/da active
  • 2004-12-27 PL PL04804314T patent/PL1708923T3/pl unknown
  • 2004-12-27 AU AU2004314960A patent/AU2004314960B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-12-27 AT AT04804314T patent/ATE365129T1/de active
  • 2004-12-27 DE DE502004004159T patent/DE502004004159D1/de active Active
  • 2004-12-27 EP EP04804314A patent/EP1708923B1/fr not_active Not-in-force
  • 2004-12-27 ES ES04804314T patent/ES2287800T3/es active Active
  • 2004-12-27 JP JP2006549916A patent/JP4532506B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-12-27 US US10/582,869 patent/US8205416B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-12-27 PT PT04804314T patent/PT1708923E/pt unknown
  • 2004-12-27 CN CNB2004800406804A patent/CN100453407C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-07-13 HK HK07107522.5A patent/HK1103062A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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