JPH03626A - Germfree filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make an assured germfree filling possible by a method wherein after a square cylindrical shaped paper container is totally dipped in a sterilizing liquid for sterilization, a construction of the bottom part of the paper container, filling of a content and a construction of the head part are performed. CONSTITUTION:In a germfree chamber 80, a paper container 1B, which is opened in a square cylindrical shape with both upper and lower ends opened, is inserted in and held by a paper container holder 25 which is waiting at a position S2 in a sterilization tank 22, and is totally dipped in a sterilizing liquid. Then, on the way of moving by a moving device 26, the sterilizing liquid stuck on the outer surface of the paper container IC is blown off by an air knife 31, and the sterilizing liquid stuck on the inner surface is blown off by an air nozzle 32, and then, the paper container 1C is dried by a hot air nozzle 35. For the dried paper container 1D, a bottom part is constructed by a bottom part folding pressing device 44, the paper container 1D becomes a paper container 1E. After this, a content is filled by a filling device 60, and the head part is closed by a top sealing device 72 to form a paper container 1, and the paper container 1 is discharged to the outside of the germfree chamber 80.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an aseptic filling device for aseptically filling paper containers with milk, juice, alcohol, other soft drinks, etc.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, many paper containers have been used as containers for beverage liquids. This device for aseptically filling paper containers with contents includes a bottom assembly device, a paper container transport device, a paper container inner surface sterilizing device, a paper container inner surface drying device, a filling device, a head assembly device, etc. in a sterile room. The paper container is supplied in a cylindrical shape B (cylindrical shape with both ends open).

The bottom of this paper container is first assembled and sealed by a bottom assembly device. The paper containers with their bottoms sealed are transported by two paper container conveying devices with two heads open, and during the process, the inner surface is sterilized by spraying a sterilizing liquid into the first paper container, and hot air is introduced into the first paper container. The inner surface is then dried by blowing.

Fold the contents into one head! Some parts have been assembled and sealed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-27173)
No. 3, see Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-185204).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in such conventional devices, sterilization is performed after the bottom of the paper container is assembled and sealed, so the folded part of the bottom cannot be sterilized, causing problems due to bacteria existing in this part. There is also the problem that complete sterilization is not necessarily achieved by spraying a sterilizing solution.

The present invention was made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling device that can completely sterilize paper containers.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention, which was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, includes a paper container feeding device that feeds a rectangular tube-shaped paper container pasted onto a tube to a sterilizing device to be described later, and a sterilizing tank containing a sterilizing liquid.

a sterilizer that sterilizes the rectangular cylindrical paper containers supplied from the paper container supply device by soaking them in a sterilizing solution in a sterilizing tank;
a drying device that dries the paper containers that have come out of the sterilization tank; a bottom assembly device that assembles and seals the bottom of the paper container that has been dried by the drying device; and a bottom assembly device that assembles and seals the bottom of the paper container that has been dried by the drying device; a conveying device for conveying; a filling device for filling contents into a paper container held by the conveying device;
The gist of the present invention is an aseptic filling device that includes a head assembly device that assembles and seals the head and parts of paper containers held by the transport device and filled with contents, and a sterile chamber that accommodates each of the devices described above.

[Effect]

In the aseptic filling device configured as described above, the tube-bound paper container is in the shape of a rectangular tube, and is soaked in a sterilizing solution and then dried. As a result, the entire paper container is completely sterilized.Next, the bottom of the sterilized paper container is assembled and sealed, the contents are filled, and the head is assembled and sealed to complete aseptic filling. and sealing is performed.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to one drawing.

FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing an aseptic filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This aseptic filling device is for manufacturing paper containers 1 having the shape shown in FIG.

In addition, in order to distinguish the filter paper containers in each process in this aseptic filling apparatus, the paper containers in each process are designated by symbols IA to IF.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a paper container supply device which raises the paper container IA, which is pasted into a tube and folded flat, into a rectangular tube shape and supplies it to a sterilizer, which will be described later. A sterilizer 30 sterilizes the rectangular cylindrical paper containers IB by soaking them in a sterilizing solution in a sterilizing tank; A bottom assembly device 50 assembles and seals the bottom of the dry paper container ID; 50 is a conveyance device that conveys the paper container IE with its head side up; 60 is held by the conveyance device 50; A filling device 70 that fills the paper container IE with contents is held by the conveyance device 50, and a head assembly device 80 that assembles and seals the head of the paper container IF filled with the contents. This is a sterile room that houses the equipment.

The paper container supplying device 10 includes a feeder 11 for centrifuging and centating a large number of paper containers IA that have been pasted into tubes and folded flat, and a feeder 11 that feeds the flat paper containers IA into a rectangular tube shape while moving them to a position S1. Raise the paper container to be taken out 12 and place the square tube-shaped paper container IB into the sterilizer 20.
It has a transfer device (not shown) etc. for supplying.

The sterilizing device 20 includes a sterilizing tank 22 containing a sterilizing liquid 21.

An endless chain 23 provided in the sterilizing tank 22 and arranged to run inside and outside the sterilizing liquid 21, and a chain wheel 24 on which the endless chain 23 is hung.

A drive bag W (not shown) that causes the endless chain 23 to travel intermittently in the direction of the arrow, a paper container holder 25 attached to the endless chain 23, and a sterilized paper container IC are sterilized from position S3! A transfer device 26 and the like for transferring to a position S4 outside 22 is provided. This paper container holder 25
As shown in FIG. 3, an L-shaped member 25A is provided to hold the diagonal corners of the rectangular cylindrical paper container IC. The L-shaped member 25A preferably has a contact surface with the paper container IC as small as possible, and is therefore made as small as possible to hold nine paper container ICs. Also.

A small protrusion may be provided on the surface of the L-shaped member 25A that contacts the paper container, and the tip of the protrusion may hold the paper container.The transfer device 26 includes an endless chain 26A and a chain that hangs the endless chain 26A. Wheel 26B and
The endless chain 26A includes a drive device (not shown) for intermittently running the endless chain 26A in the direction of the arrow, and a hook 26C attached to the endless chain 26A.

The drying device 30 is moved up by the transfer device 26 and blows air onto the four outer sides of the filter paper container tc, and includes an air knife 31 (only a part of which is shown) that blows off the sterilizing solution and air inside the paper container IC at the 9 position S4. An air nozzle 32 that sprays a sterilizing solution and a coolet 34 (fourth
(see figure), a drive device (not shown) that intermittently rotates the turret 34, and a paper container I held by the coolet 34.
A hot air nozzle 35 that blows hot air onto the inner and outer surfaces of C to dry them.
and a waste liquid duct 36 arranged below the coolet 34.
etc. In addition, a transfer device (not shown) moves the dried paper container ID held in the tareft 34 from the position S5 to a lower position S6, and a transfer device (not shown) that receives and picks up the paper container ID at the first position S6. A paper container tilting device 37 is also provided for moving the ID to the tilted position S7.

The bottom assembly device 40 includes a coolet 42 having a plurality of mandrels 41 arranged radially, and a drive device (not shown) that rotates the turret 42 intermittently.
A bottom folding device (
(not shown), heating device 43. Bottom folding pressure device 44
etc. Additionally, a device (not shown) for transferring the paper container ID from the paper container tilting device 37 onto the mandrel 41 at position S8 and a device (not shown) for transferring the paper container ID from the mandrel 41 at position WS9 to the paper container IE
A device (not shown) is also provided for transferring the material downwardly.

The head assembly device 70 includes a crooked folding device (not shown) that crookedly folds the head of the filter paper container IE that is intermittently conveyed by the transportation device 50, and a top heater 71 that heats one head.

It is equipped with a top seal device 72 and the like that pressurizes and joins the heated head.

The sterile chamber 80 has exhaust chambers 81.82 at both ends thereof, and a sterile air supply section 83 that supplies sterile air and an exhaust section 84 are connected to the sterile chamber 80 and the exhaust chambers 81.82. Normally, the sterile room 80 is maintained at positive pressure to prevent outside air from entering.

Next, the operation of the aseptic filling device having the above configuration will be explained.

In FIG. 1, the feeder 11 of the paper container feeding device has a large number of paper containers IA that are pasted into cylinders and folded flat.
It is set. As shown in Fig. 5, this paper container IA is folded flat and has a bottom part 2 and a head part 3 to be assembled. A striation 4 is formed. In FIG. 1, first, the most advanced paper container IA is pulled out to position S1 by the paper container raiser 12, and simultaneously opened into a rectangular tube shape. At this time, the paper container IB is in the state shown in FIG. 6, with both its upper and lower ends open. Next, the paper container IB, which has been opened into a rectangular tube shape, is transferred downward by the transfer device. It is inserted and held in the paper container holder 25 waiting at position S2 in the sterilization tank 22.

Next, the endless chain 2 holding the paper container holder 25
3 travels intermittently in the direction indicated by the arrow to immerse the paper container IB in the sterilizing liquid. At this time, the paper container IB is immersed in the sterilizing liquid 21 while being opened into a rectangular tube shape, so that the sterilizing liquid will surely come into contact with the entire inner and outer surfaces of the paper container IB, ensuring that both the inner and outer surfaces are sterilized. . Passes through the sterilizing liquid 21 and passes through the 1st position S3
The paper container IC that has reached this point is then transferred to the upper part of the sterilization tank 22 by the transfer device 26 and held in the paper container holder 33 waiting at the 9 position S4.

During this movement, the air knife 31 blows away the sterilizing liquid adhering to the outer surface of the paper container. Further, at the first position S4, the air nozzle 32 blows away the sterilizing liquid on the inner surface of the paper container. Thereafter, one paper container IC is dried by hot air from a hot air nozzle 35 while being moved by the intermittent rotation of the turret 34.

The paper container ID that has been dried and has reached the 9th position y1s5 is transferred to the paper container tilting device 37 waiting at the position S6 below, and then moved to the 11th position by the rotation of the paper container tilting device 37.
Move to s7. Then, the transfer device moves the 5 positions S8
It is attached to the mandrel 41 of. At this time, the bottom 2 of the two paper containers ID is on the tip side of the mandrel 41. The paper container IC attached to the mandrel 41.

While moving by the intermittent rotation of the coolet 42, the bottom part is bent by a bottom part folding device (not shown), heated by a heating device 43, and then pressed and joined by a bottom part folding and pressing device 44. This results in a paper container IE with the bottom part 2 assembled as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the paper container IE with its bottom assembled is transferred to a position S9 where the mandrel 41 faces downward, and il! transferred onto the transfer device 50.

The paper container IE transferred onto the transport device 50 is
is intermittently transported in the direction of the arrow. On the way, the contents are filled into the paper container by the filling device 60, and then the two heads are folded, and then the top heater 7
1, and is pressurized and sealed by a top sealing device 72. In this way, the paper container 1 with the head 3 closed is formed as shown in FIG. 8, and is discharged outside the sterile room 80.

As described above, in the aseptic filling apparatus of the above embodiment, after the paper container is reliably sterilized in the aseptic chamber, the bottom part of the paper container is assembled.
Next, fill the contents! One part can be assembled, and filling and sealing can be reliably performed under aseptic conditions.

In addition, although the above-mentioned embodiment used a paper container of a Goebel top type as shown in FIG. It is also applicable to It is also applicable to paper containers equipped with spouts. Further, in the above embodiment, a large number of paper containers folded flat are set in the feeder 11 in order to supply the first paper container. A device for manufacturing rectangular tube-shaped paper containers IB may be provided in front of the aseptic filling device, and the configuration may be such that the rectangular tube-shaped paper containers IB manufactured by the device are continuously supplied to the sterilization device 20. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the aseptic filling device of the present invention, after sterilizing a rectangular cylindrical paper container by soaking it in a sterile liquid,
Since the bottom of the paper container can be assembled and the head of the container can be assembled with the contents, it is possible to achieve the effect that reliable aseptic filling is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an aseptic filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an endless chain of the aseptic device, a paper container holder, and a paper container held therein. FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the drying device. FIGS. 5 to 8 are perspective views showing the state of the paper container assembled in the aseptic filling apparatus at each step. 1, IA, IB, IC, ID, IE, IF...Paper container. 2-・Bottom, 3...-Head, 4... Muscle push, 10...
-Paper container supply device, 20-sterilizer, 21...=sterilizing liquid, 22...-sterilizing tank. 23-...JFJt-shaped chain, 24--Chain wheel, 25--Paper container holder, 26--Transfer device, 30...Drying device, 31--Air knife, 32--
・Air nozzle, 33...Paper container holder, 34...
Coolet, 35.-Hot air nozzle. 40...Bottom assembly device, 50...Transfer device, 60
--- Filling device, 70 --- Head assembly device, 80.
-・Sterile room. Figure 2 Agent Patent Attorney Kyo Matsu 371-4 Figure 5 Cause of Death 6 Go to Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A paper container supplying device for supplying rectangular tube-shaped paper containers pasted into tubes to a sterilization device to be described later, and a sterilization tank containing a sterilizing solution, the square tubes supplied from the paper container supplying device A sterilizer that sterilizes a cylindrical paper container by soaking it in a sterilizing solution in a sterilizing tank; A drying device that dries the paper container that has come out of the sterilizing tank; and a bottom part of the paper container that has been dried by the dryer. a bottom assembly device that assembles and seals the paper container; a conveyance device that conveys the paper container with the top side up after the bottom has been assembled; a filling device that fills the paper container held by the conveyance device with contents; A sterile filling device comprising: a head assembly device for assembling and sealing the head of a paper container held by the transport device and filled with contents; and a sterile room accommodating each of the above devices.