JP2001278226A - Container heating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the time of heating a container, and to heat the container in a short section even during the high-speed carriage. SOLUTION: This container heating apparatus comprises a carrying means 46 of carrying the container 4, a hot air feed means (a heating means) 48 which blows hot air in the container 4 carried by the carrying means 46 to heat the container, a tunnel-like chamber 86 surrounding a container carrying passage in a section to be heated by the hot air feed means 48, and a hot air feed means to eject hot air in this chamber 86. The container 4 is passed through the chamber 86 with hot air blown therein while feeding hot air inside the container 4 under carriage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container temperature raising device, and more particularly to a container temperature raising device for blowing a heated gas into a continuously conveyed container to raise the temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In some cases, a production line for drinking water or the like is provided with a step of blowing a heated gas into a container to raise the temperature of the container for the purpose of drying or the like.

When the production line is an aseptic filling line, the equipment constituting each process is arranged in a sterile chamber, and the supplied containers are transported by a transport conveyor arranged in the sterile chamber. It is being processed in between.

[0004] In this case, the container temperature raising device for raising the temperature of the container includes a heated gas (for example, hot air) in the conveyed container.
To raise the temperature inside the container.

[0005]

In the above-described conventional container temperature raising apparatus, when the transport speed of the container is increased, the processing capacity cannot be increased because the container is cooled from the outer surface. On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the temperature of the heated gas to be blown. However, in the case of a container such as a PET bottle, it is not possible to increase the temperature too much because there is a risk of deformation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container heating device which can increase the speed of transporting a container and efficiently raise the temperature of the container in a short time. Is what you do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a container sterilizing apparatus, comprising: conveying means for conveying a container; and heating means for blowing a heated gas into the container conveyed by the conveying means to elevate the temperature of the container. A chamber surrounding a container transport path in a section where the temperature of the container is raised by the temperature raising means, and a supply means for supplying a heating medium into the chamber, wherein the heating medium is blown into the chamber while blowing a heated gas into the container. Is supplied.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
This gas supply device is arranged in a sterile chamber.

The container 4 to be heated by the container heating device is a resin container such as a PET bottle, and has a flange 4 around a neck 4a as shown in FIG.
b is formed. This container 4 is supported or gripped on the lower surface side of the flange 4b by container gripping means or the like,
Alternatively, the portion above the flange 4b of the neck 4a is gripped, and the neck is conveyed on the basis of the height of the neck 4a.

The structure of the container temperature raising device 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. At the top of the column 40, the first
A rotating body 46 having a ring plate 42 and a second ring plate 44 is rotatably supported. A plurality of hot air supply means 48 are provided near the outer periphery of the rotating body 46 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. This container heating device 1
The hot air supply means 48 provided in the container 8
Function as a temperature raising means for raising the temperature of the substrate.

The hot air supply means 48 includes an annular hot air chamber 50 fixed on the first ring plate 42, and a plurality of hot air supply means 48 erected on the outer peripheral side of the hot air chamber 50 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. , And container gripping means 56 provided on the upper part of a fixed cylindrical body 54 (see FIG. 2 showing an enlarged view of the upper part of the hot air supply means 48) constituting the outside of each of the lifting stands 52. ing. This container holding means 56
Although not shown in detail, a pair of rotatable arms is attracted by a tension coil spring to be in a closed state, and the neck 4a of the container 4 inserted between these arms is held.
Is held by the elasticity of the coil spring. The container gripping means 56 by this elasticity grips the lower side of the flange 4b of the container 4.

The elevating stand 52 is the same as that shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 7, a fixed cylinder 54 penetrating through the upper first ring plate 42 and the lower second ring plate 44 and fixed to these plates, and is fitted inside the fixed cylinder 54 in a vertically movable manner. A combined rod 58 and an air cylinder 60 for raising and lowering the rod 58 are provided. By supplying and discharging air to and from the air cylinder 60 via a solenoid valve 62 (see FIG. 2) for operating a lifting stand. Raise and lower 58. The fixed cylinder 54 is fitted into the hole of the lower second ring plate 44 by a spigot, and is fixed by a bolt 64. On the other hand, the hole of the upper first ring plate 42 is larger in diameter than the outer diameter of the fixed cylinder 54, and the gap between the inner surface of the hole and the outer surface of the fixed cylinder 54 has elasticity such as rubber. Material 66 is interposed.

The first ring plate 42 expands radially outward (to the right in FIG. 2) in a high-temperature environment, but as described above, the ring plate 42 and the fixed cylinder 5
Since the elastic member 66 is interposed with a gap provided between the fixed cylinder 54 and the fixed cylinder 54, the fixed cylinder 54 and the rod 58 do not bend and do not become difficult to move up and down.

The rod 5 which is moved up and down by the air cylinder 60
At the upper end of 8, there is attached a communication means 68 for shutting off communication between the hot air chamber 50 and the inside of the container 4 gripped by the container gripping means 56 by raising and lowering the rod 58. The communication means 68 includes a cylindrical elevating valve 72 supported upright on the inner peripheral side of a mounting plate 70 horizontally fixed in the radial direction to the upper end of the rod 58, and the mounting plate 70. Air supply nozzle 7 fixed upright on the outer peripheral side of
4 and an arcuate communication pipe 76 for connecting the lift valve 72 and the air supply nozzle 74.

In the annular air chamber 50, hot air supplied from outside by a blower (not shown) is constantly supplied at a constant pressure and a constant flow rate through an air supply pipe 78 and a branch pipe 80 (see FIG. 2). Supplied. An orifice-equipped packing 82 having an orifice passage 82a communicating the inside of the air chamber 50 to the outside (the inside of the sterile chamber) is fixed at a position corresponding to each of the elevating valves 72 of the air chamber 50. The upper opening (air discharge port) of the orifice passage 82a faces obliquely so as not to directly face the lower opening of the lift valve 72. Therefore, when the lift valve 72 is raised by the rod 58 of the lift stand 52, the orifice passage 82
The hot air blown out through the a
2 is not allowed to enter.

The rod 58 of the elevating stand 52 is adapted so that the opening at the lower end of the elevating valve 72 moves up and down between the height shown in FIG. 2 and the height pressed against the upper surface of the packing 82 with orifices. At the time of lowering, the lower end surface of the elevating valve 72 is pressed against the upper surface of the packing 82 with an orifice, and the horizontal mounting plate 70
The tip of the air supply nozzle 74 fixed to the other end of the container 4 is inserted into the mouth of the container 4 held by the container holding means 56. The strokes of the elevating valve 72 and the air supply nozzle 74 are indicated by reference symbol S in FIG.

In the container temperature raising device 18, the container holding means 56 receives the container 4 at the introduction position, lowers the rod 58 at the start position of the temperature raising step, and brings the raising / lowering valve 72 into close contact with the packing 82 with an orifice. And the air supply nozzle 74 is inserted into the container 4 and the air chamber 5
From 0, hot air is supplied into the container 4 to start heating,
By raising the rod 78 at the temperature raising end position, the raising / lowering valve 72 is separated from the packing with orifice 82, and the air supply nozzle 74 is pulled out of the container 4 to stop the supply of hot air into the container 4.
In this embodiment, the hot air supply means 48
However, it goes without saying that the rotation starts following the container 4 gripped by the container gripping means 56.

Further, the container temperature raising device 18 is provided with an outer surface temperature raising means 84 for raising the temperature of the outer surface of the container 4. The outer surface temperature raising means 84 includes a tunnel-shaped chamber 86 surrounding the transport path of the container 4 gripped and transported by the container gripping means 56 (see FIG. 1). The tunnel-shaped chamber 86 is provided from a position slightly downstream of the temperature rising start position to a position slightly upstream of the temperature rising end position.
In the tunnel-shaped chamber 86, a heating medium supply means (not shown) for supplying a heating medium such as a gas or steam such as hot air or a heated mist-like liquid is provided. Container 4 transported inside 86
To be sprayed on the outside.

The operation of the container heating apparatus according to the above configuration will be described. When the container 4 gripped by the container gripping means 56 of the container temperature raising device 18 reaches the temperature rising start position, the air cylinder 60 of the hot air supply means 48 operates to lower the rod 58 and open the opening of the raising / lowering valve 72. Packing 82 with orifice in hot air chamber 50
And the tip of the air supply nozzle 74 is inserted into the container 4. A constant pressure and a constant flow rate of hot air are constantly sent from an external blower (not shown) into the hot air chamber 50, and when the hot air chamber 50 is connected to the inside of the container 4 by lowering the elevating valve 72. Then, hot air is blown into the container 4. The temperature of the container 4 is increased by blowing hot air into the container.

A heating medium such as hot air is blown on the outer surface of the container 4 to the container temperature raising device 18 so that the heating medium such as hot air is blown onto the outer surface of the container 4 so as to substantially overlap the section where the temperature raising step is performed by blowing hot air into the container 4. An external surface temperature raising means 84 is provided. The container 4 gripped by the container gripping means 56 is transported in a tunnel-shaped chamber 86 provided along a container transport path. A hot air injection nozzle (not shown) is provided in the tunnel-shaped chamber 86, and the hot air is injected to the outer surface of the container 4 being transported to increase the temperature.

As described above, the tunnel-shaped chamber 86 is used.
Since hot air is blown into the container 4 from the hot air supply means 48 that moves following the container 4 being conveyed inside, the container 4 is heated in an atmosphere surrounded by the chamber 68 and heated. Since the process is performed, the temperature raising time is shortened, and the temperature can be raised in a short section even during high-speed transport. In addition, since the heating medium is sprayed onto the outer surface of the container 4 while blowing hot air into the container 4 to raise the temperature, the heating medium is less likely to enter the inside of the container 4. That is, even when a vapor or a mist-like liquid that adheres to the outer surface of the container and increases the temperature raising effect is used as the heating medium, these do not enter the container 4 and hinder the drying of the inside.

The container whose inner surface has been heated and whose outer surface has been heated is sent to the next step. Note that the temperature of the heating gas and the heating medium may be set to an appropriate temperature depending on the application within a range where the temperature of the container rises.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the conveying means for conveying the container, the heating means for blowing the heated gas into the container conveyed by the conveying means to elevate the temperature of the container, A chamber surrounding a container transport path in a section where the container is heated by the temperature raising means, and a supply means for supplying a heating medium into the chamber, and a heating medium is supplied into the chamber while blowing a heating gas into the container. Therefore, the temperature of the container is raised in an atmosphere surrounded by the chamber and the temperature is raised, so that the time for raising the temperature of the container can be reduced, and the temperature can be raised in a short section even during high-speed conveyance. Becomes possible. In addition, since the temperature of the outer surface is increased while the heating gas is blown into the container, the heating medium supplied into the chamber hardly enters the container. Therefore, when the present apparatus is used for drying the inside of the container, the drying is not hindered.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container heating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part (hot air supply means) of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Container 46 Conveying Means (Rotating Body) 48 Heating Means (Hot Air Supply Means) 86 Chamber (Tunnel Chamber)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuhiro Nakada 58, Soyoda-Honcho Koushi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture (72) Inventor Toshihiko Arai 58, Soyoda-Honmachi Ko, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture Shibuya Kogyo Co., Ltd. Within the company (72) Inventor Kazuo Miyazaki 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kaga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Nonami Kawanami 1-1-1-1, Ichigaya-ga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Large Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takao Katayama 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kaga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo F-term within Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (reference) 3E079 AB01 BB05 FF03 FF14 GG10 3L113 AA03 AB02 AC01 AC35 AC48 AC85 BA13 DA04

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A conveying means for conveying a container, a heating means for blowing a heated gas into the container conveyed by the conveying means to elevate the temperature of the container, and a section for elevating the temperature of the container by the heating means. A chamber surrounding the container transfer path, and a supply unit for supplying a heating medium into the chamber,
A heating device for a container, wherein a heating medium is supplied into the chamber while blowing a heated gas into the container.