JPH06286734A - Aseptic filling/packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an aseptic filled product from being contaminated by a method wherein a sampling tube for a light scattering method particle counter is provided in an aseptic chamber, and the aseptic retention state is controlled. CONSTITUTION:A septic air which has been processed by a sterilizing filter 5 is blown into an aseptic chamber 17 by an introducing pipe 6, and is held by a positive pressure to retain the asepctic condition. For an aseptic filling machine, there are processes such as a bottom heater 9, bottom breaker 10, or bottom press 11, and top seal 13, and for the connection of these process parts to the aseptic chamber 17, a bellows, etc., made of a metal or resin are used. In this sliding section 16, a sampling tube 8 for a light scattering method particle counter 7 is arranged, and the sampling tube 8 is linked to the light scattering method particle counter 7, and a measurement is always performed when the aseptic filling/packaging machine is under an aseptic retention state. Therefore, the flowing in of the outside air due to the generation of pin holes on the aseptic chamber part of which the detection has been impossible to today can be instantly sensed, and the danger for the destruction of an aseptic condition can be detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an aseptic filling and packaging machine for food and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for sterilizing a packaging material such as a carton and filling and sealing the contents in an aseptic state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene,
BACKGROUND ART An aseptic filling and packaging machine has been developed which sterilizes a packaging material obtained by laminating aluminum foil or the like on paper, then removes a sterilizing solution, molds a container, fills an object to be filled, and hermetically seals to form and wrap.

The inside of the apparatus of the aseptic filling and packaging machine is sterilized before the start of production. Further, sterile air after being sterilized by a sterilizing filter or the like is blown into the sterilized chamber after sterilization to make a positive pressure state to prevent invasion of outside air and maintain the sterilized state.

[0004]

Most of the aseptic chamber of the aseptic filling and packaging machine is made of stainless steel or the like, but some sliding parts, such as bottom heater, cannot be fixed. The inside of the aseptic chamber is shut off by the bellows to keep the aseptic condition.

Due to the bellows or the like, a part which constitutes a part of the aseptic chamber moves up and down at right angles to the aseptic chamber. The amount of aseptic air blown in is set so that it does not become negative pressure even when performing normal breathing exercises. However, if a pinhole or the like occurs in the bellows or the like, outside air will flow in through the pinhole portion due to the breathing motion.

[0006] This means that the aseptic holding state is destroyed, which causes a fatal defect of the aseptic filling and packaging machine, which leads to contamination of the product.

[0007]

The present invention is a sterile filling and packaging machine for sterilizing packaging materials such as cartons in a sterile chamber and filling and sealing the contents in an aseptic state. The aseptic filling and packaging machine is characterized in that a sampling tube of the container is installed to manage the aseptic holding state.

[0008]

[Function] The aseptic filling and packaging machine equipped with a light scattering type particle counter can instantly detect the inflow of external air due to the generation of pinholes in the aseptic chamber part, which was previously undetectable, and the risk of aseptic destruction Can be detected.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the entire aseptic filling and packaging machine according to the present invention. Carton blanks a are supplied from the left end direction of the drawing and sequentially moved to the left while the packaging material sterilization step 2 and the sterilization liquid removal are performed. Process, bottom molding process 4, filling process 12
And the top seals 13 and 14 are discharged from the left end.

As shown in FIG. 1, the aseptic filling and packaging machine 1 of the present invention comprises a sterile chamber 17 made of stainless steel, resin or the like.
The sterile air blown by the sterilization filter 5 is blown into the aseptic chamber 17 by the introduction pipe 6 and the aseptic holding state is maintained under positive pressure. The aseptic filling and packaging machine has steps such as a bottom heater 9, a bottom breaker 10, a bottom press 11, and a top seal 13. In these steps, a metal or resin bellows or the like is used to connect a part of the aseptic chamber 17. Is used.

Since the bellows portion slides, cracks and pinholes may occur in the bellows portion due to metal fatigue and other causes. Further, since this portion slides in the direction perpendicular to the sterile chamber 17, when a crack is generated, the breathing action sucks the outside air into the sterile chamber 17. This inflow of outside air destroys the aseptic holding state.

In this embodiment, a sampling tube 8 of the light scattering type particle counter 7 is arranged on the sliding portion 16, and the sampling tube 8 is connected to the light scattering type particle counter 7 to keep the aseptic filling and packaging machine aseptic. It is arranged so that the measurement is always performed when in the state.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement position is such that the bottom heater 9, the bottom breaker 10, the bottom press 11, the top seal 13 and the like have sliding parts, and the structure thereof. As a typical example, the bottom heater portion 9 of FIG. 2 will be described. The sliding portion (bellows portion) 16 of the bottom heater portion 9 will be described.
The tip of a sampling tube 8 is disposed inside the sample tube 8 and a light scattering type particle counter 7 is connected to the sampling tube 8 via a transmission section 18 such as an optical fiber.

The light-scattering type particle counter 7 can count the number of particles of 0.3 μm or more, and is normally a sterile chamber 17 which is kept sterile by sterile air that has been sterilized by the sterilizing filter 5. The number of particles in the inside is 100 or less in 1 liter of 0.3 μm or more. Since particles having a particle number of 0.3 μm or more immediately after the sterilization filter are hardly detected, it is presumed that most of the particles usually detected are dust or the like in the aseptic chamber 17. The dust is sterilized during the initial sterilization.

When a pinhole is generated in a sliding portion such as a bellows, the outside air is sucked into the aseptic chamber 17, so that 0.3 μm is required.
The number of particles above sharply rises to 10,000 or more per liter. By detecting this with a light scattering particle counter, it is possible to detect the occurrence of pinholes in sliding parts such as bellows.

[0016]

The outflow of outside air into the aseptic chamber 1, that is, the occurrence of pinholes and the like can be detected, and the aseptic filling product can be prevented from being contaminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of an aseptic filling and packaging machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a bottom heater section of an embodiment of the aseptic filling and packaging machine of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Aseptic filling and packaging machine 2 Packaging material sterilization process 3 Sterilizing solution removal process 4 Molding and filling process 7 Light scattering particle counter 8 Sampling tube

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Jiro Fujishiro 1-5-1, Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sterile filling and packaging machine for sterilizing a packaging material such as a carton in a sterile chamber and filling and sealing contents in a sterile state, wherein a sampling tube of a light scattering type particle counter is installed in the sterile chamber. The aseptic filling and packaging machine is characterized in that the aseptic holding state is managed.