JPH03289423A - Can body sterilization device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to sterilize a large quantity of can bodies continuously and assuredly by a method wherein on the way of a carrying means for can bodies, an ozone water spraying means which jets ozone water on can bodies, a hot water spraying means which jets hot water and a germfree water spraying means which jets germfree water are equipped. CONSTITUTION:In a sterilization chamber 1, a first sterilization chamber 6, second sterilization chamber 7 and third sterilization chamber 8 are provided, and at respective sterilization chambers 6, 7, 8, conveyors 15 are respectively provided in parallel, and by these conveyors 15, can bodies K are rolled while meandering, and carried to respective sterilization chambers 6, 7, 8 one after another. During this carrying, by an ozone spraying means 40 in the first sterilization chamber 6, ozone water is jetted on the can bodies K to sterilize them, and by a hot water spraying means 41 in the second sterilization chamber 7, hot water is jetted on the can bodies K to sterilize them, and in addition, by a germfree water spraying means 8 in the third sterilization chamber 8, germfree water is jetted on the can bodies K, and the can bodies K are cooled under germfree condition.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a can body sterilizer for sterilizing the can bodies of beverage cans filled with beverages.

"Prior Art" For example, one of the methods for filling fruit juice beverages into cans is called the cold pack method.

This process involves sterilizing beverages made from fruit juice, sugar, milk, etc. in a sterilizer called a Furano Yupatolizer.
After heat sterilizing at 95°C for a few seconds, it is cooled to 15 to 30°C, filled into a bottomed cylindrical can body, covered with a can lid and sealed, and then the beverage is hermetically filled. Approximately 8 cans
Sterilize the inside of the can by heating it at 0℃ for about 30 minutes.
This is a method of cooling again.

However, in the case of the above method, the sealed can of the beverage is heated for a long time (about 30 minutes), which has the disadvantage that the taste of the beverage deteriorates.

Therefore, in recent years, methods have been developed for aseptically filling beverages without sacrificing their taste.

As one of these methods, the applicant first introduces a can body and a can lid that have been sterilized in advance into a clean room, and in this clean room, fills the can body with a beverage that has been heat sterilized and cooled. Furthermore, they applied a method of injecting liquid nitrogen into the can body, covering the can body with a can lid, and then wrapping the can lid around the can body outside the clean room to seal the beverage. .

"Problem to be Solved by the Invention" By the way, when implementing the above method, it is necessary to sterilize the can bodies in advance, but as the demand for canned beverages has increased in recent years, it is necessary to sterilize can bodies in large quantities in a continuous manner. Moreover, it has been desired to develop a device that can sterilize reliably.

``Object of the Invention'' The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a can body sterilizer that can continuously and reliably sterilize a large amount of can bodies.

"Means for Solving the Problems" In order to achieve the above object, the can body sterilizer of the present invention includes a conveying means for conveying the can bodies, and a conveying means provided in the middle of the conveying means for supplying ozonated water to the can bodies. ozonated water spraying means for spraying; a hot water spraying means provided downstream of the ozonated water spraying means for spraying hot water onto the can body; and a hot water spraying means provided downstream of the hot water spraying means for spraying sterile water onto the can body. and sterile water spray means.

"Function" In the can body sterilizer of the present invention, while the can body is conveyed by the conveyance means, ozone water is sprayed onto the can body by the ozone water spray means to sterilize bacteria, and furthermore, the can body is sterilized by the hot water spray means. A large amount of can bodies can be continuously and reliably sterilized by spraying hot water onto the can bodies to sterilize mold and yeast, and then using a sterile water spray method to spray sterile water onto the can bodies to cool them in a sterile state. do.

"Practical" Hereinafter, embodiments of the can body sterilizer of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In these figures, reference numeral 1 indicates a sterilization chamber for sterilizing can bodies. This sterilization chamber 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is provided inside a box 3 horizontally fixed to the top of a base 2.
The interior is partitioned into three rooms by walls 4 and 5, and these three rooms are respectively a first sterilization room 6 that is sterilized with ozonated water, a second sterilization room 7 that is sterilized with hot water, and a second sterilization room 7 that is sterilized with sterile water. This is the third sterilization room 8.

A loading port 9 is formed in the side wall 3a of the box 3 for transporting cans INK before sterilization into the first sterilization chamber 6, and a side wall 3b opposite to the side wall 3a has a port 9 for transporting cans INK before sterilization into the first sterilization chamber 6. Can body K
An exit port IO is formed for transporting the materials from the third sterilization chamber 8.

In addition, the cans U carried in from the carry-in a9 are placed in the sterilization room 1.
A conveyance means 11 is provided for conveying K from the first sterilization chamber 6 to the second sterilization chamber 7, from the second sterilization chamber 7 to the third sterilization chamber 8, and further from the third sterilization chamber 8 to the export port IO.

That is, in the sterilization chamber 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the main components are a pair of pulleys 1213 provided spaced apart from each other in the left and right direction, and a transport heald 14 wound around these pulleys I2 and 13. A conveyor section 15 is provided.

The conveyor sections 15 are provided in two parallel rows in the first sterilization chamber 6, four rows in the second sterilization chamber 7, and one row in the third sterilization chamber 8. In addition, the pulley 12 of each conveyor section 15
The shafts protrude from the earthen wall of the box 1, and pulleys 16 are attached to each of these shafts, and a moving belt 17 is wound around these pulleys 16. It is wound around a pulley 19 attached to the rotating shaft of a drive motor 18 attached to the top surface of the box 3. In addition, reference numeral 20 in the figure applies tension to the drive belt 17 and connects the drive belt I7 and the pulley 16. . . . is a pulley to prevent slipping.The conveyor belt 14 of each conveyor section 15 is connected to the drive motor 1.
8, pulley 19, pulley 20..., drive belt 17
and pulleys 16...

In addition, round bar-shaped guide members 21, 21 are provided parallel to the transport healds 14 at positions that horizontally sandwich the transport healds 14. This guide member 21 is a transport bell)
The can body K is inserted between the guide member 21 and the conveyor belt 14, and the conveyor belt 14 moves in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the can body. The can body K is guided by a guide member 21 and rolls between the guide member 21 and the conveyor belt 14. Further, between the conveyor belt 14 and the guide member 21, a pair of guide members 22a, 22a are provided below in parallel with each other and in parallel with the guide member 21, and a guide member 22b is provided above the guide member 22a. 22a, 2
It is provided parallel to 2a and movable up and down. These guide members 22a, 22a and 22b are connected to the can body K.
The purpose is to slidably support the open end face and bottom plate of the can body when the can body rolls between the guide member 21 and the conveyor belt 14, and the distance between the guide members 22a and 22a is It is set shorter than the diameter of the can body.

Furthermore, on the left end side of the guide member 21.21 in FIG.
1.21 are connected. This guide member 2
3, in FIG. 1, the can body K that has rolled to the left along the guide member 21 transfers to the rotary plate 24 that rotates together with the pulley 16, and is rotated around the pulley 16 by the rotary plate 24. It guides the can body K when it is moved, and the can body that has rotated along the guide member 23 is configured to roll rightward along the other guide member 21.

In addition, rotating plates 25 are provided on the right side between the mutually adjacent conhair sections 15 and 15, and on the right side of this rotating plate 25, an arcuate guide member 2 is provided.
6 is provided. The second rotary plate 25 from the front (downward in FIG. 1) is located at the right end opening of the wall 4, and the rearmost rotary plate 25 (path shown) is located at the right end opening of the wall 4.
It is located at the right end opening of. The rotating shaft of each rotary plate 25 passes through the upper wall portion of the box 3, and a pulley 27 is attached to each of the rotating shafts that pass through. A drive belt 28 is wound around the rear three pulleys 27.
It is wound around a pulley 29. which applies tension to the motor 8 and a drive pulley 30. On the other hand, a drive belt (not shown) is also wound around the three front pulleys 27, and this drive belt is wound around the drive pulley 32 and the pulleys 3I that apply tension to the drive belt. Each of the rotating plates 25
When the can body K, which has been rolled to the right by the converter section 15, is transferred, it is moved by the drive pulley 30 (32) via the drive belt 28, pulley 29 (31), and pulley 27, and the can body The cylinder K is transferred to the next adjacent conveyor section 15.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, upper spray means 34 and lower spray means 35 are provided at positions vertically sandwiching each of the conveyor sections I5.

The upper spray means 34 is for spouting a liquid such as ozone water, hot water, or sterile water from above onto the can body K which is rolling in an upright state, and extends above the container section 15 in its longitudinal direction. A tube body 36 that is installed and movable in the vertical direction, and a plurality of nozzle parts 37 attached to the tube body 36 at predetermined intervals r5 in the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the plane of paper in FIG. 4). The liquid is ejected from the tip of each nozzle portion 37 toward the can body K in a fan-shaped cross section. On the other hand, the lower spray means 35 includes a pipe body 38 extending in the longitudinal direction below the conveyor part 15, and a plurality of nozzle parts 39 attached to the pipe body 38 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The liquid is ejected from each nozzle portion 39 toward the can body K in a fan-shaped cross section.

Further, this nozzle portion 39 is provided below the nozzle portion 37 with its axis shifted by a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveyance to the can body.

A spray means 34 located in the first sterilization chamber 6
．． 35 is an ozone water spraying means 40, and spraying means 34 and 35 located in the second sterilization chamber 7 are hot water spraying means 41.
, the spray means 34 and 35 located in the third sterilization chamber 8 are used as sterile water spray means 42.

Further, below the box body 3, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an ozonated water inlet 43 and a heated A water supply port 44, a sterile water inlet 45, an ozone water return port 46, and a hot water return port 47 are attached to the frame 48. A pipe 43a is connected to the ozonated water inlet 43, and this pipe 43a is extended to the side wall 3a side of the box 3, and the ozonated water spray means 40 is connected to the side wall 3a from the side wall 3a.
It is connected to the tube bodies 36, 38 of. Similarly, piping 4 is provided to the hot water population 44 and the sterile water crater 45, respectively.
4a and piping 45a are connected, and these piping 4
4a and the pipe 45a are connected from the side wall 3a of the box 3 to the pipes 36, 38 of the hot water spray means 41 and the pipes 36, 38 of the sterile water spray means 42, respectively. In addition, about 50% of ozone gas is added to the ozone water inlet 43.
Highly concentrated ozone water (25pp) is mixed with cooling water at °C.
A highly concentrated ozone water production device (not shown) for producing water (m) is connected.

Further, below the box body 3, there are first sterilization chambers 6, respectively.
, a drain 50 is located below the second sterilization chamber 7 and the third sterilization chamber 8.
, 51, 52 are provided. The used ozone water accumulated in the drain 50 is returned to the ozone water return port 46 via the piping 53, and the used hot water accumulated in the drain 51 is returned to the hot water return port 47 via the piping. used and drain 5
The used sterile water accumulated in 2 is to be discarded.

Further, a duct 55 is provided above the box body 3, and a midway portion of this duct 55 extends from the top wall of the box body 3 to the first
The sterilization chamber 6, the second sterilization chamber 7, and the third sterilization chamber 8 are connected to each other, and an inhaler 53 is connected to the other end via an activated carbon tank 52, and the first to third sterilization chambers 6, 7, . Mist, dust, etc. generated in the tank 8 are inhaled, ozone is rendered harmless by an activated carbon tank 52, and these are exhausted to the outside.

Next, a method for sterilizing the can body K using the can body sterilizer having the above configuration will be explained.

First, the can body K is oriented through the entrance 9 formed in the side wall 3a of the box body 3 so that its axis is perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. While carrying them into the first sterilization room 6 one after another,
The drive motor 18 is started to rotate the drive belt 17.

Then, the can body carried in from the carry-in port 9 is rotated by the conveyor belt 14 of the conveyor section 15 of the first row, and is guided by one guide member 2I, and is connected to the drive belt I7 and the kite member 21. It rolls toward the left in Figure 1.

When the can body reaches the left end of the conveyor section 15, it transfers onto the rotary plate 24 and rotates along the guide member 23.
It rolls to the right between the conveyor belt 14 and the other guide member 21.

Furthermore, when the can body reaches the right end of the conveyor section 15, it transfers to the rotary plate 25, rotates along the guide member 26, is transferred to the second row of conveyor section 15, and is rotated by the conveyor belt 14. At the same time, it is guided by one of the guide members 21 and rolls toward the left, and then transfers to the rotary plate 24 and rotates to move to the right. By repeating this series of operations, the sterilization chamber I is meandered from side to side in FIG.
It rolls from the sterilization chamber 6 to the third sterilization chamber 8.

On the other hand, while the can body K is rolling in the sterilization chamber 1, ozone is sprayed toward the can body K from the nozzle portions 37.39 of the upper and lower spray means 34.35 of the ozone water spray means 40 in the first sterilization chamber 6. Water is sprayed to sterilize bacteria, yeast, etc., and in the second sterilization chamber 7, hot water is similarly sprayed onto the can body K from the hot water spray means 41 to sterilize bacteria other than those mentioned above. In the third sterilization chamber 8, sterile water is similarly sprayed onto the can body K from the sterile water spray means 42 to cool the can body K in a sterile state.

Then, the side wall portion 3 of the box body 3 is attached to the sterilized and cooled can body.
They are carried out one after another from the outlet IO formed in b.

According to the above can body sterilizer, in the sterilization chamber 1,
A first sterilization chamber 6, a second sterilization chamber 7, and a third sterilization chamber 8 are provided, and a conveyor section 15 is installed in each sterilization chamber 6.7.8 in parallel, and these conveyor sections I5... While rolling and meandering, the can body K is conveyed one after another to each sterilization chamber 6, 7, and 8, and during this conveyance, ozone water is sprayed onto the can body K by the ozone water spray means 40 of the first sterilization chamber 6 to sterilize it. Then, hot water is sprayed onto the can body K by the hot water spray means 41 in the second sterilization chamber 7 to sterilize it, and then the can body K is sterilized.
Since the sterile water spray means 42 sprays sterile water onto the can body K and cools it in a sterile state, a large amount of the can body K can be sterilized continuously and reliably.

Further, when the liquid is sprayed onto the can body K by each of the spray means 40, 41, 42, since the can body K is rotating, the liquid can be uniformly and reliably sprayed onto the can body K.

Furthermore, a plurality of conveyor sections 15 are installed in parallel in the sterilization chamber 1, and the can bodies K are conveyed in a meandering manner by these conveyor sections 15. By making the body 3 smaller, the device itself can be made smaller.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the can body sterilizer of the present invention, while the can body is being transported by the conveying means, ozonated water is sprayed onto the can body by the ozone water spraying means to sterilize bacteria.
Furthermore, hot water is sprayed onto the can body using a hot water spray means to sterilize mold and yeast, and furthermore, sterile water is sprayed onto the can body using a sterile water spray means to cool the can body in a sterile state. Can bodies can be sterilized continuously and reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the can body sterilization device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a fixed view taken along line I-III in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the spray means. K...Can body, 11...Transportation means, 40...
... Ozone water spray means, 41 ... Hot water spray means, 42 ... Sterile water spray means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A conveyance means for conveying the can body, an ozone water spray means provided in the middle of the conveyance means for spraying ozonated water onto the can body, and a means provided downstream of the ozone water spray means,
Can body sterilization characterized by comprising: hot water spray means for spraying hot water onto the can body; and sterile water spray means thrown downstream of the hot water spray means for spraying sterile water onto the can body. Device.