JP3593787B2 - Method and apparatus for gas replacement of cup-packed food - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention particularly relates to a method for replacing gas in a cup-packed food, in which the gas in the head space of the cup-filled food sealed using a preformed lid such as a cut lid or a dropping lid is replaced with an inert gas and sealed. Equipment related.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional gas replacement method for cup-filled foods, after blowing inert gas into the head space with a gas replacement plate to perform gas replacement, cover with a continuous sheet lid material pulled out of the roll during the sealing process. It is known that the cup is sealed by heat sealing the lid to the cup in a sealing step and fusing the lid from the continuous sheet lid in a sealing step. According to this method, the container opening is covered with the continuous sheet lid immediately after the gas replacement, so that the oxygen concentration in the cup can be reduced to 2% or less, and the oxidative deterioration of the food can be suppressed.
[0003]
However, this method cannot be applied when using a pre-formed lid such as a cut lid or a drop lid, so if the gas is replaced while conveying the cup on a conveyor, the cup is replaced with a gas replacement plate. After the gas is blown into the cup, the cups must be covered one by one, during which oxygen enters the cup. As a result, the oxygen concentration in the cup was about 10%, and the desired gas replacement could not be performed. For this reason, when using an existing lid conventionally, there is no method of satisfactorily gas replacement packaging, and in order to prevent oxidative deterioration of the contents, if the contents are non-liquid, put an oxygen scavenger and seal, In the case of a dropping lid, oxygen is removed from the inside of the container by closing the contents and filling the lid with the contents to eliminate the head space and seal the lid.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and is directed to a cup-filled food using a preformed lid such as a cut lid or a drop lid, and a cup-filled food using a conventional continuous sheet lid material. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for gas replacement of cup-packaged foods, which can carry out gas replacement packaging with a high replacement rate and high work efficiency while being transported by a conveyor.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The gas replacement method of a cup-filled food of the present invention, which achieves the above object, is a method of replacing a gas in a head space portion of a cup-filled food to be sealed using a preformed lid with an inert gas and sealing the same. A gas replacement plate, wherein the lid is placed on a cup filled with contents and a lid is temporarily sealed, and a part of the lid is temporarily sealed to the cup, wherein a gas flash plate is provided between the cup and the lid. A gas replacement step of flushing the replacement gas from the gas flash plate with the gas in the cup and replacing the gas in the cup with the replacement gas, and a sealing step of heat-sealing the lid with the cup to seal the cup. It is characterized in that the steps are sequentially performed while the cup filled with the contents is conveyed by a conveyor.
[0006]
In the front lid placing temporary sealing step, a part of the lid is placed on the gas flash plate and the gas flash plate is interposed between the cup and the lid, so that the cup and the lid are automatically replaced in the replacement step. A gas flash plate can be interposed between the two, and gas replacement can be performed efficiently. Further, the upper surface of the lid of the cup after the gas replacement step is covered with a non-heat-welding sheet, and the lid and the cup are heat-sealed from above the non-heat-welding sheet to prevent the warpage of the lid. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent entrapment of oxygen before heat sealing.
[0007]
The gas replacement apparatus of the present invention for performing the gas replacement method for a cup-filled food product, the cover replacement provisional seal portion, a gas replacement portion, and a seal portion are provided along a transport path of a cup transported by a conveyor; In the supply temporary seal portion, a lid supply device for placing the lid on a cup filled with contents and a temporary seal device for temporarily sealing a part of the lid supplied by the lid supply device to the cup are arranged, and the gas replacement is performed. In the part, a gas flash plate that flushes the replacement gas from near the tip along one side of the transport path is arranged, and a heat sealing device that heat seals the lid to the cup is arranged in the sealing part. Is what you do.
[0008]
The temporary sealing device can be provided separately from the lid supply device, but the structure can be simplified by providing the temporary sealing device integrally. Further, by disposing the gas flash plate so as to extend to the lid supply temporary seal portion, the lid can be supplied on the gas flash plate when the lid is supplied to the cup, and the cup and the lid are automatically closed. A gas flash plate can be interposed between them. Further, the gas replacement section prevents the inflow of outside air by forming a gas replacement chamber by the gas flush plate, a pair of intermediate plates disposed along both sides of the transfer path, and an upper plate covering the transfer path. Gas can be efficiently replaced. Furthermore, a non-heat-welding sheet is arranged on the seal portion so as to cover the upper surface of the lid of the cup after gas replacement, and the heat-sealing device heats and presses the lid from above the non-heat-welding sheet. By heat sealing the lid, it is desirable to prevent the lid from warping when moving from the gas replacement section to the sealing section, and to effectively prevent the outside air from being caught in the cup by pressing the lid into the cup.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
This embodiment is applied to a cup-filled miso filling and packaging apparatus in which a molded cup is filled with miso, gas exchange is performed, and a cut lid is heat-sealed and sealed to a flange of an opening, and finally an outer lid is covered. The following shows the case. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a cup-filled miso filling and packaging apparatus. First, the overall outline and the steps will be described with reference to FIG.
[0010]
This cup-filled miso filling and packaging apparatus comprises a cup supply section A and a contents filling section B in order from the upstream to the downstream along the endless conveyor 2 which intermittently transports the cups one by one by fitting them into the carriage 29. The content leveling section C, lid supply and temporary sealing section D, gas replacement section E, lid material sealing section F, cooling press section G, and outer lid supply section (not shown) are arranged on the main body frame 1. ing.
[0011]
The cup supply unit A is provided with a cup supply device 3 for supplying one cup from the stacked and stored cup magazines, and supplies one cup to the cart 29 of the conveyor 2 passing intermittently. In the contents filling section B, a miso supply device 4 for supplying a fixed amount of miso from a hopper to a cup supplied to a conveyor is provided, and the cup is filled with a predetermined amount of miso. Further, in the content leveling section C, a miso press device 6 for pressing and pressing the miso supplied to the cup from above on the press plate 5 is arranged. As a result, the swelling portion of the miso formed below the nozzle of the miso supply device can be leveled and pushed into the cup to level it.
[0012]
Further, the lid supply temporary seal portion D is provided with a lid supply device 9 that sucks one lid at a time from the bottom of the lid magazine 7 on which the cut lid 8 is laminated, turns the lid, and places it on the flange of the cup. Have been. As shown in FIG. 2, the lid supply device 9 supports a rotating cylinder 32 on a bracket 31 which moves up and down by a vertically moving cylinder 30 arranged on the side of the conveyor, and the rotating cylinder 32 is vertically moved by the rotating cylinder. A suction cup 34 is provided at the tip of the rotating arm 33 that rotates, and the suction cup 34 is raised by the vertical movement cylinder 30 to suck the lowermost lid 8 in the hopper 7 and the rotation cylinder 32 rotates. As a result, the rotating arm is inverted, and the lid is positioned above the cup. In this state, the vertical movement cylinder is operated, and the suction cup 34 is lowered to place the lid on the cup. Further, the lid supply seal section D is provided with a temporary sealing device 10 for spot sealing a part of the lid 8 supplied to the cup 11 to the cup 11 for temporary sealing.
[0013]
The temporary sealing device 10 ensures that the lid is not displaced from the cup, particularly during gas flushing, until gas replacement, which will be described later, and the lid is completely sealed to the cup. The lid is provided with a spot seal of, for example, about 3 cm on a portion of the front portion of the cup flange in the direction of travel of the cup and / or on a portion of the side portion opposite to the gas flush. The temporary sealing device 10 in the present embodiment is provided with a heating plate 12 which is located above the conveyor in an overhanging manner and moves up and down on an operating rod of a vertically moving cylinder provided on the side of the conveying path of the conveyor. Is placed on the flange of the cup, and at the same time, the hot plate 12 is lowered by the operation of the vertical movement cylinder, so that the lid 8 is spot-sealed on the substantially central flange on the front side in the transport direction of the cup as shown in FIG. I have to. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 28 denotes a spot seal portion. When the temporary sealing is completed, the temporary sealing device and the lid supply device are raised to prepare for the next cup. Note that the lid supply device and the temporary sealing device are not limited to those in the present embodiment, and various known means can be adopted. Further, the lid supply device and the temporary sealing device are provided integrally, It is also possible to share a single vertical cylinder.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a part of the upstream end of the gas flash plate 14 for performing gas replacement is located on the downstream side of the lid supply temporary seal part D. Therefore, when the lid 8 is supplied to the cup, a part of the lid rests on the upper surface of the gas flash plate 14, and in this state, the lid is temporarily sealed and the conveyor moves, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. Then, the gas flush port of the gas flush plate 14 is automatically positioned between the cup 11 and the lid 8 at one side edge along the transport direction to reach the gas replacement section. Therefore, in the gas replacement section, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid is placed on the gas flush plate 14 on one side in the transport direction and on the flange of the cup on the other side.
[0015]
As schematically shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gas replacement unit E includes a gas positioned along one side of the cup conveyance path and having an upstream part extending to the downstream of the lid supply temporary seal part. A flash plate 14 is disposed, and a pair of intermediate plates 15 and 16 are disposed along both sides of the cup transfer path, and an upper plate 17 is disposed above the intermediate plate 15 and 16 so as to cover the cup transfer path. To increase the replacement efficiency.
[0016]
The pair of intermediate plates 15 and 16 are provided to create a gap between the lid 8 and the upper plate 17 at the time of gas replacement and to prevent gas from entering from outside. The upper plate 17 is provided at the time of gas replacement. In addition to regulating the lift position of the lid, the gas replacement section is cut off from the outside, thereby preventing the inflow of outside air and increasing the gas replacement rate.
[0017]
In the present embodiment, the gas replacement unit E is divided into a first gas replacement unit E ₁ , a second gas replacement unit E ₂ , and a third gas replacement unit E ₃ , and performs gas replacement in three stages. As shown in FIG. 3, the gas flush plate 14 has a horizontal outlet for blowing the replacement gas horizontally from the tip side to the head space of the cup and a downward outlet for blowing inward into the cup for each replacement portion. Have been. A gas supply pipe 18 connected to a replacement gas supply unit is connected to an outer end of the gas flash plate 14.
[0018]
In this embodiment, the replacement gas is a mixed gas of an inert gas (in this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used) and carbon dioxide gas. If the mixed gas of the inert gas and the carbon dioxide gas is flushed into the cup just before sealing and the air in the headspace is replaced with the mixed gas, the carbon dioxide gas is absorbed into the food after the sealing, and the headspace is reduced. There is an effect that the inside of the cup can be evacuated and the lid can be provided with good tension and the food can be prevented from being oxidized and degraded. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the following gas with a carbon dioxide concentration monitoring device is provided so that the carbon dioxide concentration of the mixed gas can be automatically controlled and the depressurized state in the cup can be maintained at an optimum value. A mixing device 20 is provided.
[0019]
Nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas are supplied from the nitrogen gas cylinder 21 and the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 22 to the gas mixing device 20 and mixed, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the mixed gas is automatically detected by the carbon dioxide gas sensor 23 provided at the outlet of the mixing device. The detected value is compared with a preset carbon dioxide gas concentration set value in the carbon dioxide gas concentration setting device of the gas mixing device 20, and the comparison value is fed back to the gas mixing device to set the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the mixed gas to the set concentration. And a warning is issued when the detected value deviates from a preset upper limit or lower limit. As a result, in the present embodiment, a good product with a constant cup internal pressure and uniform lid tension can be obtained.
[0020]
The lid seal portion F is, in the present embodiment is divided into a first sealing portion F ₁ and the second seal portion F _2, so that the heat-sealing the lid in two stages. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cup moves from the third gas replacing section E ₃ to the first sealing section F ₁ , the lid seal section F has a first and a second seal as shown in FIG. A non-heat-welding sheet 25 is arranged along the seal portion so as to cover the upper surface of the lid. As the non-heat-welding sheet, a sheet made of Teflon (registered trademark) having excellent heat resistance and heat conductivity is most suitable. By arranging the non-heat-welding sheet 25, it is possible to suppress the warpage of the lid, and the lid comes into contact with the cup, effectively preventing oxygen from flowing into the cup. In this state, the lid 8 is heated and pressed from above the non-heat-welding sheet 25 by the heat-sealable plate 27 of the heat-sealing device 26 disposed in the first seal portion F ₁ and capable of moving up and down. Heat seal to flange. Similarly by heat sealing with a heat seal apparatus 26 disposed in the seal portion even second sealing portion F _2, lid seals the cup completely close contact with the cup. At this time, the non-heat-welding sheet is excellent in heat resistance and heat conductivity, so that the heat sealing can be favorably performed from above. Next, the heat seal portion is cooled and fixed by the cooling plate 36 of the cooling press device 35 disposed in the cooling press portion G. After that, the outer lid is covered by an outer lid supply unit (not shown), and is sent to the next step.
[0021]
The gas replacement device for the cup-filled food in the cup-filled miso filling and packaging device of the present embodiment is configured as described above, and puts a lid on the cup before the gas replacement step, and at the same time spot-seals a part of the traveling direction of the cup. As a result, the lid is not displaced in the subsequent gas replacement step, and the gap between the lid and the cup is small during gas replacement, so that gas replacement can be performed efficiently. Accordingly, it is desirable that the spot to be spot-sealed is a place that does not hinder the gas replacement and that can effectively prevent the movement of the lid. As shown by reference numeral 28 in FIG. It is desirable to have a spot seal at only two flange portions, or at two locations with the flange on the side opposite to the gas flush.
[0022]
Further, since the tip of the gas flash plate 14 extends to the lid supply temporary seal portion D, when the lid 8 is placed on the cup 11, the gas flash plate 14 naturally intervenes in a part between the cup 11 and the lid 8. . Therefore, when the cup is moved to the gas replacement section E by the conveyor, the gas flash plate 14 naturally intervenes between the cup and the lid, and as shown in FIGS. The mixed gas is continuously flashed from gas flash holes provided at the tip and the lower portion of the flash plate 14, and gas is effectively replaced to remove oxygen in the cup. At that time, the mixed gas is flushed toward the head space in the cup and flushed in the horizontal direction, that is, toward the back surface of the lid, so that the gas in the head space can be expelled outward without stagnation, and The outside air adhering to the back surface can also be effectively replaced with the mixed gas. Further, since the gas replacement chamber is isolated by the pair of intermediate plates, outside air is less likely to be entrained during replacement.
[0023]
Further, as the carriage moves, the second and third gas replacement units E ₂ and E ₃ also perform gas flush similarly to completely remove oxygen in the cup. Then, when moving from the third gas replacement unit E ₃ in the first sealing portion F _1, since the cover by a non-heat-fusible sheet 25 presses from above, to prevent the lid of warp, lid and cup clearance most And can be moved to the lid seal. In this state, since the lid is heat-sealed, it is possible to effectively prevent the outside air from flowing into the cup from gas replacement until the lid is completely sealed.
[0024]
As described above, according to the present invention, a continuous gas replacement packaging of cup-packed food, which could only be achieved by sealing with a sheet-like lid supplied from a roll in the past, uses a cut lid and a dropping lid according to the present invention. Good gas replacement can be performed even in a cup-packed food to be sealed. By this method, the oxygen concentration in the cup could be reduced to 2% or less in the cup-filled food using the cut lid or the drop lid.
[0025]
As described above, the preferred embodiment when the present invention is applied to a cup-filled miso filling and packaging apparatus has been described.However, the present invention is not limited to the content of miso, and can be used for any liquid food, viscous food, and solid food. Applicable. Further, the replacement gas is not limited to a mixed gas of carbon dioxide gas and nitrogen gas, but may be an inert gas such as carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, argon gas alone or a mixed gas thereof. Further, the gas replacement section does not necessarily need to be divided into the first to third sections, and may be performed continuously at the same place. Similarly, the lid seal does not necessarily need to be divided into the first and second sections. Further, the cup is not limited to a rectangular shape with a flange as shown in the figure, but can be applied to various shapes such as a cylindrical shape. In the case of a container having no flange, it can be directly heat-sealed to the upper edge or the like.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a cup-filled food using a cut lid or a dropping lid, as in the case of a cup-filled food using a conventional continuous sheet lid material, is conveyed on a conveyor and a high replacement ratio is obtained. In addition, gas replacement packaging can be performed with high working efficiency. Therefore, in the cup-filled food using the ready-made lid, gas replacement packaging of a wide range of contents became possible, and it was not necessary to add an oxygen scavenger or the like, and the productivity was significantly improved. According to the method and the apparatus of the present invention, the oxygen concentration in the cup can be reduced to 2% or less in the cup-filled food using the cut lid or the drop lid.
[0027]
In particular, the lid is placed on the cup before the gas replacement step, and at the same time, a part of the lid is spot-sealed and temporarily sealed, so that the lid does not deviate from the cup in the subsequent gas replacement step, and the lid is closed during the gas replacement. The gap between the cup and the cup is small and gas can be efficiently replaced. In addition, since the gas flush plate is interposed between the cup and the lid and flushes the replacement gas into the cup while being covered with the lid, the gas can be effectively replaced and the oxygen in the cup can be removed. . Furthermore, by forming a gas replacement chamber with a pair of the intermediate plate and the upper plate, and performing gas replacement in the gas replacement chamber, less outside air is involved during the replacement, and the replacement rate can be further increased.
[0028]
Further, by disposing a non-heat-welding sheet that presses the lid of the cup reaching the seal portion from above, the lid is prevented from warping, and there is almost no gap between the lid and the cup, and the lid is heat-sealed in this state. Accordingly, in the process from the gas replacement to the complete sealing of the lid, the inflow of outside air into the cup can be effectively prevented.
[0029]
The apparatus of the present invention has a simple structure and can perform gas replacement while being conveyed by a conveyor, so that it can be easily incorporated into a conventional filling and packaging apparatus.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cup-filled miso filling and packaging apparatus to which the gas-filling apparatus for cup-packed food of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a lid supply and temporary sealing section.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a gas replacement unit.
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along a line II in FIG. 3;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body frame 2 Conveyor 3 Cup supply device 4 Miso supply device 5 Holding plate 6 Miso holding device 8 Lid 9 Lid supply device 10 Spot seal device 11 Cup 13 Gas replacement device 14 Gas flush plates 15, 16 Intermediate plate 17 Upper plate 20 Gas Mixing device 23 Carbon dioxide sensor 25 Non-heat welding sheet 26 Heat seal device 27 Heat seal plate 28 Spot seal portion 29 Truck 35 Cooling press device D Cover supply temporary seal portion E Gas replacement portion F Cover seal portion G Cooling press portion

Claims (6)

A gas replacement method for a cup-filled food, wherein a gas in a head space portion of the cup-filled food to be sealed using a preformed lid is replaced with an inert gas to seal the cup-filled food. A lid mounting temporary sealing step of mounting a lid and temporarily sealing a part of the lid to a cup, interposing a gas flash plate between the cup and the lid, flushing a replacement gas from the gas flash plate, A gas replacement step of replacing the gas with a replacement gas, and a sealing step of heat-sealing the lid to the cup to seal the cup . The above-described steps are sequentially performed while transporting the cup filled with the contents by a conveyor. Like that,
In the lid placing temporary sealing step, the lid is supplied to the cup such that a part of the lid is placed on the gas flash plate, and the gas flash plate is interposed between the cup and the lid to perform a temporary seal, The gas for cup-packed food is transported from the lid mounting temporary sealing step to immediately before the sealing step with a gas flash plate interposed between the cup and the lid, and performing gas replacement in the gas replacement step. Replacement method. Covering the upper surface of the lid of the cup that ended the gas replacement step in non-seal sheet, gas replacement cup packed food according to claim 1, wherein the heat sealing and the lid and the cup from the top of the non-heat-fusible sheet Method. What is claimed is: 1. A gas replacement apparatus for a cup-filled food, wherein a gas in a head space portion of the cup-filled food to be sealed by using a lid formed in advance is replaced with an inert gas to seal the cup, wherein the cup is conveyed by a conveyor. A lid supply temporary seal portion, a gas replacement portion, and a seal portion are provided along the path, and the lid supply temporary seal portion includes a lid supply device for placing the lid on a cup filled with contents, and a lid supply device. A temporary sealing device that temporarily seals a part of the supplied lid to the cup is arranged, and the gas replacement unit is provided with a gas flash plate that flushes a replacement gas from near the tip along one side of the conveyance path, wherein the sealing portion becomes disposed heat sealing device for heat-sealing the lid to the cup, the gas flashplate is arranged extending to the lid supply temporary-sealing portion, the lid Supply temporary-sealing portions cup packed food gas replacement device for wherein a portion of the upstream end of the gas flush plate to the side is located in. The gas replacement device according to claim 3, wherein the temporary sealing device is provided in the lid supply device. 5. The gas replacement chamber according to claim 3 , wherein the gas replacement unit includes a gas replacement plate, a pair of intermediate plates disposed along both sides of the transfer path, and an upper plate that covers the transfer path. 6. apparatus. A non-heat-welding sheet is disposed on the seal portion so as to cover the upper surface of the lid of the cup after gas replacement, and the heat-sealing device heats and presses the lid via the non-heat-welding sheet. The gas replacement device according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

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