JP7409452B2 - Aseptic filling machine and aseptic filling method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an aseptic filling machine and an aseptic filling method for sterilizing a preform, molding the sterilized preform in an aseptic atmosphere, and filling the preform with contents at the same time.

Tea, sports drinks, milk drinks, fruit juice drinks, etc. are mainly distributed in biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. These beverages may go bad if bacteria or the like gets into them when they are filled, so sterilized bottles are filled with sterilized beverages in an aseptic atmosphere and sealed with sterilized caps. This process, from forming the preform into a bottle to sealing it, is carried out continuously using a single aseptic filling machine.

This type of aseptic filling machine sprays a sterilizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide onto the preform while transporting it, then heats the preform to activate the sterilizing agent attached to the surface. An in-line system has been proposed in which the reform is heated to the molding temperature, the heated preform is then molded into a bottle using a blow molding machine, the molded bottle is filled with a beverage, etc., and the bottle is capped to form a sterile package. (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In addition, the preform is heated to the molding temperature, the heated preform is molded into a container, the molded container is sterilized, the sterilized container is filled with the sterilized contents in an aseptic atmosphere, and the contents are Aseptic filling machines have also been proposed that seal filled containers with sterilized lids (Patent Documents 3 and 4).

The aseptic filling machine as described above forms a preform into a bottle and fills the formed bottle with contents, so it is a lengthy system. Therefore, it has been proposed to fill the preform with a beverage at high pressure instead of the high-pressure gas used when blow molding the preform, and to perform molding and filling at the same time (Patent Documents 5 and 6). ).

The method described in Patent Document 5 incorporates a stretching rod and an inner pipe into the core of a mold for injection molding a preform, and after injection molding, the preform fitted onto the core is introduced into the mold as it is. By filling the preform at the same time as molding, sterility can be maintained. This is an extremely complicated method in which injection molding is performed continuously and the injection molded core is also used for blow molding.

Furthermore, Patent Document 6 discloses that a preform is sterilized using steam or the like, the sterilized preform is heated, and a liquid product is sent to the heated preform under high pressure to form a bottle, and at the same time, the liquid product is placed in a bottle. This method is called filling. In order to obtain a sterile product by delivering a liquid product at room temperature, the process must be carried out in a sterile atmosphere, which increases costs and poses a risk that bacterial contaminants can overcome operational safeguards and contaminate the product. However, the sterility of room-temperature filling is not sufficient.

Special Publication No. 2001-510104 JP2009-274740A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-111295 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-155631 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-43129 Special Publication No. 2011-506130

Conventionally, aseptic bottle filling machines molded a preform into a bottle and sterilized the bottle after molding, but this required a large amount of sterilizer and the equipment was too large, so it was necessary to Aseptic filling machines that sterilize products are becoming widespread. However, after the preform is sterilized, the preform is molded into a bottle and the contents are filled into the molded bottle, so the overall size of the aseptic filling machine is reduced compared to sterilizing the bottle after molding. However, it is still quite long.

Therefore, as in Patent Documents 5 and 6, it has been proposed to simultaneously perform molding and filling of the preform into a bottle by filling a sterilized preform with the beverage content under high pressure. However, there has been an insufficient method for maintaining sterility during the process from molding a sterilized preform to filling the molded bottle. There is a possibility that the sterilized preform becomes contaminated with bacteria and the like before filling at the same time as molding, and Patent Document 6 recommends high-temperature filling. This is because by performing high-temperature filling, even if the inner surface of the preform becomes contaminated with bacteria or the like, it is sterilized by the heat of the contents to be filled. Products that have been filled and sealed at high temperatures must be cooled afterwards, and the quality of the products may deteriorate due to heating of the contents, which negates the benefits of aseptic filling.

Patent Document 5 claims that sterility is maintained by molding the core used in injection molding into a bottle with the preform fitted outside and filling the bottle at the same time, but the process is complicated and high-speed productivity is not achieved. That is difficult.

There is a need for an aseptic filling machine that can reduce the size of the equipment, reduce initial investment, simplify the process and reduce running costs, and perform molding and filling at the same time with reliable sterility. The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems by filling the preform with sterilized contents under high pressure while maintaining the sterility of the sterilized preform. An object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling machine and an aseptic filling method that can simultaneously perform molding and filling.

The aseptic filling machine according to the present invention includes a sterilizing section that sterilizes a preform, a heating section that heats the sterilized preform, and a sterilized filling machine that fills the heated preform with sterilized contents under high pressure. An aseptic filling machine comprising a molding and filling section that molds a preform into a bottle and simultaneously fills the bottle with contents, and a sealing section that seals the bottle filled with the contents, the sterilization section, the heating section, and the molding and filling section. and the sealed part is shielded by a chamber, and among the sterilizing part chamber, heating part chamber, molding and filling part chamber, and sealing part chamber that shield each part, the inside and inner surface of at least the molding and filling part chamber and the sealing part chamber are sterilized. and a sterile air supply device for supplying sterile air into at least the forming and filling part chamber and the sealing part chamber, and the forming and filling part includes at least a mold, a blow nozzle, a stretching rod, and a valve block. and a pressurizing device for pressurizing the contents, and a cup-shaped closing device for receiving the discharge from the blow nozzle, and from the cup-shaped closing device to the passage in the valve block, the high-pressure contents are supplied. It is characterized in that it is configured to form a circulation path leading to a manifold, a rotary joint, a cleaning agent tank or a sterile water tank, a heating device, the pressurizing device, the valve block, and the blow nozzle. In addition, an aseptic filling machine according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a sterilization section that sterilizes the preform, a heating section that heats the sterilized preform, and a sterilized content that is transferred to the heated preform under high pressure. The aseptic filling machine includes a forming and filling section that molds the preform into a bottle and simultaneously fills the bottle with the contents, and a sealing section that seals the bottle filled with the contents, the sterilization section, the The heating part, the molding and filling part, and the sealing part are shielded by a chamber, and among the sterilizing part chamber, heating part chamber, molding and filling part chamber, and sealing part chamber, at least the molding and filling part chamber and the sealing part are shielded. A sterilizer that sterilizes the inside and inner surface of the chamber, and a sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air to at least the inside of the molding and filling part chamber and the sealing part chamber are provided, and the molding and filling part is provided with at least a mold, a blower A cup-shaped closing device is provided, which includes a nozzle, a stretching rod, a valve block, and a pressurizing device that pressurizes the contents, and a cup-shaped closing device that receives discharged material from the blow nozzle, and from the cup-shaped closing device, the pressurizing device , the valve block is configured to form a circulation path leading to the blow nozzle, the stretching rod is inserted into the preform, and the inserted stretching rod brings the bottom surface of the preform to the bottom surface of the mold. After stretching the preform in the longitudinal direction until they make contact, the stretching rod is raised and the pressurized contents are stretched to the vicinity of the lower end of the mouth of the preform until the preform is molded into the shape of the mold. It is characterized in that it is configured to be filled.

Further, it is preferable that the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention is provided with a cleaning device for cleaning the inside of the forming and filling chamber and the sealing chamber.

Further, in the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that the molding and filling part chamber includes a movable part that holds the molding and filling part and a fixed part that shields the molding and filling part from outside air.

Further, in the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention, the preform sterilization means in the sterilization section includes contacting the preform with a sterilizing agent, irradiation with an electron beam, irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, contact with hot water, and heating the preform. It is preferable to contact one or more of the vapors.

Further, in the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pressurizing device is a high-pressure plunger pump.

Further, the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention is preferably provided with a stretching rod shielding chamber that shields the stretching rod.

Moreover, the aseptic filling machine according to the present invention is characterized in that the aseptic filling machine is provided with a drive device for the stretching rod that does not insert the stretching rod into the blow nozzle.

The aseptic filling method according to the present invention includes a sterilization step of sterilizing a preform, a heating step of heating the sterilized preform, and filling the heated preform with sterilized contents under high pressure. An aseptic filling method comprising a forming and filling step of forming a preform into a bottle and simultaneously filling the bottle with contents, and a sealing step of sealing the bottle filled with the contents, wherein at least the forming and filling step and the sealing step are performed. sterilize the interior and inner surface of a chamber that shields each part from the outside, supply sterile air into the chamber, maintain sterility within the chamber, and at least the The forming and filling step and the sealing step are performed, and before the forming and filling step is performed, the discharge port of the blow nozzle that discharges the contents into the bottle is closed with a cup-shaped closing device, and the cup-shaped closing device is closed. a passage in the valve block, a high-pressure contents supply manifold, a rotary joint, a cleaning agent tank or a sterile water tank, a heating device, a pressurizing device for pressurizing said contents, and said pressurized contents for controlling said contents . The present invention is characterized in that a circulation path is formed leading to the valve block and the blow nozzle, and the interior of the piping containing the contents is cleaned or sterilized by circulating a cleaning agent or hot water through the circulation path. In addition, the aseptic filling method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a sterilization step of sterilizing a preform, a heating step of heating the sterilized preform, and a high pressure of sterilized contents in the heated preform. An aseptic filling method comprising a molding and filling step of molding the preform into a bottle and simultaneously filling the bottle with the contents, and a sealing step of sealing the bottle filled with the contents, the method comprising at least the molding and filling process. Sterilize the inside and inner surface of a chamber that shields the process and each part where the sealing process is performed from the outside, supply sterile air into the chamber, maintain sterility within the chamber, and maintain sterility. At least the forming and filling step and the sealing step are performed in the chamber, and before the forming and filling step, the outlet of a blow nozzle that discharges the contents into the bottle is closed with a cup-shaped closing device. , a pressurizing device that pressurizes the contents from the cup-shaped closing device, a valve block that controls the pressurized contents, and a circulation path leading to the blow nozzle, and a cleaning agent or hot water is provided in the circulation path. The interior of the pipe containing the contents is cleaned or sterilized by circulating the contents, a stretching rod is inserted into the heated preform, and the inserted stretching rod brings the bottom surface of the preform into contact with the bottom surface of the mold. After stretching the preform in the longitudinal direction until the preform is stretched, the stretching rod is raised and the pressurized contents are stretched to the vicinity of the lower end of the mouth of the preform until the preform is molded into the shape of the mold. Characterized by filling.

In the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, it is preferable to clean the inside and inner surface of the chamber before sterilizing the inside and inner surface of the chamber where the forming and filling step and the sealing step are performed.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, the sterilization step includes any one of contacting the preform with a sterilizing agent, irradiation with an electron beam, irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, contact with hot water, and contact with superheated steam. 1 or 2 or more is preferred.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, the forming and filling step connects the blow nozzle to the top surface of the mouth of the sterilized and heated preform, closes the mold, and stretches the preform with a stretching rod. After stretching in the longitudinal direction, the pressurized contents are introduced into the preform under the control of the valve block, and the preform is stretched in the transverse direction and simultaneously formed into the bottle in the shape of a mold. Preferably, the contents are filled up to the vicinity of the lower end of the mouth of the preform.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge port of the blow nozzle is closed with a cup-shaped closing device, and the inside of the piping for the contents is cleaned or sterilized by receiving and circulating the discharged material. be.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inside of the chamber in which the forming and filling step is performed is sterilized in a state where the stretching rod is not inserted into the blow nozzle.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inside of the chamber in which the forming and filling step is performed is cleaned in a state where the stretching rod is not inserted into the blow nozzle.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, the forming and filling step is performed in a state where the outer surface temperature of the blow nozzle is 60° C. or higher by cleaning or sterilizing the flow path inside the blow nozzle. It is preferable to sterilize the inside of the chamber in which the sterilization is carried out using hydrogen peroxide gas or mist, or a mixture thereof.

Further, in the aseptic filling method according to the present invention, it is preferable to wash the inner surface of the mold while the mold is open while rotating at 60 rpm or less.

According to the aseptic filling machine of the present invention, by introducing the sterilized contents into the preform under high pressure while maintaining the sterility of the sterilized preform, the preform can be molded into a bottle and the contents can be filled. Filling can be done simultaneously. The aseptic filling machine of the present invention requires less installation space because each stage is smaller than the conventional one. Therefore, initial investment cost can be suppressed. Further, according to the aseptic filling method of the present invention, compared to conventional methods, molding and filling are performed at the same time, which simplifies the process and reduces running costs. Furthermore, it is possible to produce products with high reliability in terms of sterility.

1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an aseptic filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a preform supply process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a process of spraying a disinfectant gas onto a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a process of spraying a liquid disinfectant onto a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows a disinfectant gas generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a step of irradiating a preform with an electron beam according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a process of irradiating a preform with light including ultraviolet rays according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a step of spraying superheated steam onto a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a process of supplying sterile air to a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view showing a heating part of a preform concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a molded filling part of a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows an apparatus for performing CIP and SIP in a molding and filling section of a preform according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a bottle sealing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings.

First, there is a sterilization section that sterilizes the preforms supplied from the preform supply device, a heating section that heats the sterilized preforms to a temperature at which they can be molded into bottles, and a heating section that molds the heated preforms into bottles while simultaneously discharging the contents. An overview of an aseptic filling machine including a forming and filling part for filling the bottle and a sealing part for sealing the filled bottle will be explained with reference to FIG. 1, and details of the aseptic filling machine and the aseptic filling method will be explained with reference to the drawings. According to this embodiment, it is possible to fill the sterilized preform with the contents at the same time as molding, and it is possible to obtain a sterile product filled with the contents through fewer steps than in the past.

(Overview of aseptic filling machine)
As shown in FIG. 1, the aseptic filling machine according to this embodiment includes a preform supply device 3 that supplies a preform 1, a sterilization section 6 that sterilizes the preform, and a sterilization section 6 that heats the preform 1 to a temperature at which it is molded into a bottle 2. a heating section 14 that molds the heated preform 1 into a bottle 2 and simultaneously fills it with sterilized contents; and a sealing section that seals the bottle 2 filled with the contents with a sterilized cap 35. It is equipped with 26. Furthermore, a discharge section 30 is provided in which the sealed bottle 2 is placed on a discharge conveyor 31 and discharged into a non-sterile zone.

The sterilizing part 6 is shielded by the sterilizing part chamber 5, the heating part 14 is shielded by the heating part chamber 18, the molding and filling part 21 is shielded by the molding and filling part chamber 22, and the sealing part 26 and the discharge part 30 are each shielded by a sealing part chamber 27. The molding and filling part 21 and the sealing part 26 may be shielded by a single chamber. Depending on the means used to sterilize the preform in the sterilizing section 6, a sterilizing agent gas or mist, a mixture thereof, or ozone is generated in the sterilizing section chamber 5. In order to prevent these from flowing into the heating section 14, the sterilizing section 6 is exhausted by an exhaust blower 33 through an exhaust gas treatment device 32 that detoxifies the sterilizing agent gas or mist or a mixture thereof and ozone.

Before the start of operation of the aseptic filling machine, a sterilizer is installed in at least the forming and filling section chamber 22 and the sealing section chamber 27 among the sterilizing section chamber 5, the heating section chamber 18, the forming and filling section chamber 22, and the sealing section chamber 27. , the inside of each chamber is sterilized. The inside of the sterilizing chamber 5 may be sterilized by sterilizing the preform 1, so it is not necessary to sterilize it before operating the aseptic filling machine. In addition, since the inside of the heating chamber 18 is relatively high temperature to heat the preform 1, and the spindle 52 is inserted into the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, bacteria may be present inside the preform 1. Since the inside of the heating section chamber 18 does not need to be sterilized before the operation of the aseptic filling machine, it is difficult for the inside of the heating section chamber 18 to enter.

The sterilizing device includes a sterilizing agent spray nozzle, such as a one-fluid spray or a two-fluid spray that sprays a sterilizing agent mixed with compressed air, and a sterilizing agent supply device that supplies the sterilizing agent to these nozzles. The disinfectant spray nozzle sprays the disinfectant so that it adheres to the entire area inside each chamber. The sprayed disinfectant sterilizes the inside of each chamber. The disinfectant spray nozzle is arranged so that the disinfectant is applied to the entire area within each chamber. After the sterilizing agent is sprayed, room temperature or heated sterile air is blown into each chamber to activate and further eliminate the sterilizing agent remaining in each chamber. The disinfectant may be removed by spraying sterile water into each chamber before spraying sterile air. Further, since the contents may be scattered inside the molding/filling part chamber 22 and the sealing part chamber 27, it is preferable to clean them before sterilization.

At least, a sterile air supply device is provided in the forming and filling chamber 22 and the sealing chamber 27, and after the inside of each chamber is sterilized, sterile air sterilized by a sterilization filter is supplied into each chamber. Positive pressure is maintained inside the chamber. A sterile air supply device may also be provided in the sterilizing section chamber 5 and the heating section chamber 18. The sterility of the aseptic filling machine is maintained by maintaining positive pressure in each chamber with sterile air. The pressure for maintaining positive pressure inside each chamber is highest in the molding and filling part chamber 22, and is set lower in the heating part chamber 18 and the sealing part chamber 27 than in the molding and filling part chamber. Since the sterilizer chamber 5 is evacuated, it is maintained at approximately the same pressure as atmospheric pressure. The sterilizing section chamber 5 does not have a sterile air supply device, and the sterile air in the heating section chamber 18 may simply flow therein. Further, an exhaust device may be provided in each chamber other than the sterilization section chamber 5, and used in combination with a sterile air supply device to maintain the inside of each chamber at an appropriate pressure. When the forming and filling part 21 and the sealing part 26 are shielded by a single chamber, one sterile air supply device and one exhaust device may be provided in the single chamber.

(Details of aseptic filling machine and aseptic filling method)
The preform 1 shown in FIG. 2 is continuously conveyed from the preform supply device 3 shown in FIG. 1 to the sterilization section 6 by the preform supply conveyor 4 at a desired speed.

The preform 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a cylindrical body with a bottom like a test tube, and is shown in FIG. The preform 1 is provided with a mouth portion 1a similar to the bottle 2 shown in FIG. 12 at the beginning of its molding. A male thread is formed in the mouth portion 1a at the same time as the preform 1 is molded. Furthermore, a support ring 1b for conveyance is formed in the preform 1 below the mouth portion 1a. The preform 1 or the bottle 2 is gripped by the gripper 34 via the support ring 1b and travels inside the aseptic filling machine. The preform 1 is molded by injection molding, compression molding, or the like. The material of the preform 1 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc., and may be a single resin or a mixture of these resins, or may include a recycled thermoplastic resin. Further, in order to impart barrier properties, a thermoplastic resin such as an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or a polyamide containing an aromatic amine such as metaxylylene diamine as a monomer may be included as a layer or as a mixture.

The preform 1 transported to the sterilization section 6 is transported to a sterilization wheel 7 in which a large number of grippers 34 are provided at a constant pitch, and is sterilized there. The sterilization step of sterilizing the preform 1 is performed by one or more of contact with a disinfectant, irradiation with an electron beam, irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, contact with hot water, and contact with superheated steam. The sterilization wheel 7 is provided with sterilization means 8 for carrying out the sterilization process. The preform 1 may be preheated with hot air before being sterilized. In order to preheat the preform 1, a preheating wheel may be provided in front of the sterilization wheel 7. Preheating the preform 1 improves the sterilization effect.

Contacting the preform 1 with a disinfectant according to the embodiment of the present invention means spraying a disinfectant gas or mist or a mixture thereof onto the preform 1 as shown in FIG. 3, or as shown in FIG. This involves spraying a liquid disinfectant onto the inverted preform 1.

The disinfectant sprayed onto the preform 1 as a gas, a mist, or a mixture thereof preferably contains at least hydrogen peroxide. The content thereof is suitably in the range of 0.5% by mass to 65% by mass. If it is less than 0.5% by mass, the sterilizing power may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 65% by mass, it will be difficult to handle from a safety standpoint. A more preferable range is 0.5% by mass to 40% by mass, and when it is 40% by mass or less, it is easier to handle and the hydrogen peroxide concentration is low, so the amount of disinfectant remaining after sterilization can be reduced. In addition, although the disinfectant contains water, one type of alcohol such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, normal propyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, acetylacetone, glycol ethers, etc. Two or more types may be included. Furthermore, disinfectants include organic acids such as peracetic acid and acetic acid, inorganic acids such as nitric acid, basic compounds such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, compounds with a disinfecting effect such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, and ozone. It may contain additives such as cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and phosphoric acid compounds.

The sterilizing agent gas or mist or mixture thereof to be sprayed onto the preform 1 is obtained by a sterilizing agent gas generator 36 shown in FIG. The disinfectant gas generator 36 includes a disinfectant supply section 37 which is a two-fluid spray nozzle that supplies the disinfectant in the form of droplets, and a disinfectant gas generator that heats the disinfectant supplied from the disinfectant supply section 37 to a temperature below the decomposition temperature. and a vaporizing section 38 for vaporizing. The disinfectant supply section 37 introduces a disinfectant and compressed air from a disinfectant supply path 37a and a compressed air supply path 37b, respectively, and sprays the disinfectant into the vaporizing section 38. The vaporizer 38 is a pipe with a heater 38a sandwiched between the inner and outer walls, and heats and vaporizes the disinfectant blown into the pipe. The vaporized sterilizing agent gas is ejected from the sterilizing agent gas spraying nozzle 39 to the outside of the vaporizing section 38 . The vaporizing section 38 may be heated by dielectric heating or superheated steam instead of the heater 38a.

As for the operating conditions of the disinfectant supply section 37, for example, the pressure of compressed air is adjusted within a range of 0.05 MPa to 0.6 MPa. At this time, the supply amount of compressed air is 50L/min. ～300L/min. is appropriate. Further, the sterilizer may be dropped by gravity or by applying pressure, and the supply amount of the sterilizer can be freely set. For example, the sterilizer is supplied to the sterilizer supply path 37a at a rate of 1 g/min. ～100g/min. Supplied in a range of Further, the inner surface of the vaporizing section 38 is heated from 120° C. to 450° C., thereby vaporizing the sprayed disinfectant.

The sterilizing agent gas is blown onto the preform 1 from the sterilizing agent gas spraying nozzle 39, as shown in FIG. The sterilizing agent gas flows in two parts within the sterilizing agent gas spray nozzle 39, and is blown toward the inside of the preform 1 from one nozzle 39a, and toward the outer surface of the preform 1 from the other nozzle 39b. Sprayed. After the sterilizing agent gas comes out of the sterilizing agent gas spray nozzle 39, it flows into the preform 1 in a gaseous state, as a mist, or as a mixture thereof, or flows into the preform 1. Contact external surfaces.

The disinfectant gas or mist, or a mixture thereof, which is blown toward the inside of the preform 1 flows into the preform 1 and then overflows from the mouth 1a of the preform 1. The flow of gas or the like collides with the umbrella-shaped member 40, is guided by the inner surface of the umbrella-shaped member 40, changes its flow toward the outer surface of the preform 1, and comes into contact with the outer surface of the preform 1. When the annular groove 40a is provided in the umbrella-shaped member 40, the overflowing germicidal gas and the like flow along the outer surface of the preform 1.

The spraying amount of the disinfectant gas or mist or a mixture thereof is arbitrary, but the spraying amount is determined by the amount of disinfectant supplied to the disinfectant gas generator 36 and the spraying time. A plurality of disinfectant gas generators 36 may be provided. The amount of spraying also varies depending on the size of the preform 1. The sterilizing agent gas or mist, or a mixture thereof ejected from the sterilizing agent gas spraying nozzle 39, may be diluted with hot air and then sprayed onto the preform 1.

When hydrogen peroxide is used as the disinfectant, the amount of gas, etc. sprayed in the hydrogen peroxide is as follows. The amount of hydrogen peroxide that adheres to the preform 1 due to the hydrogen peroxide gas etc. sprayed onto the preform 1 from the disinfectant gas spray nozzle 39 is the amount of hydrogen peroxide containing 35% by mass of hydrogen peroxide. It is preferably 0.0035 μL/cm ² to 0.35 μL/cm ² . Further, the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the hydrogen peroxide solution gas etc. sprayed onto the preform 1 is preferably 2 mg/L to 20 mg/L, more preferably 5 mg/L to 10 mg/L.

The preform 1 onto which the sterilizing agent gas or mist or a mixture thereof has been sprayed is preferably rinsed with sterilized air. A nozzle for blowing air onto the preform 1 may be provided facing the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, or a nozzle that follows the transport speed of the preform 1 may be inserted into the interior of the preform 1. This type of sterile air rinse has the effects of activating the sterilizing agent sprayed onto the preform 1, and eliminating the sterilizing agent sprayed onto the inner surface of the preform 1 and foreign matter and dust present on the inner surface. be. The air for sterile air rinsing may be at room temperature or heated. Heating is more effective in activating the disinfectant. Furthermore, the sterile air rinse may be performed with the preform 1 standing upright or upside down. It is more effective to hold the device upside down to remove foreign objects. Furthermore, in order to remove foreign matter, it is preferable to suction the vicinity of the mouth portion 1a of the inverted preform 1. The amount of air blown is preferably 0.04 L/preform to 400 L/preform. When the disinfectant is hydrogen peroxide, the amount of hydrogen peroxide that adheres to the preform 1 after the sterile air rinse is 0.0003 μL/cm ² in terms of hydrogen peroxide containing 35% by mass of hydrogen peroxide. A range of ˜0.35 μL/cm ² is preferred. More preferably, it is 0.0004 μL/cm ² to 0.2 μL/cm ² . When the amount of hydrogen peroxide attached is 0.0003 μL/cm ² or more, a sufficient sterilizing effect can be obtained. Furthermore, when the amount of hydrogen peroxide attached exceeds 0.35 μL/cm ² , a large amount of hydrogen peroxide remains in the bottle 2.

In the sterilization method of spraying sterilizer gas, mist, or a mixture thereof onto the preform 1, sterilizer gas, mist, or a mixture thereof is generated during the spraying process and the subsequent air rinsing process, so the inside of the sterilizer chamber 5 is Needs to be evacuated. The exhausted air is rendered harmless by the exhaust gas treatment device 32 and discharged by the exhaust blower 33.

The liquid disinfectant is sprayed onto the inverted preform 1 as shown in FIG. The support ring 1b of the inverted preform 1 is gripped by the gripper 34 so that the liquid disinfectant contacts the entire inner surface of the preform 1, and the upward disinfectant spray nozzle 41a is used to spray the preform 1 from the mouth 1a. Spray liquid disinfectant on the inside surface. Further, a liquid sterilizer is sprayed onto the outer surface of the preform 1 by a downward sterilizer spraying nozzle 41b so that the liquid sterilizer comes into contact with the entire outer surface of the preform 1. The disinfectant spray nozzle 41a may be provided facing the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, or may be provided so as to follow the conveyance speed of the preform 1 in order to be inserted into the interior of the preform 1. Moreover, there may be a plurality of disinfectant spray nozzles 41b. Furthermore, as long as the liquid sterilizer can come into contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1, the preform 1 may be immersed in the liquid sterilizer instead of being sprayed with a nozzle.

Preferably, the liquid disinfectant contains peracetic acid, and more preferably, the liquid disinfectant is a balanced peroxide composition consisting of peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and water. The concentration of peracetic acid is preferably 500 mg/L to 4000 mg/L. If it is less than 500 mg/L, the sterilizing power is insufficient, and if it exceeds 4,000 mg/L, the concentration of peracetic acid is high, which may cause deterioration of members such as packing used in aseptic filling machines. In addition, a disinfectant containing a disinfectant component such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, or ozone may be used as a liquid disinfectant. Liquid disinfectants contain water, and alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, and butyl alcohol, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and acetylacetone, and glycol ethers may also be used. It may contain one or more species. Furthermore, it may contain additives such as inorganic acids such as nitric acid, basic compounds such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and phosphoric acid compounds.

Although the liquid disinfectant may be kept at room temperature, it is preferably heated to 40°C to 80°C. Heating improves the bactericidal effect of disinfectants. The flow rate of each disinfectant spray nozzle 41a and 41b is 1 L/min. ～15L/min. , preferably 3 L/min. ～10L/min. is appropriate. Further, the appropriate spraying time is 0.2 seconds to 5 seconds. The amount of liquid disinfectant sprayed onto the preform 1 is determined by the flow rate and spraying time of the disinfectant spray nozzles 41a and 41b, and is 0.05 ml/cm ² to 20 ml/cm relative to the surface area of the preform 1. ² is preferred. If it is less than 0.05 ml/cm ² sterilization will be insufficient, and if it exceeds 20 ml/cm ² it will be too much and waste energy and sterilizer.

The preform 1 that has been contacted with the liquid disinfectant is rinsed with sterile water to remove the adhered disinfectant. Sterile water is produced by heating water at 121°C or higher for 4 minutes or more or by passing it through a sterilizing filter. Furthermore, the sterile water may be water that has been treated under sterilization conditions equivalent to or higher than those of the contents to be filled. For example, if the content to be filled is mineral water, the preform 1 may be rinsed with the mineral water to be filled. The rinsing of the preform 1 with sterile water is performed using the same process and equipment as in the spraying of the disinfectant shown in FIG. The support ring 1b of the inverted preform 1 is gripped by the gripper 34 so that the entire inner surface of the preform 1 is rinsed with sterile water, and sterile water is sprayed onto the inner surface of the preform 1 from the mouth portion 1a using an upward nozzle. . Further, sterile water is sprayed onto the outer surface of the preform 1 using a downward nozzle so that the entire outer surface of the preform 1 is rinsed with sterile water. The upward nozzle may be provided facing the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, or a nozzle that follows the conveyance speed of the preform 1 to be inserted into the preform 1 may be provided. Further, there may be a plurality of downward nozzles.

The temperature of the sterile water is controlled at 10°C to 80°C, preferably 30°C to 70°C. The flow rate per nozzle that sprays sterile water is 1 L/min. ～15L/min. , preferably 3 L/min. ～10L/min. is appropriate. Further, the appropriate spraying time is 0.1 seconds to 15 seconds. The amount of sterile ^water sprayed onto the preform 1 is determined by the flow rate of the nozzle and the spraying time;
cm ² is preferred. If it is less than 0.05 ml/cm ² , rinsing will be insufficient, and if it exceeds 20 ml/cm ² , it will be too much and energy will be wasted.

The sterile water adhering to the preform 1 that has been rinsed with sterile water is preferably removed by blowing sterile air onto the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. Although the preform 1 is heated to the molding temperature in the heating section 14, uneven heating may occur in the areas where the sterile water has adhered, which may cause molding defects such as whitening and uneven thickness in the bottle 2 to be molded. It is. The sterile air is preferably compressed air rather than blower air, and the pressure of the sterile air is 0.01 MPa or more, preferably 0.1 MPa to 0.6 MPa. The inner diameter of the nozzle for spraying sterile air is φ1 mm to φ10 mm, preferably φ2 to φ8 mm. When the liquid disinfectant is hydrogen peroxide, the amount of hydrogen peroxide that adheres to the preform 1 after sterile air rinsing is 0.0003 μL/converted to hydrogen peroxide containing 35% by mass of hydrogen peroxide. A range of cm ² to 0.35 μL/cm ² is preferred. More preferably, it is 0.0004 μL/cm ² to 0.2 μL/cm ² . When the amount of hydrogen peroxide attached is 0.0003 μL/cm ² or more, a sufficient sterilizing effect can be obtained. Further, when the amount of hydrogen peroxide attached exceeds 0.35 μL/cm ² , a large amount of hydrogen peroxide remains in the bottle 2.

The irradiation of the preform 1 with an electron beam according to the embodiment of the present invention refers to the irradiation of the electron beam onto the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1 being transported by electron beam irradiation devices 42a, 42b, and 42c, as shown in FIG. It is to irradiate. The electron beam has a sterilizing effect, and bacteria and the like adhering to the surface of the preform 1 are sterilized by the electron beam irradiation. In FIG. 6, the preform 1 is irradiated with the electron beam from three directions, but any method may be used as long as the electron beam is irradiated on the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. For example, if the preform 1 is rotated, the electron beam irradiation device 42b becomes unnecessary. Alternatively, a reflecting mirror may be provided above the opening 1a of the preform 1, and the electron beam irradiated from the electron beam irradiation device 42a may be introduced into the interior of the preform 1 from the opening 1a of the preform 1. . Furthermore, a rod-shaped electron beam irradiation device may be inserted into the preform 1 to irradiate the inner surface of the preform 1 with the electron beam.

The electron beam irradiation devices 42a, 42b, and 42c may have any structure. For example, there are a scanning type and a monofilament type, and a low output type with an output of 100 kV to 500 kV is preferred because it is easy to handle.

Before irradiating the preform 1 with an electron beam, it is preferable to remove foreign matter adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. This is because if foreign matter adheres to the surface of the preform 1, the electron beam will not be irradiated to that part, which may result in poor sterilization. In order to remove foreign matter from the preform 1, the preform 1 is held upright or upside down and air or water is sprayed onto the preform 1. If water is sprayed, it is necessary to further remove it, so air spraying is preferable. Before blowing air, it is preferable to blow ionized air onto the preform 1 to remove static electricity. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a suction nozzle near the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1 to suction foreign matter and remove it to the outside of the aseptic filling machine. The step of removing foreign matter from the preform 1 is carried out on the preform supply conveyor 4 outside the sterilization section chamber 5, and after removing the foreign matter, the preform 1 is conveyed into the sterilization section chamber 5.

Since the electron beam changes oxygen into ozone, ozone is generated if oxygen is present in the atmosphere in which the electron beam is irradiated. In order to remove the generated ozone, the inside of the sterilizer chamber 5 needs to be evacuated. The generation of ozone can be suppressed by replacing the atmosphere in which electron beam irradiation is performed with nitrogen or the like.

Irradiating the preform 1 with light containing ultraviolet rays according to the embodiment of the present invention means irradiating the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1 with light containing ultraviolet rays emitted from the light irradiation lamp 43 as shown in FIG. be. It is preferable to provide a light reflecting plate 44 on the opposite side of the preform 1 to the light irradiation lamp 43 to reflect the irradiated light and direct it toward the preform 1.

The ultraviolet light contained in the irradiated light is a type of electromagnetic wave having a wavelength of 100 nm to 380 nm. The irradiated light includes any of these wavelengths, but ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 100 nm to 280 nm, called UV-C, are particularly effective for sterilization. Furthermore, ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 253.7 nm have the most sterilizing effect, and it is optimal to include this.

The light irradiation lamp 43 that emits ultraviolet light of 100 nm to 380 nm is a low pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon flash lamp, or the like. In particular, it is optimal for the light irradiation lamp 43 to be a xenon flash lamp, since the light (wavelength: 100 to 950 nm) emitted from a xenon flash lamp whose interior is filled with xenon gas has a high sterilizing effect.

The sterilizing effect of irradiation with light containing ultraviolet light is proportional to the amount of light irradiated per unit area and the irradiation time. However, the light emitted by a xenon flash lamp has a higher sterilizing effect than the light emitted by a low-pressure mercury lamp or a high-pressure mercury lamp, so it is possible to sufficiently sterilize with short irradiation. temperature rise at the mouth can be avoided.

The number of light irradiation lamps 43 does not matter as long as they irradiate the entire inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. As shown in FIG. 7, a large number of them may be provided to irradiate the outer and inner surfaces with light including ultraviolet rays. However, if the preform 1 is rotated, the light irradiation lamps 43 that irradiate the side surface of the preform 1 may be arranged in one row. In order to irradiate the inner surface of the preform 1 with light containing ultraviolet rays, a light irradiation lamp 43 is provided opposite the opening 1a of the preform 1, and the light containing ultraviolet rays is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform 1 through the opening of the opening 1a. It is preferable to irradiate the inner surface. Further, it is preferable that the light reflecting plate 44 be provided in a dome shape toward the mouth portion 1a to efficiently irradiate the inner surface of the preform 1 with light including ultraviolet rays emitted from the light irradiation lamp 43. In order to irradiate the inner surface of the preform 1 with light containing ultraviolet rays, a rod-shaped light irradiation lamp may be inserted into the interior of the preform 1 to irradiate the inner surface of the preform 1 with light containing ultraviolet rays. Note that the light irradiation lamp 43 may have any shape, such as a round shape, a rod shape, or a U-shape.

The light reflecting plate 44 shown in FIG. 7 has the purpose of efficiently irradiating the preform 1 with light including ultraviolet rays emitted from the light irradiation lamp 43. Therefore, the light irradiation lamp 43 is provided on the opposite side to the preform 1. The light reflecting plate 44 may be a flat surface, a curved surface, or a combination of a plurality of surfaces of any shape. The light reflecting plate 44 may be of any type as long as it can reflect light including ultraviolet rays. For example, it may be made of synthetic resin, metal, or glass with a smooth surface, or may be coated, plated with metal, or vapor-deposited with metal or metal oxide to make it even smoother. It may be a combination of the following.

Before irradiating the preform 1 with light including ultraviolet rays, it is preferable to remove foreign matter adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. This is because if foreign matter adheres to the surface of the preform 1, the part will not be irradiated with light containing ultraviolet rays, which may result in poor sterilization. In order to remove foreign matter from the preform 1, the preform 1 is held upright or upside down and air or water is sprayed onto the preform 1. If water is sprayed, it must be removed, so air spraying is preferred. Before blowing air, it is preferable to blow ionized air onto the preform 1 to remove static electricity. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a suction nozzle near the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1 to suction foreign matter and remove it to the outside of the aseptic filling machine. The step of removing foreign matter from the preform 1 is performed on the preform supply conveyor 4 outside the sterilization chamber 5, and after removing the foreign matter, the preform 1 is conveyed into the sterilization chamber 5.

Light containing ultraviolet light converts oxygen into ozone, so if oxygen is present in the atmosphere in which light containing ultraviolet light is irradiated, ozone is generated. In order to remove the generated ozone, the inside of the sterilizer chamber 5 needs to be evacuated. The generation of ozone can be suppressed by replacing the atmosphere in which light including ultraviolet rays is irradiated with nitrogen or the like.

Contacting the preform 1 with hot water according to the embodiment of the present invention means applying hot water to the inside of the preform 1 through a nozzle, similar to the process of spraying a liquid disinfectant onto the inverted preform 1 shown in FIG. This is done by spraying on the outside surface. Bacteria adhering to the surface of the preform 1 are sterilized by the heat of the hot water. The support ring 1b of the inverted preform 1 is gripped by the gripper 34 so that the entire inner surface of the preform 1 is sterilized by the hot water, and hot water is sprayed onto the inner surface of the preform 1 from the mouth portion 1a with an upward nozzle. Further, warm water is sprayed onto the outer surface of the preform 1 using a downward nozzle so that the entire outer surface of the preform 1 is sterilized by the warm water. The upward nozzle may be provided facing the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, or a nozzle that follows the conveyance speed of the preform 1 to be inserted into the preform 1 may be provided. Further, there may be a plurality of downward nozzles.

Warm water is water heated to 70°C to 100°C or sterile water. The flow rate of each nozzle that sprays hot water is 1 L/min. ～15L/min. , preferably 3 L/min. ～10L/min. is appropriate. The inner diameter of the nozzle is φ1 mm to φ10 mm, preferably φ2 mm to φ8 mm. Further, the appropriate spraying time is 0.1 seconds to 15 seconds. The amount of hot water sprayed onto the preform 1 is determined by the flow rate of the nozzle and the spraying time, but is preferably 0.05 ml/cm ² to 20 ml/cm ² based on the surface area of the preform 1. If it is less than 0.05 ml/cm ² sterilization will be insufficient, and if it exceeds 20 ml/cm ² it will be excessive and energy will be wasted.

Preferably, hot water adhering to the preform 1 sterilized by hot water is removed by blowing air onto the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. Although the preform 1 is heated to the molding temperature in the heating section 14, uneven heating may occur in the areas where hot water has adhered, which may cause molding defects such as whitening and uneven thickness in the molded container. . The air blown onto the preform 1 is preferably sterile air that has passed through a sterilization filter.

As shown in FIG. 8, the contact of superheated steam to the preform 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention means that the superheated steam generated from the superheated steam generator 45 is brought into contact with the preform 1 through the superheated steam blowing nozzle 46 and the superheated steam blowing slit 47. This involves spraying superheated steam onto the inner and outer surfaces of the preform 1. Bacteria adhering to the surface of the preform 1 are sterilized by the heat of the superheated steam.

Superheated steam is generated by the superheated steam generator 45 from water supplied to the superheated steam generator 45, and has a temperature of 200° C. to 500° C. and a pressure of 0.1 MPa to 0.3 MPa higher than atmospheric pressure. It's steam. The superheated steam generator 45 heats the water pipe using a heater or an induction coil to generate superheated steam. The generated superheated steam is ejected from the superheated steam spray nozzle 46 and sprayed onto the inner surface of the preform 1. Further, the superheated steam generated by the superheated steam generator 45 is introduced into the superheated steam blowing slit 47, and the superheated steam is sprayed onto the outer surface of the preform 1.

The water supplied to the superheated steam generator 45 may contain a sterilizing compound such as hydrogen peroxide. For example, the bactericidal effect is improved by adding 1% to 5% by mass of hydrogen peroxide.

By rotating the preform 1, superheated steam can be efficiently sprayed onto the outer surface. Alternatively, the superheated steam spray nozzle 46 may be inserted into the preform 1 to spray superheated steam onto the inner surface of the preform 1. Since sterilization is achieved by spraying for a short time, the mouth portion 1a will not be deformed and the resin forming the preform 1 will not be excessively heated. Moreover, since the steam drain does not remain inside the preform 1, the preform 1 can be transported to the heating section 14 without removing the drain. After the superheated steam is sprayed, foreign matter may be removed and the preform may be cooled by spraying sterile air.

As described above, the preform 1 is processed in the sterilization section 6 by the sterilization means 8 provided on the sterilization wheel 7, including contact with a disinfectant, irradiation with an electron beam, irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, contact with hot water, and irradiation with superheated steam. It is sterilized by any one or more methods of contact. The sterilizing means 8 is provided around the sterilizing wheel 7, but one or more wheels may be provided in addition to the sterilizing wheel 7, and the sterilizing means may be provided on a plurality of wheels. In addition to the sterilization wheel 7, the preform supply device 3 or the preform supply conveyor 4 may be used for sterilization.

The inside of the sterilizing chamber 5 may be sterilized by spraying a sterilizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide into the sterilizing chamber 5 before the aseptic filling machine is operated. For this purpose, a sterilizer spray nozzle is provided on the wall inside the sterilizer chamber 5. Further, in order to sterilize the surface of the sterilizing filter of the sterilizing air supply device, which is in contact with the sterilizing chamber 5, on the sterilizing chamber 5 side, a similar sterilizing agent spray nozzle is also provided.

The preform 1 sterilized in the sterilizing section 6 is held by the gripper 34 by the support ring 1b, and is conveyed to the heating section conveyance wheel 11 via the wheel 9. As shown in FIG. 9, a preform tunnel 10 may be provided in the preform 1 in the wheel 9 and the heating section transport wheel 11 so as to surround the transport path of the preform 1. The preform tunnel 10 covers the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1 from above, and the ceiling portion is formed in the shape of a roof with an inclined surface. In addition, a preform sterile air supply nozzle 48 for blowing sterile air toward the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1 is provided in the ceiling portion in the form of a row of pipes or a slit. Thereby, sterile air is efficiently supplied to the preform 1, and the preform 1 can travel while maintaining sterility within the heating section chamber 18. Sterile air is generated by a blower and passed through a sterilization filter. Alternatively, compressed air with high propulsive force may be sterilized using a sterilization filter. The preform 1 is introduced into the heating device 49 via the heating section transport wheel 11.

As shown in FIG. 10, the preform heating device 49 includes a heating furnace 50 and a drive section 51. The heating furnace 50 includes at least a heater 15 for heating the preform 1, a reflector 16 for efficiently heating the preform 1 by reflecting the heat of the heater 15, and a reflector 16 for holding and rotating the preform 1. The spindle 52 is provided at regular intervals, and includes an endless chain 12 for moving the spindle 52 and pulleys 13a and 13b for rotating the endless chain 12. Further, in order to prevent the heat of the heater 15 from being conducted to the outside of the preform heating furnace 50, a heat insulating material 53 may be provided outside the heater 15.

The drive unit 51 includes a motor, motion transmission means, and the like. The equipment of the drive section 51 requires lubricant, and it is difficult to maintain sterility due to the accumulation of dirt.

The heater 15 is preferably a halogen lamp that emits infrared rays. A plurality of halogen lamps are provided in parallel as heaters 15 perpendicular to the axial direction of the preform 1. The preform 1 is heated by near infrared rays, infrared rays, and far infrared rays emitted from the halogen lamp of the heater 15. The heating temperature of the plurality of halogen lamps provided is controlled, and a temperature difference may be provided in the heating temperature of the preform 1 in the axial direction. Further, a plurality of halogen lamp units are provided in the moving direction of the preform 1 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, a total of 12 units are provided, 6 units in each row, but the number of units can be determined arbitrarily. The temperature of these halogen lamp units may be controlled and set to a high temperature at the beginning of heating and a low temperature at the end of heating.

As shown in FIG. 10, the preform 1 transported to the heating furnace 50 is heated by the heater 15 by infrared heating or other heating means to a temperature suitable for subsequent blow molding. Preferably, this temperature is between 90°C and 130°C. Note that the temperature of the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1 is suppressed to 70° C. or lower to prevent deformation and the like.

In order to prevent the mouth part 1a of the preform 1 from overheating, as shown in FIG. A material 54 is provided. The mouth protection material 54 prevents infrared rays emitted from the heater 15 from reaching the mouth part 1a of the preform 1 more than necessary. Further, in order to prevent the temperature of the mouth portion 1a from rising due to the rising air current generated by the heat of the heater 15, a planar heat shield plate 55 may be provided at an angle of 90° or less with respect to the axial direction of the preform 1. I do not care.

However, if the temperature of the mouth portion 1a is less than 40° C., the bactericidal effect of the mouth portion 1a may be reduced. In order to avoid this, a focus lamp that actively increases the temperature of the mouth portion 1a is provided in the heating section 19, and the focus lamp heats the mouth portion 1a to bring the temperature of the mouth portion 1a to 40 to 70°C. I don't mind. Thereby, the sterilizing effect of the mouth part 1a can be improved and the sterilizing agent attached to the surface of the mouth part 1a can be volatilized and removed.

Although the preform 1 is heated by infrared rays and the like emitted from the heater 15, the infrared rays and the like that reach the rear of the preform 1 without being absorbed by the preform 1 do not contribute to heating. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, by providing a reflector 16 at the rear of the preform 1, infrared rays and the like that reach the rear of the preform 1 can be reflected to efficiently heat the preform 1. The reflector 16 is made of metal that is vapor-deposited or plated with gold, silver, aluminum, or the like. Any material may be used as long as it can reflect infrared rays. The reflector 16 may be a flat surface, a curved surface, or a combination of a flat surface and a curved surface. The reflector 16 may be provided not only at the rear of the preform 1 but also at the rear of the heater 15 to reflect infrared rays etc. emitted to the rear of the heater 15.

As shown in FIG. 10, the preform 1 is conveyed through the heating furnace 50 while the spindle 52 is inserted into the mouth portion 1a and rotated. The preform 1 is supported by the spindle 52 by elastic deformation of an elastic body such as rubber or a spring when the lower part of the spindle 52 is inserted into the mouth portion 1a. The spindle 52 is held by the endless chain 12. Endless chain 12 is rotated by pulleys 13a and 13b. By inserting a mandrel into the preform 1 instead of the spindle 52, it is also possible to transport the preform 1 while rotating it in an inverted state.

The inside of the heating section chamber 18 may be sterilized before the preform heating device 49 is operated. For this purpose, the heating section chamber 18 is provided with a sterilizer. The sterilizer includes at least a spray nozzle 56 that sprays a sterilizer gas or mist or a mixture thereof into the heating section chamber 18, and a sterilizer gas generator 36 that generates a sterilizer gas.

As shown in FIG. 10, a spray nozzle 56 is provided on the wall of the heating section chamber 18, and a sterilizing agent gas or mist, or a mixture thereof is sprayed into the heating section chamber 18 from the spray nozzle 56. From the spray nozzle 56, the sterilizing agent gas generated by the sterilizing agent gas generator 36 as shown in FIG. It is sprayed onto the wall surface of the heating section chamber 18.

After the sterilizing agent gas or mist, or a mixture thereof, is sprayed into the heater chamber 18 from the spray nozzle 56, sterile air is blown into the heater chamber 18. The sterile air vaporizes and removes any sterilizing agent remaining in the heater chamber 18. Further, at this time, the vaporized disinfectant may exhibit a sterilizing effect.

In order to blow sterile air into the heating section chamber 18 from below, a sterile air supply device 57 is provided at the bottom of the heating section chamber 18, as shown in FIG. The sterile air supply device 57 includes a blower 58 and a sterilization filter 59. Furthermore, since sterile air may be heated, it is preferable to provide a sterile air heating device 60 between the blower 58 and the sterilizing filter 59.

The air generated by the blower 58 is heated by a sterile air heating device 60 and sterilized by a sterilizing filter 59, and then becomes sterile hot air and is blown into the heating section chamber 18 from below. Sterile air does not need to be heated, but by heating, the sterilizing agent can be removed quickly and the sterilizing effect of the sterilizing agent can be enhanced. When sterile air is supplied into the heating section chamber 18 in order to maintain sterility within the heating section chamber 18 during operation of the preform heating device 49, the sterile air does not need to be heated.

When sterilizing the inside of the heating section chamber 18 before operating the preform heating device 49, a sterilizing agent gas or mist or a mixture thereof is sprayed by the spray nozzle 56, thereby sterilizing the sterilizing filter 59 made of a HEPA filter or the like. The inner surface of the container is also sterilized.

Since the interior of the heating section chamber 18 is heated by the heater 15, an upward air current is generated. By flowing the sterile air in the same direction as this upward airflow, the sterile air can flow more smoothly without causing turbulence within the heating section chamber 18 than by flowing the sterile air from above to below. Therefore, sterile air is blown from the bottom of the heating section chamber 18 to the top. As shown in FIG. 10, the sterile air blown from the bottom flows toward the top outside and inside the heater 15 and reflector 16.

In order to heat the preform 1 efficiently, the flow rate of sterile air flowing between the heater 15 and the reflector 16 may be controlled by adjusting the opening area of a plate provided at the bottom of the preform 1. Furthermore, the cooling effect caused by the flow of sterile air between the heater 15 and the reflector 16 may be suppressed by heating the sterile air.

As shown in FIG. 10, an exhaust device 61 is provided above the heating section chamber 18 to exhaust sterile air to the outside of the preform heating device 49, thereby maintaining the pressure inside the heating section chamber 18 appropriately. . As shown in FIG. 10, the pressure sensor 62 is provided above the heating section chamber 18, so that the pressure inside the heating section chamber 18 is constantly measured. The blower 58 and exhaust device 61 are controlled based on the measured air pressure value to maintain the pressure within the heating section chamber 18 appropriately.

The heated preform 1 is released from the spindle 52, gripped by the gripper 34, and conveyed via the wheel 17 to the molding and filling wheel 20 of the molding and filling section 21. Similarly to the wheel 9, the wheel 17 may also be provided with a preform tunnel 19 so as to surround the conveyance path of the preform 1 as shown in FIG. 9, and sterile air may be blown onto the preform 1.

As shown in FIG. 11, the molding and filling section 21 includes a mold 23, a blow nozzle 62, a valve block 63, a stretching rod 64, and a pressurizing device 65. Further, a drive section 66 for driving the forming and filling section 21 is provided. In order to ensure the sterility of the preform 1 and the bottle 2, the forming and filling section 21 must be cleaned and sterilized before operation, and sterility must be maintained during operation. Although not shown, the drive unit 66 includes a motor, a hydraulic device, a motion transmission means, an air cylinder, and the like. The drive unit 66 equipment requires lubrication and accumulates dirt, making it difficult to maintain sterility.

As shown in FIG. 11, in order to ensure the sterility of the molding and filling part 21, the molding and filling part 21 is shielded by a molding and filling part chamber 22. The molding and filling chamber 22 is equipped with a cleaning device and a sterilizing device for cleaning and sterilizing the inside of the molding and filling chamber 22 before operating the aseptic filling machine. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the molding and filling part chamber 22 includes a movable part 67 that holds the molding and filling part 21 and isolating the molding and filling part 21 from the driving part 66, and a fixed part that shields the molding and filling part 21 from the outside. It consists of part 68. The movable part 67 rotates about the double pipe 69 as a central axis. The molding and filling part 21 held by the movable part 67 also rotates, and as the preform 1 rotates, the preform 1 is molded into the bottle 2 and the contents are filled at the same time.

The preform 1 is transferred from the wheel 17 to the molding and filling wheel 20 by closing the mold 23. Thereafter, the blow nozzle 62 is joined to the mouth portion 1a of the preform 1, and the stretching rod 64 is guided into the hole provided in the blow nozzle 62 and inserted into the preform 1. The preform 1 is stretched in the longitudinal direction until it contacts the bottom surface of the mold 23. Thereafter, the stretching rod is raised, and at the same time, the medium pressure content P1 and the high pressure content P2 are sequentially fed into the preform 1 by the operation of the solenoid valve of the valve block 63, and the preform 1 is formed into the bottle 2, and at the same time the content is is filled. The high-pressure content P2 must be filled until the preform 1 is molded into the shape of the mold 23. Therefore, the high-pressure content P2 is filled up to the lower end of the mouth portion 1a. If the mouth portion 1a is filled to the vicinity of the upper end, there is a risk that the contents may overflow from the bottle 2 when the filled bottle 2 is transported. The filling amount of the high-pressure content P2 must be controlled to near the lower end of the mouth portion 1a. The pressure of the medium pressure content P1 is 1 MPa to 2.5 MPa, and the pressure of the high pressure content P2 is 2.5 MPa to 4 MPa. As shown in FIG. 11, the medium-pressure content P1 and the high-pressure content P2 are obtained by pressurizing the content, which has been sterilized by a sterilizer (not shown), by a pressurizing device 65. The pressurizing device is, for example, a multiple high-pressure plunger pump.

The molded bottle 2 is opened, the bottle 2 is gripped by the gripper 34 of the wheel 24, and is conveyed from the molding and filling section 21 to the wheel 25 in the sealing section 28. The molding of the preform 1 into the bottle 2 and the simultaneous filling are performed by opening and closing the mold 23 as the movable part 67 of the molding and filling chamber 22 and the molding and filling part 21 held by the movable part 67 rotate, and by opening and closing the stretching rod 64. This is performed by repeating the lowering and raising of the preform 1 and the filling of the medium pressure content P1 and the high pressure content P2 into the preform 1.

As shown in FIG. 11, a sterile atmosphere is maintained inside the forming and filling chamber 22 when the aseptic filling machine is in operation. The drive unit 66 is provided in a non-sterile atmosphere. The sterile atmosphere and the non-sterile atmosphere are separated by sealing the lower part of the movable part 67 by a liquid sealing device 70 provided at the lower part of the movable part 67. The liquid may be any liquid such as water, but peracetic acid (the concentration contained in the liquid is preferably 100 ppm or more and 3000 ppm or less) or hydrogen peroxide (the liquid must contain 1% by mass or more and 36% by mass or less) Preferred is a liquid containing a disinfectant, such as (preferably). The end surface of the movable part 67 that is immersed in the liquid of the liquid sealing device 70 is provided so as not to come into contact with the bottom of the liquid sealing device 70 . The liquid communicates with both sides of the movable part 67, which are immersed therein. However, when the inside of the molding and filling chamber 22 is under positive pressure due to the supply of sterile air, the liquid level on the non-sterile atmosphere side of the liquid sealing device 70 is higher than the liquid level on the sterile atmosphere side. It's getting expensive.

As shown in FIG. 11, medium-pressure contents P1 and high-pressure contents P2 necessary for molding the preform 1 into the bottle 2 and filling it at the same time are provided in the double pipe 69 from the upper part of the molding and filling section 21. It is supplied by piping provided. The double pipe 69 and the fixed part 68 are joined by a rotary joint 71. The medium-pressure contents P1 and the high-pressure contents P2 are introduced into the high-pressure contents supply manifold 72 in a non-sterile atmosphere from piping in a double pipe 69 passing through a sterile atmosphere. Since the medium pressure content P1 and the high pressure content P2 are supplied from the high pressure content supply manifold 72 to the valve block 63 held by the movable part 67, the high pressure content supply manifold 72 is rotatable.

The inside of the forming and filling chamber 22 is cleaned before operation of the aseptic filling machine. For this purpose, the forming and filling chamber 22 is provided with a cleaning device. The cleaning device is, as shown in FIG. 11, a spray nozzle 56 provided in the fixed portion 68 of the forming and filling chamber 22, and a cleaning agent supply device that supplies a cleaning agent to the spray nozzle 56. The spray nozzle 56 uses a two-fluid spray that sprays one fluid or a cleaning agent mixed with compressed air, and sprays the cleaning agent before or at the same time as sterilizing the inside and inner surface of the forming and filling chamber 22. from the inside of the forming and filling chamber 22. Thereafter, water or sterile water is sprayed from the spray nozzle 56 into the mold-filled chamber 22 to wash away the cleaning agent.

The area where the inside of the mold 23 is opened is limited, and in order to clean the inside of the mold 23, the spray nozzle 56 is used in the area where the mold is open (a short distance between the foil 17 and the foil 24). It is desirable to provide a large number of them. Furthermore, when cleaning the mold 23, it is preferable to spray the cleaning agent while rotating the mold 23 at a speed of 60 rpm or less. By cleaning, the outer surfaces of the mold 23, the blow nozzle 62, the stretching rod chamber 64a, the valve block 63, etc., which are present inside the molding and filling chamber 22, and the inner surface of the molding and filling chamber 22 are cleaned. The spraying pressure of the cleaning agent is at least 0.05 MPa or higher, preferably 0.2 MPa or higher.

As shown in FIG. 11, the stretching rod 64 is held by a stretching rod holding member 73. As shown in FIG. The stretching rod 64 is raised or lowered by operating the stretching rod holding member 73. The stretching rod holder 73 moves up and down by the movement of the stretching rod holder operating shaft 73a. The stretching rod holder 73 is operated by rotating the stretching rod holder operating shaft 73a with a servo motor or by coupling the stretching rod holder operating shaft 73a to a pneumatic cylinder. However, when using a pneumatic cylinder, it is necessary to sterilize the inside of the cylinder by introducing sterilizing agent gas into the cylinder, or to sterilize the air that generates pressure by passing it through a sterilizing filter. Further, the shaft that goes in and out of the pneumatic cylinder may be protected with a bellows. The stretching rod 64 may not be directly held by the stretching rod holding member 73, but may be raised and lowered using a magnetic body.

The stretching rod 64 is inserted into the blow nozzle 62, and since the contents are filled into the preform 1 from the outer peripheral portion of the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod 64 comes into contact with the contents. In order to prevent the contents attached to the stretching rod 64 from scattering into the mold filling chamber 22, the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod holding member 73, and the stretching rod holding member operating axis 73a are shielded by the stretching rod chamber 64a. Ru. Therefore, the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod holding member 73, and the stretching rod holding member operating shaft 73a are cleaned by spraying the cleaning agent onto the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod holding member 73, and the stretching rod using the spray nozzle 56 provided in the stretching rod chamber 64a. This is done by spraying the holding material onto the operating shaft 73a. The stretching rod chamber 64a has a cylindrical shape, for example, but it may have any shape as long as it can shield the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod holder 73, and the stretching rod holder operating axis 73a.

If the stretching rod 64 is inserted into the blow nozzle 62, the inserted portion cannot be cleaned. Therefore, when cleaning the stretching rod 64, the stretching rod 64 is not inserted into the blow nozzle. For this reason, the stretching rod 64 is configured as a driving device in which the stretching rod 64 is raised from the blow nozzle 62 to a non-inserted position by the stretching rod holding member 73 and the stretching rod holding member operating shaft 73a. Although FIG. 11 shows the mouth of the preform 1 facing upward, the preform 1 may be inverted. In this case, the stretching rod 64 is not inserted from the blow nozzle 62 by moving downward.

The cleaning agent is water containing acidic or basic compounds. The water may be water sterilized by heating or filtering, pure water, ion exchange water, distilled water, or tap water. Acidic compounds are inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid, or organic acids such as acetic acid, formic acid, octanoic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and gluconic acid. The basic compound is an inorganic basic compound such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, or an organic basic compound such as ethanolamine or diethylamine. In addition, alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts, ammonium salts of organic acids, sequestering agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and non-containing agents such as polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers are also available. Contains ionic surfactants, solubilizers such as sodium cumene sulfonate, acidic polymers such as polyacrylic acid or their metal salts, corrosion inhibitors, preservatives, antioxidants, dispersants, antifoaming agents, etc. But it doesn't matter. Further, since these cleaning liquids have a sterilizing effect when heated to 50° C. or higher, they may be used as a sterilizing agent to sterilize the inside of the molding and filling chamber 22.

After cleaning the interior and inner surface of the mold-filling chamber 22, or at the same time as cleaning, the interior and inner surface of the mold-filling chamber 22 are sterilized. A disinfectant is sprayed into the form-fill chamber 22 from the spray nozzle 56 . For this purpose, the mold-filling chamber 22 is equipped with a sterilizer. As shown in FIG. 11, the sterilizer is at least a spray nozzle 56 provided in the fixed part 68 of the molding and filling chamber 22, and a sterilizer supply device that supplies a sterilizer to the spray nozzle 56. The spray nozzle 56 may serve as a nozzle for spraying the cleaning agent or may be provided separately. The disinfectant is sprayed so as to adhere to the entire area inside the forming and filling chamber 22. The sprayed disinfectant sterilizes the inside of the molding and filling chamber 22. The spray nozzle 56 is arranged so that the sterilizing agent is applied to the entire area inside the forming and filling chamber 2 .

The area where the inside of the mold 23 is opened is limited, and in order to sterilize the inside of the mold 23, the spray nozzle 56 is used in the area where the mold is open (a short distance between the foil 17 and the foil 24). It is desirable to provide a large number of them. Furthermore, when sterilizing the mold 23, it is preferable to spray the sterilizer while rotating the mold 23 at a speed of 60 rpm or less. The sterilization sterilizes the mold 23, blow nozzle 62, stretching rod 64, valve block 63, and the like existing inside the molding and filling chamber 22, as well as the inner surface of the molding and filling chamber 22. Further, the spraying pressure of the disinfectant is at least 0.05 MPa or higher, preferably 0.2 MPa or higher.

The stretching rod 64, the stretching rod holding member 73, the stretching rod holding member operating shaft 73a, and the inside of the stretching rod chamber 64a are sterilized by a disinfectant sprayed from a spray nozzle 56 provided in the stretching rod chamber 64a. In this case as well, the stretching rod 64 is not inserted into the blow nozzle 62.

As the sterilizing agent, the same sterilizing agent as that used to sterilize the preform 1 can be used, and it is preferable to use a sterilizing agent containing peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide. When spraying the disinfectant, different disinfectants may be sprayed multiple times.

After spraying the disinfectant from the spray nozzle 56, sterile water is sprayed over the entire area of the mold-fill chamber 22 using the spray nozzle 56 or by a separate nozzle. The sterile water washes away the sterilizing agent remaining in the forming and filling chamber 22 . Sterile water is water that has been sterilized by being heated at 121°C or higher for 4 minutes or more, or by passing it through a sterilizing filter. The sterile water sprayed into the mold-fill chamber 22 is preferably heated to 60°C to 100°C.

After sterile water is sprayed into the molding and filling chamber 22, sterile air is sprayed into the molding and filling chamber 22. The sterile air vaporizes and removes the sterile water remaining in the forming and filling chamber 22. In order to blow sterile air into the forming and filling chamber 22, a sterile air supply device 57 is provided above the fixing portion 68 of the forming and filling chamber 22, as shown in FIG. The sterile air supply device 57 includes a blower 58 and a sterilization filter 59. Furthermore, since sterile air may be heated, it is preferable to provide a sterile air heating device 60 between the blower 58 and the sterilizing filter 59.

The air generated by the blower 58 is heated by the heating device 60 and sterilized by the sterilizing filter 59, and then becomes sterile hot air and is blown into the molding and filling chamber 22. The sterile air does not need to be heated, but by heating it, the sterile water is quickly removed. At this time, heated sterile air exhausted from the heating section chamber 18 may be blown into the forming and filling section chamber 22. When sterile air is supplied to the molding and filling chamber 22 in order to maintain sterility within the molding and filling chamber 22 during operation of the aseptic filling machine, the sterile air does not need to be heated.

Cleaning and sterilization of the inside of the molding and filling chamber 22 is performed, for example, in the following procedure. After spraying a cleaning agent containing sodium hydroxide, which is a basic compound, into the molding and filling chamber 22, sterile water is sprayed to wash away the cleaning agent, and a disinfectant containing peracetic acid is sprayed into the molding and filling chamber 22, Furthermore, sterile water is sprayed to wash away the sterilizing agent, and then hydrogen peroxide gas or mist, or a mixture thereof used for sterilizing the preform, is sprayed into the molding and filling chamber 22, and sterile heated air is supplied to mold the preform. Sterilization is completed by drying the inside of the filling chamber 22.

When blowing hydrogen peroxide gas or mist, or a mixture thereof, the flow path inside the blow nozzle 62 is cleaned or sterilized to remove the blow nozzle 62 and the valve block 63 that are exposed inside the forming filling part chamber 22. When the external surface temperature is 60° C. or higher and the external surface is exposed to hydrogen peroxide gas with a concentration of 5 mg/L or higher, the external surface of these parts is suitably sterilized.

During sterilization before operation of the aseptic filling machine, the inner surface of the sterilization filter 59 is also sterilized by spraying the sterilizer with the spray nozzle 56 .

The sterile air that has passed through the sterilizing filter 59 may be blown into the molding and filling chamber 22 and exhausted by the exhaust device 61 provided in the molding and filling chamber 22 . Alternatively, the sterile air may flow from the forming and filling chamber 22 into the heating chamber 18 and be exhausted by an exhaust device provided in the heating chamber 18 .

By spraying a cleaning agent and a disinfectant into the mold-filling chamber 22, the members exposed within the mold-filling chamber 22 are cleaned and sterilized. However, the inside of the pipes of the medium pressure contents P1 and high pressure contents P2 of the blow nozzle 62 and the valve block 63, which are not exposed, are not cleaned and sterilized. Therefore, before operating the aseptic filling machine, the inside of the piping is cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP).

CIP is performed by attaching a cup-shaped closure device 74 to the tip of the blow nozzle 62, as shown in FIG. A cleaning agent tank 75 is provided, and the cleaning agent in the cleaning agent tank 75 is pumped by a cleaning agent supply pump 76, heated by a heating device 77 as necessary, and passed through a pressurizing device 65 to the valve block. The cleaning agent is sent from 63 to the blow nozzle 62 and the stretching rod 64. The cleaning agent discharged from the blow nozzle is received by a cup-shaped closing device 74 attached to the tip of the blow nozzle 62, flows into the high-pressure content supply manifold 72 via a passage in the valve block 63, and is driven. The cleaning agent is returned to the cleaning agent tank 75 via a rotary joint 78 at the lower part of the drive section 66 through a pipe inside the tube provided at the center of the section 66 . CIP is performed by circulating the cleaning agent within this circulation path. As long as all parts that come into contact with the contents can be cleaned, the order of the circulation paths may be changed as appropriate.

As the cleaning agent, the same cleaning agent as that used for cleaning the inside of the mold filling chamber 22 is used. Some cleaning agents have a sterilizing effect when heated to 50° C. or higher, and may be heated by the heating device 77.

As shown in FIG. 12, SIP is performed by supplying superheated steam to the pressurizing device 65 by the superheated steam supply device 79. The superheated steam supplied to the pressurizing device 65 is supplied to the blow nozzle 62 and the stretching rod 64 via the high-pressure content supply manifold 72 and the valve block 63. Further, the superheated steam discharged by the blow nozzle 62 is received by a cup-shaped closing device 74 attached to the tip of the blow nozzle 62 and is discharged from the lower part of the drive section 66. SIP is performed using the heat of superheated steam. Superheated steam is supplied at a temperature of 121°C or higher.

Further, SIP may be performed using warm water. In SIP using hot water, as shown in FIG. 12, sterile water is pumped from a sterile water tank 80 by a sterile water supply pump 81. The sterile water to be pumped is heated to 70° C. to 100° C. by the heating device 77, and is sent from the valve block 63 to the blow nozzle 62 via the pressurizing device 65. Sterile water discharged from the blow nozzle is received by a cup-shaped closure device 74 attached to the tip of the blow nozzle 62, flows into the high-pressure content supply manifold 72 via a passage in the valve block 63, and is driven. The water is returned to the sterile water tank 80 via a rotary joint 78 at the bottom of the drive section 66 through a pipe inside the tube provided at the center of the section 66 . SIP is performed by circulating hot water within this circulation path. The heating device 77 may be provided separately from heating the cleaning agent. As long as all parts that come into contact with the product liquid can be sterilized, the order of the circulation paths may be changed as appropriate.

The bottle 2 filled with contents is conveyed to a sealing section 26 via a wheel 24 shown in FIG. The bottle 2 is conveyed to the sealing wheel 25 provided in the sealing part 26, and as in the sealing process shown in FIG. As a result, the opening 1a of the bottle 2 is wrapped tightly, and the bottle 2 is sealed.

The sealed bottle 2 is transferred from the gripper 34 of the sealing wheel 25 to the gripper 34 of the discharge wheel 29 of the discharge section 30. The bottle 2 delivered to the discharge wheel 29 is placed on the discharge conveyor 31. The bottles 2 placed on the discharge conveyor 31 are discharged from the filling section chamber 27 to the outside of the aseptic filling machine.

Before operating the aseptic filling machine, the inside of the sealed chamber 27 is cleaned by spraying a cleaning agent, cleaned by spraying sterile water, sterilized by spraying a sterilizing agent, and sterilized by spraying sterile water in the same way as the forming and filling chamber 22. Operations such as removing sterile water and removing sterile water by blowing sterile air are performed. Furthermore, while the aseptic filling machine is in operation, the pressure inside the sealing chamber 27 is maintained at a positive pressure using sterile air supplied by the sterile air supply device provided in the sealing chamber 27. Sterility is maintained. In order to properly maintain the pressure within the sealed chamber 27, an exhaust device may be provided in the sealed chamber 27. For this purpose, at least the sealed chamber 27 is provided with a sterilizer that sterilizes the inside and inner surface of the sealed chamber 27 and a sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air into the sealed chamber 27 . A cleaning device for cleaning the inside of the sealed chamber 27 is also provided.

Although the present invention is configured as described above, it is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, as an aseptic filling machine, a linear aseptic filling machine is used instead of the wheel type aseptic filling machine described above. Various changes can be made within the scope of the present invention, such as the machine.

1... Preform 2... Bottle 5... Sterilization section chamber 6... Sterilization section 14... Heating section 18... Heating section chamber 21... Forming and filling section 22... Forming and filling section chamber 23... Mold 26... Sealing section 27... Sealing section chamber 57 ... Sterile air supply device 62 ... Blow nozzle 63 ... Valve block 64 ... Extension rod 65 ... Pressure device 67 ... Movable part 68 ... Fixed part 72 ... High pressure contents supply manifold 74 ... Closure device

Claims (15)

A sterilization section that sterilizes the preform, a heating section that heats the sterilized preform, and a sterilized content that is filled into the heated preform under high pressure. An aseptic filling machine comprising a forming and filling section for filling a substance, and a sealing section for sealing a bottle filled with the contents,
The sterilizing section, the heating section, the molding and filling section, and the sealing section are shielded by a chamber, and at least the molding and filling section among the sterilizing section chamber, heating section chamber, molding and filling section chamber, and sealing section chamber that shield each part. A sterilizer that sterilizes the interior and inner surface of the chamber and the sealed chamber, and a sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air to at least the forming and filling chamber and the sealed chamber,
The forming and filling unit includes at least a mold, a blow nozzle, a stretching rod, a valve block, and a pressurizing device that pressurizes the contents,
A cup-shaped closure device is provided for receiving the discharge from the blow nozzle,
From the cup-shaped closure device to a passageway in the valve block, a high-pressure content supply manifold, a rotary joint, a cleaning agent tank or a sterile water tank, a heating device, the pressurizing device, the valve block, and the blow nozzle. An aseptic filling machine characterized in that it is configured to form a circulation path. The aseptic filling machine according to claim 1,
A sterile filling machine characterized in that a cleaning device is provided for cleaning the inside of the forming and filling chamber and the sealing chamber. The aseptic filling machine according to claim 1 or 2,
An aseptic filling machine characterized in that the molding and filling section chamber includes a movable part that holds the molding and filling part and a fixed part that shields the molding and filling part from outside air. The aseptic filling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The means for sterilizing the preform in the sterilization section is any one or more of contacting the preform with a sterilizing agent, irradiating with an electron beam, irradiating with light including ultraviolet rays, contacting with hot water, and contacting with superheated steam. An aseptic filling machine characterized by: The aseptic filling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An aseptic filling machine characterized in that the pressurizing device is a high-pressure plunger pump. The aseptic filling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An aseptic filling machine characterized in that a stretching rod shielding chamber is provided for shielding the stretching rod. The aseptic filling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An aseptic filling machine characterized by being provided with a driving device for the stretching rod that does not insert the stretching rod into the blow nozzle. A sterilization step of sterilizing the preform, a heating step of heating the sterilized preform, and filling the heated preform with the sterilized contents under high pressure to form the preform into a bottle and at the same time An aseptic filling method comprising a forming and filling step of filling the contents, and a sealing step of sealing the bottle filled with the contents,
Sterilize the inside and inner surface of a chamber that shields at least each part where the forming and filling process and the sealing process are performed from the outside, supply sterile air into the chamber, maintain sterility in the chamber, and maintain sterility. At least the forming and filling process and the sealing process are performed in the chamber where
Before performing the forming and filling step, the discharge port of the blow nozzle that discharges the contents into the bottle is closed with a cup-shaped closing device, and the valve block is closed from the cup-shaped closing device to the cup-shaped closing device. a high-pressure contents supply manifold , a rotary joint, a cleaning agent tank or a sterile water tank, a heating device, a pressurizing device for pressurizing the contents, the valve block for controlling the pressurized contents, the An aseptic filling method characterized by forming a circulation path leading to a blow nozzle and circulating a cleaning agent or hot water through the circulation path to clean or sterilize the inside of the piping for the contents. The aseptic filling method according to claim 8,
An aseptic filling method characterized in that before sterilizing the inside and inner surface of the chamber in which the forming and filling step and the sealing step are performed, the inside and inner surface of the chamber are cleaned. In the aseptic filling method according to claim 8 or 9,
Sterilization characterized in that the sterilization step is performed by contacting the preform with one or more of the following: contact with a disinfectant, irradiation with an electron beam, irradiation with light including ultraviolet rays, contact with hot water, and contact with superheated steam. Filling method. In the aseptic filling method according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
In the forming and filling step, the blow nozzle is connected to the top surface of the mouth of the sterilized and heated preform, the mold is closed, and the preform is stretched in a longitudinal direction by a stretching rod, and then the preform is pressurized. The content is introduced into the preform under the control of the valve block, and the preform is stretched in the lateral direction to form the bottle in the shape of a mold, and at the same time, the content is introduced into the mouth of the preform. An aseptic filling method characterized by filling up to the vicinity of the bottom end. The aseptic filling method according to claim 11,
An aseptic filling method characterized in that the inside of the chamber in which the forming and filling step is performed is sterilized in a state in which the stretching rod is not inserted into the blow nozzle. In the aseptic filling method according to claim 11 or 12,
An aseptic filling method characterized in that the inside of the chamber in which the forming and filling step is performed is cleaned in a state in which the stretching rod is not inserted into the blow nozzle. In the aseptic filling method according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
While the outer surface temperature of the blow nozzle is 60°C or higher by cleaning or sterilizing the flow path inside the blow nozzle, the inside of the chamber where the forming and filling process is performed is heated with hydrogen peroxide gas or mist. Or an aseptic filling method characterized by sterilizing with a mixture thereof. In the aseptic filling method according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
An aseptic filling method characterized in that the inner surface of the mold is cleaned while the mold is opened while rotating at 60 rpm or less.

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