EP2448825B1 - System for treating packaging containers - Google Patents

System for treating packaging containers Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP2448825B1
EP2448825B1 EP10794437.3A EP10794437A EP2448825B1 EP 2448825 B1 EP2448825 B1 EP 2448825B1 EP 10794437 A EP10794437 A EP 10794437A EP 2448825 B1 EP2448825 B1 EP 2448825B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
channel
air
flow
nozzles
sterile
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.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP10794437.3A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2448825A4 (en
EP2448825A1 (en
Inventor
Daniele Apparuti
Ulf Lindblad
Jenny Olsson
Michael Olsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Original Assignee
Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA filed Critical Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Publication of EP2448825A1 publication Critical patent/EP2448825A1/en
Publication of EP2448825A4 publication Critical patent/EP2448825A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2448825B1 publication Critical patent/EP2448825B1/en
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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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
    • 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
    • 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
    • B65B43/52—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 roller-ways or endless conveyors
    • 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
    • B65B55/025—Packaging in aseptic tunnels
    • 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
    • B65B3/027—Making containers from separate body and end-parts

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a system for treating packaging containers, and in particular to such a system used in a filling machine.
  • the invention also relates to a corresponding method.
  • the perforated plate is arranged in one partition of a large manifold, in which an overpressure is established, forcing air through the perforated plate.
  • This approach is obviously space consuming.
  • a perforated plate may be unsuitable from a hygienic standpoint, since it offers a large surface per volume for contaminants to settle on. To that end a perforated plate may also be difficult to clean, in particular in an automated fashion while it is positioned in a machine.
  • the present invention provides a solution eliminating these and other drawbacks in prior art, by providing a system for treating packaging containers, comprising a channel having an upper section and a lower section, transportation means adapted to transport the packaging containers through the channel with an open end located in the upper section, nozzles in the upper section of the channel for introducing jets in the direction of the transportation means for treatment of the packaging containers, and means for evacuating air in the lower section of the channel, wherein the system comprises means for providing a flow of sterile-entrainment air in a longitudinal direction of the channel in a portion of the upper section of the channel, such that air to be entrained in the jet flows may be provided by the sterile air.
  • sterile filtered air is suggestively HEPA-filtered sterile air. Further, if no entrainment air is provided the jet injected through the nozzle will be quenched, resulting in a less divergent jet, which also may flicker and be prone to be drawn towards walls and such in an unstable manner.
  • the flow of sterile air is a free flow, directly or indirectly guided by the channel, not requiring the use of conduits inside or outside of the channel.
  • To arrange conduits inside the channel results in a more complicated geometry, which may disturb the flow field and render cleaning of the channel more difficult.
  • Using a free flow without constraints is also a cost efficient solution.
  • the nozzles are adapted to generate recirculation zones when a jet is injected, and wherein the flow of sterile entrainment air is arranged to be lead through the recirculation zone.
  • the recirculation zones will have a center with lower pressure than the surroundings, and therefore they may be used to guide the flow through the upper section of the channel.
  • the channel has a longitudinal waist with a cross sectional dimension smaller than areas above and below the longitudinal waist. The waist will simplify the maintenance of an upper aseptic section, and also simplify the generation of stable recirculation zones and guidance of the entrainment air flow.
  • the inventive system may in one or several embodiments provide entrainment air for jets injected by nozzles arranged in a series along the length of the channel. In this way a single feeding system may be utilized for several nozzles, eliminating the need for individually tailored solutions.
  • the nozzles may according to one or more embodiments be arranged along, or symmetrically along, a center longitudinal line of the channel, and the flow is arranged to be guided between said series of nozzles and the longitudinal side walls of the channel on both sides thereof.
  • the present also relates to a method for using said inventive system, i.e. in a filling machine, a method of supplying sterile entrainment air to jets injected by nozzles arranged in an upper part of a channel through which packaging containers having an open end turned upwards are transported in a machine direction, comprising the step of: guiding a free flow of sterile entrainment air in a longitudinal direction in an upper
  • the channel may have a longitudinal waist having a cross sectional dimension smaller than areas above and below the longitudinal waist and the flow of sterile entrainment air may in one or more embodiments be guided in an area above said waste.
  • the flow may be guided in and along the approximate center of these recirculation zones.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic partial overview of a filling machine in which the inventive system is used.
  • Packaging containers 108 having an open bottom end 110 turned upwards are transported on transportation means 114 in a transportation direction from right to left in Fig. 1 .
  • the channel 100 in which the packaging containers 108 are transported may be a channel 100 having an essentially uniform cross section, or a cross section having a defined waist, which is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 , respectively, yet other cross sections are also possible.
  • the packaging containers 108 Before entering the view of Fig. 1 the packaging containers 108 have passed a preheating zone and a sterilization zone, and in the latter they have been subjected to a sterilization agent. After the sterilization zone a gas lock is arranged such as to eliminate flows from left to right in this section.
  • the venting zone (V) it is secured that no significant residuals of sterilization agent remain in the packaging containers.
  • the injection nozzles used for this purpose may be of the type disclosed in the previously mentioned applications.
  • the packaging containers are filled with their contents, such as milk or fruit juice, etc. After leaving the view of Fig. 1 the open end 110 of the packaging containers 108 is sealed and folded in a suitable configuration. After this point the packaging containers 108 may again be subjected to non-aseptic conditions.
  • HEPA-filtered sterile air is forced into the system via a vertical channel, and is used to maintain asepticity in adequate zones of the filling machine, provide sterile air to be injected, and to provide entrainment air for injected jets, the latter of which will be described in more detail.
  • the sterile air that may be provided to the injection nozzles, for pre-heating, sterilization and ventilation may be distributed via a manifold (not shown) arranged on top of the channel in which the packaging containers are lead.
  • the channel is operably divided into an upper section or upper volume and a lower section of lower volume.
  • the upper volume is defined by its aseptic conditions and has means for injecting gas, generally sterile filtered air, in some of its sections.
  • gas generally sterile filtered air
  • nozzles arranged in the upper volume are used in order to create a barrier between the upper volume and the lower volume.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and represents a schematic cross section, orthogonal to the transportation direction of the packages (the machine direction MD), in the filling zone of the filling machine.
  • the package 108 is carried by a carrier 114 attached to a transportation line 115.
  • Two rows of gas injection means in the form of circular nozzles 116 are arranged in the top of the zone, and these inject sterile air downwards.
  • the injected air from each nozzle 116 forms a diverging flow, as indicated by the dotted lines extending from the nozzle opening, on its way downwards. From a fluid mechanics standpoint the flow is turbulent and it will not be described in detail here.
  • an exit velocity may be in the region of 10-20 m/s, e.g.
  • the dash-dotted line indicates the approximate position of an interface area between the first volume, above the line, and the second volume, below the line.
  • the nozzles 116 are arranged in two rows, with about 20 mm center-to-center distance of adjacent nozzles 116.
  • the aseptic or sterile first volume may thus remain aseptic or sterile, independently of the atmosphere in the second volume.
  • the level of the interface area (in the up-down direction in Fig.
  • the nozzles 116 may be arranged in rows, generally in pairs of nozzles 116 so as to define a symmetric setup. In the drawings there is one set of nozzles for each package indexing position, yet in the present working apparatus the nozzles 116 are arranged with a smaller distance in between, such that more than one pair of nozzles 116, on an average, is arranged in each indexing position.
  • Gas evacuation means 122 are arranged in the second volume.
  • venting zone injection nozzles similar to those presented in WO007/024172 and - 173, may be used.
  • the inventive way of solving this is to generate an essentially horizontal flow of sterile filtered entrainment air along the length of the channel, as illustrated by the symbols 124.
  • This steady and adjustable flow of air may provide a reliable source of entrainment air, and in combination with the overall flow direction having a component directed downwards, the integrity of the gas flow barrier will not be jeopardized.
  • the essentially horizontal flow of entrainment air along the channel will be tapped off as it is entrained into the jets, and will thus have a downwardly directed component.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates another embodiment.
  • flow restrictors 118, 120 have been arranged in the channel. In this way the void volume around a package 108 is reduced. This makes it possible to use less diverging injections of air through the nozzles 116, and easier to obtain a gas barrier, when a package 108 is present, when no package 116 is present, as well as during transportation of packages 108.
  • the divergence of the nozzles 116 may be varied by varying their geometry, in a known manner.
  • the flow restrictors will generate stabilized recirculation zones on the outside of the rows of nozzles 108 (in relation to an imaginary centerline between the nozzles), which is indicated by the curved, dotted arrows. This design of the channel will also increase the volume (which may be seen in Fig. 3 ) available for the entrainment flows.
  • the essentially horizontal flow along the length direction of the channel is illustrated by the symbols 124 and will essentially propagate along the length of the channel, which combined with the recirculation flows will generate a swirling flow of entrainment air propagating in a direction generally opposite the machine direction MD. As air is entrained this swirling flow will be weaker and as the flow reaches a gas lock effectively separating the sterilization zone from the venting zone the horizontal component is essentially eliminated, since the path of least resistance will be downwards.
  • the essentially horizontal flow is a free flow, not bound by a conduit or line, which would complicate the flow pattern and the construction, in turn making the ever so important asepticity more difficult to maintain.
  • the control of the flow is essentially conducted by controlling the air injected through the nozzles in the venting and filling zone on the one hand, and the air evacuated from the gas evacuation means arranged in the second volume. With the proper balance the flow of sterile HEPA air will enter into the upper channel automatically.
  • a blockage means e.g. in the form of a plate 132 covering a major part of the cross section of the lower volume of the channel 100 at the downstream end of the filling zone.
  • a similar blockage may be arranged in the interface between the sterilization zone and the venting zone at the upstream end, to obstruct gas exchange there between, and at this end the blockage may be arranged to cover essentially the entire cross section, while only leaving an opening allowing the packages to be transported in the machine direction.
  • the gas evacuation means may be provided as conduits 122 extending in the cross direction of the channel 100, at a distance corresponding to the distance between carriers 114. Apart from their main task, the conduits will then also serve the purpose of stabilizing the channel 100.
  • the conduits may have an evacuation nozzle, e.g. in the form of a circular opening, at a bottom side thereof. If all evacuation conduits 122 are combined with the same evacuation manifold the control of evacuation rate for each evacuation nozzle may be arranged by adjusting the cross section of each nozzle. The overall evacuation rate may then be controlled by a main evacuation means, e.g. by an evacuation pump connected to the manifold.
  • Each nozzle may have a variable cross section, yet according to one or more preferred embodiments the cross section is optimized and fixed (though not necessarily the same for each nozzle).
  • the gas evacuation means will thus serve the dual purpose of supporting the ever so important vertical flow in the channel as well as supporting the horizontal flow in the channel.
  • the flow of entrainment air will propagate through the length of the illustrated channel, and on its way portions of it will be drawn to the lower volume. It will continue to propagate along the channel until it reaches said gas lock, preventing it from entering the sterilization zone.
  • the origin of the HEPA filtered sterile air is the flow entering from the HEPA channel 130. This has the dual purpose of feeding the flows of entrainment air and to maintain the asepticity in the aseptic zone of the filling machine, by generating flows directed from the aseptic zone towards non-aseptic zones.
  • the present invention may be applied in a filling or packaging machine, further details of which are described in a number of copending Swedish patent applications, filed by the same applicant on the same day as the present application.
  • a method for obtaining an optimized concentration of sterilization agent in a sterilization zone is disclosed in the application with the title "A device and a method for sterilizing packages” (SE-09009077).
  • a device and method for maintaining asepticity is disclosed in "A device and a method for maintaining a gas flow barrier between two interconnected volumes” (SE-0900911-9), of which an alternative device and method is disclosed in “A device and a method for maintaining a gas flow barrier between two volumes of a channel” (SE-0900913-5)
  • a device for providing cleaned air which may be used for the as a source of entrainment air and surplus air in the filling zone for the present invention, is disclosed in the application with the title "A device for cleaned air provision” (SE-0900908-5).

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
EP10794437.3A 2009-07-03 2010-06-24 System for treating packaging containers Not-in-force EP2448825B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0900912 2009-07-03
PCT/SE2010/000176 WO2011002379A1 (en) 2009-07-03 2010-06-24 System for treating packaging containers

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2448825A1 EP2448825A1 (en) 2012-05-09
EP2448825A4 EP2448825A4 (en) 2012-11-28
EP2448825B1 true EP2448825B1 (en) 2014-10-29

Family

ID=43411270

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP10794437.3A Not-in-force EP2448825B1 (en) 2009-07-03 2010-06-24 System for treating packaging containers

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2448825B1 (zh)
CN (1) CN102470942B (zh)
ES (1) ES2527002T3 (zh)
MX (1) MX2011012772A (zh)
SA (1) SA110310557B1 (zh)
WO (1) WO2011002379A1 (zh)

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL8202209A (nl) * 1982-06-01 1984-01-02 Unilever Nv Werkwijze en inrichting voor het aseptisch verpakken van produkten zoals voedingsmiddelen en farmaceutische produkten.
IT1156605B (it) * 1982-06-09 1987-02-04 Zanasi Spa Impianto per il confezionamento automatico ed in atmosfera controllata, entro flaconi od altri contenitori, di prodotti medicinali o d'altro genere
EP1050467B1 (en) * 1999-05-03 2004-03-03 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA Unit for sterilizing strip material on a packaging machine for packaging pourable food products, and packaging machine comprising such a unit
JP2001018909A (ja) * 1999-07-07 2001-01-23 Nihon Tetra Pak Kk フラッシング装置
ITBO20060183A1 (it) * 2006-03-15 2007-09-16 Pietro Dovesi Metodo per il confezionamento di flaconi in ambiente sterile ed apparato che attua tale metodo

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
MX2011012772A (es) 2012-02-01
ES2527002T3 (es) 2015-01-19
CN102470942B (zh) 2014-01-01
SA110310557B1 (ar) 2014-07-06
EP2448825A4 (en) 2012-11-28
EP2448825A1 (en) 2012-05-09
WO2011002379A1 (en) 2011-01-06
CN102470942A (zh) 2012-05-23

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