JP4120283B2 - Abnormality detection method and abnormality detection device for filling valve - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to an abnormality detection method and an abnormality detection device for a filling valve, and in particular, whether or not sterilization is normally performed by flowing steam through a liquid passage in a filling machine during sterilization and detecting the temperature by temperature detection means. The present invention relates to an abnormality detection method and an abnormality detection device for a filling valve that can determine whether or not.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a filling machine that includes a plurality of filling nozzles, opens a liquid passage to each filling nozzle with a filling valve, supplies liquid from a filling liquid tank to the filling nozzle, and fills the container is widely used. . In such a filling machine, it is necessary to perform cleaning and sterilization of a portion in contact with a filling liquid such as a filling valve and piping before starting a production operation. Steam is normally used as a medium for sterilization in the filling machine, but a temperature sensor is provided in a liquid passage through which the steam passes in order to detect whether the steam has reached a temperature necessary for sterilization.
[0003]
An apparatus and method for performing sterilization by flowing a sterilizing fluid such as steam through a liquid passage in a filling machine as described above, in which a temperature sensor is provided in the liquid passage to detect the temperature, is already known. (Japanese Patent No. 2762329, Japanese Patent No. 3244737, etc.).
[0004]
The sterilization apparatus described in the first patent publication (Japanese Patent No. 2762329) has a sterilization cap attached to each filling nozzle, and a branch drain pipe is connected to each sterilization cap. The branch drain pipes are gathered at the downstream end and connected to the common drain pipe, and a pressure control valve is interposed in the common drain pipe. The sterilizer has a first temperature sensor disposed upstream of the pressure control valve in the common drain pipe, and a second temperature sensor provided in each branch drain pipe.
[0005]
In this sterilization apparatus, a sterilization cap is attached to the filling nozzle and steam is supplied from the upstream side. The second temperature sensors provided in each branch drain pipe detect that all have risen to a predetermined temperature, and confirm that there is no liquid in the branch drain pipe. Next, sterilization process control is started after the first temperature sensor of the common drain pipe detects a temperature equal to or higher than the sterilization temperature.
[0006]
Further, in the sterilization method and apparatus described in the second patent publication (Japanese Patent No. 3244737 etc.), a cylindrical joint can be connected to the tip of each filling nozzle, and each joint has a temperature of the filling nozzle. Is attached to a recorder that records the temperature via a temperature detector. In the present invention, first, a treatment liquid (hot water) is poured from a liquid storage tank to clean and dry the inner surface, and then pure steam is poured to sterilize the inner surface. And the temperature of the hot water and steam which come out from a filling nozzle is detected with the said thermocouple.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, when the inside of the liquid passage of the filling machine is steam sterilized, the filling valve must be opened to sterilize the sealing portion of the filling valve. However, in the sterilization apparatus for a filling machine provided with a plurality of filling valves as described above, the steam discharged from the sterilization cap or joint is collected at one place by the manifold and sent to the downstream side. . In this way, when the filling valve communicates with the downstream side, even if any of the filling valves malfunctions and does not open, the steam flows from the downstream side and is further downstream than the filling valve. The installed temperature sensor may detect a normal temperature. In this case, there arises a problem that it is determined that normal sterilization has been performed up to the filling valve that has not been opened.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and even when the filling valve is abnormal and does not open, the temperature of the filling valve can be reliably detected and whether or not normal sterilization has been performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an abnormality detection method and an abnormality detection device for a filling valve that can be determined.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filling valve abnormality detection method comprising: a plurality of valve housings; a filling valve that is accommodated in the valve housing and that closes a liquid passage by seating a valve body on a seat portion; A filling nozzle provided on the downstream side of the filling valve, and after attaching an engaging member to each of the filling nozzles, the filling valve is opened and steam is supplied to the liquid passage to each filling valve. , in the filling machine to perform sterilization of the fluid passage, when the valve body is a temperature detecting means provided above the seat position seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilization, the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means does not reach the sterilization temperature It is determined that the filling valve is not open.
[0010]
In the filling valve abnormality detecting method according to the present invention, all the filling valves are opened, steam is supplied to the liquid passage, and the temperature of the steam is detected by the temperature detecting means so that sterilization is normally performed. However, if any of the filling valves does not open, condensed water accumulates upstream of the filling valve, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means does not reach the sterilization temperature. A valve abnormality can be detected.
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filling valve abnormality detecting device comprising a plurality of valve housings and a filling valve which is accommodated in the valve housing and closes a liquid passage when a valve body is seated on a seat portion. When the filling nozzle provided downstream of the filling valve, and a engaging member attached to each filling nozzle, after mounting each engagement member to the filling nozzle, opening the filling valve by supplying steam to the Te fluid passage, the filling machine to perform sterilization of the fluid passage, the temperature sensing means is provided above the seat position of the valve body is seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilizing, by the temperature detecting means When the detected temperature does not reach the sterilization temperature, it is determined that the filling valve is not opened.
[0012]
In the filling valve abnormality detection device according to the present invention, when sterilization is performed, all the filling valves are opened, steam is supplied to each liquid passage, and the temperature of the steam is detected by the temperature detection means. Make sure that sterilization is performed. However, if one of the filling valves is abnormal and does not open, the temperature will rise to a certain extent when steam is initially supplied, but since the steam does not flow, it will condense into water droplets, and the filling valve will become condensed water. Therefore, the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means does not rise to a temperature necessary for sterilization, and an abnormality of the filling valve can be sensed.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a filling machine provided with an abnormality detecting device for a filling nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a main part of the filling machine, and FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the filling mechanism provided in the filling machine. In this filling machine, a rotary pipe 6 is connected to a supply pipe 2 on a fixed side via a rotary joint 4, and an upper manifold 8 is connected to the downstream side of the rotary pipe 6. A plurality of branch pipes 10 are connected to the upper manifold 8, and a filling mechanism 12 is provided in each of the branch pipes 10.
[0014]
In the filling mechanism 12, a filling valve 16 is accommodated in a valve housing 14, and a filling nozzle 18 extends downward on the downstream side thereof. A cylinder 20 for opening and closing the filling valve is provided at the upper part of the housing 14. The filling valve opening / closing cylinder 20 includes a piston 24 that divides an internal space 22 of the housing 14 into upper and lower pressure chambers 22A and 22B. Air is supplied and discharged from the air supply ports 26A and 26B to the upper and lower pressure chambers 22A and 22B of the piston 24, and the piston 24 is moved up and down.
[0015]
A valve body 30 of the filling valve 16 is attached to the lower end of a piston rod 28 connected to the piston 24. When air is introduced into the pressure chamber 22B below the cylinder 20 and the upper pressure chamber 22A is opened to the atmosphere and the piston 24 rises, the valve body 30 rises via the piston rod 28, and the housing 14 The filling valve 16 is opened away from the seat portion 32 formed on the inner surface of the container. When air is introduced into the pressure chamber 22A above the cylinder 20 and the lower pressure chamber 22B is opened to the atmosphere and the piston 24 is lowered, the valve body 30 is lowered via the piston rod 28, and the seat portion. Sitting at 32, the filling valve 16 is closed.
[0016]
A branch pipe 10 from the upper manifold 8 is connected above the filling valve 16. When the filling valve 16 is opened, the filling liquid supplied via the rotary joint 4 and the rotary pipe 6 is branched. The tube 10 passes through the inside of the filling valve 16 and is filled into a container (not shown) from the filling nozzle 18. Further, when the inside of the filling machine is cleaned and sterilized, the inside of the liquid passage composed of the supply pipe 2, the rotary joint 4, the rotary pipe 6, the upper manifold 8, the branch pipe 10, the filling valve 16, the inside of the filling nozzle 18, etc. The cleaning liquid or sterilizing vapor flows and is discharged from the filling nozzle 18.
[0017]
A thermocouple 34 as a temperature detecting means is provided in the housing 14 of the filling mechanism 12 slightly above the seat position between the valve body 30 and the seat portion 32. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the thermocouple 34 has a rectangular plate shape, and a thermocouple cord 36 is inserted into a hole formed in the side surface and fixed by welding. The thermocouple 34 is fixed to a fixed plate 38 with an elastic body 40 such as silicon interposed therebetween, and the fixed plate 38 is attached to the side surface of the housing 14 with bolts 42.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 14 of the filling mechanism 12 is thinned by cutting one side surface, and the thermocouple 34 is fixed to the thinned wall surface. By attaching the thermocouple 34 to the outside of the liquid passage in this way, it is possible to detect the temperature of the internal liquid passage and to eliminate the possibility of external contaminants entering the liquid passage. .
[0019]
The filling machine having the above-described configuration is provided with a cleaning sterilization apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a sterilization apparatus) for cleaning and sterilizing an internal liquid passage. Washing cups (engaging members) 44 are arranged corresponding to the respective filling mechanisms 12, and positions (positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) where each washing cup 44 is mounted on the filling nozzle 18 of the filling mechanism 12. , And can be moved to the retracted position removed from the filling nozzle 18. When filling the container with this filling machine, the cleaning cup 44 is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the container. Further, when cleaning and sterilizing the inside of the filling machine, each cleaning cup 44 is attached to the filling nozzle 18, and the cleaning liquid or sterilization vapor that has passed through the liquid passage is discharged into the cleaning cup 44.
[0020]
The plurality of cleaning cups 44 are connected to the lower manifold 46, and the cleaning liquid or sterilization vapor discharged from the filling nozzle 18 to the cleaning cup 44 is collected by the lower manifold 46 and then discharged from the discharge passage 48. The The filling machine configured as described above, the washing cup 44, the lower manifold 46, and the like constitute a filling machine sterilization apparatus.
[0021]
The operation of the sterilizer of the filling machine according to the above configuration will be described. The filling machine according to this embodiment is a rotary type filling machine. When filling operation is performed, when the filling machine is rotated and a container is supplied below each filling nozzle 18, the filling valve 16 is opened. Then, the content liquid is filled into the container from the supply pipe 2 on the fixed side, the rotary joint 4, the rotary pipe 6, the upper manifold 8, the branch pipe 10 and the filling nozzle 16 of the filling mechanism 12. Needless to say, the cleaning cup 44 is retracted during the filling.
[0022]
When steam sterilization of the filling machine is performed, the filling machine is not rotated, the washing cup 44 is attached to each filling nozzle 18, all the filling valves 16 are opened, and then the steam is supplied from the supply pipe 2 on the fixed side. Supply. The steam is sent from the rotary joint 4, the rotary pipe 6, the upper manifold 8, and the branch pipe 10 to the filling mechanism 12, passes through the filling valve 16, and is discharged from each filling nozzle 18 into the cleaning cup 44. The steam discharged to the cleaning cup 44 is discharged from the discharge passage 48 through the lower manifold 46.
[0023]
When the filling valve 16 is normally operated and opened, the detection value of each thermocouple 34 reaches a normal sterilization temperature (for example, 130 ° C.). Since condensed water condensed with steam accumulates at a position where the thermocouple 34 slightly upstream of the filling valve 16 is attached, the temperature detected by the thermocouple 34 does not rise to the sterilization temperature. Therefore, it can be determined that the sterilization is defective. When it is determined that the sterilization is defective, an alarm is sounded and the number of the filling valve 16 having an abnormality is displayed on the operation panel to notify the operator.
[0024]
As described above, in this embodiment, when there is an abnormality in the filling valve 16, it can be reliably determined by detecting a decrease in temperature, and the thermocouple 34 is placed on the outer surface of the housing 14. Since it is attached, it is possible to reliably prevent external contaminants from entering the liquid passage of the filling machine. In the above embodiment, the case where the configuration of the present invention is applied to a rotary type filling machine has been described. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the rotary type and can be applied to a line type filling machine.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
According to the invention described in claim 1 as described above, a plurality of the valve housing, a filling valve for closing the liquid passageway by the contained valve body within the valve housing is seated on the seat portion, the filling A filling nozzle provided on the downstream side of the valve, and after attaching the engaging members to each of the plurality of filling nozzles, by opening the filling valve and supplying steam to the liquid passage to each filling valve, in the filling machine which performs sterilization of the fluid passage, the temperature sensing means is provided above the seat position of the valve body is seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilization, the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means when not reach the sterilization temperature By determining that the filling valve is not opened, even when steam sterilization, if the filling valve is abnormal and does not open, it accumulates upstream of the filling valve. Condensation lowering of temperature can be reliably detected by the water, it is possible to determine the fill valve as abnormal.
[0026]
Furthermore, in the invention described in claim 2, a plurality of valve housings, a filling valve that is housed in the valve housing and closes the liquid passage by seating the valve body on the seat portion, and on the downstream side of the filling valve A filling nozzle provided, and an engagement member attached to each of the filling nozzles, and after attaching the engaging member to each of the filling nozzles, the filling valve is opened to supply steam to the liquid passage. Accordingly, in the filling machine to perform sterilization of the fluid passage, the temperature sensing means is provided above the seat position of the valve body is seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilization, the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means does not reach the sterilization temperature By determining that the filling valve is not open in this case, abnormalities in the filling valve can be reliably detected due to a decrease in temperature, and sterilization has been performed normally. It is possible to determine whether.
[Brief description of the drawings]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a simplified overall configuration of a sterilization apparatus for a filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a filling mechanism having a filling valve and a filling nozzle.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a thermocouple mounting structure.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a thermocouple.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the filling mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
14 Housing 16 Filling valve 18 Filling nozzle 34 Temperature detection means (thermocouple)
44 Engagement member (washing cup)

Claims (2)

A plurality of valve housings, a filling valve that is accommodated in the valve housing and closes the liquid passage when the valve body is seated on the seat portion, and a filling nozzle provided on the downstream side of the filling valve . In the filling machine which sterilizes the liquid passage by opening the filling valve after supplying the engaging members to the filling nozzles and supplying steam to the liquid passage to each filling valve,
The temperature detecting means is provided above the seat position of the valve body is seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilization, the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means determines that the filling valve when it does not reach the sterilization temperature not opened A method for detecting an abnormality of a filling valve during sterilization. A plurality of valve housings, a filling valve that is accommodated in the valve housing and closes the liquid passage when the valve body is seated on the seat, a filling nozzle provided on the downstream side of the filling valve, and each filling nozzle And a filling machine for sterilizing the liquid passage by opening the filling valve and supplying steam to the liquid passage after the respective engagement members are attached to the filling nozzle. In
The temperature detecting means is provided above the seat position of the valve body is seated on the seat portion, at the time of sterilization, the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means determines that the filling valve when it does not reach the sterilization temperature not opened An apparatus for detecting an abnormality of a filling valve during sterilization.

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