EP2125524A1

EP2125524A1 - Device for minimizing oxygen content

Info

Publication number: EP2125524A1
Application number: EP08734795A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernd Hansen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-29
Filing date: 2008-03-27
Publication date: 2009-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2028-03-27
Also published as: AU2008234135A1; US20100037566A1; AU2008234135B2; ATE532708T1; PT2125524E; CN101641257B; HK1137707A1; EP2125524B1; JP2010522670A; JP5291082B2; CA2681437A1; CN101641257A; DE102007015078A1; MX2009010408A; WO2008119494A1; ES2374853T3; CA2681437C; PL2125524T3; KR20100014627A; KR101454185B1

Abstract

A device minimizes the oxygen content in containers provided with a displacement medium or fluid by a feed unit (20). The displacement medium displaces oxygen from the container before closing. The food device (20) has one medium feed channel to introduce the displacement medium into the container and being at least partially a component of a filling device (26) for filling the container. The filling device (26) has a filling mandrel (17) with a filling channel (28), from which the media feed channel extends in a separated manner. The filling mandrel (17) has at least one further medium transport channel. The filling channel (28) is guided at its free cross-section in a ring channel region of the filling mandrel (17) having a larger cross-section. The filling channel (28) separates the medium feed channel from the medium transport channel within the ring channel region in a fluid-tight manner.

Description

Bernd Hansen, Talstraße 22-30, 74429 Sulzbach-Laufen

Device for minimizing the oxygen content

The invention relates to a device for minimizing the oxygen content in containers to be filled, such as ampoules, which are preferably produced by a blow molding, filling and closing method and which are providable by means of a feed with a displacement medium, the oxygen prior to sealing of the container this displaced, wherein the feed device has at least one media supply channel, by means of which the displacement medium is fed into the respective container and which is at least partially part of a filling device by means of which the respective container can be filled, wherein the filling device has a Fülldorn with a filling channel, of the separated from the respective media supply channel runs, and wherein the Fülldorn still has at least one further media transport channel.

EP 1 343 693 B1 discloses a device for producing and filling containers, such as ampoules, having at least one mold having movable walls, into which at least one tube of plasticized plastic material whose extruded parts can be closed is extrudable welding the leading end of the hose to form a container bottom by means of welding edges located on them, with a device for generating an am

Tube effective and this expanding pressure gradient to the forming the container on the mold walls, with a movable separating element, which is movable to form a filling opening by separating the tube above the mold between a retracted home position and a working position, and with a displacement device for moving the mold into a filling position for filling the container the filling opening through, wherein a sterile barrier is provided in such a positional arrangement and with such dimensions that it is located in the working position of the separating element above the position leading to the filling path of the mold and the filling opening is covered, wherein a sterile barrier together with a serving as a separator cutting edge movable, heated to germicidal temperature plate is provided. Furthermore, a manufacturing method for pertinent containers using the device is known by the European patent.

When manufacturing highly sensitive products, for example in the form of special 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 flows over the open filling opening of the containers 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. Due to the sterile barrier prevents foreign bodies can fall into the open filling opening after cutting the tube before the form has reached the filling sterile room (ASR) and further prevents the sterile barrier during this process section and the unwanted access of germs to the filling opening. However, it has been found that oxygen-sensitive products, including high-quality pharmaceuticals, which are filled into container products, such as ampoules, in such a way then still come in contact with a residual oxygen content in the respective container, the damage processes, in particular in the form of oxidation of the bottled product lead, which is accompanied by a significant reduction of the possible storage time. Accordingly, in sensitive products today, a remaining oxygen content is required in the headspace of the container kept free of the filled product of less than 0.5%, preferably less than 0.2%. Neither the abovementioned sterile barrier device satisfactorily satisfies these requirements nor any other known production methods and devices, as are shown by way of example by US Pat. No. 5,961,039 or JP-PA 4147824.

This also applies ultimately to devices that use to minimize the oxygen content of containers to be filled, such as ampoules, a displacement medium, which supplied by means of a feeding the oxygen before closing the container displaced therefrom. For example, JP 2004-042961 AA shows a device solution in which inert gas is displaced as a displacement medium in the direction of the container opening by means of a feed device which is brought over a free container opening of a filled container in order to increase the oxygen content by displacing it from the container opening reduce.

DE 1 566 547 A discloses a method for filling and closing ampoules as containers, in which a filling mandrel with a filling channel for the supply of the product to be introduced into the container is enclosed in a concentric arrangement by a medium supply channel which points outwards from enclosed in a wall part of the feed device, the supply of a displacement medium, in the form of an inert gas, is used, so as to minimize the oxygen content inside the container.

No. 6,112,780 A discloses a generic device for minimizing the oxygen content of containers to be filled, such as bottle products, having a feed device which has different media transport channels in a concentric arrangement, wherein the innermost channel in turn forms the filling channel of a filling mandrel , A filling channel surrounding the media supply channel for the displacement medium in the form of an inert gas is in turn comprises a media removal channel, which serves to remove the displacement medium together with the oxygen from the respective container (3-tube solution). In a particularly preferred embodiment of the known apparatus for minimizing the oxygen content, a further media supply channel is arranged in a concentric arrangement between the first media supply channel and the outermost media discharge channel so as to pulse the displacement medium into the interior of the container with the product filled in ( 4 tubes solution). In a further alternative embodiment of the known solution, as far as the space conditions allow for the respective container, it is also proposed to provide said media channels separated from each other in a line-shaped juxtaposition within the device. The minimization device which largely builds up in each solution variant in the area of media supply also leads to large volumes of oxygen to be displaced so that even this known solution is unsuitable, the required specifications of 0.2 to 0.5% residual oxygen content in the open Create head portion of the respective container.

Based on this prior art, the invention is therefore based on the object to further improve the known devices to the effect that this minimization during the manufacturing process allow the oxygen content to the required specifications of 0.2 to 0.5% residual oxygen content in the free head of each container. This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

Characterized in that according to the characterizing part of claim 1, the filling channel is guided with its free cross-section in a larger cross-section annular channel area of the filling dome and that within the annular channel region of the filling channel the media supply channel from the respective media transport channel media density separates, is a very small-building device for Minimizing the oxygen content created in containers to be filled, so that little "dead space" is created, which could be filled with air, which can then no longer be displaced, so the low residual oxygen content of 0.2 to 0.5% of the otherwise existing oxygen The displacement medium, preferably consisting of a noble gas, such as argon, or an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, can be flushed into the respective container by means of the feed device in such a way that it almost completely displaces the residual oxygen before it is sealed off from the container ngt, so that the oxidation processes described are avoided at the expense of extremely oxygen-sensitive and stored in the container product, which benefits a long shelf life of the entire product.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the media transport channel serves for the removal of the displacement medium together with the oxygen from the respective container, or the supply of the displacement medium into the respective container. In the former case, therefore, the displacement medium is supplied via the respective media supply channel and the media transport channel is designed as a media discharge channel in order to discharge the displacement medium with the oxygen from the container opening. In the second case, the media trans- Port channel as a further media supply channel, so that in spite of the installation space kept small supply situation a maximum amount to be supplied displacement medium is achieved in order to minimize the oxygen content in a very efficient manner. In the case in question, that the displacement medium is supplied via the respective media supply channel as well as via the respective media transport channel, this can be displaced directly into the environment outside of the feed device from the container interior, as well as the atmospheric oxygen to be displaced.

A minimization of the required installation space is also beneficial if the filling channel, the media supply channel and the media transport channel, the media density separated from each other are arranged within the annular channel region of the Fülldomes have the same input and / or Ausbringrich- lines. Also, the resulting parallel arrangement of the channels allows a streamlined transport of the individual media.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the annular channel region of the Fülldorns seen in cross-section is circular and a Füllkanal limiting wall of the Fülldorns forms a reduced in cross-section in a transverse oval, in the longitudinal direction of the inner wall of the circular annular channel area abuts in order to separate the crescent-shaped free cross sections of the media supply channel and the media transport channel formed so far from each other. As a result, all media channels are combined centrally in the feeder in a particularly space-saving manner.

The above displacement results can be improved if another media channel, preferably designed as a media supply channel, in concentric arrangement to the wall of the filling dome and this is comprehensively present, wherein the further media channel is chambered outwardly from another wall of the feeder. Additionally or alternatively, it can further preferably be provided to provide the surrounding area of the respective container to be filled with a barrier medium by means of a further supply device, at least partially. In this way, the oxygen content in the surrounding area of the respective container opening can also be reduced, which contributes to an improvement in the minimization result of oxygen content.

Further advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention are the subject of the other dependent claims.

In the following the device according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to two exemplary embodiments according to the drawing. This show in principle and not to scale representation of the

A schematically simplified view of an open blow mold and an extrusion head located above to form a tube of plasticized plastic material;

FIG. 2 shows the partially closed blow mold of FIG. 1 after transferring to a filling position and after forming the container to be filled;

3 shows a longitudinal section through the relevant parts of the device according to the invention along with a sectional view of a part of the molding apparatus according to FIGS. 1 and 2; 4 shows a section along the line IV - IV in Figure 3;

5 shows a comparison with the solution according to FIG! simplified embodiment of the device according to the invention in longitudinal section.

The Figures 1 and 2 show parts of a device, as in the context of the known bottelpack ^® system for producing plastic containers is used in the blow molding process, wherein by means of an extruder device 1, a tube 3 of molten plastic material between the two mold halves 5 a mold 6 is extruded, which is shown in Figure 1 in the open state. After extruding the tube 3 into the opened mold 6, the tube 3 is severed between the nozzle exit of the extruder device 1 and the top side of the mold 6. In Figure 1, the dividing line is shown in dashed lines and designated 8.

2 shows the mold 6 in a partially closed state, wherein for the main part of the container to be formed from the tube 3 12 forming parts, namely the mold halves 5, so moved together that bottom welding edges 7 at the lower end of the hose 3 a Perform welding process to close the hose 3 at a bottom weld 9.

FIG. 2 further shows the mold 6 in a filling position, in which the mold is displaced sideways in relation to the position shown in FIG. 1, which is aligned with the extruder device 1. In this filling position, the container 12, which was previously formed, in which blowing air has been blown through the open filling opening 15 by means of a blowing mandrel (not shown), is filled via the filling opening 15 with a filling material, for example in the form of a liquid pharmaceuticals, filled. 2 shows the end of the filling mandrel 17 introduced into the filling opening 15 for this purpose. Instead of the filling mandrel 17 and a previously introduced mandrel, the molding and filling of the container can also take place by means of a combined blow-forming filling mandrel. The container 12 may be molded, rather than with compressed air introduced via the mandrel, also with vacuum applied to the mold. Both methods can also be combined.

In the filling position shown in Figure 2, the mold is below a so-called. Filling sterile room (ASR), which is not shown in Figure 2 for the sake of simplicity and acts as an aseptic shielding of the filling opening 15, by the preceding separation process has been formed on the hose 3 at the indicated in Figure 1 dividing line 8. After filling the container 12, the filling mandrel 17 is moved upwards and the still open movable upper sealing jaws 13 of the mold 6 are moved together to effect the shaping of the container neck and / or to close this simultaneously by welding. With the welding jaws 13 shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is also possible to form an external thread for a screw cap on the container neck, which may be provided in addition to the closure by welding, for example in the form of a screw cap with therein Einichdorn. Furthermore, a plurality of containers can be formed, filled and closed in juxtaposed cavities of a molding tool (not shown).

The shaping tools 5, 13 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are reproduced there as viewed in the direction of FIGS. 3 and 5. The device according to the invention now serves to minimize the oxygen content in the containers 12 to be filled, which, as set out, are preferably completely produced by a blow molding, filling and closing process. The pertinent oxygen content is located in particular in the cavity 19 as shown in Figure 2 between the maximum level height of the product introduced and the container closure on the top of the head.

In order to displace the remaining residual oxygen from the cavity 19 in this way, there is a feed device 20, designated as a whole, which feeds a displacement medium into the cavity 19, which displaces the oxygen from the container 12 before closing it. The displacement medium used is preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen gas. The feed device 20 has a medium supply channel 22 for the nitrogen gas, which can be fed into the cavity 19 of the respective container 12 to this extent. The pertinent Medienzufuhr- channel 22 is shown in the Figure 4, which reproduces a cross section through the feeding device 20 along the line IV - IV.

As further shown in Figure 3, the media supply channel 22 at the upper end portion of the minimization device is guided in an extended annular channel 24, via the outside via suitable transport channels (not shown), the nitrogen gas is supplied as a displacement medium. As is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4, the feed device 20 is part of a filling device 26 by means of which the respective container 12 can be filled with the product to be stored. For filling the container 12, the filling device 26 engages in this respect on the previously described Fülldorn 17 back, which has a centrally disposed filling channel 28, wherein the Fülldorn 17 is held at its seen in the direction of Figure 3 upper free end in a receptacle 30 customary for this purpose is, via the center channel 32, the product supply takes place in the container 12. Since this means reception and supply facilities are common, this will not be discussed at this point. Furthermore, said Fülldorn 17 still has a media transport channel 34 as a discharge channel, which in turn is shown only in cross section in Figure 4 and the removal of the displacement medium together with the oxygen from the remaining cavity 19 of the respective container 12 is used. The pertinent Medienabfuhrkanal 34 ends with its seen in the direction of Figure 3 upper free end in a further annular channel 36 which is disposed below the first annular channel 24 and which is connected to a discharge line (not shown) of the overall device from which Nitrogen gas as the displacement medium together with the residual oxygen from the container 12 can be discharged.

About a non-illustrated vacuum device, the pertinent removal can still further support, but the negative pressure to be set is to be chosen so that not unwanted introduced into the container 12 product is sucked out of this. Also, the amounts of displacement media to be supplied, such as nitrogen gas, are oriented at the free head cross-sections of the container 12 along with the free volumes of oxygen within the cavity 19.

Moreover, the filling channel 28 and the media supply channel 22 and the media discharge channel 34 parallel to each other but separated from each other within the elongated Fülldornes 17. The pertinent media separation results in particular from the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, which proves that the filling channel 28 with its free Cross-section is guided in a larger annular cross-section area 38, wherein, as already mentioned, the filling channel 28 the respective media supply channel 22 from the respective media discharge channel 34 gas-tight manner. For this purpose, the annular channel portion 38 is seen in cross-section circular and the filling channel 28 bounding wall 39 forms a reduced in cross-section in a transverse oval, which abuts in the longitudinal direction of the inner wall 41 of the circular ring channel area 38, to such Crescent-shaped free cross sections of the channels 22 and 34 to separate from each other. In this way, the respectively desired media transport is achieved in the smallest possible space within the filling mandrel 17, wherein the re-entry of the displacement medium with the residual oxygen into the media discharge channel 34 occurs after the exit of the displacement medium from the media supply channel 22 in the reverse arrow direction 40. In this way, it is possible to reduce the residual oxygen content in the cavity 19 prior to the actual closure of the container via the upper welding jaws 13, except for extremely small amounts.

As FIG. 3 further shows, a blocking medium, preferably in the form of nitrogen gas, can additionally be supplied via supply spaces 42 to a further feed device of the receiving device 30, as seen in the viewing direction in FIG. 3 on the underside of the receiving device 30 an annular barrier channel 44 down to the outside occurs and in this respect forms a barrier curtain formed from nitrogen gas, which helps prevent the free access of ambient oxygen in the direction of the free filling opening 15 of the container 12. As a result of this measure, the residual oxygen content in the cavity 19 of the container 12 can, if appropriate, be further minimized. The flow direction of the nitrogen gas is represented by arrows.

The further embodiment according to FIG. 5 corresponds from the basic construction to the feed device 20 and the filling device 26 to the thorn-like structure according to FIG. This time, however, is supplied via both channels 24 and 36 displacement medium, preferably in the form of pressurized nitrogen gas, and blown through the two opposite media channels 22 and 34 into the interior of the container 12 at the same time, which also during the filling via the centrally disposed filling channel 28th can be done. Excess nitrogen gas is then blown off, as the exit arrows show, into the environment and thereby entrained residual oxygen, so that even with this modified embodiment, a minimization of the oxygen content in the container 12 is possible. As a result of the continuous supply of nitrogen, the air in the head region of the container 12, as shown, is displaced outward. In order to ensure a meaningful filling process, it is preferably provided that the free end of Fülldornes 17 and thus the filling channel 28 protrudes in the axial direction relative to the free inlet and outlet ends of the media channels 22 and 34. In the pertinent embodiment thus serves the media transport channel 34th as a further media supply channel.

A further media channel 45 according to the embodiment according to FIG. 5 comprises on the circumference the wall 47 of the filling mandrel 17 and is chambered outwardly from a further wall 49 of the feed device 20. Further, the media channel 45 is supplied via the channel 36 with the displacement medium. 5, the free end of the media channel 45 is again set back relative to the free end of the Fülldorns 17 so as to achieve an effective barrier curtain by means of the barrier medium, such as inert gas, for the container opening. Advantageously, the sealing gas is blown into the still open mold tube for the container 12, when the Fülldorn 17 is already starting to lift. Through the outer media channel 45 inert gas flows permanently until the head jaw 13 of the mold is closed and in this respect the container opening. 5 comprising the filling mandrel 17 according to the illustration in Figure 5 is combined with the described device according to Figure 3 such that the media channel 45 the Fülldorn 17 with the other media channels 22,28,34 includes to alike a barrier gas curtain to form relative to the ambient air, which is particularly advantageous if said Fülldorn 17 is already in the off-hook. With the device according to the invention, the residual oxygen in container products can be reduced to less than 0.5% and even further down to the range of 0.2% and less.

Claims

Patent claims

1. A device for minimizing the oxygen content in containers to be filled (12), such as ampoules, which are preferably prepared by a blow molding, filling and closing method and by means of a feed device (20) are providable with a displacement medium, the oxygen before the Closing the container displaced therefrom, wherein the feed device (20) at least one Medienzu- supply channel (22) by means of which the displacement medium in the respective container (12) can be supplied and which is at least partially part of a filling device (26) by means of which the respective container (12) can be filled, wherein the filling device (26) has a filling mandrel (17) with a filling channel (28) separated from the respective media supply channel (22), and wherein the filling mandrel (17) at least one further Media transport channel (34), characterized in that the filling channel (28) with its free cross-section i n is guided in a larger cross-section annular channel region (38) of the filling dome (17) and that inside the annular channel region (38) of the filling channel (28) the media supply channel (22) from the respective mediate transport channel (34) media-tight manner.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the media transport channel (34) serves for the removal of the displacement medium together with the oxygen from the respective container (12) or the supply of the displacement medium in the respective container (12).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filling channel (28), the media supply channel (22) and the media transport channel (34) media-density separated from each other within the annular channel area (38) of the Fülldomes (17) the same input and / or Ausbringrichtungen have.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the annular channel region (38) of the Fülldorns (17) seen in cross-section is circular and a filling channel (28) delimiting wall (39) of the Fülldorns (17) forms an oval, reduced in cross-section in a transverse direction, which abuts longitudinally against the inner wall (41) of the circular ring channel region (38) to separate the crescent-shaped free cross sections of the media supply channel (22) and the media transport channel (34) formed so far - freeze.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the filling channel (28) projects beyond the media supply channel (22) and the media transport channel (34) in the filling mandrel (17).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a further media channel (45) in a concentric arrangement to the wall (41) of the Fülldorns (17) and this is comprehensively present, the outwardly from another wall ( 49) of the feed device (20) is chambered.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the displacement medium consists of a noble gas, such as argon, or an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 or 7, characterized in that by means of a further feed device (42) at least partially the surrounding area of each container to be filled (12) is providable with a barrier medium.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the

Barrier medium is a noble gas such as argon, but preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen gas.