JPH08215289A - Apparatus for sterilizing surface and internal solution of bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To certainly sterilize the surface and internal soln. of a bottle in good yield by simple constitution. CONSTITUTION: This apparatus has the holding member 15 grasping and holding the fine neck part 13 formed in the head part of a bottle 10 and a conveyor device sending the bottle 10 into the holding member 15 and is provided with a hot water tank 50 in which the bottle 10 is immersed, the transfer device moving the holding member 15 holding the bottle 10 to the hot water tank 50 to immerse the bottle 10 in hot water and the lead-out device drawing up the bottle 10 from the hot water tank 50.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bottle surface and inner solution disinfection device for disinfecting bacteria such as drink bottle surface and inner solution before shipping.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the disinfection of the surface of a medicinal drink bottle is carried out by capping the bottle after filling it with a drink and sealing it, and then sending the bottle to a shower room for hot water and showering hot water on the bottle surface. Had been removed. At this time, since the body of a normal drink bottle is thicker than the cap, if you feed the bottles one after another by the conveyor,
The bottles are pushed into the shower room one after another. Then, after moving in the shower room for a certain period of time or longer, the bottles pushed to the exit side are successively sent out from the shower room.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, in the case of a small-sized bottle having an outer diameter of the cap larger than the body of the bottle, when the bottle is pushed by the belt conveyor and the bottle is fed, a plurality of bottles come into contact with each other. While pressing each other, the cap portion of the bottle and the conductor portion are relatively displaced in the horizontal direction. Finally, there was a problem that the bottle fell down. Further, it is more cost-effective to attach the cap to a plurality of types of bottles by using a certain type of cap, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the cap. Further, in the case of the above-mentioned conventional technique, since the hot water is showered on the surface of the bottle, the temperature is lowered by removing the heat from the surface of the bottle and the surface of the bottle, and the sterilization effect is reduced. There was also a problem that it would decrease.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus which has a simple structure and can sterilize reliably with good yield. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a holding member for sandwiching and holding a thin neck portion at the head of a drink bottle or the like, and a conveying device such as a conveyor device for feeding the bottle to the holding member. A hot water tank for holding hot water of about 85 ° C. and immersing the bottle, and a transfer device for moving the holding member holding the bottle to the hot water tank to immerse the bottle in hot water; It is the surface of the bottle provided with the transfer device which pulls up the said bottle from a tank, and an in-solution disinfection device.

Further, according to the present invention, in the holding member, the engaging portions are engaged with the thin neck portion of the bottle from both sides to suspend and hold the bottle, and a plurality of pairs of the engaging portions are formed. This is to hold the bins in a plurality of rows. The transfer device is a conveyor device that feeds the bin to the holding member and engages the narrow neck portion with the engaging portion, and this conveyor device has a switching device that feeds the bin to the holding member for each row. It is provided. A heater is provided in the hot water of the hot water tank, and a moving device is provided for moving the holding member together with the bottle in the hot water of the hot water tank for a certain period of time in the hot water tank. It is a thing.

Further, a preheating tank for immersing the bottle is provided in front of the hot water tank, and a drying chamber is provided after the hot water tank. After the bin is taken out by the unloading device, a carry-out conveyor for carrying out the bin is provided, and a returning device for sending back the holding member after the bin is taken out by the carry-out conveyor to the transfer device side, It is arranged above the boiling water tank.

[0008]

The function of the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizer of the present invention is as follows.
Since the bottle surface is sterilized by immersing the bottle in the boiling water in the boiling water tank, it is easy to control the temperature of the boiling water and easily prevent the temperature from dropping due to the immersion of the bottle. Further, since the bottle is suspended and held by the holding member, it can be stably and reliably held, and the bottle can be easily moved to each process.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The bottle surface and inner solution sterilization apparatus of this embodiment is for sterilizing the surface of a drink bottle containing a drug and an inner solution of the drug and the like. A holding member 15 having an engaging portion 14 that is engaged and held so as to be sandwiched from is provided.
This holding member 15 is for suspending a plurality of bottles 10 by engaging them with the engaging portions 14, and as shown in FIG. 6, two pairs of engaging portions 14 are formed and the bins 10 are arranged in two rows. It is hung and held.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of this embodiment has a holding member 15 and a bottle 1
A conveyor device 20, which is a transfer device for feeding 0, is provided. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conveyor device 20 conveys the bins 10 below the holding member 15 for each row. At this time, the engaging portion 14 of the holding member 15 is
It is set to the height of the thin neck portion 13. The conveyor device 20 is also provided with three rows of guide members 16, 17, and 18 corresponding to the rows of the bins 10 of the holding member 15. At the end of the central guide member 17, the bottle 10
A switching device 22 is provided for feeding each column to each column, and the switching device 22 is provided so as to be able to selectively guide the bins 10 to each column side around the central guide member 17. In this embodiment, the bins 10 are fed in one row on the upstream side of the conveyor device 20 for feeding the bins, and at the position of the switching device 22, one of the rows is linearly guided by the guide members 16, 17 as it is.
In the other row, a switching device 22 switches between the other guide members 17 and 18. Further, before the holding member 15, a stopper 24 for temporarily stopping the bottle is provided at the entrance portion of one row of the holding member 15.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, both ends of the holding member 15 are supported by the supporting member 30 at the mounting position of the bin 10, and the bin 10 and the engaging portion 14 stand by so that they can engage with each other. There is. The support member 30 has a pressing lever 32 that presses the upper surface of the holding member 15, and the pressing lever 32 is provided with a driving cylinder 33. And the support member 30
A preheating tank 40 for preheating the bottle 10 to about 50 to 60 ° C. is provided adjacent to, and a transfer device 42 is provided between the support member 30 and the preheating tank 40.

The transfer device 42 lifts the holding member 15 on which the plurality of bottles 10 are suspended from the support member 30 to immerse the bottle 10 in the preheating tank 40. Transfer device 42
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each has a pair of arms 43, and both ends of the holding member 15 are placed between the arms 43 to rotate. The arm 43 is connected by a chain 45 so that the support portion 44 of the holding member 15 always keeps the same posture so that the arm 43 also rotates once for one rotation of the arm 43. As a result, the holding member 15 is surely supported,
The bottle 10 can be submerged in the preheating tank 40 by rotating about half way. If the support portion 44 has a columnar shape, its rotation mechanism is unnecessary. The arm 43 is rotated at a predetermined timing by a drive motor (not shown).

Further, a hot water tank 50 containing hot water of 85 ° C. is provided adjacent to the preheat tank 40, and a transfer device (not shown) having the same structure as the above is provided between the preheat tank 40 and the hot water tank 50. It is provided. A drying chamber 60 is provided next to the hot water tank, and an unillustrated transfer device having the same configuration as the transfer device 42 is provided between the hot water tank 50 and the drying chamber 60 to further dry the hot water tank. Chamber 60 and unloading conveyor 70
As shown in FIG. 8, a transfer device 62 having the same structure as that of the transfer device 42 is provided between and. A support member 80 having the same structure as the support member 30 is provided above the carry-out conveyor 70, and a holding lever 82 for holding the upper surface of the holding member 15 is also attached. The presser lever 82 is similarly provided with a driving cylinder 83.

The preheating tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 have hot water supply tanks 41 and 51 for replenishing the hot water which evaporates and circulating the hot water, which are connected by pipe lines 46 and 56, respectively.
Hot water in the preheating tank 40 and the hot water tank 50 is formed by a pump (not shown) so as to circulate between the tanks 41 and 51. Further, waterproof heaters 52 are provided at the bottoms of the preheating tank 40, the hot water tank 50, and the tanks 41 and 51, respectively, and the hot water in the hot water tank is controlled to 85 ° C. by a controller (not shown). ing. Tanks 41,5
1 has a preheating tank 4 in order to prevent a sharp drop in water temperature.
0, the amount of water corresponding to the amount of evaporation in the hot water tank 50 is replenished little by little, and the amount of water is controlled so as to maintain a constant amount.

Further, both ends of the holding member 15 are supported over the preheating tank 40, the hot water tank 50 and the drying chamber 60,
A chain conveyor 54, which is a moving device for slowly moving the bottle 10, is provided. Chain conveyor 54
Are provided in a pair at a distance between both parts of the holding member 15 and are moved at a substantially equal slow speed by a motor (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of this embodiment has a returning device for returning the holding device 15 between the loading side and the unloading side of the bottle 10. 90
Is provided. In the returning device 90, a returning conveyer 91 that returns the holding member 15 on the carry-out side to the carry-in side is provided above the hot water tank 50 and the like. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, a lift member 92 for mounting the holding member 15 sent from the return conveyor 91 on the support member 30 is provided on the carry-in side of the bin 10. Lift member 92
Is a vertical cylinder 93 and a horizontal cylinder 9
4 and a mounting portion 95 on which the bottom of the holding member 15 is placed. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the lift member 9 having the same configuration as the lift member 92 is provided on the carry-out side of the bin 10.
6 is provided. The lift member 96 is for mounting the holding member 15 after the bin 10 has been sent out by the carry-out conveyor 70 on the return conveyor 91, and like the lift member 92, the vertical cylinder 93 and the horizontal cylinder 94. And the mounting portion 9 on which the bottom of the holding member 15 is placed.
Have five.

Next, the operation of the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of this embodiment will be described. First, the conveyor device 2
0, the bins 10 are fed in one row, and as shown in FIG. 2, the switching device 22 is first switched to the upper side of the drawing, so that the bin 10 is guided by the switching member 22 to guide the lower portion of the drawing. You will be guided between 17 and 18.
Then, the holding member 1 is once stopped by the stopper 24.
5 is securely set on the support member 30, and then the stopper 2
4 is released, the bin 10 is sent to below the holding member 15 by the conveyor device 20, and the narrow neck portion 13 of the bin 10 enters between the engaging portions 14 of the holding member 15.

After the stopper 24 is opened, a certain time after the stopper 10 is opened and the bottle 10 is almost full for one row of the holding member 15,
On the upstream side of the conveyor 20, a stopper (not shown) is closed to stop the carry-in of the bin 10 once, and the switching device 22
Can be switched to the lower side of FIG. After that, a stopper (not shown) is opened, and the bin 10 is carried in by the conveyor device 20 and linearly conveyed between the guide members 16 and 17 as it is. Then, the carry-in is continued for a certain period of time, the stopper (not shown) is closed again, the carry-in of the bottle 10 is stopped, and the holding member 15 can be transferred to the next process. Along with this, the switching device 22 again causes the guide members 17, 1 to move.
It can be switched to the above position, which directs the bin 10 between the eight.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pressing lever 32 of the support member 30 is opened, the pair of arms 43 of the transfer device 42 is rotated, and both ends of the holding member 15 are supported. The holding member 15 is lifted together with the bottle 10 and further rotated. Then, both ends of the holding member 15 are placed on the chain conveyor 54 at predetermined positions. This makes bin 1
0 is immersed in the preheating tank 40. Since the chain conveyor 54 is moving slowly, the bin 10 is warmed up in the meantime. When the holding member 15 reaches the other end of the preheating tank 40 by the chain conveyor 54, the holding member 15 is once lifted by the transfer device (not shown) and the bottle 1
0 is pulled up from the preheating tank 40 and immersed in the hot water tank 50. Then, both ends of the holding member 15 are placed on the chain conveyor 54 again, and the bottle 10 slowly moves in the hot water tank 50. The hot water tank 50 is maintained at 85 ° C. by the heater 52, and in this embodiment, the bottle 10 moves in the hot water tank 50 in about 15 minutes.

At the end of the hot water tank 50, a transfer device (not shown) is provided, and in the same manner as above, the holding seat 15 is lifted to pull up the bottle 10 from the hot water tank 50, and the drying chamber 6
Move to 0. In the drying chamber 60, hot air is blown onto the bottle 10 to blow off water droplets and evaporate them. Then, after the surface of the bottle 10 is dried in the drying chamber 60, as shown in FIG. 8, the holding device 15 is lifted by the transfer device 62, both ends of the holding member 15 are placed on the support member 30, and the carry-out conveyor is carried out. The bottle 10 is placed on 70.

Then, the bin 10 is sent out from the holding member 15 by the carry-out conveyor 70, and the empty holding member 15
Is lifted on the return conveyor 91 by the lift member 96. Holding member 15 of lift member 96 at this time
As shown in FIG. 8, the movement locus of the mounting portion 95 on which the
From the support member 80 side to the return conveyor 91, the cylinder 93
And the cylinder 94 moves to the left side of the drawing. Then, the cylinder 94 operates rightward in FIG. 8 above the return conveyor 91 to position the mounting member 95 on the return conveyor, and when the mounting member 95 is lowered by the cylinder 93, the holding member 15 returns Conveyor 91
Are transported by. Then, the mounting member 95 returns to the position shown by the solid line in FIG.

The holding member 15 returned by the returning conveyer 91 is moved by the lift member 92 as shown in FIG.
It is placed on the support member 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the movement path of the mounting portion 95 of the lift member 92 moves from the right side of the support member 30 in FIG. 6 to the return conveyor 91 by the cylinder 93 and moves to the left side of the drawing by the cylinder 94. Then, the holding member 15 on the return conveyor 91
The mounting member 95 supports the bottom surface of the mounting member 95, the cylinder 94 operates in the right direction in FIG. 6, the mounting member 95 is positioned outside the return conveyor, and the mounting member 95 is lowered by the cylinder 93. At this time, the cylinder 94 operates in the leftward direction in FIG. 6 to mount the holding member 15 on the support member 30. And
The pressing member 32 presses the holding member 15 and
Is completed.

According to the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of this embodiment, since the bottle 10 is immersed in the hot water tank 50 whose temperature is directly controlled by the heater 52, the surface of the bottle 10 is sterilized. It is possible to sterilize reliably without lowering the temperature.
In addition, the temperature of the hot water is easily controlled, and there is almost no temperature drop due to the immersion of the bottle. In addition, since the bottle 10 is suspended and held by the holding member 15, the bottle 10 can be stably and reliably held, and the bottle 10 can be easily moved to the hot water tank 50 or the like.

The number of rows of holding members and the structure of the transfer device of the bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of the present invention can be set appropriately. Further, the structures of the conveyor device and the transfer device can be appropriately set.

[0025]

According to the bottle surface and inner solution sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the bottle surface and inner solution are sterilized by immersing the bottle in hot water in a hot water tank. The number is small and sterilization is possible without fail. Further, since the bottle is suspended and held by the holding member, it can be stably held, and the bottle can be easily moved to each step.

In particular, by suspending the bottle with a thin neck portion, the bottle can be easily and surely held, and the structure of the device can be simplified. Also, by directly heating the hot water in the hot water tank with a heater,
Temperature control is easy and energy efficiency is good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of a conveyor device of an embodiment of a bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a surface of a bottle and a support member and a lift member of the internal solution sterilization apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the surface of the bottle and the supporting member of the internal solution sterilizing apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the surface of the bottle and the lift member of the internal solution sterilizer according to this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the surface of the bottle and the bottle carry-in section of the internal solution sterilization apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the surface of the bottle and the bottle carry-in section of the internal solution sterilizer according to this embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the bottle surface and the bottle carry-out section of the internal solution sterilization apparatus according to this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Bottle 12 Head 13 Neck Neck 14 Engagement Part 15 Holding Member 20 Conveyor Device 22 Switching Device 42 Transfer Device 50 Hot Water Tank 62 Transfer Device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A holding member for holding the heads of a plurality of bottles, a conveying device for feeding the bottles to the holding members, a hot water tank in which hot water is placed and the bottle is immersed, and the holding device holding the bottles. A bottle surface and in-solution disinfection device provided with a transfer device for moving a member to the hot water tank to immerse the bottle in hot water, and a transfer device for lifting the bottle from the hot water tank. 2. The holding member, wherein engaging portions are engaged with the narrow neck portion of the bottle from both sides to suspend and hold the bottle, and a plurality of pairs of the engaging portions are formed to form a plurality of the bottles. The bottle surface and inner solution sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, which is held in a row. 3. The conveyor device is a conveyor device for feeding the bins to the holding member, and the conveyor device is provided with a switching device for feeding the bins to the holding member row by row. The bottle surface and inner solution sterilization apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. 4. A heater is provided in the hot water of the hot water tank, and the holding member is moved together with the bottle in the hot water tank for a certain period of time while the bottle is immersed in the hot water of the hot water tank. 3. A moving device for moving the device is provided.
The surface and inner solution sterilization apparatus of the bottle described. 5. The bottle surface and inner solution sterilizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a preheating tank for immersing the bottle is provided in front of the boiling water tank. 6. The bottle surface and inner solution sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein a drying chamber is provided after the hot water tank.