JP2007331801A - Cleaning device of beverage filling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten cleaning time and reduce the consumption of a CIP cleaning solution by improving the cleaning capability of the solution. <P>SOLUTION: This cleaning device 2 of a beverage filling machine 1 cleans, rinses and sterilizes the parts 12, 21, 22, 23 of the machine 1 to be cleaned by feeding a CIP solution stored in storage tanks 11, 12, 13 to the parts by a feeding pump 24 after heating the solution to a predetermined temperature by a heater 25 if it is necessary. The device 2 is connected through a part of its piping to a fine bubble generater 3 comprising a liquid-gas mixing device 4 which supplies a gas to be dissolved in a condition where the solution is pressurized to be a predetermined liquid pressure level and a depressing device 5 which depresses the CIP solution containing dissolved gas by the device 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a beverage filling device that automatically fills a container such as a can, a bottle, or a plastic bottle with drinking water such as tea or coffee.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, beverage filling apparatuses that automatically fill various kinds of drinking water into containers such as cans, bottles, and PET bottles have been used. This beverage filling device needs to clean the drinking water passage including the filler bowl and filling valve and filling nozzle at the end of the work to prepare for the next filling work, and it is safe and easy to operate without disassembling the production equipment. A CIP (Cleaning in Place “stationary cleaning”) is used as a cleaning device for automatic cleaning.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning apparatus includes storage tanks 21, 22.23 and CIP for stationary cleaning liquids (hereinafter referred to as “CIP liquid”) such as a rinsing liquid, a cleaning liquid, and a sterilizing liquid used depending on the purpose of cleaning. It is composed of a pump 24 for feeding liquid and a heating device 25 and a pipe 26 for connecting them, and the CIP liquid is mainly washed in the beverage filling apparatus 1 such as a storage tank of a beverage filling apparatus, a filler bowl or a filling nozzle 11. , 12 and the like for cleaning.

  And in the washing | cleaning apparatus 2 of the said drink filling apparatus 1, what aims at the improvement of a washing | cleaning effect by mixing gas (air) into CIP liquid is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-107162, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-. No. 62896, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-152788, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-91490, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-34311, and the like.

  However, the conventional cleaning means presented in the publication discloses a high-pressure gas (air) blown into the CIP liquid to be used. For this reason, it is difficult to sufficiently dissolve the gas in the CIP liquid, and in many cases, cleaning is performed using a lump of gas mixed in the CIP cleaning liquid at a high pressure, and a cleaning effect cannot be expected. Also, the idea of improving the cleaning effect by forming a large number of bubbles has been proposed, but they are for foaming the dissolved gas by tube pressure, open / close valve, etc. A large amount of bubbles has not been generated. In particular, in the conventional foaming technique, there is a problem that even if foaming is performed upstream of the main cleaned portions 11 and 12, bubbles are lost during the transfer process and the effect cannot be exhibited.

Furthermore, when the CIP liquid is heated and washed, the gas solubility is remarkably reduced, so that it is difficult to form a foamed state.
JP 54-107162 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-62896 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-152788 JP-A-8-91490 JP 2003-34311 A

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems, and is a beverage filling device cleaning device capable of improving the cleaning performance of the CIP cleaning liquid to reduce the cleaning time and the consumption of the CIP cleaning liquid. Is to provide.

  The present invention made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems has a CIP liquid storage tank, a CIP liquid feed pump, a CIP liquid heat treatment machine, and a pipe connecting them, and the inside of the liquid storage tank If necessary, the CIP solution stored in the container is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat treatment machine, and is fed to the washing target portion of the beverage filling device by the liquid feed pump to perform washing, rinsing, sterilization, etc. In the apparatus cleaning apparatus, the gas-liquid mixing device for supplying and dissolving the gas in a state where the CIP liquid is pressurized to a predetermined pressure, and the pressure-reduced CIP liquid in which the gas is dissolved by the gas-liquid mixing device are reduced in pressure. A fine bubble generating device comprising a decompressing device is connected to a part of the pipe.

  According to the present invention, a fine bubble generating device is arranged in a part of a pipe to increase the cleaning effect by a large amount of fine bubbles. In the gas-liquid mixing device forming the fine bubble generating device, the CIP liquid is used in a predetermined manner. By supplying the gas in a state pressurized to the liquid pressure, more gas is dissolved in the CIP liquid than in the case of supplying the gas at the normal pressure or in-pipe pressure accompanying liquid feeding. Then, the CIP liquid in which a large amount of gas is dissolved is instantaneously decompressed by the decompression device that forms the microbubble generator together with the gas-liquid mixing device, thereby lowering the solubility of the dissolved gas and increasing the amount of fine bubbles. generate.

  Further, in the present invention, when the fine bubble generating device is disposed immediately before the main portion to be cleaned, the generated fine bubbles do not disappear at the main portion to be cleaned that will limit the cleaning time. Since it works effectively, an excellent cleaning effect can be expected.

  Further, the gas-liquid mixing device and the pressure reducing device constituting the fine bubble generating device are arranged at a distance, and the liquid pressure in the pipe on the downstream side of the gas-liquid mixing device is maintained up to the location to be cleaned. In the case of transporting to a main site to be cleaned without foaming and generating a fine bubble by reducing the liquid pressure by the pressure reducing device at the main site to be cleaned, it is limited to the position where the gas-liquid mixing device is arranged. Therefore, it is possible to make foaming at a main cleaned portion without any trouble, so that design, assembly, and operation are facilitated. In addition, when the decompression device is disposed immediately before a plurality of main parts to be cleaned and a gas-liquid mixing device constituting a fine bubble generating device is connected to each decompression device, one Since the gas-liquid mixing device can be expected to have the same effect as the fine bubble generating device at each of a plurality of main parts to be cleaned, it is economical and can be individually foamed at each main part to be cleaned.

  According to the present invention, efficient cleaning including shortening of the cleaning time is possible, the CIP solution can be saved, and it is economically superior.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an outline of a preferred embodiment of the present invention used for a beverage filling apparatus 1 similar to that shown in FIG. 3, and shows an outline of a main apparatus 2 to be cleaned in the beverage filling apparatus 1. Yes, the beverage filling apparatus 1 inputs, for example, a product liquid from a product liquid input port 13, and into a small container (not shown) via a liquid tank and a filler bowl to be cleaned portions 11 and 12 in the cleaning apparatus 1. It is the same as that generally used for filling.

  The cleaning device 2 is for cleaning main parts to be cleaned 11 and 12 such as a liquid storage tank and a filler bowl (including a filling nozzle), and a storage tank 21 for CIP liquids such as rinsing, acid and alkaline cleaning liquids. , 22.23, a pump 24 for sending the CIP liquid, a heating device 25, and a pipe 26 for connecting them, in particular, a gas to be supplied and dissolved in a state where the CIP liquid is pressurized to a predetermined liquid pressure. A fine bubble generating device 3 comprising a liquid mixing device 4 and a pressure reducing device 5 for reducing the pressure of the CIP liquid in a pressurized state dissolved by the gas-liquid mixing device 4 is connected to a part of the pipe 26.

  Further, the cleaning procedure will be described in detail. The CIP liquid stored in the storage tanks 21 and 22.23 or supplied from the outside like purified water is fed by the pump 24 and, if necessary, a heat treatment machine. The liquid is heated to a predetermined temperature by 25 and injected from the liquid injection port 13 of the beverage filling device 2 to the liquid storage tank 11 which is one of the parts to be cleaned, and the inside is cleaned.

  Then, when drinking water is filled, the drinking water injected into the liquid storage tank 11 is sent to the filler bowl 12 via the switching valve 15, the pump 14 and the switching valve 16, and is filled into the small container from the filling nozzle ( In this embodiment, the CIP liquid that has been cleaned in the liquid storage tank 11 is sent to the gas-liquid mixing device 4 that forms the fine bubble generating device 3 by switching the switching valve 15 in the present embodiment.

  The gas-liquid mixing device 4 is provided with a pump 42 for sending and pressurizing the CIP liquid to a pipe arranged in series, and a branch pipe 43 communicating in a bridged state before and after the pump 42 of the pipe. A gas (air) intake 45 having, for example, an air filter disposed therein is connected via an opening / closing valve 45.

  Further, the downstream side of the branch pipe 43 is connected to the filler bowl 12, which is a portion to be cleaned, via the open / close valve 16 via the decompression device 5 having the open / close valve 51. Each of the opening / closing valves 51 and 16 can adjust the flow rate of the gas or CIP liquid passing through the open position.

  The CIP liquid sent to the gas-liquid mixing device 4 is pressurized to a predetermined hydraulic pressure by the pump 42 to increase the gas solubility, and the gas (air) taken in from the gas inlet 45 is dissolved. In this state, the pressure is reduced to a predetermined station pressure by the pressure reducing device 5 and the solubility is instantaneously reduced. At this time, many fine bubbles are generated. At this time, the opening / closing valve 44 and the flowmeters 48, 47, 49 disposed at both ends of the branch pipe 43 of the piping and downstream of the opening / closing valve 51 of the decompression device 5 and the gas inlet 45 are used. By adjusting the opening degree of 49, it is possible to form a pressurized state and a depressurized state necessary for taking in a desired gas to form bubbles having a desired size and amount.

The CIP liquid in which bubbles are generated in this way is sent to the filler bowl 12 which is a portion to be cleaned through the switching valve 16 for cleaning, and is returned to the storage tanks 21 and 22.23 by the pump 18 through the recovery tank 17. Alternatively, it is discharged to the outside to complete the cleaning process.

  As described above, the CIP liquid having bubbles generated in the present embodiment is in an emulsion state that is sufficiently emulsified and can sufficiently exert a physical cleaning effect that has been conventionally known. In particular, in the present embodiment, the fine bubble generating device 3 is composed of a gas-liquid mixing device 4 for dissolving gas (air) and a decompression device 5 for generating bubbles. It is possible to dispose the CIP liquid in a state where a large amount of gas is dissolved by the gas-liquid mixing device 4 just before the filler bowl 12 that is the portion to be cleaned. Since a large amount of air bubbles rich in activity can be generated and the cleaning effect can be improved, there is no fear that the foamed bubbles disappear as in the conventional case.

  Further, in this embodiment, the cleaning effect is not improved particularly in the conventional cleaning process, and therefore, the fine bubble generating device 3 is arranged only for the portion that takes time and cost, so that excessive equipment and cost are not required. Very efficient.

  Next, Table 1 shows an example of the cleaning effect of the present embodiment together with a linear effect (comparative example) using a conventional cleaning device that does not use the microbubble generator 3.

  According to Table 1, in the case where this embodiment is used, although the liquid temperature is low, the processing is completed in about half or less in all steps of acid circulation, alkali circulation and rinsing as compared with the conventional example. Therefore, the effectiveness of the present embodiment was confirmed.

  FIG. 2 shows an outline of a different embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration and method of use are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. The difference is that a plurality of decompression devices 5 and 5 are connected to the liquid mixing device 4 in parallel.

  In the present embodiment, for example, a single gas-liquid mixing device 4 is used in the beverage filling device 1, for example, as the main parts to be cleaned 11 and 12 such as a liquid storage tank and a filler bowl (including a filling nozzle). Immediately before the point where dirt is easily deposited and difficult to be removed, it is possible to generate bubbles individually, so that it is possible not only to clean the part to be cleaned effectively, but also to reduce the equipment cost and to be economical. .

Schematic which shows preferable embodiment in this invention. Schematic showing different embodiments of the present invention. Schematic which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage filling apparatus, 2 washing | cleaning apparatus, 3 fine bubble generating apparatus, 4 gas-liquid mixing apparatus, 5 pressure reduction apparatus, 11 to-be-washed location (storage tank), 12 to-be-washed location (filler ball), 21, 22, and 23 Tank, 24 pump, 25 heat treatment machine, 26 piping

Claims (4)

  A CIP liquid storage tank, a CIP liquid feed pump, a heat treatment machine for the CIP liquid, and a pipe connecting them, and if necessary, the heat treatment machine stores the CIP liquid stored in the liquid storage tank. In the washing device for a beverage filling apparatus that performs heating, rinsing, sterilization, and the like by heating to a predetermined temperature by using the liquid feeding pump and feeding to a portion to be cleaned of the beverage filling apparatus by the liquid feeding pump. The micro-bubble generating device comprising a gas-liquid mixing device that supplies and dissolves gas in a pressurized state and a pressure-reducing device that decompresses the pressurized CIP solution in which the gas is dissolved by the gas-liquid mixing device is the pipe A beverage filling device cleaning device, wherein the beverage filling device is connected to a part of   2. The apparatus for cleaning a beverage filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fine bubble generating device is disposed immediately before a main portion to be cleaned.   The gas-liquid mixing device and the pressure reducing device constituting the fine bubble generating device are arranged at a distance from each other, and the liquid pressure in the pipe on the downstream side of the gas-liquid mixing device is maintained by foaming by maintaining the portion to be cleaned. 2. The apparatus for cleaning a beverage filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is transported to a main portion to be cleaned, and the liquid pressure is reduced by the pressure reducing device at the main portion to be cleaned to generate fine bubbles. . 4. The gas-liquid mixing device constituting a fine bubble generating device is connected to each of the pressure reducing devices, and the pressure reducing device is disposed immediately before a plurality of main parts to be cleaned. Cleaning device for beverage filling equipment.

Images