JP5464845B2 - Aseptic air circulating food filling and packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a food filling and packaging machine for filling and packaging foods such as juice and milk, and more specifically, when sterilizing packaging materials using hydrogen peroxide or sterilizing a sterile zone in a food filling and packaging machine before operation. The present invention relates to a food filling and packaging machine that circulates and reuses hydrogen peroxide-containing air that is generated when it is discharged without exhausting it out of the food filling and packaging machine.

  The food filling and packaging machine has a product that can be stored for a long time by filling the paper container with milk and other food into the molded paper container, leaving the filling opening, and then shaping the filling opening of the paper container into a gable top (roof type) shape. First of all, the extended specification or roll-shaped packaging material is vertically sealed and formed into a tube shape, filled with food such as juice, then horizontally sealed into a pillow shape and finally a brick (cuboid) container There are those with aseptic specifications. Hydrogen peroxide is often used as a disinfectant in these filling and packaging machines.

  And in the above filling specification packaging machine of the gable top shape product, after spraying hydrogen peroxide mist or gas on the inner surface of the container, a UV lamp is irradiated and dried with hot air to sterilize. . At this time, 10 to 70 ppm of hydrogen peroxide gas is contained in the air generated when the hydrogen peroxide is removed by the air generated from the container sterilization unit and hot air. Even in this gable top shape product, 50 to 120 ppm of hydrogen peroxide gas is contained in the air generated in the aseptic filling and packaging machine. In addition, in the aseptic filling and packaging machine for a brick-shaped container, after immersing the packaging material web unwound from the roll in a heated 35 wt% hydrogen peroxide solution tank, the packaging material web is squeezed through a roller, After removing the attached hydrogen peroxide solution, a method of sterilizing by blowing hot air and drying is adopted. At this time, the air generated when hydrogen peroxide is removed by hot air contains 10 to 100 ppm of hydrogen peroxide gas.

  In these aseptic food filling and packaging machines, the air outside the machine is sterilized through, for example, a HEPA filter, and then supplied into a chamber (sterile zone) equipped with a filling part, a sealing part, etc., so that the inside of the chamber is positively pressurized. The hydrogen peroxide mist and gas used for container sterilization are exhausted out of the machine. Thus, in any food filling and packaging machine that uses hydrogen peroxide to sterilize containers, 10 to 120 ppm of hydrogen peroxide gas is discharged outside the machine.

  In addition, when sterilizing various devices in the food filling and packaging machine and the atmosphere in the packaging machine, hydrogen peroxide is used in a liquid state or in a vaporized gas state in order to deal with sterilization of complex shaped devices. There are many cases.

  The hydrogen peroxide gas discharged from these food filling and packaging machines not only affects the human body of the worker, but also corrodes mechanical equipment due to oxidation and may cause trouble in the electrical circuit. When exhausting hydrogen oxide gas, it is necessary to decompose and remove it until it reaches a safe concentration. Currently, as a method for decomposing / removing hydrogen peroxide gas discharged from a food filling and packaging machine, for example, a liquid cleaning method in which hydrogen peroxide gas is released into water and running water and adsorbed to water is used. In addition, the present applicant has proposed a gas treatment method in which gaseous hydrogen peroxide generated in a sterilization zone in a food filling and packaging machine is decomposed with a catalyst (see Patent Document 1).

JP 11-348922 A

  However, in the liquid cleaning method in which hydrogen peroxide gas is released into water and flowing water and adsorbed to water, the apparatus becomes large and disposal of water containing hydrogen peroxide becomes a problem. In addition, the gas treatment method that decomposes hydrogen peroxide with a catalyst is excellent in that the apparatus does not increase in size and does not cause problems with wastewater treatment. Today, when environmental conservation is screamed, the operator has to pay close attention to exhausting the gas, which may contain gas.

  The object of the present invention is to circulate and reuse the air discharged from the aseptic zone without exhausting it to the outside of the machine, so that it is environmentally friendly and can effectively use thermal energy. It is to provide a packaging machine.

  As a result of diligent research to develop an environment-friendly and cleaner food filling and packaging machine in a situation where environmental destruction becomes a problem and environmental conservation is screamed, the present inventors have found that hydrogen peroxide-containing air discharged from the aseptic zone As a result of performing the predetermined treatment, the present invention has been completed by finding that it can be recycled without being exhausted outside the apparatus, and that the circulation utilization also leads to the effective use of thermal energy. Conventionally, many attempts have been made to safely decompose, remove and exhaust the hydrogen peroxide-containing air in the sterilized zone. However, it has been attempted to circulate and reuse without exhausting the hydrogen peroxide-containing air. There was no attempt to do it.

That is, the present invention is (1) a food filling and packaging machine equipped with a sterilization zone and using hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant, and provided with an air discharge unit for discharging hydrogen peroxide-containing air provided in the sterilization zone; Decomposing / removing hydrogen peroxide in the air discharged from the air discharge unit to make clean air, and reducing the temperature of the clean air processed by the air processing device to be included in the air A heat exchanger for removing moisture, a heater for heating clean air from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger, a sterile filtration device for aseptically filtering the clean air heated by the heater with a filter, A sterile air introduction section provided in the sterilization zone for introducing sterile air that has been sterile filtered by a sterile filtration device, and a blower that circulates air; When sterilizing packaging material used, or can be reused by circulating without hydrogen peroxide-containing air generated when sterilizing food filling and packaging machine of the aseptic zone before operation exhausting the food filling and packaging outside The present invention relates to a food filling and packaging machine equipped with a sterile air circulation system.

  In addition, the present invention provides: (2) the food processing and packaging machine according to (1), wherein the air treatment device is a device including a platinum catalyst having hydrogen peroxide resolution; and (3) peroxidation. The present invention relates to the food filling and packaging machine according to (1) or (2), wherein a hydrogen concentration meter is provided.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides (4) a vertical seal device provided in the sterilization zone, which seals both ends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging material so as to surround the food filling tube, and is formed into a tube shape, and is provided below the sterilization zone. A horizontal sealing device that seals in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular packaging material while feeding the tubular packaging material filled with food downward by a length corresponding to one container. The food filling and packaging machine according to any one of (1) to (3) above.

  According to the food filling and packaging machine of the present invention, the air discharged from the sterilization zone is circulated and reused without being exhausted outside the machine, so that it is environmentally friendly and effective utilization of thermal energy can be achieved. it can.

  The food filling and packaging machine of the present invention is a food filling and packaging machine equipped with a sterilization zone and using hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing agent, and is provided in the sterilization zone and discharges air containing hydrogen peroxide. And the air treatment device that decomposes and removes hydrogen peroxide in the air discharged from the air discharge portion to obtain clean air, and reduces the temperature of the clean air processed by the air treatment device to the air A heat exchanger for removing moisture contained therein, a heater for heating clean air from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger, and a sterile filtration device for aseptically filtering the clean air heated by the heater with a filter to obtain aseptic air An aseptic air introduction section provided in the aseptic zone for introducing aseptic air that has been aseptically filtered by the aseptic filtration device, and a blower that circulates air. Is not particularly limited as long as it is a food filling and packaging machine equipped with air circulation system, in which circulation for reuse without exhausting the air discharged from the sterile zone outside.

  Such a food filling and packaging machine of the present invention is a conventionally known food filling and packaging machine except for a sterile air circulation system, and as such a conventionally known food filling and packaging machine, specifically, for example, As shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 35015 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-234075, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging material are sealed and molded into a tube shape, and the tube-shaped packaging material is filled with juice or the like, and then the tubular packaging material Brick-type food filling and packaging machine to make a brick-shaped package by sealing in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bottle, or filling gable top-shaped containers as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-41932 A gable top type food filling and packaging machine for packaging can be exemplified.

  The sterilization zone in the food filling and packaging machine of the present invention is an area where sterility is maintained at least during operation, and in many cases, is maintained at a positive pressure rather than the ambient atmosphere. For example, in a brick-type food filling and packaging machine, packaging that removes hydrogen peroxide from the surface of the packaging material, which is provided subsequent to a sterilizing solution tank containing hydrogen peroxide water that is sterilized by passing the packaging material in an immersed state. An aseptic atmosphere zone having a material drying part, a packaging material forming part, and a food filling part can be exemplified. In a gable top type food filling and packaging machine, a mist of hydrogen peroxide water is sprayed on the inner surface of a rectangular cylindrical container. An aseptic atmosphere zone comprising a chamber to be sterilized and a chamber provided with a packaging material drying section for removing hydrogen peroxide adhering to the inner surface of the container, a food filling section, and a lid molding section for a rectangular tube-shaped container can be exemplified.

  In the sterilization zone, air containing hydrogen peroxide is generated during operation or sterilization in the sterilization zone before operation. That is, during operation, liquid hydrogen peroxide adhering to the packaging material is gasified, and during sterilization before operation, liquid hydrogen peroxide adhering to devices in the sterilization zone is gasified to enter the sterilization zone. Air containing hydrogen peroxide is generated. In the food filling and packaging machine of the present invention, not only the hydrogen peroxide-containing air is circulated during operation, but also hydrogen peroxide-containing air is used at the time of sterilization of an aseptic zone before operation where high-concentration hydrogen peroxide-containing air is generated. The hydrogen peroxide-containing air can be completely prevented from being discharged.

  In such a sterilization zone, an air discharge part and a sterilization air introduction part are provided in place, and the air discharge part is preferably provided in the vicinity of the packaging material drying part of the sterilization zone, and the sterilization air introduction part is preferably It is provided in the vicinity of the packaging material forming part and the food filling part, which is a place away from the air discharge part.

  The air treatment device communicates with the air discharge part of the sterilization zone through a pipe, and hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide-containing air transferred through the pipe is decomposed or removed by the air treatment apparatus. The Conventionally, after such decomposition and removal of hydrogen peroxide has been performed, the hydrogen peroxide is discharged outside the apparatus. In the present invention, this is recycled.

  The air treatment apparatus includes means capable of decomposing and removing hydrogen peroxide. For example, the air treatment apparatus includes an apparatus including activated carbon that absorbs and removes hydrogen peroxide gas, and a catalyst having hydrogen peroxide resolution such as a platinum catalyst. An apparatus etc. can be illustrated, As an apparatus provided with the catalyst which has hydrogen peroxide resolution | decomposability, the air processing apparatus of Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 11-348922 can be illustrated concretely. Although the catalyst may be contaminated by using it for a long time and the hydrogen peroxide resolution may be lowered, it can be used repeatedly by cleaning and washing the contaminated catalyst, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

  The heat exchanger is provided with means for lowering the temperature of clean air that does not contain hydrogen peroxide treated by the air treatment device to remove moisture contained in the clean air, for example, 70 to 90 ° C. during operation. The clean air sent to the extent is cooled to 45 to 65 ° C., preferably 50 to 60 ° C., and moisture is removed from the system as condensed water (drain). By introducing such clean air from which moisture has been removed into the sterilization zone, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of condensation in the sterilization zone and prevent the dew condensation from being mixed into the product, thereby reducing the hygienic risk. Also, when sterilizing the sterilization zone before operation, a large amount of hydrogen peroxide water is used, so air with particularly high humidity is discharged from the sterilization zone. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of condensation in the sterilization zone.

  The heater is a means for heating the clean air cooled by the heat exchanger during operation to, for example, 100 to 160 ° C, preferably 120 to 140 ° C. Thereby, the temperature fall in the aseptic zone can be suppressed, and the inside of the aseptic zone can be maintained at a desired temperature. In the food filling and packaging machine of the present invention, the air exhausted from the sterilization zone is high-temperature air, and the air that has passed through the heat exchanger is also hotter than the outside air. Can be planned.

  The aseptic filtration device is a means for aseptically filtering clean air with a filter to obtain aseptic air, and a conventional aseptic filtration device equipped with a HEPA filter or the like can be used.

  The air blower is a means for circulating air and is preferably provided between the heat exchanger and the heater. The blower can be provided with an outside air introducing device, and thereby the leaked air can be replenished.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the food filling packaging machine of this invention is provided with the hydrogen peroxide concentration meter. As a result, it is possible to confirm that hydrogen peroxide has been reliably decomposed and removed and that the processing capacity of the air processing apparatus has been lowered.

  Hereinafter, an example of a food filling and packaging machine provided with a sterile air circulation system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of a food filling and packaging machine according to the present invention.

  The food filling and packaging machine 10 equipped with the aseptic air circulation system of the present invention includes a sterilizing liquid tank 12 containing a hydrogen peroxide solution through which the plate-like packaging material A passes in an immersed state, and the sterilizing liquid tank 12. And a subsequent sterilization zone 14. The aseptic zone 14 includes a packaging material drying part (packaging material drying chamber) 14a for drying the packaging material to which hydrogen peroxide is adhered, and a molding filling part (molding and filling chamber) for molding the packaging material A and filling food. ) 14b, and the drying section 14a is provided with an air knife 16 for vaporizing and removing the hydrogen peroxide solution adhering to the plate-like packaging material A. The molding filling section 14b is filled with juice or the like. A pipe 18 and a vertical seal device 20 that seals both ends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging material A so as to surround the filling pipe 18 and form the tube into a tube shape are provided. A direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular packaging material A is sent below the sterile zone 14 while feeding the tubular packaging material A filled with juice or the like by a length corresponding to one container. A horizontal sealing device 22 is provided for sealing.

  In order to fill and wrap the food by the food filling and packaging machine 10, first, the plate-like packaging material A that has been sequentially rewound from the rewinder (not shown) is passed through the sterilizing liquid tank 12 in an immersed state. Introduce into the aseptic zone 14. In the sterilization zone 14, after the hydrogen peroxide water adhering to the plate-shaped packaging material A is vaporized and removed by the air knife 16 in the packaging material drying section 14a, the filling tube 18 for filling juice or the like in the molded filling section 14b. The both ends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging material A are sealed by the vertical sealing device 20 so as to surround the container, and the juice is filled into the tubular packaging material from the filling tube 18. Further, the horizontal sealing device 22 seals and shapes the tubular packaging material filled with juice or the like in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular packaging material while feeding it downward by a length corresponding to one container. Thus, a rectangular parallelepiped package is manufactured.

  In the sterilization zone 14, a plate-shaped packaging material A to which hydrogen peroxide solution is attached is introduced, and since this hydrogen peroxide solution is vaporized in the packaging material drying section 14a of the sterilization zone 14, it contains hydrogen peroxide. Air is generated. Further, the sterilization zone 14 (packaging material drying part 14a, molding filling part 14b) is provided with a zone sterilization device (not shown) such as a sterilizing liquid spraying device for sterilizing the inside of the zone using hydrogen peroxide water. Since the inside of the sterilization zone 14 is sterilized before operation, hydrogen peroxide-containing air is generated in the sterilization zone 14 at this time as well. Conventionally, the hydrogen peroxide-containing air has been exhausted outside the apparatus, but the food filling and packaging machine 10 of the present invention includes a system for purifying and sterilizing the air.

The aseptic air circulation system will be described.
The aseptic air circulation system in the food filling and packaging machine 10 of the present invention is provided in the sterilization zone 14 and is provided in communication with the air discharge unit 24 and the air discharge unit 24 for discharging hydrogen peroxide-containing air. Reduce the temperature of the clean air provided in communication with the air treatment device 26 and the air treatment device 26 provided with a platinum catalyst that decomposes and removes hydrogen peroxide in the discharged air and makes it clean air. A heat exchanger 28 that removes moisture contained in the air, a heater 32 that is provided downstream of the heat exchanger 28 via a blower 30 and that heats clean air from which moisture has been removed, and is provided downstream of the heater 32. Aseptic filtration device 34 for aseptically filtering the heated clean air that has been filtered through a filter, and aseptic zone 14 for introducing the sterile air filtered by the sterile filtration device 34 And a sterile air inlet portion 36. A hydrogen peroxide concentration meter 38 is provided between the heat exchanger 28 and the blower 30.

  The air discharge unit 24 of the sterilization zone 14 is provided in the packaging material drying unit 14a, and communicates with the air processing device 26 through a pipe. On the other hand, the sterilization zone 14 is provided with a sterilization air introduction unit 36 for introducing sterilization air that has been subjected to a predetermined circulation process. This aseptic air introduction part 36 is mainly provided in the molding filling part 14b, and is also provided in the outer pipe 40 surrounding the air knife 16, the vertical sealing device 20 and the filling pipe 18, which is a place requiring a high temperature atmosphere. Is also provided. In addition, an additional heater 42 for further heating the sterilized air is provided in the middle of the pipe for introducing the sterilized air to the vertical sealing device 20 that requires a high temperature atmosphere.

  The air flow in the aseptic air circulation system will be described. The entire air is circulated by the blower 30. The hydrogen peroxide-containing air discharged from the air discharge section 24 in the sterilization zone 14 is decomposed into hydrogen by the hydrogen peroxide being decomposed by the air processing device 26. Then, it is cooled by the heat exchanger 28, and moisture in the air is removed. The air once cooled is again heated by the heater 32, filtered by the aseptic filtration device 34, and then introduced again into the aseptic zone 14. When this air is circulated, a small amount of the circulating air may leak out. To compensate for this, the air blower 30 is provided with an outside air introduction device 44, and the outside air is replenished as necessary. According to the food filling and packaging machine 10 equipped with such a sterile air circulation system, the air discharged from the sterile zone 14 is circulated and reused without being exhausted outside the machine. Effective use of thermal energy can be achieved.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of an example of the food filling packaging machine of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Food filling packaging machine 12 Sterilization tank 14 Aseptic zone 14a Packaging material drying part (packaging material drying chamber)
14b Molding and filling part (molding and filling chamber)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 Air knife 18 Filling pipe 20 Vertical seal apparatus 22 Horizontal seal apparatus 24 Air discharge part 26 Air processing apparatus 28 Heat exchanger 30 Air blower 32 Heater 34 Aseptic filtration apparatus 36 Aseptic air introduction part 38 Hydrogen peroxide concentration meter 40 Outer peripheral pipe 42 Additional heater 44 Outside air introduction device A Packaging material

Claims (4)

A food filling and packaging machine using hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant with a sterile zone,
An air discharge unit for discharging hydrogen peroxide-containing air, provided in the sterile zone;
An air treatment device that decomposes and removes hydrogen peroxide in the air discharged from the air discharge unit to produce clean air;
A heat exchanger that lowers the temperature of the clean air treated by the air treatment device to remove moisture contained in the air;
A heater for heating clean air from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger;
Aseptic filtration device that aseptically filters clean air heated by the heater through a filter,
Aseptic air introduction section provided in the aseptic zone for introducing aseptic air filtered aseptically with the aseptic filtration device;
A blower that circulates air;
The hydrogen peroxide-containing air generated when sterilizing packaging materials using hydrogen peroxide or when sterilizing the aseptic zone in the food filling and packaging machine before operation is exhausted outside the food filling and packaging machine. A food filling and packaging machine equipped with a sterile air circulation system characterized by being circulated and reused.   2. The food filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the air processing apparatus is an apparatus including a platinum catalyst having hydrogen peroxide resolution.   The food filling and packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a hydrogen peroxide concentration meter. A vertical sealing device that is provided in a sterile zone, seals both ends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging material so as to surround the food filling tube, and forms a tube shape;
Horizontally sealed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular packaging material, while feeding the tubular packaging material filled with food to the lower part of the aseptic zone by a length corresponding to one container. A sealing device;
The food filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

Images