JPH04142201A - Germ-free air supply device and sterilization therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make sterilization accomplished easily and effectively by a method wherein a germicide is sprayed from nozzles on the whole area on the outlet side of HEPA filters while blowers are stopped, and after this the blowers are driven at low rotational speed to sterilize the HEPA filters and air supply passages. CONSTITUTION:The title device is to supply air with air blowers 14 and 14a to remove germs or the like with HEPA filters 16 and 16a, and to supply sterilized air to a filling device 24 and a disinfection device 22 through air supply passages 50, 52 and 54. For execution of initial sterilization, the air blowers 14 and 14a are stopped and a germicide is sprayed from filter-disinfecting nozzles 18 and 18a on the whole area on the outlet side of the HEPA filters 16 and 16a. After this, the sprayed germicide is sent into the air supply passages 50, 52 and 54 with the air blowers 14 and 14a driven at low rotational speed. After spraying of the germicide is made thoroughly on the interior of the passages, the air blowers 14 and 14a are stopped for 10 to 20 minutes, letting the inside of the air passages 50, 52 and 54 completely sterilized. Then the air blowers 14 and 14a are driven at high rotational speed to dry the HEPA filters 16 and 16a and the supply passages 50, 52 and 54, and thereby the initial sterilization of a germ-free air supply device 10 and 10a finishes.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a sterilizer for sterilizing, cleaning, and drying hollow blanks of food containers for milk or juices, which are called Goebel top type containers, and A sterile air supply device for supplying sterile air to food packaging equipment comprising a filling device for filling and sealing food into blanks, and a housing for sealing these sterilization devices and the filling device, and for sterilizing the sterile air supply device. Regarding the method.

[Prior Art] In general, food packaging equipment for milk or juices includes a sterilizer that sterilizes, washes, and dries hollow blanks, a filling device that fills and seals the blank with food, and these sterilizers and filling devices. In order to maintain the inside of the housing in a sterile state, sterile air is supplied from a sterile air supply device to maintain a higher pressure than the outside atmosphere. This sterile air supply device then sterilizes the outside air through a HEPA filter (ultra high performance filter) and supplies it to the food packaging equipment.

In such food packaging equipment, it is necessary to sterilize the entire interior of the equipment to bring it into a sterile state before starting the equipment. For this reason, food packaging equipment has been developed in which an initial sterilization nozzle is disposed within the housing to spray a sterilizing agent into the housing to sterilize the product before starting. The disinfectant sprayed onto the inner surface of the housing from this nozzle is discharged to the outside from the bottom.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in a sterile air supply device, it is difficult to easily sterilize the HEPA filter, especially since it is located at the deepest part of the air supply path, that is, on the upstream side. HEPA
Although the filter removes bacteria from the air that passes through it, if the filter has been out of operation for a long time, bacteria may grow on the outlet side. Like this HE
If the PA filter is contaminated with bacteria, there is a possibility that the entire food packaging equipment will be contaminated with bacteria.

Therefore, it is desired to develop a sterile air supply device that can perform sterilization more simply and easily.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sterile air supply device and a sterilization method thereof, which can perform sterilization more simply and effectively.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A sterile air supply device according to the present invention includes a sterilizing device that sterilizes, washes, and dries a hollow blank of a food container, a filling device that fills and seals the sterilized blank with food, A sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air to a food packaging facility that includes a housing that seals these sterilization devices and a filling device, the air blower supplying sterile air into the housing through an air supply path; The air blower has a HEPA filter disposed on the outlet side of the air blower, and a filter sterilizing nozzle that sprays a sterilizing agent over the entire surface of the outlet side of the HEPA filter.

Further, in the method of sterilizing the sterile air supply device according to the present invention, while the air blower having at least two rotational speeds of low speed rotation and high speed rotation is stopped, the filter sterilization nozzle sterilizes the HEPA filter at the outlet side. A sterilizing agent is sprayed over the entire surface, and then the air blower is rotated at low speed while spraying the sterilizing agent from a filter sterilizing nozzle to sterilize the HEPA filter and the air supply path.

[Operation] According to the sterile air supply device of the present invention, during initial sterilization of food packaging equipment, the HEPA filter is sprayed with a sterilizer over the entire surface of its outlet side from the filter sterilization nozzle with the air blower stopped; fully sterilized. Thereafter, when the air blower is operated, the air sucked in from the outside passes through the HEPA filter and is supplied into the housing of the food packaging equipment in a sterile state. Since the HEPA filter is sterilized, the food packaging equipment that has undergone initial sterilization is operated while maintaining the interior of the housing in a sterile state.

Further, according to the method for sterilizing a sterile air supply device of the present invention, the sterilizing agent from the filter sterilization nozzle is sent into the air supply path by the sterile air that has passed through the sterilized HEPA filter. is effectively sterilized, ensuring sterility within the housing of the food packaging equipment.

[Example] Figure 1 shows a sterile air supply device according to an example of the present invention.
0. 10a is shown together with food packaging equipment 20.

This food packaging equipment 20 includes a sterilizer 22 that sterilizes a cylindrical blank 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, washes it to remove the sterilizer, and then dries it. The blank 2 is provided with a filling device 24 which forms the bottom part 4 of the blank 2 into a flat bottom shape, fills it with food such as milk, and then forms the top part 6 into a roof shape to complete the food container 8. These sterilizing device 22 and filling device 24 are
The inside is sealed and kept sterile.

FIG. 5 shows an outline of each process in the food packaging equipment 20. This food packaging equipment 20 has a double structure in which two sets of sterilizers 22 and two filling devices 24 are arranged, or
It is also possible to arrange one set or three or more sets of each.

In this sterilizer 22, a hollow prismatic blank 2 with both ends open is supplied from a supply section 28 on the right side of the figure. This blank 2 is sterilized in a sterilization tank 30, then washed in a cleaning tank 32, and the sterilizer is blown off by a water droplet removal device 34.
Finally, the filling device 2 is dried in a hot air drying tank 3638.
Sent out on 4th.

In the supply section 28 of this sterilizer 22, the blanks 2 are placed in a flat folded state, and the flat blanks 2 are sequentially pulled out with a suction cup to form a hollow prismatic shape. The columnar blank 2 is sent to a circulation device 25 (FIG. 6) that circulates it through a sterilization tank 30.

The sterilizing tank 30 contains, for example, 35% by weight hydrogen peroxide solution heated to about 80° C. as a sterilizing agent, and the blank 2 is circulated through the sterilizing tank 30. Sterilization tank 30
The disinfectant therein is maintained at a substantially constant temperature and a degree by a tank 31 (FIG. 1).

The circulation device 25 illustrated in FIG. 6 is formed in the shape of two parallel chains with a large number of holding mechanisms 27 attached at regular intervals, and is intermittently rotated by a drive sprocket attached to a drive shaft 23. . The blank 2 is held laterally by the holding mechanism 27 and circulated through the sterilization tank 30, and when it stops, it is sent to the next circulating device by two lateral feed chains.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sterilized blank 2 is sent to a cleaning tank 32.

In the cleaning tank 32, sterile water that has been completely sterilized by a sterile filter is maintained at a temperature of, for example, 60° C. or higher and about 80° C. Then, the blank 2 is transferred to the circulation device 2 shown in FIG.
In step 5, the cleaning tank 32 is intermittently circulated to wash off the disinfectant adhering to the surface.

Water droplets are removed from the thus cleaned blank 2 by the water droplet removal device 34 before it is dried in the sterilization tank 3638.

This water droplet removing device 34 has six mandrels 35 having nozzles at their tips arranged radially, and the circulation device 25
It rotates intermittently in synchronization with this circulation device 25 along a plane parallel to the lower running surface of the.

When the water drop removing device 34 stops and the blank 2 is inserted from the tip of each mandrel 35, the corner of the blank 2 is guided by the guide rail 35a arranged around the circumference, and the nozzle at the tip of the mandrel 35 is inserted. Sterile air is blown onto the inner surface of blank 2 to blow away water droplets.

A large number of nozzles 37 are arranged in the drying tank 36 along the travel path of the circulation device 25, and when the blank 2 is circulated through this drying tank 36 in the circulation device 25, these nozzles 37
It is dried with hot air blown from the Similarly, a nozzle 39 (FIG. 1) is also arranged in the drying tank 38, and hot air is blown onto the blank from the direction opposite to that of the drying tank 36 to dry it.

Then, the blank 2 that has been dried is carried out to the filling device 24.

In the filling device 24, the blank 2 is first formed in the bottom forming device 40.
The bottom part is shaped like a flat bottom. This bottom forming device is a normal one, and various members for heating, temporarily folding, and sealing the blank 2 are arranged around the radial mandrel 41, and these members are arranged during one rotation of the mandrel 41. The bottom part 4 of the blank 2 is formed into a flat bottom shape by each member (FIG. 3).

Thereafter, the blank 2 is intermittently conveyed by a conveyor, filled with a predetermined amount of food from a filling tank 46 (FIG. 1) in a filling section 42, and after the upper part 6 is sealed in a roof shape at a sealing section 44, It is carried out as a completed container 8.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the food filling equipment 20, the sterilizer 22 and the filling device 24 are surrounded by a housing 26, and sterile air is supplied from the sterile air supply device 10 to the filling device 24 via an air supply path 50. is supplied to the sterilizer 2 from the sterile air supply device 10a via air lines 52,54.
Sterile air is supplied to the housing 26, and the inside of the housing 26 is maintained at a higher pressure than the outside to maintain a sterile state. In addition, in order to prevent the sterilizer from entering the filling device 24 from the sterilizing device 22, the filling device 24 and the sterilizing device 22 are communicated with each other through an opening small enough to allow the blank 2 to pass through. The pressure inside the sterilizer 24 is maintained higher than the pressure inside the sterilizer 22.

This makes it possible to perform each step of complete sterilization of the blank 2, removal of the sterilizer, drying, and filling in a completely sterile state, and moreover, it is possible to completely prevent the sterilizer from entering the food or container. Note that a heating device (not shown) is arranged in the air supply path 5254 connected to the sterile air supply device 10a, and the nozzle 37.39 of the drying tank 36.38
It supplies hot air to the

In this food filling equipment 20, before starting, that is, blank 2
A number of sterilization nozzles 46 are placed at necessary locations to sterilize the interior of the housing 26 prior to sterilization and food filling, and a sterilization agent delivered via a supply line 48 is sprayed into the housing 26. The disinfectant sprayed into the housing 26 is exhausted to the outside via collection pipes 29a, 29b. Thereafter, the disinfectant can be washed away by spraying sterile water through the supply line 48, and finally, sterile heated air is blown out from the lines 49a and 49b to dry the inside of the housing 26.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the sterile air supply device 10 includes a casing 12, an air blower 14 disposed inside the casing 12, and a HEPA filter 16 disposed on the outlet side of the air blower 14. The sterile air supply device 10a also includes a casing 12a and an air blower 1 as shown in FIG.
4a, and a HEPA filter 16a. The air blown by these air blowers 14, 14a is removed from bacteria by a HEPA filter 16.16a, and then sent to the filling device 2 via air supply paths 50 and 52.54, respectively.
4 and the sterilizer 22 with sterile air. Each of these air blowers 14.14a can be switched to at least two rotational speeds: low speed rotation and high speed rotation.

In these sterile air supply devices 10.108, the filling device 24 is also connected from the HEPA filter 14.14a.
In order to sterilize the flow paths leading to the sterilizer 22 and the sterilizer 22, filter sterilizer nozzles 18.18a are arranged in the air supply paths 50 and 52.54, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. These filter sterilization nozzles 18 .
．． The sterilizer can be atomized and sprayed onto the entire surface of the outlet side of 16a and the inner surface of the intake air supply path adjacent thereto. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, one air blower 14a to two
Even when supplying sterile air to two air supply channels 52 and 54, a sufficient amount of spray can be applied to one filter sterilization nozzle 18.
It is sufficient to simply provide a.

The sterile air supply devices 10, 10a are sterilized as follows.

First, with the air blowers 14 and 14a stopped, the seventh
Filter sterilization nozzle 18,1 as shown in FIG.
8a to the entire surface of the outlet side of the HEPA filter 16°16a. After the HEPA filter 16.16a is completely sprayed with disinfectant, the air blower 14,14a
are rotated at low speed to force the disinfectant sprayed from the filter disinfection nozzles 18.18a into the air supply channels 50 and 52.54, respectively. This state is shown in FIG.

After the disinfectant is sufficiently sprayed onto the inner surfaces of these air supply channels 50 and 52.54, the air blower 14.14a is stopped for, for example, 10 to 20 minutes. This completely sterilizes the inside of the air supply paths 50 and 52,54. Finally, when the air blower 14.14a is operated at high speed, the sterilizer adhering to the HEPA filter 16.16a and the air supply channels 50 and 52°54 is dried, and the initial sterilization of the sterile air supply device 10.10a is completed. Complete. Thereafter, when the air blowers 14, 14a are operated, the air sucked in from the outside is supplied into the housing 26 of the food packaging equipment 20 in a sterile state through the HEPA filters 16, 16a. Since the HE PA filter 16.16a and the air supply channels 50 and 5254 have been sterilized, the food packaging stage (i!20) that has undergone initial sterilization is operated while maintaining the interior of the housing 26 in a sterile state.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned sterile air supply device 10, 108, the air supply path 5 can be cleaned by only switching the operation of the air blower 14, 14a and spraying from the filter sterilization nozzle 18, 18a.
0 and 52.54 can be sterilized in order from the upstream side to the downstream side, and sterilization can be performed more efficiently.

[Effects] As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, the sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air to food packaging equipment can be sterilized very easily and effectively, and the sterile state of the food packaging equipment can be ensured.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a sterile air supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention together with food packaging equipment; the second cause is a perspective view of a food container blank to be sterilized and filled with the food packaging equipment of FIG. 1;
Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of its bottom, Figure 4 is its completed diagram, and Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of its bottom.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the food coloring equipment shown in Figure 1, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the blank circulation system in the sterilizer of the food packaging equipment, and Figures 7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams of the sterile air supply system. 9 are explanatory diagrams showing the state during sterilization. 2... Blank, 8... Food container, 1o... Sterile air supply device, 14.14a... Air blower, 161
6a... HEPA filter, 18.18a... Filter sterilization nozzle, 20... Food packaging equipment, 22...
Sterilizer, 24... Filling device, 25... Circulation device,
26. Housing, 30... Sterilizing tank, 32... Cleaning tank, 3638... Drying tank, 50, 52.54... Air supply path. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 2 Figure 3t1 Figure 14

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A food product that includes a sterilizer that sterilizes, cleans, and dries hollow blanks of food containers, a filling device that fills and seals the sterilized blank with food, and a housing that seals these sterilizers and filling devices. A sterile air supply device that supplies sterile air to packaging equipment, the device comprising: an air blower that supplies sterile air into the housing through an air supply path; a HEPA filter disposed on the outlet side of the air blower; A sterile air supply device having a filter sterilizing nozzle that sprays a sterilizing agent over the entire surface of the outlet side of a HEPA filter. (2) The sterile air supply device according to claim 1, wherein the air blower has at least two rotational speeds: low speed rotation and high speed rotation. (3) The sterile air supply device according to claim 2, wherein the filter sterilization nozzle is arranged within the air supply path. (4) A method for sterilizing a sterile air supply device according to claim 2 or 3, comprising: spraying a sterilizer from the filter sterilization nozzle over the entire surface of the outlet side of the HEPA filter while the air blower is stopped; After that, the air blower is operated at low speed while spraying the sterilizer from the filter sterilization nozzle, and the H
A sterilization method for sterilizing an EPA filter and an air supply path. (5) After sterilizing the air supply pipe, spraying of the sterilizer from the filter sterilization nozzle is stopped, and then the air blower is operated at high speed to dry the air supply pipe. sterilization method.