JP2002193222A - Sterilizing method for cup container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to feed a liquid sterilizer contained in a tank to a spray nozzle in an amount which is always exactly predetermined and easily cope with a situation wherein a set value of feeding amount must be changed without troublesome operation, for use in a sterilizing method of a cup container by the liquid sterilizer. SOLUTION: The sterilizing method for the cup container makes the liquid sterilizer stored in the container 28 into a gaseous sterilizer by mixing with air at high temperature in a process before a spray nozzle 20, and spraying the gaseous sterilizer to the cup container which is being conveyed for filling and sealing processes, from the spray nozzle 20. The liquid sterilizer is intermittently sucked from the tank 28 and is forcibly sent out by use of reciprocation of a piston of a plunger pump 29 which reciprocates the piston by rotation of an optionally controlable step motor, in a way that the liquid sterilizer is fed from the tank 28 to the spray nozzle 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of disinfecting a cup container in which a gaseous disinfectant is sprayed on each container being conveyed for a filling / sealing process, and more particularly, to a method for disinfecting a cup container. The present invention relates to a method for disinfecting a cup container capable of supplying a liquid disinfectant to a spray nozzle at an arbitrary supply amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art While a cup-shaped container made of paper or plastic is transported while being held at a predetermined interval by a transport conveyor (retainer) having a hole into which the container is inserted, the contents are placed in the container. When sealing the container opening after filling, a gaseous germicide (hydrogen peroxide solution, etc.) is sprayed from a spray nozzle onto an empty container being conveyed toward the filling and sealing process by the conveyor. It has been conventionally known that a sterilizing agent is uniformly adhered to the surface (both inside and outside) of a container, and then the empty container is sterilized in advance by drying with hot air (for example, JP-A-9-58633, JP-A-9-5863
-58634 and the like).

That is, each of the above cited publications discloses a valve for intermittently opening and closing a liquid germicide stored in a germicide tank pressurized by compressed air based on a command from a valve control device. Is intermittently fed into the gasification chamber, and is vaporized in the gasification chamber to form a gaseous germicide. By continuously supplying this gaseous germicide, it is conveyed toward the filling / sealing process. First, in a disinfectant spray chamber, a gaseous disinfectant is sprayed from a spray nozzle onto each of the individual containers, and the disinfectant is attached to the inner surface (inner surface) of the container. In the germicide gas chamber, the germicide is sufficiently adhered to the outer surface side (outer surface) of the container by passing through the atmosphere filled with the gaseous germicide continuously discharged from the gas discharge pipe. It is disclosed that

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional method for sterilizing a cup container, a gaseous germicide is constantly sprayed (or discharged) in a germicide spray chamber or a germicide gas chamber. Therefore, there is a problem that a large amount of the sterilizing agent is used, and the amount of the sterilizing agent discharged unnecessarily without adhering to the container increases. On the other hand, by timing the intermittent stop of each container being conveyed for the filling and sealing process, the gaseous germicide is intermittently sprayed from the spray nozzle by an appropriate amount, whereby the container is sprayed. It is conceivable to reduce the amount of the germicide that is wastefully discharged without adhering, thereby reducing the amount of the germicide used.

[0005] However, when the gaseous germicide is intermittently sprayed from the spray nozzle, the direction of spraying the gaseous germicide from the spray nozzle is devised. Even if the disinfectant can be uniformly and evenly adhered to the surface of the container, if the amount of disinfectant varies with each spraying, it is not possible to obtain a uniform disinfecting effect for the entire container being transported Will be.

[0006] In this regard, in the conventionally known sterilization methods disclosed in the above cited publications, a liquid sterilant stored in a sterilant tank constantly pressurized by compressed air is supplied to a valve control device. Is intermittently fed into the gasification chamber via a valve that opens and closes intermittently based on a command from the refrigeration system. There is not much problem if the disinfectant is continuously supplied and sprayed continuously from the spray nozzle, but if the gaseous disinfectant is to be intermittently sprayed from the spray nozzle to each container In this case, the amount of the disinfectant that is intermittently sent into the gasification chamber may vary, and the amount of the disinfectant that is sprayed at each spraying may be non-uniform.

In other words, according to the methods disclosed in the above cited publications, the opening / closing timing of the valve that opens and closes intermittently in accordance with a command from the valve control device is determined by the amount of liquid sterilant supplied (per hour). The amount of liquid disinfectant stored in the disinfectant tank changes as well as the condition of the compressor that supplies compressed air to the disinfectant tank, The pressure in the disinfectant tank pressurized by air fluctuates, and it is difficult to always maintain the amount of the liquid disinfectant to be sent to the spray nozzle at the exact set value. There is a possibility that the supply amount of the ink varies.

Therefore, in order to keep the amount of the liquid germicide sent from the germicide tank toward the spray nozzle always constant, for example, a measuring cup moving up and down in the tank is used to remove the liquid germicide in the tank. It is also practiced to pump up, measure a certain amount at a time, and then feed it.However, in such a method, when it is necessary to change the set value of one time feed amount, it is necessary to change the measuring cup one by one. If necessary, the type change work including sterilization after the type change is troublesome, and much time is spent for such work.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems. Specifically, in a method for disinfecting a cup container by spraying a gaseous disinfectant, a liquid disinfectant stored in a tank is removed. It is an object of the present invention to be able to always supply an accurate predetermined amount to a spray nozzle and to easily cope with a need to change a set value of a supplied amount without troublesome work. is there.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is to mix a liquid germicide stored in a tank with air at a temperature up to a spray nozzle under high temperature. In a cup container sterilization method in which a gas nozzle is used to spray a gaseous germicide from a spray nozzle to a container being conveyed toward a filling and sealing process, the liquid is sterilized from a tank toward the spray nozzle. Using a plunger pump that reciprocates a piston by rotation of an arbitrarily controllable step motor, the liquid disinfectant is sucked out of the tank intermittently by reciprocation of the piston of the plunger pump. It is characterized in that it is fed by pressure.

According to the above-described method, a predetermined amount of the liquid sterilant is always accurately measured and sent because the liquid sterilant is sucked out of the tank and pumped by the plunger pump piston moving forward and backward. The set value of the amount of liquid disinfectant to be supplied from the tank can be easily changed only by controlling the stepping motor of the plunger pump in accordance with a command from the control device.

As a result, not only when the gaseous germicide is continuously sprayed from the spray nozzle, but also when the gaseous germicide is intermittently sprayed from the spray nozzle toward individual containers, each time. Since the amount of the sterilizing agent does not become non-uniform for each spraying, a uniform sterilizing effect can be reliably obtained for all of the sterilized containers as a whole.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for sterilizing a cup container according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an entire aseptic filling line for cup containers, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show a container sterilizing step in the aseptic filling line for cup containers according to an embodiment of the present invention. Shows a system for gasifying a liquid sterilant in a container sterilization step and spraying the same from a spray nozzle, and FIG. 5 shows a plunger pump for pumping a liquid sterilant from a tank toward the spray nozzle. 3 shows the structure.

In the present embodiment, the aseptic filling line for cup containers is, as shown in FIG. 1, each container (not shown) separated from the stacked state and supplied to the line.
, A device 4 that detects overlapping containers and separates and removes the overlapped containers while continuously transporting the containers in a plurality of rows (for example, 7 rows) by a transport conveyor (retainer) 3 and a container that removes static electricity from the containers and discharges the containers. After passing through a device 5 for removing dust adhering to the container by vacuum, a disinfectant is attached to the inner surface side of the container, and then dried with hot air and cooled with aseptic air. After the agent is adhered, hot air drying and passing through an inner / outer surface sterilizing device 7 which is cooled by aseptic air are successively performed, the contents are filled into the sterilized empty container by the filling device 8 into the container. I have.

Next, for each container filled with the contents by the filling device 8, the air in the head space of the container is replaced with nitrogen gas by the nitrogen gas replacement device 9, and then the film 12 is drawn on the opening flange of the container. And a film 12 on the opening flange of the container.
Welding cutting device 11 for cutting after welding in a planar shape
Are sequentially passed through, and the sterilized film 12 which is fed out of the film supply coil 13 and immersed in the sterilizing solution in the sterilizing tank 14 and dried by the hot air in the drying device 15 makes the opening of the container a film-shaped lid. After sealing with the (lid), the used film from which the lid portion was punched out is collected in the film winding coil 16, while the container sealed with the lid is passed through the lid seal seal inspection device 17, and then the container is sealed. The conveyor 3 by the discharge device 18
And discharged from the line.

The aseptic filling line 1 as described above is installed in a clean room (a room with a higher air cleanness than class 10,000), including the attached parts (not shown). A portion (a portion surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 1) is installed inside a clean booth (a room with higher air cleanliness than class 100) in which the air cleanliness level is high.

Incidentally, as for the transfer of the cup containers on the aseptic filling line, it is efficient to carry out the multi-row transfer in which a plurality of containers are simultaneously advanced in the width direction as described above. The filling and sealing may be performed in a single row in the width direction (one in the case of single-row conveyance), or a plurality of each in the conveyance direction and the width direction (the conveyance direction in the single-row conveyance). In some cases, the cup container is transported intermittently in order to temporarily stop the transport of the container when performing filling or sealing. .

The transport conveyor used to transport the cup containers has a conventionally well-known structure, and has a function of a retainer (holding tool) for holding each cup container at a predetermined interval. Although not shown, the cup container is fitted into a plurality of holes provided at predetermined intervals in each of the width direction and the length direction of the conveyor, and the opening flange portion at the upper end of the cup container is transported. This is a belt conveyor configured to convey a large number of cup containers at predetermined intervals while being placed on a conveying surface of the conveyor.

In the aseptic filling line 1 for cup containers as described above, the contents are filled in the filling process by the filling device 8 and the container opening is performed in the sealing process by the lid wire welding device 10 and the lid welding cutting device 11. In order to seal the part with a seal, the progress of the container is temporarily stopped, but during such a stop of the progress of the container, the container sterilization process by the inner surface sterilization device 6 and the inner surface / external surface sterilization device 7 stops. A spraying gas is sprayed from a spray nozzle onto each cup container having been sprayed with a sterilizing agent gasified (for example, a hydrogen peroxide solution having a concentration of 35%), and the cup container is heated with hot air (for example, 240 ° C.). By heating the container so that the temperature attained by the container itself becomes 80 ° C. with a heating time of 6 seconds.)
Both inside and outside of the cup container are sterilized.

That is, in the inner surface sterilizing device 6, as shown in FIG. 2, the gaseous sterilizing agent is directed toward the inner surface of the cup container 2 by the spray nozzle 20 arranged above the container 2 in the sterilizing agent spraying area. Spray and then in the hot air drying area,
Hot air is blown onto the container 2 by a hot air supply device 21 arranged above the container 2 to heat the container 2, thereby sterilizing the container 2 with the heated sterilizing agent and evaporating and removing the attached sterilizing agent. In the area, the heated cup container is cooled by aseptic air blown from the cooling device 22.

Further, in the inner / outer surface sterilizer 7, as shown in FIG. 3, gaseous germicide is sprayed on the inner surface of the cup container 2 by spray nozzles 20 arranged above and below the container 2 in the germicide spray area. Sprayed toward the side and the outer surface side, and then heated in the hot air drying area by blowing hot air onto the container 2 by the hot air supply devices 21 disposed above and below the container 2, respectively, and heating the disinfectant. The container 2 is disinfected by means of evaporating and the attached disinfectant is removed by evaporation. In the cooling area, the heated cup container is cooled by the cooling device 2.
It is cooled by aseptic air blown out from 2.

The inner / outer surface sterilizing device 7 is composed of a pair of left and right round rods so that the sterilizing agent can be sprayed on the back side of the flange portion of the cup container 2 and dried with hot air. By guiding the bottom of the container 2 to be lifted by the guide 23, the flange portion of the cup container 2 is conveyed so as to float from the conveyor (retainer) 3. By changing in the transport direction, the disinfectant can be sprayed or hot air can be sprayed without leaving the entire surface of the bottom of the container 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, a system for spraying a gaseous sterilizing agent from each spray nozzle 20 in each of the inner surface sterilizer 6 and the inner and outer surface sterilizer 7 as shown in FIG. Filter 2
5, sterile air is supplied to the spray nozzle 20 through the regulator 26 and the solenoid valve 27,
The liquid sterilizer (for example, 35% hydrogen peroxide solution) stored in the tank 28 is fed toward the spray nozzle 20 by driving the pump 29, so that the sterile air and the liquid sterilizer can be mixed. The mixture is introduced into the gasification chamber 31 through the fluid nozzle 30 in a mixed state (a state in which the liquid germicide is atomized), and is atomized inside the gasification chamber 31 surrounded by the heating chamber 32 through which high-temperature steam passes. The disinfectant is heated to evaporate to a gaseous state, and then sprayed through each spray nozzle 20.

The specific structures of the gasification chamber 31 and the heating chamber 32 are not particularly limited and can be embodied as appropriate structures. Although not shown in this embodiment, The supply pipe up to the spray nozzle on the downstream side of the two-fluid nozzle has a double pipe structure, the supply passage inside the inner pipe is a gasification chamber, and the space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe is By heating the inside of the inner tube through high-temperature steam between the inner tube and the outer tube by using a heating chamber, the mist in the aseptic air sent to the spray nozzle through the inside of the inner tube Is changing gaseous disinfectants to gaseous disinfectants.

In such a gaseous germicide spraying system, the driving of the solenoid valve 27 and the pump 29 is controlled by a signal from a control device (control panel) 24, whereby the gaseous germicide from each spray nozzle 20 is controlled. Since the spray amount and the spray timing can be controlled, in the method of the present embodiment, as described above, the transport conveyor is intermittently stopped so as to temporarily stop the progress of the container when performing filling and sealing. In the internal sterilization device 6 and the internal and external surface sterilization device 7, the gaseous germicide is sprayed from each spray nozzle 20 at the timing when the advance of the container is temporarily stopped. Is sprayed intermittently.

In particular, in the method of the present embodiment, the control device (control panel) 2 is used as a pump 29 for feeding a liquid sterilant from the tank 28 to the spray nozzle 20.
4 uses a plunger pump that advances and retreats a piston (plunger) by the rotation of a step motor controlled by a signal from the motor 4. Pressure feeding is performed toward the nozzle 20.

That is, the pump 29 is controlled by a signal from a control device (control panel) as shown in FIG.
A phase step motor 35 as a driving source,
The output shaft 36 of the step motor 35 is integrally connected with a shaft 37 having an external thread at the end thereof. On the other hand, a piston ( A plunger 39 is provided, and a hollow pipe-shaped piston shaft 40 is integrally fixed to the piston (plunger) 39.
Piston shaft 4 projecting outward from pump body 38
0, the female screw member 42
Are integrally fixed.

The pump body 38 has a bearing member 4 for rotatably supporting an output shaft 36 of a step motor 35.
3 is integrally fixed via a connecting rod body 44, and an origin sensor dog 45 is integrally formed with the connecting cylinder 41 integrally fixed to the piston shaft 40, and both sides of the origin sensor dog 45 are connected rod bodies. By being sandwiched by 44, the piston shaft 40, which is integrally fixed via the origin sensor dog 45 and the connecting cylinder 41, cannot rotate around its axis and can move in the axial direction.

After the piston shaft 40 is not rotatable and can be moved in the axial direction, the male screw member 37 fixed to the step motor 35 is connected to the female screw member 42 fixed to the piston 39. And is inserted into the hollow cylinder of the piston shaft 40 so as to be able to advance and retreat, so that the step motor 35 rotates forward and reverse and the shaft 37 with the external thread rotates forward and reverse around its axis. Accordingly, the connecting cylinder 4 is connected via the female screw member 42.
1 and the piston shaft 40 advance and retreat in the axial direction, and the piston 39 integrally fixed to the piston shaft 40 slides on the cylinder portion 38a to advance and retract in the main body 38.

Further, in such a pump 29, an origin sensor dog 45 is integrally formed on a connecting cylinder 41 integrally fixed to a piston shaft 40, and in addition to an intermediate portion of an output shaft 36 of a step motor 35. An origin slit cam 46 is integrally fixed to the origin sensor dog 4.
5 and the origin slit cam 46, the origin slide sensor 47 and the origin rotation sensor 48 for detecting their movement are both fixed integrally to the pump body 38 via the bearing member 43. is set up.

In the pump body 38, a liquid germicide is sucked from one side (the side of the tank 28) and pressure-fed to the other side (the side of the spray nozzle 20) in accordance with the movement of the piston (plunger) 39 inside the pump body 38. Although the structure is not shown, a one-way valve is provided on each of the inlet side 49 and the outlet side 50 of the liquid sterilant provided on the side opposite to the piston 39 of the pump 38, and it has been widely used conventionally. This is due to a generally known structure.

According to the sterilization method of the cup container of the present embodiment using the plunger pump 29 as described above, the liquid sterilizer is sucked out of the tank 28 by the reciprocation of the piston 39 of the plunger pump 29 by the step motor 35. By being pressure-fed, it is possible to always accurately measure and feed a predetermined amount of the liquid sterilant without being affected by changes in the pressure in the tank 28 or the stored amount of the liquid sterilant. Step motor 3 of plunger pump 29 in response to a command from control device (control panel) 24
By simply controlling the number 5, it is possible to easily change the set value of the amount of the liquid disinfectant to be fed from the tank 28 without requiring a troublesome operation or spending a lot of time.

In the method according to the present embodiment, the supply timing of the liquid sterilant from the pump 29 is controlled by a command from the control device (control panel) 24, and the supply timing of the sterile air is controlled by the solenoid valve 27. , The gaseous germicide is intermittently sprayed from the spray nozzle 20 toward the individual containers 2 in synchronization with the intermittent stop of each container being conveyed toward the filling / sealing process. Even if it does, the amount of disinfectant does not become non-uniform for each spraying, so that a uniform disinfecting effect can be reliably obtained for all the containers that have been disinfected. By spraying intermittently toward the container, the spray amount of the gaseous germicide can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where the gaseous germicide is continuously sprayed.

Although the embodiment of the method for sterilizing a cup container according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific examples shown in the above embodiments. It goes without saying that the aseptic filling line to which the method is applied is not necessarily limited to the line by each device as shown in the above embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0035]

According to the method for sterilizing a cup container of the present invention as described above, the liquid sterilant is stored in the tank without being affected by changes in the pressure or the amount of storage in the tank. Liquid disinfectant can always be sent to the spray nozzle at the correct set value, and when it is necessary to change the set value of the feed amount, laborious work is required or a lot of time is required. , And the set value of the feed amount can be easily changed simply by a command from the control device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view schematically showing an aseptic filling line for a cup container according to an embodiment of the cup container sterilization method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view showing a part of the container sterilization process (part of the inner surface sterilization device) of the aseptic filling line for the cup container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory side view showing a part of the container sterilization process (part of the inner and outer surface sterilization device) of the aseptic filling line for the cup container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory block diagram showing a system for forming a liquid sterilizing agent into a gas in a container sterilizing step shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and spraying the same from a spray nozzle.

5 is a partial sectional side view showing a structure of a pump for pumping a liquid sterilant from a tank toward a spray nozzle in the system shown in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Aseptic filling line of cup container 2 Cup container 3 Conveyor 6 Inner surface sterilizer (container sterilization process) 7 Inner and outer surface sterilizer (container sterilization process) 8 Filling device (filling process) 10 Lid wire welding device (sealing process) 11 lid Welding and cutting device (sealing process) 20 (spraying gaseous germicide) spray nozzle 28 (storage liquid germicide) tank 29 pump (plunger pump) 35 (pump) step motor 39 (pump) piston

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A liquid disinfectant stored in a tank is mixed with air until it reaches a spray nozzle to be in a gaseous state at a high temperature, and then the container is being transported toward a filling and sealing process. In a sterilization method for a cup container in which a gaseous sterilant is sprayed from a spray nozzle, in order to feed a liquid sterilant from a tank to the spray nozzle, a piston can be arbitrarily controlled by rotating a step motor to rotate the piston. A method of sterilizing a cup container, wherein a liquid germicide is intermittently sucked out of a tank by a plunger pump for reciprocating the plunger pump to reciprocate the plunger pump. 2. Controlling the stepping motor of the plunger pump and controlling the supply of air mixed with the liquid disinfectant, thereby intermittently stopping each container being conveyed toward the filling and sealing process. 2. The sterilization method for a cup container according to claim 1, wherein a gaseous sterilizing agent is intermittently sprayed from a spray nozzle at a proper timing.