JP2913720B2 - Sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to, for example, a gauber top type (see FIG. 10).
The present invention relates to a sterilizer for sterilizing a cylindrical blank for a liquid container filled with milk, juice, or the like.

[Prior Art] FIG. 10 shows a Goebel top type liquid container 1. In the case of manufacturing this liquid container, as shown in FIG. 8, a cylindrical blank 4 having both open ends is sterilized, and then, through a sealing step, the bottom 2 is formed into a flat bottom shape as shown in FIG.
Thereafter, the required contents are filled, and the upper portion 3 is formed in a gable roof shape as shown in FIG. 10, thereby completing the liquid container 1.

The sterilization step of the liquid container is generally performed by spraying an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing solution on the inner surface and the outer surface of a cylindrical blank having both ends opened, followed by hot-air drying. Further, after the bottom of the liquid container blank is formed into a flat bottom shape, a sterilizing liquid is sprayed while being transferred by a conveyor, and hot air drying is performed.

However, in the sterilization step by spraying the sterilizing solution, it is difficult to spray the sterilizing solution uniformly to all corners, and there is a possibility of uneven sterilization or poor sterilization.

For this reason, the applicant of the present application disposes a sterilized liquid container blank by immersing a cylindrical liquid container blank with both ends opened, blows sterile air to blow off the sterilized liquid attached to the inner surface of the blank, and thereafter A sterilizer for blowing hot air to dry the blank was developed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-279028).
This sterilizer can be efficiently sterilized while being entirely housed in a sterile chamber and isolated from external germs.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the sterilization apparatus developed by the present applicant, it is necessary to maintain the pressure inside the sterile chamber at a level higher than the outside air pressure in order to prevent invasion of external bacteria from the blank supply port or the like. Yes, if the inside of the sterilizer is higher than the outside air pressure,
It is a problem to be solved that the vapor of the sterilizing cleaning liquid leaks to the outside, deteriorating the environment in the workplace and reducing the sterilizing liquid.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and while maintaining an aseptic state in a sterilizing apparatus, prevents the environment in a workplace from being deteriorated due to evaporation and leakage of a sterilizing cleaning liquid, and prevents a decrease in a sterilizing liquid, thereby improving efficiency. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sterilizer capable of sterilizing a cylindrical liquid container blank.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above problems holds a cylindrical liquid container blank having both open ends, and sequentially circulates through a sterilizing tank disposed below. A sterilizing station having a circulating device for sequentially circulating through a cleaning tank disposed below, a plurality of sterile air jet nozzles being opened at the tip and a plurality of the sterilized and washed blanks being externally fitted. Arrange the mandrel radially,
A sterilizing liquid removal station that rotates intermittently and blows sterile air onto the inner surface of the blank to blow off the sterilizing cleaning liquid,
A hot air drying station having a circulating device that receives a blank in which the sterilizing cleaning liquid has been blown off from the mandrel and sequentially circulates through a hot air drying tank disposed below the sterilizing device. An exhaust duct disposed in a sterile chamber accommodating each station and guiding air containing sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor in the sterile chamber to the outside, and a condensing device for liquefying the sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor disposed in the exhaust duct, A germicidal liquid guide tube for guiding the liquefied germicidal cleaning liquid to the germicidal tank 1
It is provided with one or more sterilizing liquid reflux devices.

[Operation] According to the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention, the entire cylindrical liquid container blank is immersed and sterilized in the sterilizing solution at the sterilizing station, and is similarly immersed and washed at the cleaning station. The cleaning liquid is blown off, and in this stage, hot-air drying is performed in a hot-air drying station and sent to a filling and packaging apparatus in the next process. The inside of the sterilizing apparatus is maintained at a pressure higher than the outside air pressure by the hot air, so that intrusion of external germs is prevented. Furthermore, the high temperature of the sterilizing liquid and the cleaning liquid for efficiently sterilizing and cleaning the blank and the vapor of the sterilizing cleaning liquid evaporated by the hot air for drying the blank are liquefied by the condensing device while passing through the exhaust duct. Is returned to the sterilization tank by the sterilization liquid guide tube.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

2 to 4 show a sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
21 shows the overall structure of 21. The sterilizer 21 is used, for example, in an aseptic filling and packaging apparatus that fills and packs the contents in a goebel top type liquid container 1 shown in FIG.

The entire sterilizer 21 is housed in a sterile chamber 21a,
A cylindrical liquid container blank 4 having both ends opened is sequentially supplied from the blank supply port 22. The blank 4 is sterilized in the sterilizing station 23, and thereafter, the sterilizing solution attached to the blank 4 is washed in the washing station 24, and the sterilizing solution attached to the blank 4 is blown off in the sterilizing solution removing station 25, and the hot air drying station is used. After being dried with hot air in 26 and 27, it is sent to the filling and packaging apparatus in the next step.

At the blank supply port 22 of the sterilizer 21, a large number of blanks 4 are placed in a flat folded state, and the flat blanks 4 are sequentially pulled out by a suction cup (not shown) to form a hollow rectangular tube. It is formed. FIG. 3 schematically shows an air cylinder 33 for operating the suction cup.

The blank 4 supplied from the blank supply port 22 is transported to the sterilization station 23. This sterilization station 23
For example, a sterilizing tank 23a containing, as a sterilizing solution, a 35% by weight aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide heated to about 80 ° C. is provided below, and an endless circulation device 2 is provided in the sterilizing tank 23a.
The blanks 4 are held in the horizontal direction by 8 and are sequentially circulated.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, this circulating device 28 has, for example, two parallel chains 51, and holding members 52 are provided at predetermined intervals on the outside of the running surface thereof with engaging projections 51a, Installed via 51b. This holding member 52 is used for the blank 4
Four L-shaped guide rails 53 for guiding the four corners of
It has a pair of brackets 55 for fixing the guide rail 53. Each bracket 55 has an engaging projection 51 of the chain 51.
Holes 55a and 55b for fixing to a and 51b are formed.
These holes 55a, 55b are respectively provided with the corresponding engaging projections 51a, 51b.
When the holding member 52 is fixed, the holding member 52 is arranged to hold the blank 4 at an angle of, for example, 2 to 5 degrees with respect to the horizontal axis A. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide rail 53 of the holding member 52 is preferably widened on the right entrance side so that the blank 4 can be smoothly received.

The circulating device 28 includes a drive shaft 3 disposed above the sterilization tank 23a.
When the blank 4 is intermittently rotated in the direction shown in FIG. 2 by an appropriate drive sprocket 29 mounted on the blank 0, the blank 4 is sequentially immersed in the sterilization tank 23a and subsequently pulled up. Since both ends of the blank 4 are open and inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the sterilizing solution completely spreads to the inner surface of the blank 4,
Sterilization non-uniformity due to the attachment of air bubbles and the like does not occur, and the sterilizing solution flows down from the inner surface of the blank 4 and the remaining amount of the inner surface attached decreases.

The sterilized blank 4 is then sent to the washing station 24.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
A washing tank 24a containing a washing liquid is provided below. As in the case of the sterilization station 23, the holding member
The circulation device 28 for holding the blank 4 at an angle by 52
The blank 4 is rotated intermittently via the drive shaft 30 and the sprocket 29, sequentially immersed in the cleaning tank 24a, pulled up, and the sterilizing solution flows down together with the cleaning solution.

In the cleaning tank 24a, a certain amount of sterile water completely sterilized by a sterile filter is stored as a cleaning liquid. This sterile water is more than 60 ℃ to complete the removal of sterilizing solution
It is preferable to keep the temperature at about 80 ° C.

The blank 4 washed at the washing station 24 is sent to the sterilizing solution removing station 25.

2 and 3
As shown in the figure, a sterilizing and cleaning liquid removing device 35 for blowing sterile air onto the inner surface of the blank 4 is arranged. The germicidal washing liquid removing apparatus 35 of this embodiment includes six mandrels 47 and four guide rails 39 each having an L-shaped cross section for guiding and holding the four corners of the blank 4 on the mandrel 37. These 6
The mandrels 37 are radially arranged at equal intervals, and intermittently turn in synchronization with the circulator 28 in the same plane as the upper running surface running upward from below the circulator 28 of the washing station 24. I do. When stopped, the mandrel 37 is inclined and its tip is aligned with the outlet side of the washing station 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the distal end of the mandrel 37 is formed in a square shape, and the blank 4 is fitted from the distal end to the guide rail 39. On the outer periphery of the tip of the square, there is formed a continuous elongated ejection nozzle for blowing sterile air sent through an appropriate air passage in the mandrel 37 onto the inner surface of the blank 4. When the blank 4 is externally fitted to the mandrel 37, the sterilizing cleaning liquid attached to the inner surface of the blank 4 is blown off and removed by the aseptic air ejected from the ejection nozzle.

In addition, between the sterilizing station 23 and the cleaning station 24, and between the cleaning station 24 and the sterilizing solution removing station 25, the outer surface of the blank 4 is blown with aseptic air,
A nozzle device having an appropriate structure for blowing off the sterilizing solution or the like attached to the outer surface of the blank 4 may be provided.

The blank 4 from which the sterilizing cleaning liquid has been removed is sent to the first hot air drying station 26.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the hot air drying station 26 is provided with a circulation device 28 similar to the sterilization station 23, and sequentially circulates the blanks 4 through a hot air drying tank 26a disposed below. The hot air sent from the hot air supply pipe 41, for example, hot air of about 100 ° C. or more is jetted from a hot air nozzle 43 arranged along the traveling path of the circulating device 28 to dry the blank 4. In this hot air drying tank 26a, It is preferable to provide an appropriate detection device for detecting the amount of hydrogen peroxide contained in the air in the tank so that it is possible to confirm whether or not hydrogen peroxide has been removed by the sterilizing solution removal station 25.

In the present embodiment, after the first hot air drying station 26, a second hot air drying station 27 similar to this is further disposed. In the hot-air drying station 27, as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable to dispose a hot-air nozzle 45 in the hot-air drying tank 27a in a direction opposite to the hot-air drying tank 26a.

The blank 4 completely dried in the second hot-air drying station 27 is sent from the blank discharge port 20 to a filling and packaging apparatus in the next process by a transverse feed chain 20a extending in the horizontal direction, where the bottom is flattened. Forming and filling the contents,
Finally, the upper part is formed into a gable roof and hermetically sealed. The blank container 70 disposed below the blank discharge port 20 is for accommodating the blank 4 inside the sterilizing apparatus 21 when the sterilizing apparatus 21 is stopped due to a failure of the filling and packaging apparatus in the next step. . By storing the sterilized blank 4 in the blank storage container 70, it is not necessary to open the sterilizer 21 and take out the internal blank 4 at the time of restart, and the restart time of the sterilizer 21 can be reduced.

As schematically shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each blank 4 is transported to the next station by the transport device 60 when the circulation device 28 of each station is intermittently stopped. . These transfer devices 60 can be formed in an appropriate structure such as a chain extending in the horizontal direction, but in this embodiment, between the blank supply port 22 and the sterilizing solution removing station 25, and in the sterilizing solution removing station. Provided between the blank 25 and the blank discharge port 20 is a transfer device 60 including a plurality of claw members 61 for locking the respective blanks 4 and a moving shaft 62 on which these claw members 61 are mounted at predetermined intervals. Have been.

The moving shaft 62 reciprocates between the stations by a rack and a date and pinion mechanism 63 by a distance corresponding to the amount of movement of the blank 4 at one time, and the leading end of the claw member 61 is moved by an appropriate swing mechanism into the blank transport path. Position protruding into the
It swings between the position retracted from the conveyance path. Claw members
When the moving shaft 62 moves at a position where the distal end of the 61 protrudes, the blank 4 locked by the claw member 61 is moved toward the next station.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an aseptic chamber 21a of the sterilizing apparatus 21 has an exhaust duct 8 for guiding air containing sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor in the aseptic chamber 21a to the outside, and an exhaust duct 8 disposed inside the exhaust duct 8. There is provided a sterilizing solution recirculation device 5 including a condensing device 7 for liquefying the sterilizing cleaning solution vapor and a sterilizing solution guide tube 10 for guiding the liquefied sterilizing solution to the sterilizing tank 23a.

As shown in detail in FIG. 1, the germicidal solution recirculation device 5 is provided with an exhaust duct for supplying the high temperature of the germicidal tank 23a and the cleaning tank 24a and the air containing the germicidal cleaning liquid vapor evaporated by the hot air of the hot air drying stations 26 and 27. The germicidal washing liquid which is guided outside and is passed through the exhaust duct 8 is brought into contact with the condenser 7 arranged in the exhaust duct 8, and the germicidal washing liquid cooled and liquefied is passed through the sterilizing liquid guide pipe. It can be returned to the sterilization tank 23a via 10. Sterilization device from which sterilization cleaning liquid vapor is removed
The air in 21 is discharged to the outside via a flow straightening plate provided at the outlet of exhaust duct 8.

Further, in the exhaust duct 8, a suction fan 6 for sucking air containing sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor in the aseptic chamber 21a and a suction amount adjusting tamper 9 are arranged.

Since the suction fan 6 always keeps the sterile chamber 21a at a pressure higher than the outside air pressure, the hot air drying stations 26, 2
It is desirable to connect to a push-in fan (not shown) for feeding hot air to the hot-air nozzles 41 and 45 of FIG. 7 via an electrical or mechanical interlock. For the same reason, the opening of the suction amount adjusting damper 9 is preferably adjusted by, for example, a motor 9b in accordance with the pressure in the sterile chamber 21a. The operation of the motor 9b and the suction fan 6 is performed, for example, in the sterile chamber 21a. Can be controlled by a pressure gauge 9c for detecting the pressure of the pressure.

The condensing device 7 may be of any type as long as it can liquefy the sterilizing and cleaning liquid vapor. For example, a pipe in which a refrigerant such as cold water flows is arranged in a coil shape, a finned tube through which an appropriate refrigerant flows, Alternatively, it can be formed by a heat pipe. Reference numerals 7a and 7b in the drawing denote an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe of the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 7.

The sterilizing liquid guide tube 10 for returning the sterilizing cleaning liquid liquefied by the condenser 7 to the sterilizing tank 23a may be formed by a round tube or a plate-like member as shown in the figure, or by inclining the lower surface of the condenser 7. Alternatively, the liquid may be dropped into the sterilizing tank 23a from the inclined surface along the inner surface of the exhaust duct 8. In the latter case, the lower surface of the condenser 7 and the inner surface of the exhaust duct 8 form a sterile liquid guide tube 10.

In addition, as a second embodiment, the sterilizing solution recirculation device 5 is a
It can also be formed as shown in the figure.

The germicidal solution recirculation device 5 shown in FIG.
Connect the lower part of the exhaust duct 8 to the duct 8a on the blank supply port 22 side.
And a duct 8b on the sterilization station 23 side. In each of the divided ducts 8a and 8b, a suction amount adjusting damper 9 controlled by the pressure in the sterile chamber 21a is provided.
1, 92 are arranged.

According to the sterilizing liquid recirculation device 5 of FIG. 7, the blank supply port side duct 8a is disposed close to the blank supply port 22, and a laminar flow is formed between the blank supply port 22 and the blank discharge port side duct 8a. Form an air flow (air curtain). Therefore, the air containing the sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor is greatly reduced from being discharged through the blank supply port 22, and even when the pressure in the aseptic chamber 21a is reduced, the air is formed by the blank supply port side duct 8a. The air curtain prevents the inflow of air including external sterilization.

[Effects] As is clear from the above, according to the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention, while maintaining the aseptic state in the sterilizing apparatus, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the environment in the workplace due to the evaporation leakage of the sterilizing cleaning liquid, It is also possible to efficiently sterilize the cylindrical liquid container blank while preventing the decrease.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sterilizing solution reflux device provided in a sterilizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 to 4 are explanatory views showing the entire sterilizing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a part of a circulating device for holding a liquid container blank, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a sterilizing liquid reflux device, and FIGS. It is a figure which shows the liquid container sterilized by the sterilization apparatus of a present Example. 4 ... liquid container blank, 5 ... sterilizing liquid reflux device, 21 ...
... sterilizer, 22 ... blank supply port, 23 ... sterilizer station, 24 ... washing station, 25 ... sterilizer removal station, 26, 27 ... hot air drying station.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A 1-279028 (JP, A) JP-A 64-45228 (JP, A) JP-A-1-199832 (JP, A) JP-A 63-28 184336 (JP, A) JP-A-1-30685 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65B 55/00-55/24

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sterilizing station having a circulating device for holding a cylindrical liquid container blank having both open ends and sequentially circulating in a sterilizing tank disposed below, and a cleaning tank disposed below in order. A washing station having a circulating device for circulating, and a plurality of mandrels in which a sterile air jet nozzle is opened at the tip and the sterilized and cleaned blank is externally arranged, and the mandrel is intermittently turned to intermittently rotate the blank. A germicidal solution removal station that blows sterile air onto the inner surface of the germ and blows off the germicidal cleaning solution, and a circulating device that receives the blank with the germicidal cleaning solution blown off from the mandrel and sequentially circulates through a hot air drying tank arranged below. A hot air drying station having a sterilizing chamber for accommodating the stations, such as above the sterilizing station. An exhaust duct for guiding air containing sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor in the aseptic chamber to the outside, a condenser for liquefying the sterilizing cleaning liquid vapor disposed in the exhaust duct, and guiding the liquefied sterilizing cleaning liquid to the sterilizing tank. A sterilizing apparatus comprising one or more sterilizing liquid reflux devices comprising a sterilizing liquid guide tube. 2. A germicidal solution recirculation device, which is provided in the exhaust duct and has a suction fan for sucking air containing germicidal cleaning solution vapor in a sterile chamber, and a suction amount adjusting damper. Sterilizer. 3. A sterilizing liquid recirculation device having a lower portion of the exhaust duct divided into a blank supply port side duct and a sterilizing station side duct, and each divided duct having a suction amount adjusting tamper. 3. The sterilizer according to 2.