JPH01254521A - Aseptic filling and packing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the maintenance of the interior of an aseptic air chamber, by providing the aseptic air chamber opened at the lower end thereof covering respective apparatus parts positioned above or in the vicinity of a container held to a feed state over a series of process regions. CONSTITUTION:An aseptic air chamber 17 has an almost inverted U-shaped cross-section and the upper surface thereof is closely brought into contact with steam nozzles 7, 8, a hot air blow-out part 9, a filling nozzle 10, a top breaker 11, a hot air blow-out part 12 and a top press apparatus 13 in an airtight manner. Both side walls along the flow of a carton sleeve 1 of the chamber 17 cover at least the upper part of the carton sleeve 1 and suspends so as to leave slight spaces between the side walls and side surfaces and each of the side walls crossing the flow at a right angle is notched in an inverted U-shape so as not to obstruct the passage of the top part of the carton sleeve 1. Therefore, the carton sleeve 1 flowing through the region from the steam nozzle 17 to the top press apparatus 13 is only simply covered with the aseptic air chamber 17 from above and, since the lower part of said chamber is opened, the maintenance of the chamber can be easily performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an aseptic filling and packaging device for continuously filling and sealing containers such as box-shaped bags filled with beverages such as juice in an aseptic state. .

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in this type of aseptic filling and packaging apparatus, a container with a sealed bottom and an open top is prepared, the container is filled with contents such as juice, and then the opening is sealed. However, in order to prevent bacteria from entering the container during these steps, a so-called acetic chamber is used that completely encloses the entire device or a part of it. There is.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional assemblage chamber that completely encloses the entire device or a part thereof is large-scale, which increases the device cost.
The cost of maintaining a sterile atmosphere is also high, and if a problem occurs with the equipment or containers inside the aseptic chamber, it becomes extremely troublesome to repair, and the entire aseptic chamber must be sterilized again. There were problems such as being indispensable.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling and packaging apparatus equipped with a sterile air chamber that does not require a large-scale apparatus, allows easy maintenance of the interior of the sterile chamber, and reduces running costs. .

(Means for Solving the Problems) As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides an aseptic filling and packaging device for filling and packaging contents while sequentially conveying containers with the tops of the containers opened upward. a sterilization process section for spraying a sterilization medium into the container in an open state; a drying process section for drying the bacterial medium adhering to the container; and a drying process section for filling the contents from the opening. A series of process areas including a filling process section and a sealing process area for sealing the opening, and including at least the sterilization process section, the drying process section, the filling process section, and the sealing process section. A sterile air chamber with an open bottom end is provided to cover at least the upper part of the container and each device part located in the vicinity during one transport state, and sterile air under positive pressure is supplied from the upper part of the sterile air chamber to the lower part. An object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling and packaging device characterized in that it is adapted to be distributed.

(Function) According to the aseptic filling and packaging apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration,
A sterile air chamber is installed so as to cover at least only the part of the sterile filling and packaging device that needs to be maintained in a sterile atmosphere, and the upper part of this chamber is left open, and the air is supplied from the upper part of the chamber to the open lower part. Since high pressure sterile air is circulated, a sterile atmosphere can be created easily and at low cost.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to an aseptic filling and packaging apparatus for paper containers that sequentially automatically forms, fills and seals continuously supplied carton sleeves.

In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a carton sleeve, which is inserted into a mandrel 4 of a container bottom forming machine 3 by a feeder 2, and then transported to a bottom play car 20 where a folded part of the bottom is formed. The press section 5 seals the bottom of the container. The carton sleeve 1 whose bottom surface has been sealed in this manner is transferred from the mandrel 4 to the intermittently rotating carrier G with the opening facing upward, and first, the carton external sterilization steam nozzle 7
The outer wall surface of the carton sleeve 1 is sterilized by this, and then the inner wall portion of the carton sleeve 1 is sterilized by the carton internal sterilizing steam nozzle 8. Next, while passing through the hot air blowing section 9, hot air is applied to the inner and outer wall surfaces of the carton sleeve 1, thereby drying the sterilizing liquid. The carton sleeve 1 is then moved directly below the filling nozzle 10, and a certain amount of any content, such as fruit juice, is filled into the carton sleeve 1 from the filling nozzle 10.

Next, the carton sleeve 1 is transferred below the top breaker 11, where the top of the carton is bent, and then the top of the carton is heated in the hot air blowing section 12 at the next stage, and then the top press device 13 is used to fold the carton. A heat seal on the top is made. Finally, heating for attaching the spout to the top of the carton is performed at the hot air blowing section 14, and then the spout 16 is attached at the spout setting section 15, after which the carton is discharged onto a turntable.

By the way, in this aseptic filling and packaging apparatus, a sterile air chamber 17 is attached so as to continuously include the area from the carton external sterilizing steam nozzle 7 to the top press device 13, and the sterile air chamber 17 is attached so as to continuously cover the area from the carton external sterilizing steam nozzle 7 to the top press device 13. The carton sleeve 1 is prevented from being contaminated by bacteria from the outside until the top opening is completely sealed after filling with the contents. Specifically, the sterile air chamber 17 has an inverted U-shape in cross section, and the upper surface includes the steam nozzles 7 and 8, the hot air blowing section 9, the filling nozzle 10, the top breaker 11, the hot air blowing section 12, and the top press device 13.
On the other hand, both side walls of the chamber 17 along the flow of the carton sleeve 1 cover at least the upper part of the carton sleeve 1, and leave some space between them and the sides of the carton sleeve 1. It hangs down so that it remains. The other pair of side walls, that is, the side walls perpendicular to the flow of the carton sleeve 1, are cut out in an inverted U-shape to the extent that they do not interfere with the passage of the top of the carton 2 ribs 1. Therefore, the sterile chamber 17 merely covers the carton sleeve 1 flowing in the area from the steam nozzle 7 to the top press device 13 from above, and is open at the bottom.

A conduit 18 for introducing sterile air into the chamber 17 is connected to the upper surface of the sterile air chamber 17 in the center thereof. Thus, the positive pressure sterile air introduced through this conduit 18 enters the sterile air chamber.
The sterile air passes through the upper part of the sterile air arch 17 and is discharged to the outside from the lower opening, and this flow of sterile air can prevent bacteria from entering the sterile air arch V member 17 from the outside.

In addition, a carrier sterilization spray nozzle 19 is provided at an appropriate location in the rotating path of the carrier 6 to prevent the carrier 6 from being contaminated by scattering of filling contents or other contamination.
f9., such as hypochlorous acid aqueous solution, toward the carrier 6.
Bacterial liquid is constantly sprayed. The base of the entire device is also constantly flushed with sterile water containing a disinfectant. Cleaning and sterilization of the internal structure of the sterile air chamber 17 is performed by spray bowls (not shown) installed at key points in the chamber 17.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing each process in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It may also be applied before the external sterilization step.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the aseptic filling and packaging apparatus of the present invention, the contents (filling material) are filled into containers such as cartons in a completely sterile state. Instead of enclosing it, you only need to partially cover the necessary parts of the equipment, which can significantly reduce equipment costs.
Moreover, since the chamber is an open type, maintenance inside the chamber is easy. Furthermore, since the parts of the equipment where trouble often occurs, such as the bottom molding part, the plug seal, the seal part, and the carton transfer part, are not covered by a sterile air chamber, it is possible to quickly recover from troubles.
Therefore, the operating rate of the device can be increased. In addition,
In the sterile air chamber of the present invention, sterile air is flowed into the instep, and no chemicals are used, so there is no fear of adverse effects on the environment around the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of an aseptic filling and packaging apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the steps when the above-mentioned aseptic filling and packaging apparatus is used. In the figure, 1... Car 1 to sleeve, 2... Feeder, 3... Container bottom forming machine, 4... Mandrel, 5...
...Bottom press section, 6.Carrier, 7.Carton external sterilization steam nozzle, 8.Carton internal sterilization steam nozzle, 9.Hot air blowing section, 10.
...Filling nozzle, 11...Top breaker, 12...
・Hot air blowing section, 13...Top press device, 14
...Hot air blowing part, 15...Robot set 1 to part, 1
6... Mouth plug, 17... Sterile air chamber, 18
...conduit, one ... carry)゛/sterilizing spray nozzle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An aseptic filling and packaging device for filling and packaging contents while sequentially conveying containers with the tops of the containers open upward, and a sterilization process section that sprays a sterilization medium onto the open containers; A drying process section for drying the sterilization medium adhering to the container, a filling process section for filling the contents from the opening, and a sealing process section for sealing the opening are successively installed. , each device part located at least above the container in the conveyed state and in the vicinity thereof, over a series of process areas including at least the sterilization process section, the drying process section, the filling process section, and the sealing process section. 1. A sterile filling and packaging apparatus, characterized in that a sterile air chamber with an open bottom end is provided to cover the sterile air chamber, and sterile air under positive pressure is circulated from above to below the sterile air chamber.