EP2125524B1 - Device for minimizing oxygen content - Google Patents

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

The invention relates to a device for minimizing the oxygen content in containers to be filled and already formed by a blow molding process according to the feature configuration of the preamble of patent claim 1.

By the US Pat. No. 3,827,214 is a generic device for minimizing the oxygen content in to be filled and already formed by a blow molding process containers, such as ampoules, known to be filled in addition to the blow molding and then closed and which are providable by means of a feed with a displacement medium, the oxygen before the Closing the container displaced therefrom, wherein the feed device has at least one media supply channel, by means of which the displacement medium can be 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 is a Fülldorn with a filling channel has, separated from the respective media supply channel, and wherein the Fülldorn still has at least one further media transport channel, wherein the filling channel with its free cross section in a cross cut larger annular channel region of the Fülldorns is guided and wherein within the annular channel region of the filling channel the respective media supply channel separates media-tight from the respective media transport channel. The separated from each other in the known solution channels in the form of a filling channel and at least one media supply channel and another media transport channel take in the known solution a correspondingly large space.

Furthermore, solutions have already been proposed in the prior art to improve the sterility situation. So is by the EP 1 343 693 B1 a device for producing and filling of containers, such as ampoules, known, having at least one movable mold walls having mold into which at least a tube of plasticized plastic material is extruded, the moldings can be closed to them by welding edges located at the leading end of the hose to weld to form a container bottom, with means for generating an effective on the hose and this expanding pressure gradient for shaping the container on the mold walls, having a movable partition member movable to form a filling opening by separating the tube above the mold between a retracted home position and a working position; and displacing means for moving the mold to a filling position for filling the container with the container Fill opening therethrough, 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 leading into the filling position trajectory of the mold and the filling opening covers, where as a sterile barrier together with a separator serving 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 it is prevented that after cutting the tube foreign matter can fall into the open filling opening 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%. These requirements is neither the above-mentioned sterile barrier device adequately fair nor other known manufacturing methods together with devices, as exemplified by the US-A-5,961,039 or the JP-A-4147824 are shown.

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. That's how it shows JP 2004-042961 AA is a device solution in which by means of a feeder, which is placed over a free container opening of a filled container, inert gas is blown as a displacement medium in the direction of the container opening, in order to reduce the oxygen content by displacing from the container opening.

By the DE 1 566 547 A a method for filling and sealing of ampoules as containers is known in which a filling mandrel is included with a filling channel for the supply of the product to be introduced into the container in concentric arrangement of a media supply channel, which enclosed to the outside of a wall portion of the feeder, 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.

By the US 6 112 780 A is another device for minimizing the oxygen content in containers to be filled, such as bottle products, known, with a feed device having in concentric arrangement different media transport channels, wherein the innermost channel in turn forms the filling channel of a Fülldorns. 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 device for minimizing the oxygen content, a further media supply channel is arranged in concentric arrangement between the first media supply channel and the outermost media discharge channel, in order to pulsately displace the displacement medium into the interior of the container with the product filled in. 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 field of media supply also leads to large volumes of oxygen to be displaced, so that this known solution is also unsuitable for the required specifications of 0.2 to 0.5% residual oxygen content in the free head region of the respective container to create.

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 requirements of 0.2 to 0.5% residual oxygen content in the free head of each container and that a particularly space-saving design of the device is achieved.

Characterized in that according to the characterizing part of claim 1, the annular channel region of the Fülldorns seen in cross section is circular and forms a filling channel bounding wall of the Fülldorns a cross-sectionally reduced in a transverse oval oval which abuts in the longitudinal direction of the inner wall of the circular annular channel area to the In this respect, crescent-shaped free cross-sections of the media supply channel and the media transport channel formed to separate from each other, all media channels are summarized centrally in the feeder in a particularly space-saving manner.

Overall, with the arrangement according to the invention a very small constructive device for minimizing the oxygen content is created in containers to be filled, so that little "dead space" is created, which could be filled with air, which then can not be displaced, so as to reduce the low residual oxygen content of 0.2 to 0.5% of the otherwise existing oxygen to reach. The displacement medium, preferably consisting of a noble gas, such as argon, or an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, by means of the feeder so flushed into the respective container that it almost completely displaces the residual oxygen before it is sealed from the container, so that the oxidation processes described Loads of extremely sensitive to oxygen and stored in the container product are avoided, 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 to remove 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 removal channel in order to discharge the displacement medium with the oxygen from the container opening. In the second case, the media transport channel serves as a further media supply channel, so that in spite of the supply situation held small supply situation a maximum amount of supplied displacement medium is reached in order to minimize the oxygen content in a highly efficient manner. In the case in question, that the displacement medium is supplied both 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, together with the atmospheric oxygen to be displaced.

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

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 Fülldorns and this is comprehensively present, wherein the further media channel is chambered outwardly from another wall of the feeder. Additionally or alternatively, it may furthermore preferably be provided to provide the surrounding area of the respective container to be filled with a barrier medium at least partially by means of a further feed device. 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.

Fig.1

eine schematisch vereinfachte Darstellung einer geöffneten Blasform und eines oberhalb befindlichen Extrusionskopfes zur Bildung eines Schlauches aus plastifiziertem Kunststoffmaterial;

Fig.2

die teilweise geschlossene Blasform von Fig.1 nach Überführen in eine Füllposition und nach Ausbilden des zu befüllenden Behälters;

Fig.3

einen Längsschnitt durch die relevanten Teile der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nebst Schnittdarstellung eines Teils der Formvorrichtung nach den Fig.1 und 2;

Fig.4

einen Schnitt längs der Linie IV - IV in Fig.3;

Fig.5

eine gegenüber der Lösung nach der Fig.1 vereinfachte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung im Längsschnitt.

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

Fig.1

a simplified schematic representation of an open blow mold and an extrusion head located above to form a hose made of plasticized plastic material;

Fig.2

the partially closed blow mold of Fig.1 after transfer to a filling position and after forming the container to be filled;

Figure 3

a longitudinal section through the relevant parts of the device according to the invention along with a sectional view of a portion of the molding apparatus according to the Fig.1 and 2 ;

Figure 4

a section along the line IV - IV in Figure 3 ;

Figure 5

one opposite the solution after the Fig.1 simplified embodiment of the device according to the invention in longitudinal section.

The Fig.1 and 2 show parts of a device, as used in the known bottelpack® system for producing plastic containers by blow molding, wherein by means of an extruder 1, a tube 3 of molten plastic material between the two mold halves 5 of a mold 6 is extruded in Fig.1 is shown 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 of the mold 6. In Fig.1 the dividing line is shown in dashed lines and designated 8.

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

Fig.2 further shows the mold 6 in a filling position, in which the shape opposite to in Fig.1 shown, aligned to the extruder 1 position is shifted sideways. In this filling position, the container 12, which was previously formed in which by means of a blowing mandrel blown air, not shown, has been blown through the open filling opening 15, via the filling opening 15 with a filling material, for example in the form of a liquid pharmaceuticals, filled. Fig.2 shows the end of the introduced for this purpose in the filling opening 15 Fülldornes 17. Instead of Fülldornes 17 and a previously introduced mandrel shaping and filling of the container can also be done by means of a combined blow mold Fülldornes. 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 in the Fig.2 filling position shown is the form below a so-called. Filling sterile room (ASR), which in the Fig.2 for the sake of simplicity is not shown and acts as aseptic shielding of the filling opening 15, by the preceding separation process on the hose 3 at the in Fig.1 indicated dividing line 8 has been formed. 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 in the Fig.1 and 2 illustrated welding jaws 13, 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 in the Fig.1 and 2 Forming tools 5, 13 are shown in the direction of the Figure 3 and 5 seen there correspondingly reproduced. 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 the Fig.2 between the maximum filling level of the product introduced and the container closure at the head top.

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 media supply channel 22 for the nitrogen gas, which is so far in the cavity 19 of the respective container 12 can be fed. The pertinent media supply channel 22 is in the Figure 4 shown, which represents a cross section through the feed device 20 along the line IV - IV.

How the other Figure 3 shows, the media supply channel 22 is guided at the upper end portion of the minimization device in an extended annular channel 24, over the outside via suitable transport channels (not shown), the nitrogen gas is supplied as a displacement medium. As is clear from the 3 and 4 further results, the feeder 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. To fill the container 12 engages the filling device 26 so far on the already described Fülldorn 17 back, having a centrally disposed filling channel 28, wherein the Fülldorn 17 at its in the direction of the Figure 3 seen upper free end is held in a conventional receiving device 30, via the center channel 32, the product supply takes place in the container 12. Since this intake and supply facilities are common, will not be discussed in more detail here at this point.

Furthermore, said Fülldorn 17 still has a media transport channel 34 as a discharge channel, which in turn only in cross section in the Figure 4 is reproduced 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 media removal channel 34 ends with his in the direction of the Figure 3 seen 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 the nitrogen gas is discharged as a displacement medium together with the residual oxygen from the container 12.

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 removal channel 34 run 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 the Figure 4 , which proves that the filling channel 28 is guided with its free cross-section in a larger cross-section annular channel portion 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, the re-entry of the displacement medium with the residual oxygen into the media removal channel 34 occurring 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 the Figure 3 Furthermore, it can be over supply spaces 42 of a further feed device of the receiving device 30 in addition to a barrier medium, preferably in the form of nitrogen gas, perform, in the direction of the Figure 3 Seen on the underside of the receiving device 30 via 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. Due to this measure, the residual oxygen content in the cavity 19 of the container 12 can optionally be further minimized. The flow direction of the nitrogen gas is represented by arrows.

The further embodiment according to the Figure 5 corresponds in terms of the basic structure with respect to the feeder 20 and the filling device 26, the thorn-like structure according to the Figure 3 , 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 another media supply channel.

Another media channel 45 according to the embodiment of the Figure 5 comprises the circumference of the wall 47 of the Fülldorns 17 and is chambered outwardly from another wall 49 of the feeder 20. Further, the media channel 45 is supplied via the channel 36 with the displacement medium. As further from the Figure 5 yields, the free end of the media channel 45 is in turn 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 in the off-hook. 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. The Fülldorn 17 comprehensive media channel 45 as shown in FIG Figure 5 is with the described device after the Figure 3 combined in such a way that the media channel 45 the Fülldorn 17 with the other media channels 22,28,34 to equally form a barrier gas curtain 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 (8)

1. A device for minimising the oxygen content in containers (12), such as ampules, to be filled and already formed by a blow moulding process which in adition to the blow moulding are also filled and then sealed, and which by means of a supply device (20) can be provided with a displacement medium which displaces the oxygen from the container before sealing the latter, the supply device (20) having at least one medium supply channel (22) by means of which the displacement medium can be supplied to the respective container (12) and which is at least partially a component of a filling device (26) by means of which the respective container (12) can be filled, the filling device (26) having a filling mandrel (17) with a filling channel (28), separated from which the respective medium supply channel (22) runs, and the filling mandrel (17) still having at least one further medium transport channel (34), the filling channel (28) being guided by its free cross-section within an annular channel region (38) of the filling mandrel (17) with a larger cross-section, and separating the respective medium supply channel (22) from the respective medium transport channel (34) within the annular channel region (38) of the filling channel (28) in a medium-tight manner, characterised in that the annular channel region (38) of the filling mandrel (17) is circular in form, as viewed in the cross-section, and a wall (39) of the filling mandrel (17) delimiting the filling channel (28) forms an oval with a reduced cross-section in one transverse direction and which in the longitudinal direction adjoins the inside wall (41) of the circular annular channel region (38) in order to separate from one another the respectively formed sickle-shaped free cross-sections of the medium supply channel (22) and the medium transport channel (34).
2. The device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the medium transport channel (34) is used to remove the displacement medium together with the oxygen from the respective container (12) or to supply the displacement medium to the respective container (12).
3. The device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the filling channel (28), the medium supply channel (22) and the medium transport channel (34) which are separated medium-tight from one another within the annular channel region (38) of the filling mandrel (17) have the same input and/or output directions.
4. The device according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the filling channel (28) projects over the medium supply channel (22) and the medium transport channel (34) in the filling mandrel (17).
5. The device according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a further medium channel (45) is in a concentric arrangement to the wall (41) of the filling mandrel (17) and encompassing it, and is chambered to the outside by a further wall (49) of the supply device (20).
6. The device according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the displacement medium consists of a noble gas such as argon, or an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas.
7. The device according to either of Claims 1 or 6, characterised in that the surrounding region of the container (12) respectively to be filled can be provided at least partially with a blocking medium by means of a further supply device (42).
8. The device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the blocking medium is a noble gas such as argon, but preferably an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas.

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