JPH0815901B2 - Packaging material sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention uses a laminated paper as a packaging material for sterilization with a chemical solution,
The present invention relates to a sterilization device for packaging material for producing a rectangular parallelepiped packaging container by performing scoring, filling, sealing, cutting and molding of a filling object.

[Prior Art] In recent years, a laminated paper obtained by laminating a thermoplastic film such as polyethylene on paper is sterilized with a chemical solution to remove the chemical solution, and then a part of sealing is performed to fill an object to be filled, A sterilizer for packaging materials has been developed, which is hermetically sealed to obtain a rectangular parallelepiped packaging container.

A conventional packaging material sterilizer is one in which a packaging material composed of a web-shaped laminated paper is passed through a sterilization bath of a chemical solution immediately after being sent out from a winding device, or one for sterilizing by applying a chemical solution, or There is a method in which, after forming the packaging material into a tubular packaging material, it is sterilized by passing it through a sterilization bath or applying a chemical solution.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, after the packaging material is sterilized with a chemical solution, the chemical solution and the foreign matter may flow in in the steps of removing the chemical solution, sealing the container, and sealing the container such as a filling step. There is a problem that causes secondary pollution. Therefore, in such a packaging material sterilizing apparatus, aseptic air is blown into the chamber after the sterilization process so that the chamber is kept at a positive pressure to prevent foreign matter from entering. However, in this case, since the sterile air is directly sucked from the positive pressure chamber by the exhaust processing device connected to the chamber, it is difficult to maintain the balance of the sterile air flow in the chamber. In addition, since there is a possibility that the chemical solution mist is filled in the chamber and the chamber is kept at a positive pressure, the chemical solution mist flows out from the chamber packaging material outlet, and this chemical solution has a bad effect on the human body. give. Therefore, there is a problem that the working environment is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and while having a relatively simple configuration, stabilizes the sterile air balance in the chamber and prevents secondary contamination after the sterilization process, and the chemical liquid from the chamber. The present invention provides a sterilizer for packaging materials, which can prevent the outflow of mist and keep the working environment safe.

[Means for Solving Problems] The present invention sterilizes a sterilization unit that sterilizes a predetermined packaging material in a chemical liquid, and the chemical liquid attached to the surface of the packaging material that is derived from the sterilization unit. A first positive pressure chamber to be removed in an atmosphere, a second chamber having an exhaust means provided in the flow direction of the packaging material of the first positive pressure chamber, and a blower line into the first and second positive pressure chambers. A sterilizing apparatus for packaging material, comprising: sterile air generating means for supplying aseptic air; and a filling / packing unit for feeding the packaging material led out from the positive pressure chamber.

[Operation] According to the packaging material sterilization apparatus of the present invention, after the packaging material is passed through the sterilization processing section with the sterilizing liquid, the chemical liquid is removed in the sterilized air flowing in a certain direction and the pressure-balanced atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the secondary contamination due to the inclusion of foreign matter in the packaging material 3 or the reattachment of the chemical liquid. Moreover, since the second positive pressure chamber having the exhaust means is provided after the first positive pressure chamber, the chemical liquid and the chemical liquid mist are prevented from flowing out, and even if the balance with the outside air is lost, the first positive pressure chamber is prevented. Aseptic filling packaging that is safe and clean can be realized without air entering the positive pressure chamber.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a packaging material sterilizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a sterile air flow state of the packaging material sterilizing apparatus. This sterilizing device for packaging materials includes a sterilization process unit for sterilizing the packaging material 3, and a filling / packaging process for filling / packaging the sterilized packaging material 3.
It is composed of a packaging unit. The packaging material 3 is, for example, the third
As shown in the figure, it is composed of a laminated paper in which a plurality of layers of thermoplastic films 3b, 3c such as polyethylene film or aluminum foil are laminated on both sides of a paper 3a having one side with decorative printing. The sterilization process section is configured to pass the packaging material 3 through the sterilization bath 5 for sterilization. filling·
The packaging unit fills the sterilized packaging material 3 with a vertical seal portion that partially seals (vertical seal) while maintaining sterility, and the packaging material 3 that is cylindrically sealed by the vertical seal portion with the object to be filled. To hermetically seal and separate each container.

The configurations of the sterilization process unit and the filling / packing unit will be described below with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 represents a winding of the packaging material 3. The wrapping material 3 that has been manipulated from the winding 1 is provided with a forming vertical ruled line in the flow direction by the crease applying section 2 and then guided to the sterilizing bath 5 by the drive roll 4. The sterilization bath 5 is filled with a predetermined chemical solution. The web-shaped packaging material 3 that has been sterilized by the sterilization bath 5 has a vertical seal portion 11 through a large roll 6, a dancer roller 7, a triangular guide 8, a curling roll 9 and a scoring plate 10 in this order.
It is supplied to. The large roll 6 can adjust the surface temperature by being heated from the inside, and can also be driven to rotate so that the packaging material 3 can be vertically sealed.
It is designed to be sent to. Above the large roll 6,
An outer surface air nozzle 20 is provided for removing the chemical liquid adhering to the outer surface of the packaging material 3 and for maintaining a positive pressure in the chamber. The triangular guide 8 is adapted to fold the packaging material 3 supplied from the dancer roller 7 from the center along the flow direction. The curling roll 9 is designed to curl the bent portion of the folded packaging material 3. The ruled plate 10 is adapted to give the packaging material 3 ruled lines other than the vertical ruled lines. In the vertical seal portion 11, the packaging material 3 is formed into a tubular shape by high frequency sealing. In the vicinity of the vertical seal portion 11,
A filling nozzle 12 for filling an object to be filled is provided in the packaging material 3 formed in a tubular shape. The filling nozzle 12 is connected to a liquid feed pipe 18 for feeding the material to be filled. A sterile air nozzle 23 for maintaining a positive pressure above the liquid level of the filling object filled in the packaging material 3 is attached to the tip of the liquid supply pipe 18. Below the vertical seal portion 11, there is provided a horizontal seal portion 14 that hermetically seals the packaging material 3 containing the filling object in a size corresponding to a predetermined one. Below the horizontal seal part 14, a cutting part 15 for cutting the packaging material 3 at the central part of the hermetic seal part and dividing it into individual containers.
Is provided. Below the cutting unit 15, a container forming unit 16 that performs ear-molding on each container is provided.

The sterilization device for packaging material is provided with a sterile air transfer system as shown in FIG. This sterile air transfer system is equipped with a sterile air generating means 26
A heating means 27 for heating the inorganic air emitted from the sterile air generating means 26, a blower line 19 for supplying the sterile air to the sterilization step section and the filling / packing section, and suction of the sterile air and the chemical solution mist. And an exhaust device 32 for performing. The large roll 6 and the dancer roller 7 are housed in a first positive pressure chamber 33 connected to the blower line 19, and the triangular guide 8 is provided with a second positive pressure chamber 34.

Thus, the sterile air generating means 26 contains a sterilizing filter, and the pre-filter 24 for removing foreign matter is used.
A predetermined amount of air is supplied from the blower 25 equipped with. A spray nozzle 29 for sterilizing the inner surface of the blower line 19 is provided in the blower line 19 at the outlet of the heating means 27. The spray nozzle 29 is connected to a pressurized chemical liquid tank 28 containing a chemical liquid to be sprayed. First
The positive pressure chamber 33 removes and dries the chemical liquid adhering to the packaging material 3 that has come out of the sterilization bath 5, and covers the portion for folding into the tubular packaging material state to maintain sterility. The second positive pressure chamber 34 has a function of preventing the sterile air and the chemical solution mist in the first and second positive pressure chambers 33 and 34 from leaking to the outside. An air space 35 for correcting the flow of aseptic air is led out to the lower part of the second positive pressure chamber 34. At the upper part of the first positive pressure chamber 33, an exhaust treatment line 30 for sucking aseptic air and chemical solution mist.
Is connected. Similarly, an exhaust processing line 31 for sucking aseptic air and chemical solution mist is connected to the upper part of the second positive pressure chamber 34. These exhaust processing lines 30 and 31 are connected to an exhaust processing device 32 that processes sterile air and chemical liquid mist. At the upper part of the first positive pressure chamber 33, an air nozzle 20 for removing the chemical liquid on the outer surface of the packaging material 3 and keeping the inside of the first positive pressure chamber 33 at a predetermined positive pressure is provided.
Is connected. Two air nozzles 21, 22 are connected to an air space 35, which is a space of the folded packaging material 3, for removing the chemical liquid on the inner surface of the packaging material 3 and maintaining a positive pressure state against the outside air.

Thus, according to the packaging material sterilization apparatus thus configured, the packaging material is sterilized as follows. That is, the air in the outside air is passed through the pre-filter 24 to remove foreign matters, and then is supplied to the sterile air generating means 26 by the blower 25 and passes through the sterilization filter to become sterile air. This aseptic air is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating means 27, and then passes through the air blowing line 19 in which the inner surface has been sterilized by the spray nozzle 29 in advance, and the aseptic air nozzle 2
It is supplied to 0, 21, 22, 23. Air nozzle 2 of these
The inside of the first positive pressure chamber 33 is maintained at a predetermined positive pressure state by the outer surface removing air supplied from 0 and the inner surface removing air flowing from below through the gap between the triangular guide 8 and the packaging material 3. . Further, most of the sterile air in the first positive pressure chamber 33 is guided by the inner wall surface 36 thereof and guided to the exhaust treatment device 32 through the exhaust treatment line 30 together with the chemical liquid mist in the first positive pressure chamber 33. The remaining sterile air and chemical mist flow into the second positive pressure chamber 34. On the other hand, aseptic air supplied from the air nozzles 21 and 22 into the air space 35 is sent to the second positive pressure chamber 34 and passes through the gap formed by the triangular guide 8 and the packaging material 3 together with the chemical solution mist. It flows into the upper first positive pressure chamber 33. The sterile air and the chemical solution mist in the second positive pressure chamber 34 are guided to the exhaust treatment device 32 via the exhaust treatment line 31. The exhaust treatment device 32 purifies the sterile air and the chemical liquid mist to a completely safe state, and then discharges this to the outside.

In such a flow of aseptic air, the packaging material 3 moves from the winding 1 to the sterilization / sterilization bath 5, the first and second positive pressure chambers 3
Guided to 3 and 34, sterilization treatment and removal of the chemical solution on the front and back surfaces are performed. Further, while aseptic air is being supplied from the air nozzle 23, the filling / packing unit fills the object to be filled and molding into a predetermined container. After the packaging material 3 is sterilized by passing it through the sterilization bath 5 in this way, the chemical solution is removed and dried in a well-balanced atmosphere with a sterilized air flow in a certain direction. Alternatively, it is possible to prevent secondary contamination due to reattachment of the chemical liquid. Moreover, the blower line 19 and the first and second positive pressure chambers 33 and 34 prevent the chemicals and the chemical mist from flowing out to realize safe and clean aseptic filling packaging.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the packaging material sterilizing apparatus of the present invention, the sterile air balance in the chamber is stabilized by providing the second positive pressure chamber while having a relatively simple structure. Further, the flow of sterile air is stabilized, secondary contamination after the sterilization step is prevented, and the mist of the chemical solution is prevented from flowing out of the chamber, so that the working environment can be kept safe.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a packaging material sterilizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a sterile air flow state of the packaging material sterilizing apparatus. The figure is a cross-sectional view of a packaging material used in the sterilizer for packaging material. 3 ... Packaging material, 4 ... Drive roll, 5 ... Sterilization processing part, 6 ... Large roll, 7 ... Dancer roller, 8 ... Triangular guide, 9 ... Ruffled roll, 10 ... Ruled plate, 11
...... Vertical seal part, 12 …… Filling nozzle, 14 …… Horizontal seal part, 15 …… Cutting part, 16 …… Container forming part, 18 …… Liquid supply pipe, 19 …… Blower line, 20, 21, 22 , 23 …… Air nozzle, 24 …… Pre-filter, 25 …… Blower, 26 …… Aseptic air generating means, 27 …… Heating means, 28 …… Pressurized chemical liquid tank, 29 …… Spray nozzle, 30, 31 ...... Exhaust treatment line, 33
...... First positive pressure chamber, 34 ...... Second positive pressure chamber.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sterilizing device for a band-shaped packaging material, comprising a sterilization processing section for sterilizing the packaging material in a chemical solution, and a first positive pressure chamber into which the packaging material is introduced from the sterilization processing section. And the first positive pressure chamber is used to remove the drug solution adhering to the surface of the packaging material in a sterile atmosphere and to dry the packaging material, and the first positive pressure chamber A second positive pressure chamber into which the packaging material is introduced, and the second positive pressure chamber includes the first positive pressure chamber
A lower side of the positive pressure chamber, a filling / packing unit into which the packaging material from the second positive pressure chamber is introduced, an exhaust line connected to the second positive pressure chamber, The exhaust line comprises an opening facing one surface of the packaging material, and sterile air generating means for supplying sterile air into the first and second positive pressure chambers through a blower line, Here, the aseptic air is supplied to the first positive pressure chamber from above the packaging material and to the one surface side of the packaging material, and to the second positive pressure chamber, It is supplied from below the positive pressure chamber and to the other surface side of the packaging material, whereby it rises along the other surface of the packaging material and the exhaust gas along the one surface of the packaging material. Go down to the line Sterilizer of packaging materials, characterized by serial sterile air flow is formed.