JPH09254936A - Method and apparatus for sterilizing food packaging container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To sufficiently remove hydrogen peroxide in a short time with a simple method and a structure. SOLUTION: A sterilizer has a sterilizing agent attaching device 19 for attaching solution containing hydrogen peroxide having dezymotizing function to the inside of a food packaging container 3 before contents are filled and a sterilizing agent remover 23 for blowing pressured hot air to the inside of the container with hydrogen peroxide attached for removing the hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilizing method and a sterilizing apparatus for a food packaging container in which food is filled and sealed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a conventional food packaging system of this type (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-255128).

As shown in the figure, this packaging system 51
Is for forming a packaging container 53 folded in a plate shape into a bottom shape having a bottom portion 53a, and filling the inside thereof with a liquid food, and then sealing the packaging container 53. A conveyor (not shown) for conveying, a molding device 55 for forming the folded packaging container 53 in a bottom shape and supplying it on the conveyor, and a packaging container 53 moving on the conveyor for filling food from above. Filling device 57
And a sealing device 59 for sealing the upper portion of the packaging container 53 filled with food. According to the packaging system 51, the liquid food is continuously filled in the packaging container 53,
Can be packaged in a sealed state.

[0004]

A method of sterilizing the inside of the packaging container 53 before filling the food is generally known in order to maintain the quality of the packaged food for a long period of time.
Hydrogen peroxide solution is used as the sterilizing agent. Since such hydrogen peroxide is exclusively used for sterilizing action, after the hydrogen peroxide solution is applied to the inside of the packaging container 53, the hydrogen peroxide is sufficiently removed before the food is filled, It is necessary to keep the residual amount of hydrogen peroxide below a predetermined value.

However, the packaging system 5 in which the packaging container 53 is formed in a bottom shape and the inside of the packaging container 53 is continuously filled with food.
In No. 1, in order to improve productivity, it is necessary to fill the food with the hydrogen peroxide solution as soon as possible after application.
Therefore, there has been a demand for a method of removing a sterilizing agent that removes applied hydrogen peroxide quickly and reliably.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such conventional problems, and its purpose is to remove hydrogen peroxide sufficiently and reliably in a short time with a simple method and structure. It is to provide a sterilization method and an apparatus therefor.

[0007]

The invention according to claim 1 comprises a sterilizing agent adhering step of adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution having a disinfecting action to the inside of a food packaging container before filling contents. And a sterilizing agent removing step of removing hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container by blowing pressurized hot air into the inside of the container to which the hydrogen peroxide is attached.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a sterilizing agent adhering device for adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution having a disinfecting action to the inside of a food packaging container before filling contents, and hydrogen peroxide adhering thereto. Blow pressurized hot air into the inside of the container,
A sterilant removing device for removing hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container is provided.

In the invention described in claim 1 or 2,
Since pressurized hot air is blown into the container to which the solution containing hydrogen peroxide is attached, the hot air decomposes the hydrogen peroxide by heat to generate water and oxygen, and the water content after decomposition Can vaporize quickly. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide can be removed from the inside of the container sufficiently and reliably in a short time by a simple method and configuration.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a sterilizing agent adhering device for adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution having a disinfecting action to the inside of a food packaging container before filling contents, and hydrogen peroxide adhering thereto. Blow pressurized hot air into the inside of the container,
A sterilant removing device for removing hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container is provided.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation of the second aspect of the invention, a packaging system for continuously filling the contents into a packaging container that is intermittently and continuously transferred by a carrier device. Even in this case, hydrogen peroxide can be sufficiently removed from the inside of the container in a short time, and it is possible to improve productivity and maintain the food quality.

The invention according to claim 4 is the sterilizer for a food packaging container according to claim 2, wherein the sterilizer removal device is a warm air of a predetermined temperature according to the capacity of the food packaging container. It is characterized by spraying.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the function of the invention described in claim 2, hot air of a predetermined temperature is blown according to the capacity of the food packaging container. The hydrogen peroxide can be accurately removed by the same sterilant removing device.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a packaging system using a sterilizer for a food packaging container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, this packaging system 1
Forms a bottom 3a in a rectangular tubular food packaging container 3, sterilizes the inside thereof, and then fills and seals a liquid food (contents) such as juice from the opening on the top 3b side. In addition, a transport path 5 as a transport device for transporting the packaging container 3 intermittently and continuously by a winding member such as a chain or a belt (both not shown), and a bottom portion of the rectangular tubular packaging container 3. A molding device 7 that forms 3a and supplies it onto the transport path 5, a sterilizing device 9 that sterilizes the inside of the packaging container 3 that moves on the transport path 5, and a food product from above into the packaging container 3 on the transport path 5. And a sealing device (not shown) for sealing the upper portion (top 3b) of the packaging container 3 filled with food.

The packaging container 3 is made of a flexible thin plate having a resin material laminated on both sides of a paper material in a substantially rectangular tube shape.
Stacked in a magazine (not shown) in a flat folded state. Both sides of the packaging container 3 (bottom 3a and top 3
The resin material in the opening portion of b) constitutes a thermoplastic layer for adhesion. A large number of fold lines are put in the packaging container 3, and the fold lines divide the side wall panel, the bottom wall panel on the bottom portion 3a side, and the top wall panel on the top portion 3b side.

The molding device 7 includes a mandrel wheel 13, a heater for the bottom (not shown), and a pressure device for the bottom (not shown). The mandrel wheel 13 includes a core portion 15 that is rotationally driven intermittently, and a plurality of mandrels 17 that are radially arranged around the core portion 15.

The packaging container 3 is lifted from the magazine and supplied to the mandrel wheel 13 in the form of a rectangular cylinder having a substantially square cross section. The supplied packaging container 3 is fed in the vertical direction (axial direction of the pipe) and mounted on each mandrel 17 one by one. When the packaging container 3 is mounted on the mandrel 17, the mandrel wheel 13 rotates by one step, and the packaging container 3 is mounted on the next mandrel 17 sequentially.

When the packaging container 3 mounted on the mandrel 17 reaches the first rotation position where the bottom heater is provided,
The bottom wall panel on the bottom 3a side of the packaging container 3 protruding from the end of the mandrel 17 is heated by the hot air heated by the bottom heater, and the thermoplastic layer rises to a softening temperature suitable for sealing. Then, due to the continuous stepwise movement of the mandrel wheel 13 in this first rotational position, the heated bottom wall panels are folded and overlap one another to form a substantially flat bottom 3a.

When the mandrel wheel 13 rotates and the packaging container 3 reaches the second rotation position where the pressurizing device is provided, the bottom part 3a is pressed by the pressurizing device and cooled, and the bottom panels are thermoplastic. The bottom portion 3a is tightly adhered in a watertight manner through the layers to form a tightly sealed bottom portion 3a without water leakage.

The mandrel wheel 13 rotates further and the bottom 3
When the liquid-tight packaging container 3 provided with a reaches the upper part of the transport path 5, the packaging container 3 is pulled out vertically downward and placed on the transport path 5.

At the upper part of the transport path 5, from the mandrel wheel 13 side, in order from the top pre-foda (not shown), the sterilizer 9,
A filling device 11 and a sealing device (not shown) are provided.

The packaging containers 3 placed on the transport path 5 from the mandrill vehicle 13 are intermittently transferred two by two in front and rear, and first pass through the top prefolder (not shown). As a result, the top wall panel is slightly folded in advance and is transferred below the sterilizer 9.

The sterilizing device 9 includes a sterilizing agent adhering device 19, an ultraviolet irradiation device 21, and a sterilizing agent removing device 23, which are sequentially arranged on the upper part of the transport path 5, and performs the disinfectant adhering step.

The sterilizing agent adhering device 19 has a sterilizing agent ejecting nozzle 25 disposed substantially at the center of the upper opening of the packaging container 3 which is intermittently transferred by the conveying path 5 and stops. A solution containing hydrogen peroxide (sterilizing agent) is continuously applied to the inside of the container.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 21 is a sterilizing agent attaching device 1.
It has an ultraviolet irradiation lamp (not shown) arranged above the upper opening of the packaging container 3 which is transferred from 9 and stops, and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp irradiates the inside of the container with ultraviolet light having a sterilizing action.

The sterilizer removing device 23 includes two hot air nozzles 27 and 29, an air pipe 31, a heater 33, a dust filter 35, a butterfly valve (not shown) for adjusting the flow rate, and a compressor. 37, and a disinfectant removal step is performed. Each hot air nozzle 27, 29
Are disposed so as to be located substantially above the center of the upper openings of the two packaging containers 3 before and after being intermittently transferred by the transport path 5 and stopped. Both hot air nozzles 27, 2
9 and the compressor 37 are connected by an air pipe 31, and the heater 33, the dust filter 35, and the butterfly valve are provided in front of and behind the air pipe 31. As a result, air (warm air) pressurized by the compressor 37 and heated by the heater 33
Are continuously sprayed into the container from the hot air nozzles 27 and 29. The set temperature of the heater 33 can be adjusted by a controller (not shown), and the internal pressure (flow rate) of the air conduit 31 can be adjusted by a butterfly valve, whereby the blowing temperature and blowing temperature of warm air into the container can be adjusted. The pressure (amount) can be set to a desired value.

The filling device 11 includes filling nozzles 41, 43,
The lifter (not shown), the metering pumps 45 and 47, the tank 49, and the flow passages 51 and 53 connecting these are provided. The filling nozzles 41 and 43, the lifter, and the metering pumps 45 and 47 are provided in two places each. The filling nozzles 41 and 43 are arranged so as to be positioned substantially above the center of the upper openings of the two packaging containers 3 before and after being intermittently transferred and stopped by the transport path 5, and the lifter is provided with the filling nozzles 41 and 43. Facing the packaging container 3
Is provided below the bottom portion 3a. Sterilizer removal device 23
The empty packaging container 3 transferred from is first lifted by the lifter to such a position that the inner surface (bottom surface) of the bottom portion 3a touches the filling nozzles 41 and 43. At the same time, the metering pumps 45, 47 are suction-operated, and a predetermined amount of liquid food from the tank 49 is metered.
It is sucked into 47. Next, the metering pump 45,
47 pushes out and a predetermined amount of sucked food is filled into the container through the filling nozzles 41 and 43, and during filling, the liquid level of the food filled in the container is equal to that of the filling nozzles 41 and 43. The lifter gradually lowers the packaging container 3 so that it is always positioned immediately below. Then, after a predetermined amount of food is filled, the lifter is completely returned to the initial position, the filled packaging container 3 is placed on the transport path 5 again, and is transferred below the sealing device.

The sealing device comprises a top heater and a top pressure device. The filled packaging container 3 transferred by the transport path 5 is heated by the hot air whose top panel has passed through the top heater, and the thermoplastic layer reaches an appropriate sealing temperature. The top pressure device applies pressure to the top panels to bond them via the thermoplastic layer, and seals the top 3b of the packaging container 3 so as to form a bottom shape. Then, the packaging container 3 filled with the food and sealed is sent from the packaging system 1 as a final product through the date inserting device and the sending conveyor.

The molding device 7 including the conveying path 5 to the sealing device are covered with a case (not shown) to enhance the sterilizing effect.

Next, the test results of detecting the residual amount of hydrogen peroxide after removal of the sterilizing agent by the so-called oxidation electrode method in the case of using the packaging system 1 equipped with such a sterilizer 9 will be described.

The tested packaging container 3 has a capacity of 250.
There are 3 types of bottom type: ml, 500 ml, and 1000 ml, and the operating condition of the transfer path 5 is about 1.2.
It is set that two packaging containers 3 are intermittently conveyed in a second and stopped for about 0.6 seconds in the meantime. The hydrogen peroxide-containing solution applied from the sterilizing agent ejection nozzle 25 to the inside of the container has a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 0.1% and an average flow rate of 200 ml / h from each nozzle 25 (container capacity of 250
300 ml / h (container capacity is 500 ml)
Or 1000 m). The internal pressure of the air pipe 31 of the sterilizer removal device 23 is 0.2 to 0.3 bar before passing the dust filter 35 and 0.05 bar after passing the butterfly valve, and the air flow rate is set to 80 Nm ³ / h. , Heater 3 depending on the container capacity of the compressor 37
Change the set temperature of 3. Further, the residual concentration of hydrogen peroxide is detected at a total of 6 locations by randomly extracting 3 locations inside the packaging container 3 for each packaging container 3.

As a result of the test, in the 1000 ml packaging container 3, when the set temperature of the heater 33 is 280 ° C. and 300 ° C., 3 out of 6 detection positions are detected.
Although 0.01 ppm hydrogen peroxide remains at some places, it was confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was completely removed and did not remain at all 6 detection positions when the set temperature was 320 ° C. Was done.

In the case of the packaging container 3 of 500 ml, when the set temperature of the heater 33 is set to 260 ° C., 0.01 ppm of hydrogen peroxide remains at 3 of 6 detection positions. When the temperature was 280 ° C., it was confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was completely removed and did not remain at all six detection positions.

In the packaging container 3 having a container capacity of 250 ml,
When the set temperature of the heater 33 is 280 ° C., 6
It was confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was completely removed and did not remain at all the detection positions.

From the above results, the set temperature of the heater 33 when the packaging system 1 is operated under the above conditions is
When the capacity of the container is 1000 ml, 320 ° C or higher, 500 ml
And 250 ml, the temperature is 280 ° C. or higher, and it can be understood that hydrogen peroxide can be sufficiently removed from the inside of the container by blowing pressurized hot air having a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature according to the capacity of the packaging container 3. This is because the hydrogen peroxide-containing solution adhering to the inside of the container is heated and decomposed by the hot compressed air blown inside the container to generate water and oxygen, and the water content after decomposition is It is mainly due to the fact that it can vaporize quickly. In addition, 500 ml and 250 ml
And the both have the same predetermined temperature as 280 ° C. or higher because the average flow rate of the hydrogen peroxide-containing solution applied to the inside of the container is 250 ml less than 500 ml (2/2 /
This is because it is set 3 times).

Therefore, if a predetermined temperature suitable for the capacity of the container and operating conditions is obtained and set in advance, hydrogen peroxide can be removed from the inside of the container sufficiently and reliably in a short time.

In addition, a sterilizing agent adhering device 19 for adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution to the inside of the container and a sterilizing agent removing device 23 for removing the sterilizing agent with pressurized hot air are provided simply before filling the food. It can be done with a small device.

Even in the packaging system 1 in which the food is continuously filled in the packaging container 3 which is intermittently transferred by the transport path 5, hydrogen peroxide is sufficiently supplied from the inside of the container in a short time. Can be removed.

Furthermore, since it suffices to blow warm air of a predetermined temperature according to the capacity of the packaging container 3, it is possible to accurately remove hydrogen peroxide from a plurality of types of packaging containers 3 with the same device. .

[0042]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2, hydrogen peroxide can be added in a short time by a simple method and structure in which pressurized hot air having a predetermined temperature is blown. Moreover, it can be sufficiently removed from the inside of the container.

According to the invention of claim 3, claim 2
In addition to the effects of the invention described in (1), even in a packaging system that continuously fills food in a packaging container that is intermittently and continuously transferred by a transport device, hydrogen peroxide is sufficiently supplied from the inside of the container in a short time. Can be removed to improve productivity and
It is possible to achieve both improvement of food quality retention effect.

According to the invention described in claim 4, according to claim 2
In addition to the effect of the invention described in (1), since a hot air of a predetermined temperature is blown according to the capacity of the food packaging container, hydrogen peroxide of the same sterilizing agent removal device can be accurately applied to a plurality of food packaging containers. Removal can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a system using an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Food Packaging Containers 5 Conveying Path (Conveying Device) 19 Sterilizing Agent Adhering Device 23 Sterilizing Agent Removing Device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sterilizing agent adhering step of adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution having a sterilizing action to the inside of a food packaging container before filling the contents, and pressurizing inside the container to which the hydrogen peroxide adheres. And a sterilant removing step of removing hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container by blowing warm air. 2. A sterilizing agent adhering device for adhering a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution having a sterilizing action to the inside of a food packaging container before filling with contents, and a pressure to the inside of the container to which hydrogen peroxide adheres. And a sterilizer removing device for removing hydrogen peroxide from the inside of the container by blowing warm air. 3. The sterilizer for a food packaging container according to claim 2, further comprising: a transport device for intermittently and continuously transporting the food packaging container, wherein the food packaging container is an upper portion. The bottom shape is filled with liquid food from the opening, the sterilizing agent adhering device continuously sprays a hydrogen peroxide-containing solution into the container from the opening, the sterilizing agent removing device, the container A sterilizer for food packaging containers, characterized in that hot air is continuously blown inside. 4. The sterilizer for a food packaging container according to claim 2, wherein the sterilant removing device blows warm air at a predetermined temperature according to the capacity of the food packaging container. Sterilizer for food packaging containers.