EP3225559A1 - Method for automated filling of a bag, and filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a filling device (1), consisting of a conveyor (21), through the isolated bag (2) or bag container (3) whose inner sides (4) are sterile and by means of a lid (6) closed opening (5 ), which are moved from an insertion station (22) to a filling station (23) and a removal station (24), a sterilized and sealed delivered bag (2) to be opened, filled with a medium (7) and then mechanically closed, without the medium (7) and the interior (4) of the bag (2) contaminated or contaminated with non-sterile air (9) during the filling process. This object is achieved in that the filling station (23) in a sterile room (10), which is kept sterile, it is arranged that in the sterile room (10) one or more driven arms (11) are arranged, which deduct before filling the attached to the respective bag (2) cover (6) or abschra Apply again and after refilling apply to the bag (2).

Description

The invention relates to a method for automated filling of a bag according to the preamble of claim 1 and a filling device according to the preamble of claim. 7

In practice, filling devices for bags, in particular stand-up bags, have proven themselves. Such stand-up pouches or carry-bags are popular because of their environmentally friendly lightweight packaging. Moreover, these can be recloseable via special valves or twist-off closures located on a neck of the bag, and are also efficient and easy to handle from a logistical point of view. Such stand-up pouches are therefore preferably used for liquid, pasty or else for lumpy foods or hygiene articles.

The stand-up pouches are typically fed into containers of the filling device and then guided by a conveyor to a filling station, filled and then closed by means of a lid or a cap. Subsequently, the sterilization is usually carried out by a thermal pasteurization or thermal sterilization and packaging in containers.

For example, when foods are filled in the bags that can be contaminated by germs, bacteria, viruses, and the like, and therefore these foods have a lower durability, it is necessary to use the bags to sterilize before filling and to ensure during filling that no unsterile air gets to the food and the interior of the bag.

Often, therefore, such bags are completely closed by the bag manufacturer and sterilized by gamma rays. The isolated or arranged in containers bags are supplied to the filling device and inserted manually in this. Once the sealed bag is placed in a sterile environment, remove the lid semi-automatically from the bag to facilitate the filling process. After completion of the filling process, the bag is closed again semi-automatically by means of the lid. The insertion and removal from the filling and sealing station is semi-automatic by hand.

Such manual operations are extremely costly and time consuming and achieve only a low filling performance.

Although it is also known to machine bags to the filling device; However, these bags are open and in these hygienic articles, such as soap, filled, which are not contaminated by the viruses, bacteria and germs in the ambient air or make the medium is not inedible.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method for filling a bag and a filling device of the aforementioned type, opened by a sterilized and sealed delivered bag, filled with a medium and then can be mechanically closed without the medium and the interior of the bag is contaminated or contaminated during the filling process with unsterile air.

This object is achieved by the method steps of the characterizing part of patent claim 1 and with regard to the configuration of the filling device by the features of the characterizing part of patent claim 7. Further advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

Characterized in that the filling station is arranged in a sterilized room, which is kept permanently sterile, that in the sterile room one or more arms are arranged, remove the attached to the respective bag lid before filling or unscrew and after filling again Apply to the bag, a fully automated method for filling the bag is provided, which can be accomplished without expensive sterilization and manual operations.

In addition, it has proven to be particularly advantageous that the sterile space is separated by walls from the environment and at least one transition region, which is for example designed as a lock, door, brush seal, revolving door or the like, through which the bag or bags by the conveyor in these are on or ausbringbar.

The sterile space is preferably kept in a slight or slight overpressure by means of aeration, so that the sterilized air flows out of the sterile space essentially through the transition area.

The overpressure can be accomplished by means of a ventilation, which sucks the air from the environment and cleans or sterilizes by means of a filter or membranes. The pore size of the filters or membranes are sized smaller than the size ratios of germs, bacteria, viruses.

The driven arm removes the lid of the bag and preferably positions it so that it is conveyed together with the bag by the conveyor in the sterile room. The driven arm has for this purpose a gripper, which can detect the lid and removes it by a screw or lifting movement of the opening of the bag.

The powered arm may further include a sensor that detects the number of revolutions, torque or force to ensure proper closure of the bag after filling.

After the lid is removed from the bag this can advantageously be fed to a temporary storage. The intermediate storage serves to transport the lid, so that it is moved together with the respective bag by the conveyor. However, the intermediate storage can also be easily replaced by a bypass.

In the sterile room, advantageously one or more air nozzles can be arranged. An air nozzle can inflate or blow-through the bags prior to filling by means of sterile air, so that the inner sides of the bag which lie adjacent to one another on delivery are separated from one another. The inner sides of the bag are namely due to adhesion forces in the delivered state to each other.

In the sterile room, one or more filling stations can be arranged along the conveyor, which proportionally introduce the medium into the bag. The filling station has for this purpose a filler neck, which introduces the medium into the bag through the opening of the bag. Preferably, the filler neck can simultaneously discharge the air displaced by the medium from the bag.

After filling, one or more further air nozzles or nozzles can be provided, which blow out or spray the lid and the filled bag before closing in order to possibly also remove residues of the medium. For this purpose, the lid is received by the driven arm or its gripper and positioned in front of the air nozzle for blowing or spraying.

Furthermore, advantageously, the air nozzle or the nozzle can be arranged in or on the intermediate storage or bypass in order to optimize the filling process and to increase the filling capacity of the system. The nozzle may spray a disinfecting medium, for example, hydrogen peroxide-impregnated air, liquid peracetic acid or the like. The air nozzle or nozzle may also be connected to the conveyor be moved and spray through a passage opening in the intermediate storage from below the lid or spray.

Figur 1

eine Befüllungs-Vorrichtung mit einer Fördereinrichtung, die die mit Deckeln verschlossenen sterilen Beutel von einer Einführstation in einen sterilen Raum der Befüllungs-Vorrichtung zur Befüllung der Beutel bewegt und anschließend für die Verpackung und den Weitertransport zur Entnahmestation aus dem sterilen Raum herausführt,

Figur 2

eine schematische Abbildung der Sterilisation der äußeren Oberfläche der Beutel,

Figur 3

eine schematische Darstellung der Befüllung der Beutel,

Figur 4

Übersicht einer Befüllungs-Vorrichtung mit einer linearen Fördereinrichtung,

Figur 5

eine vergrößerte Darstellung der Beutel mit einem zweistufig schließenden Deckel und

Figur 6

eine schematische Darstellung der Bereitstellung des Beutels.

In the drawing, an inventive embodiment of a filling device and a development of which is shown, which are explained in more detail below. In detail shows:

FIG. 1

a filling device with a conveyor which moves the capped sterile bags from an insertion station into a sterile space of the filling device for filling the bags and then leads out of the sterile space for packaging and further transport to the removal station,

FIG. 2

a schematic illustration of the sterilization of the outer surface of the bag,

FIG. 3

a schematic representation of the filling of the bag,

FIG. 4

Overview of a filling device with a linear conveyor,

FIG. 5

an enlarged view of the bag with a two-stage closing lid and

FIG. 6

a schematic representation of the provision of the bag.

In the FIG. 1 is a filling device 1 for filling of individual bags 2, preferably stand-up bags or carry-bags shown. The bags 2 have a bag opening 5, through which the medium 7 in the interior of the bag 2 can be filled. The opening 5 of the bag 2 is formed for example as a neck with a thread 39 or a plug 40 and closed by means of a cover 6 described in more detail below. The opening 5 is typically welded to the bag and can be arranged at one of the corners of the bag 2 - as a so-called corner pouch - or in the middle of the bag 2 - as a so-called center pouch.

The bags 2 sterile closed with the lid 2 are the filling device 1 at an insertion station 22, respectively. For this purpose, the insertion station 22 has a placement device 25, which feeds containers 3 or isolated bags 2 to a conveyor 21. The conveyor 21 conveys the bags 2 from the insertion station 22 into a sterile space 10 of the filling device 1 and brings them out after completion of the filling process by a filling station 23 from the sterile room 10 and conveys them to a removal station 24th

The sterile space 10 is enclosed by one or more walls 14 and held by a vent 31 continuously in an overpressure relative to the environment 8. A transition region 15, for example in the form of a lock, door, shaft or the like, forms the inlet and outlet for the bags 2 so that they can be moved by the conveyor 21 through the latter into the sterile space 10. The overpressure in the sterile chamber 10 causes leakage through it to exclusively cause the sterile air 33 to flow from the sterile room 10 into the environment 8. An influx or penetration of contaminated air 9 in the sterile room 10 is thus prevented. The ventilation 31 is provided with a filter system 32 which cleans or decontaminates the air 9 sucked from the environment 8 and ensures the sterility of the air 33 in the sterile room 10.

In the sterile room 10, the conveyor 21 is designed carousel-shaped. First, the sterile closed with the lid 6 bags 2 are transferred to the carousel 21. The bags 2 are isolated by a positive or non-positive holder 14 is locked to the conveyor 21. The conveyor 21 is then rotated stepwise or clocked, so that the bags 2 are moved sequentially to perform the individual process steps in the sterile room 10.

In particular, the schematic representation of FIG. 2 the individual process steps in the sterile chamber 10 of the filling device 1 can be seen. The bags 2, which are closed in a sterile manner by the cover 6, pass through the transition region 15, which is designed, for example, as a lock, door or lip or brush seal, from the environment 8 into the sterile space 10.

After transferring the bag 2 into the sterile room 10, the lid 6 of the sterile bag 2 is initially unscrewed or withdrawn by means of a mechanically driven arm 11. Subsequently, the lid 6 is positioned next to the bag 2 on the conveyor 21 or an intermediate storage 26. The mechanical arm 11 has for this purpose a gripper 12 which can grasp the lid 6 and pulls it off from the opening 5 of the bag 2 by means of a screwing and lifting movement. The holder 13 of the conveyor 21 forms a kind of counter bearing for the driven arm 11 so that the bag 2 is not twisted in the conveyor 21 during unscrewing or is positioned unchanged when the cover 6 is removed.

In the subsequent step, the bags 2 are opened by means of a jet from an air nozzle 34 with decontaminated or sterile air 33. By injecting the compressed air into the bag 2, the adhesion forces between the two superimposed inner sides 4 of the bag 2 are separated, so that the filling in the subsequent process step at a filling station 23 is trouble-free and particularly quickly feasible.

In the filling station 23, a filler neck 16 is inserted into the opening 5 of the bag 2, which injects the medium 7 to be filled into the bag 2 and optionally removes or sucks the air 33 displaced by the medium 2 from the bag 2.

In a last method step in the sterile room 10, the bag 2 is to be closed with the lid 6. This is done by the mechanically driven arm 11, which engages the lid 6, which was initially positioned next to the bag 2 on the conveyor 21, and this screwed onto the bag 2 and this touches. The mechanical arm 11 detects the position of the lid 2 relative to the opening 5 of the bag 2 to check a proper closing of the bag 2.

In the intermediate storage 26, one or more passage openings 27 can be introduced or incorporated, which make it possible for the air nozzle 34 or the nozzle 35 to blow off the cover 6 from below with sterile air 33 or a sterilization medium 41. As a sterilization medium, for example, air 33 enriched with hydrogen peroxide, liquid peracetic acid or the like can be used.

The bag 2 then leaves the sterile room 10 through the transition region 15 and is supplied to the removal station 24. For this purpose, an ejector 18 is arranged in the sterile room, which dissolves the bag 2 of the holder 13 of the conveyor 21 and transferred into the transition region 15. The transition region 15 is formed in this embodiment as a vertical channel. Accordingly, the bags 2 are ejected from the holder 13 of the conveyor 21 from the sterile room 10 and leave this falling through the vertical channel. The conveyor 21, for example, be designed as a chain or belt conveyor and catches the filled bag 2 and takes over the transport to the removal station 24th

Of the FIG. 3 an alternative embodiment of the method for filling the bag 2 can be seen. After the bag 2 has been filled with the medium 7, the lid 6 is initially received by the mechanical arm 11 of the conveyor 21 or the intermediate bearing 26 and held in front of one or more nozzles 34. The lid 6 is then blown separately or together with the opening 5 of the bag 2 with sterile air 33 and only after this step, the bag 2 is closed with the lid 6. Alternatively, the lid 6 and / or the opening 5 of the bag 2 can be sprayed by means of a nozzle 35 with a degermination medium 41.

The filling process may be divided into a plurality of filling stations 23 arranged in series along the conveyor 21, each filling station 23 proportionately filling medium with one of the filler neck 16 into the bag. An alternative embodiment of the filling device 1 is the FIG. 4 to see that provides a linear guidance of the bag 2 through the sterile room 10. The movement through the conveyor 21 of the bag 2 can be clocked, that is, carried out sequentially or continuously. The continuous movement of the bags 2 in the sterile room 10 can be accomplished by movably mounted mechanically driven arms 11 and air nozzles 34 and filling stations 23.

Of the FIG. 5 the bags 2 can be seen in three different states, namely partially closed, opened and completely closed. In the illustrated form, the openings 5 of the bags 2 are designed as plugs 40, but the one explained below is transferable.

The bags 2 are supplied in the partially closed state as a single bag 2 or in containers 3 through the placement device 25 of the filling station 22 of the filling device 1. In this case, the lid 6 and the opening 5 of the bag 2 on a hygiene barrier 37, which is characterized in that on the one hand the bag 2 is sealed sterile and on the other hand, the cover 6 can be removed from the bag 2 nondestructive. Namely, a seal 38 is typically attached to the lid 2, which is destroyed when the lid 6 is opened by the consumer. However, the partially closed state indicates that the seal 38 is non-destructively removable from the bag 2 with the lid 6.

The closed state of the bag 2 is characterized in that the lid 6 is applied by the driven arm 11 to the opening 5 of the bag 2 and the bag 2 is thus sealed. In particular, the seal 38 is to move over the hygiene barrier 37 whereby the seal 38 in the manner of an undercut or a door latch surrounds this.

A proper closure of the bag 2 can thus be accomplished by the driven arm 11 in a variety of ways. For example, the cover position, the force curve during application of the cover 6, the number of revolutions in the screwing of the lid 6 with a thread 39 or the like may be detected.

In addition, one or more abutment surfaces 36 may be integrally formed on the opening 5 of the container 2, through which the bag 2 rail-shaped by the conveyor 21 can be performed. In addition, the contact surfaces 36 at the opening 5 of the bag 2 allow a wrench-like locking by the holder 13 can be done so that the bag 2 when screwing the lid 6 with a thread 39 does not follow the rotational movement and thus the positional loyalty of the bag 2 in the conveyor 21 is given during the transport of the bag 2. Furthermore, the abutment surfaces 36 serve for the horizontal storage of the bag 2 on the conveyor 21.

Of the FIG. 6 schematically shows the provision of the sterile bag 2. First, they are bag 2 together with the opening 5 and the lid 6 made separately from each other and then brought together so that the partially closed state of the bag 2 is present. Subsequently, the bags 2 are sterilized in the partially closed state and packaged in containers 3. The sterilization can be carried out by means of γ-rays or comparable processes and from different irradiation directions.

The intermediate storage 26 can be easily replaced by a bypass. The driven arm 11 which removes the cover 6 from the bag 2 thus transfers the cover 6 to the bypass, which in turn conveys it to the driven arm 11 which re-applies the cover 6 to the bag 2. Alternatively, the intermediate bearing 26 or the bypass can also be dispensed with by removing the cover 6 from a bag 2 and placing it on a bag 2 that has just been filled.

In the intermediate storage 26 or at the bypass, one or more air nozzles 34 or nozzles 35 can also be arranged, which blow or spray the lid 6 over one or more cycles. As a result of this modification of the intermediate bearing 26, the filling process of the bags 2 is accelerated since the cover 6 does not have to be pivoted in a blow-out position by the driven arm 11 in a complicated manner.

Claims (15)

Method for the automated filling of a bag (2) whose inner sides (4) are sterile and which is closed with a cover (6) which can be removed at an opening (5) with a medium (7) in a filling device (1), characterized by the following process steps: a) loading a conveyor (21) of the filling device (1) with the lid (6) sterile closed containers (2); b) introducing the separated bags (2) through the conveying device (21) from the environment (8) into a sterile space (10) of the filling device (1); c) removing and temporarily storing the lid (6) from the bag (2) by means of a driven arm (11); d) filling the medium (7) into the bag (2) in one or more filling steps by the filling device (1); e) closing the bag (2) with the intermediate lid (6) by means of a driven arm (11) and f) discharging the filled container (2) from the sterile room (10) by means of the conveyor (21) in the environment (7). Method according to claim 1,
marked by: Removing the lid (6) in the sterile room (10) by means of the driven arm (11) positioning it next to the bag (2) on the conveyor (21). Method according to claim 1 or 2,
marked by: Generating an overpressure in the sterile room (10) by injecting sterile air (33) and / or sucking the air (9) from the environment (7) and filtering or sterilizing and then injecting into the sterile room (10). Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
marked by: Inflating the bags (2) before filling with sterile air (33) Method according to one of claims 1 to 4,
marked by: Equipping the conveyor (21) with isolated bags (2) or bag-containers (3) by a machine mounting device (25). Method according to one of claims 1 to 5,
marked by: Rinsing or blowing out of the bag (2) filled with the medium (7) with sterile air (33) and / or blowing out or spraying the lid (6) with sterile air (33) or a degermination medium (41) before applying it to the Bag (2) is placed, plugged or screwed on. Filling device (1), consisting of a conveyor (21), through the isolated bag (2) or bag container (3) whose inner sides (4) are sterile and having a lid (6) sealed opening (5) moved from an insertion station (22) to a filling station (23) and a removal station (24),
characterized,
in that the filling station (23) is arranged in a sterile room (10), which is kept sterile, that one or more driven arms (11) are arranged in the sterile room (10), which on the respective bag before filling (2) Remove or unscrew the attached cover (6) and place it back on the bag (2) after filling. Filling device (1) according to claim 7,
characterized,
in that the sterile space (10) is separated from the environment (7) by walls (14), that the sterile space (10) has at least one transition area (15) through which the bags (2) are conveyed by means of the conveyor (21) these can be brought in and out and that, for the most part, air (33) flows out of the sterile space (10) through the transition area (15). Filling device (1) according to claim 7 or 8,
characterized,
in that a ventilation (31) generates an overpressure in the sterile room (10), and in that the ventilation (31) sucks the air (9) from the environment (8) and sterilized by means of a filter (32) or the like. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9,
characterized,
in that the driven arm (11) removes the lid (6) of the bag (2) and positions it in such a way that it is conveyed together with the bag (2) by the conveyor (21). Befüliungs device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10,
characterized,
in that the driven arm (11) has a sensor which ensures that the bag (2) sits properly closed after filling Filling device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 11,
characterized,
that in the sterile room (10) along the movement device (21) in front of the filling station (23) an air nozzle (34) is arranged, and that the air nozzle (34) by means of sterile air (33) the bags (2) open or blown through and / or that in the sterile room (10) a plurality of filling stations (23) are arranged in series, each of the volume of the medium (7) in the respective bag (2) fill. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 12,
characterized,
that a transition region (15) separates the region (8) of the sterile chamber (10) a lock, door or the seal is arranged, is inhibited by the outflow of sterile air (33) from the sterile area (10). Filling device (1) according to one of claims 8 to 13,
characterized,
in that the conveying device (21) has a loading device (25) and that the loading device (25) fully automatically loads the insertion station (22) with bags (2) supplied singly or in containers (3) and / or that the conveying device (21) is sterile Room (10) is designed as a carousel linear guide. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 8 to 14,
characterized,
that in the sterile space (10) one or more air nozzles (34) or nozzles (35) are arranged, the lid (6) and / or the opening (5) of the bag (2) with sterile air (33) or a Blow out or spray disinfectant medium (41).

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