JP4311789B2 - Filling equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a filling device that fills a beverage such as tea, juice, coffee, and the like in a heat-sterilized state, and more particularly to a filling device that feeds a filling liquid through a sealed liquid feeding path.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a filling apparatus that prevents contamination of germs by filling a container with a filling liquid heated and sterilized while filling a beverage.
[0003]
On the other hand, in the same way, when the beverage is filled, the liquid supply path from the blending equipment for preparing the beverage to the filling machine is sealed so as not to touch the outside air, and the filling liquid is pressurized with aseptic air in the pressurized tank provided in the path. There is a filling device that prevents contamination by introducing bacteria by feeding to the filling machine.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the above two conventional filling devices are combined, high temperature filling liquid that has been sterilized by heat is sent through a sealed liquid feeding route, and pressurized and filled in a pressurized tank, the dissolved air in the liquid Since the concentration is lowered by heating, the filling liquid prepared at room temperature and sterilized by heating is sent through a closed liquid supply path with the dissolved air concentration being supersaturated, and from the filling nozzle of the filling machine. As soon as it was released into the atmosphere, the pressure dropped, and the supersaturated dissolved air escaped from the filling liquid all at once and spilled violently into the container.
[0005]
In view of this situation, the present invention improves the management level of the filling liquid in the liquid feeding as a liquid feeding path in which the filling liquid is sealed from the heat sterilizer to the filling machine in the filling apparatus for filling the container in a state where the filling liquid is heat sterilized. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a filling apparatus that can stably perform filling by reducing foaming at the time of filling even when prevention of contamination is attempted.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a filling apparatus that pressurizes and feeds a filling liquid in a pressurized tank and fills the container in a state opened to the atmosphere, on the upstream side of the pressurized tank. A sterilizer for heating and sterilizing the filling liquid is provided, and the heated filling liquid is accommodated in the liquid supply path connecting the sterilizing apparatus and the pressurized tank, and the pressure is lower than the internal pressure of the pressurized tank and higher than the atmospheric pressure. The technical means of providing the finely pressurized tank and the liquid feeding means for sending the filling liquid from the slightly pressurized tank to the pressurized tank were adopted.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the entire configuration of a filling facility including a filling device according to the present invention. This filling facility includes a preparation facility 1, a high-temperature sterilizer 2 (sterilization device), and a slightly pressurized tank 3 from the upstream side. A liquid feed pump 4, a pressurized tank 5, and a filling machine 6 are provided, and each is connected by a liquid feed path 10 to 14 consisting of pipes. A part of the dissolved air is discharged from the filling liquid.
[0008]
In the filling equipment, the preparation equipment 1 is provided, and a beverage (filling liquid) prepared at normal temperature (about 15 ° C.) under atmospheric pressure is sent to the high-temperature sterilizer 2 on the downstream side via the liquid supply path 10. It is like that. In the high-temperature sterilizer 2, the filling liquid is heated from room temperature to 90 ° C., and the heated filling liquid is fed to the fine pressure tank 3 on the downstream side via the liquid feeding path 11. Yes. The slightly pressurized tank 3 accommodates the filling liquid with a space left above, one of which is an air pressure regulating valve 7 and the other is an exhaust pressure regulating valve 8 in the space portion. The pressure in the fine pressurization tank 3 is controlled to be maintained at a predetermined pressure by adjusting the supply / exhaust, and the pressure in the fine pressurization tank 3 is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure (1.1 kg / cm in absolute pressure). Aseptic air is supplied by adjusting the supply amount so as to be about ² ). That is, since the inside of the slightly pressurized tank 3 is always maintained at a pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure, the entry of outside air is prevented.
[0009]
On the downstream side of the slightly pressurized tank 3, the filling tank 6 is arranged via the liquid supply path 12, 13 via the liquid supply path 14, and further to the downstream side thereof via the liquid supply path 14.
[0010]
The pressurized tank 5 accommodates the filling liquid in a state where a space is left above as in the case of the slightly pressurized tank 3, and is pressurized by a pressure regulating valve 9 provided in an air pipe connected to the space portion. sterile air is to be supplied through the 5 by adjusting the predetermined pressure (absolute range of 1.4kg ^/ cm ² ~1.8kg ^/ cm 2 in pressure) and so as to supply.
[0011]
The filling machine 6 is provided with a plurality of filling nozzles 15 branched from the liquid supply path 14 and supplied with the filling liquid. The filling machine 6 is controlled by controlling the supply pressure of the filling liquid by the pressurized tank 5 together with the measurement by the weighing scale. A container (not shown) placed below is filled with high accuracy in an open state.
[0012]
Further, a liquid feed pump 4 as a liquid feed means is provided between the liquid feed paths 12 and 13 for feeding the filling liquid from the fine pressurization tank 3 to the pressurization tank 5, and the fine pressurization tank having a low internal pressure. The liquid can be fed from 3 to the pressurized tank 5 having a high internal pressure.
[0013]
In addition, the filling apparatus which concerns on this invention among the filling equipment demonstrated above points out the high temperature sterilizer 2 to the filling machine 6, and you may make it replace with the preparation equipment 1 and connect a storage tank etc. In addition, the filling machine 6 may adopt another type of filling machine that measures the flow rate, time, water level, and the like of the weight type and performs a predetermined amount of filling.
[0014]
Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. The dissolved air concentration of the beverage (filler) prepared at room temperature (15 ° C) is 26.4 mg / l at atmospheric pressure (1.0 kg / cm ^{2 in} absolute pressure), and when heated to 90 ° C with the high temperature sterilizer 2 The dissolved air concentration is reduced to 14.8 mg / l under atmospheric pressure, and the difference of 11.6 mg / l of dissolved air becomes supersaturated. Actually, the temperature of the filling liquid is slightly lowered and the dissolved air concentration is increased during liquid feeding. However, when filling is performed from the filling nozzle 15 of the filling machine 6 through the sealed liquid feeding path into the open container. , The supersaturated dissolved air is released at a stretch and foams violently. However, according to the present invention, the pressure in the slightly pressurized tank 3 provided between the liquid feeding paths 11 and 12 on the downstream side of the high-temperature sterilizer 2 is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure (1.1 kg / cm ^{2 in} absolute pressure). For example, when the absolute pressure is 1.1 kg / cm ² at 90 ° C. and the atmospheric pressure is 1.1 kg / cm ² , the dissolved air concentration is 16.3 mg / l. The supersaturated dissolved air corresponding to the difference of 10.1 mg / l from the concentration of 26.4 mg / l is discharged into the slightly pressurized tank 3. In other words, once the filling liquid heated by the high-temperature sterilizer 2 is accommodated in the slightly pressurized tank 3, the oversaturated dissolved air is released, and then the container is opened to the atmosphere from the filling nozzle 15 of the filling machine 6 through the liquid feeding path. The dissolved air released from the filling liquid when the inside is filled is dissolved air concentration of 14.8 mg / l at 90 ° C. under atmospheric pressure and 90 ° C. under atmospheric pressure of 1.1 kg / cm ^{2 in} absolute pressure. The difference in dissolved air concentration of 16.3 mg / l is reduced to 1.5 mg / l minutes, and foaming is reduced.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As a result of employing the above configuration, the present invention can obtain the following effects.
(1) Since the heated and dissolved air concentration in the sterilizing apparatus is released supersaturation amount of dissolved air by temporarily accommodated in slight pressure tank pressurized above atmospheric pressure a filling liquid became supersaturated liquid feed It is possible to reduce foaming at the time of filling while maintaining the sealing degree of the path, to improve the management level of the filling liquid during liquid feeding and to enable stable filling.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a filling apparatus of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Blending equipment 2 ... High temperature sterilizer (sterilizer)
3 .... Slightly pressurized tank 4 .... Liquid feeding pump (liquid feeding means)
5 ... Pressure tank 6 ... Filling machine 7 ... Air pressure regulating valve 8 ... Exhaust pressure regulating valve 9 ... Pressure regulating valve 10-14 ... Liquid feeding Path 15 ... Filling nozzle

Claims (1)

In a filling apparatus that pressurizes and feeds a filling liquid in a pressurized tank and fills a container that is opened to the atmosphere, the filling apparatus includes a sterilization apparatus that heats and sterilizes the filling liquid upstream of the pressurized tank. A finely pressurized tank containing a heated filling liquid and pressurized at a pressure lower than the internal pressure of the pressurized tank and higher than the atmospheric pressure in a liquid feeding path connecting the sterilizer and the pressurized tank; A filling apparatus comprising a liquid feeding means for sending a filling liquid to a pressurized tank.

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