JP2540276B2 - Sterilizer inside the container - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for sterilizing an inside of a container for continuously sterilizing the inside of a container such as a bottle containing a food, a medicine or the like, or a PET bottle by plasma processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in pharmaceutical companies such as liquid medicines or food companies that produce liquid foods such as soy sauce, beer, liquor and fruit liquor, those liquids and liquid foods (hereinafter simply referred to as liquids) are filled. It is necessary to sterilize and clean the inside of the bottle and the PET bottle (hereinafter simply referred to as a container) before the process in order to prevent the liquid filled in the container from spoiling.

Conventionally, as a means for sterilizing and cleaning the inside of such a container, boiling means with hot water has been considered, but in this boiling means, the heating temperature is 100 ° C.
It is not possible to kill germs of all species because: Therefore, in order to sterilize all kinds of germs by heating, raise the inside of the sterilization chamber (pot) above atmospheric pressure,
For example, it suffices to raise the heating temperature up to about 120 ° C. In this case, the heat-resistant temperature of the container to be sterilized and washed is involved. For example, in a container such as a glass bottle, high heat (high pressure) sterilization is performed. However, in a plastic bottle made of resin, for example, high heat sterilization was impossible because the heat resistant temperature was low.

[0004]

Therefore, for the sterilization treatment of the above-mentioned PET bottles, a special chemical is used, and then the chemical liquid sterilization treatment is followed by a cleaning treatment using pure water. Was being done.

Therefore, such a sterilization treatment of PET bottles requires a special chemical solution, and further requires an expensive pure water production apparatus for cleaning with pure water.
There has been a problem that sterilization of PET bottles is very expensive and economically unfeasible.

[0006]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the first purpose thereof is to sterilize the inside of a container at low temperature (normal temperature) by using low temperature plasma. In order to provide a sterilizing device inside a container, which is capable of effectively sterilizing various germs without damaging the bottle itself, for example, in a plastic bottle.

The second purpose is to provide a sterilizing and cleaning ability for a large number of containers to be treated in the industry, so that the sterilizing treatment of the container by low temperature plasma can be continued to increase the sterilizing ability of the container. It is to provide a sterilizer.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a first decompression chamber, 2 is a second decompression chamber, 3 is a third decompression chamber, and is a first decompression chamber 1, a second decompression chamber 2, and a third decompression chamber. The decompression chambers 3 are arranged laterally in this order. A first gate valve 4 is provided on the inlet side of the first decompression chamber 1, and the first decompression chamber 1 and the second decompression chamber 1 are connected to each other.
Is separated from the decompression chamber 2 via a second gate valve 5, and the second decompression chamber 2 and the third decompression chamber 3 are separated via a third gate valve 6. It is partitioned and a fourth gate valve 7 is provided on the outlet side of the third decompression chamber 3.
Is provided.

The structure of each of the gate valves 4, 5, 6, and 7 has a closing operation for keeping each depressurizing chamber airtight and an opening operation for carrying in and carrying out a container to be sterilized into each depressurizing chamber. Although such a gate valve structure can be performed, a conventionally known gate valve structure can be used.
Detailed description of each gate valve structure is omitted.

A group of receiving guide rolls 8 made of a large number of insulating materials is laid horizontally in the inner bottom of each decompression chamber 1, 2, and 3, and a metal pallet 9 is formed by these receiving guide roll groups 8. It can be transferred by guidance. 10 are containers to be sterilized, and these containers 10 are pallets 9
They are arranged on the upper side and are transported together with the pallet 9.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an electrode rod which is arranged in the second decompression chamber 2 and is inserted into each container 10. Reference numeral 12 is close to the electrode rod 11 and is placed in the container 10 together with the electrode rod 11. Gas nozzles to be inserted, and reference numerals 13, 14, and 15 denote decompression pumps provided in the first, second, and third decompression chambers, respectively. 16 is a ground wire, 17 is a guide roll group 8
Shows the drive gear of.

The structure of this embodiment has been described above. Next, its operation will be described.

First, the second gate valve 5, the third gate valve 6 and the third gate valve 7 provided in the second pressure reducing chamber 2 and the third pressure reducing chamber 3 are closed, and then the pressure reducing pump 14 and 15 is driven to reduce the pressure inside the second pressure reducing chamber 2 and the third pressure reducing chamber 3, and particularly the pressure inside the second pressure reducing chamber 2 is reduced to, for example, 100 to 200 Torr where low temperature plasma can be generated.

Next, the first gate valve 4 is opened, and a plurality of containers 10 to be sterilized are carried into the first decompression chamber 1 together with the pallet 9. Thereafter, the first gate valve 4 is closed and the pressure is further reduced. The pump 13 is driven to reduce the pressure inside the first decompression chamber 1 to the same pressure as that of the second and third decompression chambers.

When the pressure is reduced, the second gate valve 5 is opened and the guide roll group 8 is driven to move the container 10 in the first pressure reducing chamber 1 together with the pallet 9 into the second pressure reducing chamber 2. Transfer to. The container 10 supplied into the second decompression chamber 2 is positioned at a fixed position together with the pallet by a position sensor (not shown). Next, the electrode rod 11 and the gas nozzle 12 are inserted into each container 10 after being positioned.

Next, a gas for generating plasma is ejected from the gas nozzle 12 and a high frequency is emitted from the electrode rod, so that a space between each electrode 11 and the metal pallet 9 connected to the ground 16 is generated. At this time, low temperature plasma is generated, and the inside of each container 10 is sterilized by the low temperature plasma in a processing time of about 2 minutes.

After the sterilization treatment by the low temperature plasma, the electrode rod 11 and the nozzle 12 are raised to the positions shown in the drawing, and at the same time, the third gate valve 6 is opened and the pallet 9 on which the container 10 is placed is subjected to the third decompression. Carry it into room 3. Second then
And, the third gate valves 5 and 6 are closed to keep the inside of the second decompression chamber 2 at a low pressure, the fourth gate valve 7 is opened, and the plasma-sterilized container 10 together with the pallet 9 is opened. It is taken out of the room.

The first gate valve 4 is opened again, and a new unsterilized container is supplied together with the pallet 9 into the first decompression chamber, and thereafter, the container is repeatedly sterilized in the same processing steps as described above.

[0020]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION A carry-in port and a carry-out port for loading and unloading a pallet on which a plurality of containers to be sterilized are placed.
Provided, respectively, and first decompression chamber the inside by the driving force of the pressure reducing pump can be a negative pressure, the second pressure reducing chamber, third
Of the vacuum chamber are sequentially provided adjacent, 及 between the first decompression chamber of entrance and <br/> first decompression chamber outlet port and the second decompression chamber of entrance
And between the carry-out port of the second decompression chamber and the carry-out port of the third decompression chamber , and at the respective positions of the carry-out port of the third decompression chamber.
Let the passage of the let or keep each decompression chamber airtight.
The order gate valve is disposed, further wherein the second decompression chamber, within each of the second decompression chamber to be sterilized have been carried by the pallet container, a gas nozzle for allowing occurrence of low-temperature plasma and because it is inside the container sterilizing device comprising brought comprising an electrode, according to this, a large number of sterilizing all conveyed by the pallet
The container is the above-mentioned first decompression chamber, second decompression chamber, and third decompression chamber.
Cleaning process in the process of passing through each pressure chamber intermittently
It will be done. Therefore, according to the present invention, each game
The pallets are moved sequentially while opening and closing the valve with related operations.
The container to be sterilized by doing is the first decompression chamber, the first
The 2nd decompression chamber and the 3rd decompression chamber are automatically automatically operated by intermittent transfer force.
Be transferred to and sterilized for those containers?
Handle a large number of containers, such as a beverage filling factory.
The continuous sterilization of these many containers continuously and automatically.
It can be done dynamically.

Further, according to the present invention, although it is an intermittent operation, the sterilization treatment of a plurality of containers is automatically and continuously performed, and the effect that the reliable sterilization treatment can be performed with labor saving can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural explanatory view of a container sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an internal structure of a low temperature plasma processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of an electrode rod and a gas nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a ground structure of the pallet according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st decompression chamber 2 ... 2nd decompression chamber 3 ... 3rd decompression chamber 4 ... 1st gate valve 5 ... 2nd gate valve 6 ... 3rd gate valve 7 ... 4th gate valve 8 ... receiving guide roll group 9 ... pallet 10 ... container 11 ... electrode rod 12 ... gas nozzle 13, 14, 15 ... decompression pump 16 ... ground wire 17 ... drive gear

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carry-in port and a carry-out port for carrying in and carrying out a pallet carrying a plurality of containers to be sterilized.
Provided, respectively, and first decompression chamber the inside by the driving force of the pressure reducing pump can be a negative pressure, the second pressure reducing chamber, third
Of the vacuum chamber are sequentially provided adjacent, 及 between the first decompression chamber of entrance and <br/> first decompression chamber outlet port and the second decompression chamber of entrance
And between the carry-out port of the second decompression chamber and the carry-out port of the third decompression chamber , and at the respective positions of the carry-out port of the third decompression chamber.
Let the passage of the let or keep each decompression chamber airtight.
The order gate valve is disposed, further wherein the second decompression chamber, within each of the second decompression chamber to be sterilized have been carried by the pallet container, a gas nozzle for allowing occurrence of low-temperature plasma and sterilizing the inner container, characterized by comprising brought comprises an electrode.