JP2002102314A - Tunnel type drying and sterilizing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate necessity to attach packing in a space between filters 14 concerning a large tunnel type drying and sterilizing machine, which requires the installation of a plurality of filters 14. SOLUTION: This machine is provided with a fan 10 for circulating air in a sterilizing area A, four filters 14 installed under that fan and a duct 12 for feeding air, which is pressurized and fed from the fan 10, to the filters 14. The duct 14 has an opening part 13 in the form matched to that of each of filters 14 and air sent from each duct opening part 13 is led into each of filters 14. Air cleaned by the filter 14 passes through a lower flow straightening plate 30, enters a drying and sterilizing space 8, dries and sterilizes a vessel 4 carried by a carrying conveyer 6. Since air leaked from a gap between the duct opening part 13 and the filter 14 or gap between the filter 14 and the flow straightening plate 30 to the periphery passes through a space passage 15 and moves up while being sucked to the suction side of the fan 10, the air does not flow into the lower drying and sterilizing space 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tunnel type dry sterilizer, and more particularly, to a method of purifying dry sterilized air supplied from a hot air circulating fan through a duct through a heat resistant filter, and then purifying the dried sterilized air in a dry sterilized space. The present invention relates to a tunnel type dry sterilizer for drying and sterilizing an article by introducing the same into a tunnel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tunnel-type dry sterilizer includes a fan for supplying dry sterilized air under pressure and circulating through a sterilization area, a filter for purifying the dry sterilized air, and a filter for supplying air blown from the fan to the filter. And a duct for guiding the article, which is carried into the sterilization area from the inlet area on the upstream side and is conveyed by the conveyor, is dried and sterilized by spraying dry sterilized air purified by the filter, and then downstream. And then sent to a filling chamber or the like.

In the above-mentioned tunnel type dry sterilizer, when the area of the sterilization area is small, the dry sterilization air can be purified by a single filter. Since it is not possible to cover the whole area by installing a filter, a plurality of small filters of a predetermined size are arranged side by side, and the air supplied from the fan under pressure is supplied to the openings corresponding to the entire area of these filters. The filter is guided to the filter via a duct having the following.

In the case where a plurality of filters are arranged side by side as described above, if the air supplied through the duct passes through the space between the filters, the unpurified air is removed. Since the articles to be sterilized flow into the drying and sterilizing space in which the articles are conveyed, it is necessary to attach packing between the filters (for example, USP4,
597, 192).

[0005]

In the conventional configuration in which a plurality of filters are arranged side by side and packing is provided between each of the filters, the air circulated in the sterilization area by being supplied under pressure by a fan is heated. , There is a problem that the packing is immediately deteriorated and damaged by the heat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and it is possible to install a plurality of filters without passing through a packing, and furthermore, unpurified air passes between the filters and is dried and sterilized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tunnel-type dry sterilizer capable of preventing entry into a space.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a tunnel type dry sterilizer comprising: a fan for circulating air in a sterilization area; a plurality of filters arranged side by side; and air supplied from the fan under pressure. A duct for guiding the filter is provided, and the air that has passed through the filter is introduced into the drying sterilization space to dry-sterilize the article.In particular, the duct is made to correspond to the shape of each filter. Along with having a plurality of openings, a space passage leading to the suction side of the fan is formed around each filter so that air that does not pass through the filter is not introduced into the dry sterilization space. is there.

[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 front view of a tunnel type dry sterilizer according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line II, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. In this tunnel type dry sterilizer, the inside of the machine frame 2 has a sterilization area A,
The upstream side (left side in FIG. 2) of the sterilization area A is an entrance area B, and articles such as the container 4 conveyed from the upstream side are inserted into the sterilization area A from the entrance area B. The downstream side (right side in FIG. 2) of the sterilization area A is a cooling area C, and the container 4 that has been dried and sterilized in the sterilization area A is discharged to the cooling area C and cooled. This cooling area C is connected to a downstream filling chamber (not shown), and the container 4 is sent to the filling chamber after being cooled.

At the lower side of the sterilization area A (inside the machine frame 2), a wide container conveyor 6 is provided, and guides 6a, 6a provided on both sides of the conveyor 6 are provided.
Meanwhile, a large number of containers 4 inserted from the entrance area B are guided and continuously transported in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The space above the conveyor 6 is a dry sterilization space 8, and the hot air circulation fan 1 provided above the sterilization area A.
The air pressurized from 0 is introduced into the heat-resistant filter 14 through the duct 12, purified by the filter 14, and then sent to the dry sterilization space 8. The transport conveyor 6 arranged below the drying and sterilizing space 8 allows air to pass up and down, and the air purified by the filter 14 passes through the transport conveyor 6 from above to below and is transported. The dried articles such as the container 4 are dried and sterilized.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Four filters 14 are arranged vertically and horizontally, and a space (space passage 15) is formed between the filters 14.
The enlarged openings 13 are provided at the lower ends of the four ducts 12 disposed above the four filters 14 respectively.
Are formed. Each of these openings 13 has a shape that matches the shape of each filter 14, and air is introduced into each of the corresponding filters 14 from each duct opening 13.

Each filter 14 has upper and lower flanges 14a and 14b, respectively. Each filter 14
Around the duct opening 13, a square pipe frame 18 is provided. The four filters 14
Are not fixed by bolts or the like, and the lower flange 14b of each filter 14 is placed and supported on the frame 18 of the square pipe. Each of these filters 14
Can be easily replaced by pulling out from the lateral direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) and inserting another filter 14. Guides 20 are provided on both sides of the direction in which the filters 14 are moved when the filter is replaced. A stopper 22 for positioning the filter 14 when inserting the filter 14 is provided on the inner side.

The lower end of the duct opening 13 is connected to each filter 1.
It has a quadrangular shape of substantially the same size as the shape of No. 4, and a press-contact member 24 of the same shape is fitted in the opening 13 so as to be vertically movable. Flanges 24a are formed on both sides of the press contact member 24 fitted into each of the duct openings 13, respectively. The pressure contact member 24 fitted to the lower end of the duct opening 13 is constantly urged downward by a spring 28 held on the outer periphery of a pin 26 fixed to the frame 18 of the square pipe, and the upper part of the filter 14 It is pressed against the flange 14a. Therefore, each filter 1
When replacing the filter 4, the filter 14 can be easily taken out by lifting the press contact member 24 against the spring 28.

Below the filters 14, rectifying plates 30 are arranged corresponding to the filters 14, respectively. These rectifying plates 30 have a configuration in which a plurality of punched metal plates are stacked.
The air that has passed through the air flows in a laminar flow to the dry sterilization space 8 below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a duct 12, a filter 1 and a
4 and a rectifying plate 30 are arranged, and the transport conveyor 6 runs under the dry sterilization space 8 below them. From the dry sterilization space 8 above the transport conveyor 6 to below the transport conveyor 6. The dry sterilization air purified by the filter 14 flows toward the container 4, whereby the container 4 being transported on the transport conveyor 6 is subjected to dry sterilization.

Heaters 32 are installed on both sides of the square pipe frame 18 (both sides in the traveling direction of the conveyor 8) (see FIG. 1). The air that has flowed downward after passing through 6 flows outward from the lower portion of the frame 18 of the square pipe, is sucked by the upper fan 10 and rises,
After being heated by the heater 32, it is sucked into the suction side of the fan 10. From the dry sterilizing space 8 to the conveyor 6
The air flowing downward through the frame 18 of the square pipe
Since the air flows outward from the lower end of the conveyor, the air flow going downward from the drying sterilization space 8 is deviated outward as it goes downward, so that the air flow is obstructed on both sides (left and right in FIG. 1) below the conveyor 6. A plate 34 is provided so that the flow of air flowing downward from the dry sterilization space 8 is substantially straight up and down.

The operation of the tunnel type dry sterilizer according to the above configuration will be described. The air pressurized and supplied from the four hot-air circulation fans 10 installed above passes through four ducts 12 and is introduced into the filters 14 from the openings 13 at the lower ends of the ducts 12. There is a slight gap between the duct opening 13 and the filter 14, and air leaks from the gap to the surroundings. However, the surrounding space (space passage 15) communicates with the suction side of the fan 10, and the air leaks. The generated air rises toward the upper fan 10 and does not flow into the lower dry sterilization space 8.

The air introduced into each filter 14 through the opening 13 of the duct passes through these filters 14 and is purified, passes through the lower current plate 30 to form a laminar flow, and flows into the lower dry sterilization space 8. Although the pressure of the air introduced from the duct opening 13 into the filter 14 increases due to the permeation resistance of the filter 14, even when the air is sent from the filter 14 to the rectifier plate 30, the positive pressure is maintained by the resistance of the rectifier plate 30. You. Even between the filter 14 and the rectifying plate 30,
Although air leaks from the gap to the outside, the air is also sucked by the upper fan 10 and flows upward in the space passage 15, so that the air does not flow into the lower dry sterilization space 8.

The air that passes through the current plate 30 and flows downward as a laminar flow passes through the conveyor 6 from the dry sterilizing space 8 and is conveyed downward by the conveyor 6. The container 4 is dry-sterilized.
Air leaks from the drying sterilization space 8 above the conveyor 6 and the space below the conveyor 6 to the outside. The leaked air also passes through the space passage 15 around the rectifying plate 30 and the filter 14, and the air leaks upward. The air is sucked by the fan 10.

The air that has flowed downward from the dry sterilizing space 8 to the lower side of the conveyor 6 flows out from the lower end of the square pipe frame 18 to both sides in the traveling direction of the conveyor 6 and is sucked by the upper fan 10 to rise. Heaters 32 are provided on both sides of the frame 18 of the square pipe, and the air sucked upward is heated by the heater 32, then sucked into the suction side of the fan 10, pressurized again, and Is circulated.

As described above, the opening 13 of each duct 12
Of the filter 14 substantially matches the shape of each filter 14, and the air blown from each duct 12 is introduced into the corresponding filter 14. Is not blown out directly. Also, the duct opening 13 (pressing member 2 at the opening)
The air leaking out from the gap between the filter 4 and the filter 14 to the surroundings of the filter and the filter 14 flows into the lower dry sterilization space 8 because the surrounding space passage 15 communicates with the suction side of the fan 10. It does not flow in and is all sucked into the suction side of the fan 10 above. Therefore, even if the space between the plurality of filters 14 is not closed by the packing, unpurified air does not flow into the dry sterilization space 8.

In the above embodiment, four filters 14 are provided. However, the number of filters 14 is not limited to four.
Other numbers may be used. Although four ducts 12 and four fans 10 are provided for each filter 14, it is not always necessary to provide an independent fan 10 and duct 12 for each filter 14, and one fan 10 One duct 12 may be attached, and the duct opening 13 may be branched into the same number as the number of filters 14. Two ducts 1 supplied from two fans 10 may be used.
The two openings 13 may be branched according to the number of the filters 14. In any case, a plurality of filters 14 may be arranged side by side, and each filter 14 may be provided with a duct opening 13 having substantially the same shape, and the fan 10 may be configured to blow dry heating air.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, a fan for circulating air in a sterilization area, a plurality of filters arranged side by side, and air supplied from the fan under pressure are guided to the filters. And a tunnel for drying and sterilizing articles by introducing air that has passed through the filter into the drying and sterilizing space, wherein the duct has a plurality of openings corresponding to the shape of each filter. A plurality of filters are formed around the respective filters by forming a space passage leading to the suction side of the fan so that air that does not pass through the filters is not introduced into the dry sterilization space. Since there is no need to install packing during installation, air that has not been purified due to heat damage to the packing enters the dry sterilization space. Ruosore is not.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a dry sterilizer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 A sterilization area 8 dry sterilization space 10 fan 12 duct 13 duct opening 14 filter 15 space passage

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Katsuji Tsuruyama 58 Kou, Ozudahonmachi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture F-term (reference) 3L113 AA02 AA03 AB02 AC08 AC25 AC36 AC45 AC46 AC52 AC54 AC55 AC63 AC64 AC77 AC83 AC85 BA12 DA19 4C058 AA01 BB04 CC02 CC07 EE26

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fan for circulating air in a sterilization area, a plurality of filters arranged side by side, and a duct for guiding air supplied from the fan by pressure to the filter, wherein the air permeating through the filter is provided. A tunnel-type dry sterilizer for drying and sterilizing articles by introducing the duct into a dry sterilization space, wherein the duct is configured to have a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the shape of each filter, and A tunnel-type dry sterilizer, wherein a space passage is formed around the fan, which is connected to a suction side of the fan, so that air that does not pass through a filter is not introduced into the dry sterilization space.