JPH11105833A - Method for transferring container inside/outside clean room - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent contaminant attaching to a transfer apparatus in a previous process from being brought inside/outside a clean room by separating the transfer apparatus for a container at a border between the inside and the outside of the clean room and transferring the container inside/outside the clean room by a container holder provided on a separate unit. SOLUTION: A transfer apparatus A for feeding a container 2 which has not been treated yet to a clean room 1 and a transfer apparatus B for receiving the container 2 in the clean room 2 are separately placed with a clean room container inlet port 5 as a border. When the transfer apparatus A carries the container 2 which has not been treated yet to a container carry-in part 5, a neck grip conveyer 3 is brought into contact with a neck of the container 2 in the vicinity of its end, the container 2 is fed into the clean room 1 while its neck is held from both sides, and it is mounted on the transfer apparatus B. Further it is transferred to a transfer apparatus C in a booth 1' from the transfer apparatus B through the container carry-in part 5. Transfer to the outside of the clean room 1 is done in a similar manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for transporting containers in a sterile filling system for containers filled with various beverages such as drinking water, juice, oolong tea, and milk coffee, and more particularly, to a method for transporting the containers. The present invention relates to a method of transporting a container into and out of a clean room so that contaminants due to bacteria and dust adhering to the apparatus are not brought into or out of the clean room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when filling various kinds of beverages into containers such as bottles and cans, it is necessary to carry out the steps of washing and sterilizing the containers, finishing rinsers, filling the contents, and closing the lids. Are known. Usually, in these steps, first, an untreated container is transported into a first clean room, and sterilization cleaning using a chemical is performed in a booth partitioned in the first clean room, and subsequently, a finishing rinser is used. -Filling and closing of contents are also performed in a booth partitioned in a separate second clean room.

At this time, the booth in the first clean room and the booth in the second clean room are all maintained at class 100 in the clean room. In this process, a transport device such as a belt conveyor is usually used to transport the container into or out of the clean room maintained at class 10,000, and the container placed on the transport device from inside or outside the clean room is used as it is. It is designed to be transported.

[0004] The untreated containers sent into the first clean room are subjected to a washing and sterilizing step using a peracetic acid-based agent or the like in a booth in the first clean room. It is excellent in that the container can be sterilized in a short time without increasing the water content. In such a sterilization method using chemicals, since the inside of the sterilization apparatus is filled with the chemical or air containing the chemical, the worker cannot enter here, and all the work is performed by remote control under computer control. Will be

In the booth for cleaning and sterilizing, a portion into which the container before cleaning is carried in and a container discharging portion for feeding the container after cleaning and sterilizing to the next filling step are respectively provided in a first clean room in a lower portion of the booth. It is configured in an open state. Therefore, sufficient care is taken to prevent the air containing the chemical in the booth from leaking into the first clean room from these two open portions.

[0006] The container which has been cleaned and sterilized by the agent heated in the first clean room passes through a finishing rinser room for finish cleaning, and finally is filled with contents in a filling room provided in another clean room. Is performed, and then the product is finished through lid closing, inspection, and packaging processes. In this series of steps, the pressure in the booth set to class 100, which controls the filling step, is set to the highest positive pressure, and the booth is set so that the inflow of air from the other is never brought. Has become.

However, unlike the inside of the clean room, unlike the inside of the clean room, many bacteria and dust are usually floating, and contaminants such as bacteria and dust adhere to the container wall surface and the transporting device for transporting the same. And it should be avoided as much as possible. The cleaning and disinfecting step in the first clean room is for cleaning and disinfecting the container, and there is no problem even if microorganisms are attached as far as the container is concerned. However, a transport device such as a conveyor for transporting the container includes: Since they are not subject to cleaning and disinfection, contaminants that adhere to the transfer device from outside the clean room and are brought into the clean room are at least below the class 10,000 level. Cause you to

[0008] Therefore, when transporting the container into or out of the clean room, the present inventors remove contaminants such as bacteria and dust adhering to the transport device.
As a technical issue, shut off at the boundary between inside and outside the clean room and prevent entrainment inside and outside the clean room,
We tried various ideas to solve the problem. As a result, it is the present invention that has arrived, and thereby, when the container is sent to the cleaning and sterilizing step, or when transported outside the clean room, contaminants attached to members other than the container are cleaned and sterilized in the cleaning and sterilizing system. Is preferably prevented from being entrained outside the clean room.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of transporting contaminants accompanying a transport device when transporting a container into and out of a clean room so as not to carry the contaminant to the next step.

[0010]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and in a boundary portion inside and outside a clean room, a container transfer device is divided to hold a container provided separately. There is an important feature in that the apparatus is configured to transport the container into and out of the clean room.

That is, according to the present invention, in the method for transporting a container into and out of a clean room, the container transport device is formed by being divided inside and outside of the clean room, and the transport of the container in the divided portion is performed above the divided portion. A method of transporting containers into and out of a clean room is provided, wherein the grip conveyor is arranged in a state of straddling and rotating while sandwiching the containers.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided the method of transporting a container described above, wherein the grip conveyor is a neck grip conveyor that rotates in a horizontal direction with the neck portion of the container sandwiched from both sides.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided the method of transporting a container described above, wherein the grip conveyor is a side grip conveyor which rotates in a horizontal direction while sandwiching the container body from both sides.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting the above-mentioned container, wherein the pressure in the clean room is set to be more positive than the pressure outside the clean room.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of clamping a container by a neck grip conveyor in the transport method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 describes a side grip conveyor method of clamping a container by a body portion. FIG. 3 is an overhead view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an overhead view of FIG.

In FIG. 1, a transfer device A for feeding an untreated container 2 into a clean room 1 and a transfer device B for receiving the container in the clean room are divided at a clean room container carry-in entrance 5 as a boundary. It is arranged in the state where it was done. In this apparatus, the transport device A is for transporting an unprocessed container to the container carrying-in section 5, and is brought into contact with the neck of the container 2 near its end, and sandwiches the container neck from both sides. The neck grip conveyor 3, which is held in the state and sent into the clean room 1, is responsible for transporting the container into the clean room 1.

As shown in a bird's-eye view of FIG. 3, the neck grip conveyor 3 has rotating bodies 4-4 and 4'- which rotate in the horizontal direction while holding the neck portion of the container from both sides.
It is constituted by a belt 6 stretched through a groove 4 ', and the center of each of the rotating bodies 4, 4' is fixed downward (not shown) from above the apparatus. The neck grip conveyor 3 first picks up the unprocessed container 2 from the transfer device A and partially holds the container 2 before placing it on the transfer device B. The length is particularly limited. Although not intended, the purpose can be sufficiently achieved by extending the end portions of the transfer devices A and B from portions that overlap each other by about 30 to 50 cm. The distance between the rotating bodies 4 and 4 'is configured to be adjustable according to the diameter of the neck of the container.

The neck grip conveyor 3 transfers not only the above-described container from outside the clean room to the inside of the clean room, but also from the transfer device B in FIG. 1 to the transfer device C in the booth 1 'through the container transfer portion 5. In other words, it can be used for loading into the booth 1 'in the clean room, and further, transport from the booth 1' to the clean room 1 through the container unloading section 5 '(from the transport device D to the transport device). E) and transfer from the clean room to the outside of the clean room through the unloading section 5 ′ (transfer from the transfer device E to the transfer device F).

Conveyors such as a top chain conveyor are generally used as the conveyors (A, B, C, D, E, F), and a neck grip conveyor 3 is used to damage the neck of the container. A rubber-based belt 6 made of polyurethane or the like is preferably used. As a result, even if there is a contaminant attached to the transport device in the previous stage, the contaminant is not carried to the next process as it is,
A clean washing and sterilizing system can be maintained.

In the illustrated example, in any of the apparatuses, since the cleaning and sterilizing step (not shown) exists between the transporting apparatus C and the transporting apparatus D, the transporting is performed by the transporting apparatus C. The container is not transferred to the transfer device D as it is.

In the present invention, the container is sandwiched not only by the neck grip conveyor, but also by a side grip conveyor 3 'which sandwiches the body of the container with belts from both sides as shown in FIGS. It can be carried out. When the containers are clamped by the side grip conveyor, as shown in FIG. 4, the side grip conveyor belts 6-1 and 4'-1 stretched on the side grip conveyor rotating bodies 4-1 and 4-1. And the side grip conveyor belt 6'-1 stretched at 4'-1 transports the container body while pinching the container body from both sides. Also in this case, the width between the side grip conveyor rotating bodies 4-1 and 4'-1 is configured to be appropriately adjustable according to the body of the container.

It is preferable that the pressure inside the clean room and the pressure outside the clean room are always maintained at a positive pressure in the clean room, thereby preventing the air outside the clean room from flowing into the clean room.

In the above, an example has been described in which the transfer devices A to F are arranged in a state where all of the transfer devices are separated.
Except that at least the transport device A and the transport device B need to be separated, not all need to be separated, and any one part may be separated.

[0024]

According to the present invention, in a container sterilizing and filling system, by separating the container transfer device at the boundary between inside and outside of the clean room, contaminants due to bacteria and dust adhering to the transfer device in the preceding process can be removed in the clean room. Alternatively, it can be prevented from being taken out of the clean room, and the sterilizing and filling system can be performed in a cleaner environment.

[0025]

The present invention will be described below by way of examples. This example is intended to disclose a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto.

<Embodiment> In the configuration shown in FIG.
A plastic bottle with a capacity of 1.5 liters is used for a width of 11.
It was placed and transported on a top chain conveyor A set at 4 cm and a speed of 36 m / sec. A neck grip conveyor was stretched by projecting 50 cm before the end of the belt conveyor. The diameter of the rotating body of the neck grip conveyor was set to 10 cm, the length of the rotating body 4 to the rotating body 4 was set to 105 cm, and the interval between the rotating body 4 to the rotating body 4 ′ was set to 40 mm. The rotation speed of the neck grip conveyor was synchronized with the speed of the belt conveyor. It is held on the neck grip conveyor and sent into the clean room,
The plastic bottle released from the neck grip conveyor is placed on the belt conveyor B as it is,
It could be sent to the next process without falling. As a result, there was no contamination of the top chain conveyor in the clean room, and the class 10,000 could be maintained forever.

<Comparative Example> The belt conveyor A in the example was directly extended into the clean room via the container carrying-in section 5, and the bottle was directly removed from outside the clean room.
Sent into the clean room. As a result, after 8 hours, bacteria were contaminated on the top chain conveyor in the clean room.
0000 could not be maintained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of transporting a container into a clean room according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of transporting a container into a clean room according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial overhead view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial overhead view of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 A to F: Conveying device 1: Clean room 1 ': Booth in clean room 2: Container 3: Neck grip conveyor 3': Side grip conveyor 4, 4 ': Neck grip conveyor rotating body 4-1 :: Side grip conveyor rotating body 4 '-1: Side grip conveyor rotating body 5: Container loading section 5': Container loading section 6, 6 ': Neck grip conveyor belt 6-1 :: Side grip conveyor belt 6'-1: Side grip conveyor belt

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for transferring a container into and out of a clean room, wherein the container transfer device is formed by dividing the inside and outside of the clean room, and the transfer of the container in the divided portion is arranged so as to straddle above the divided portion. A method for transporting containers into and out of a clean room, characterized by using a grip conveyor that rotates while holding the containers. 2. The container conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the grip conveyor is a neck grip conveyor that rotates in a horizontal direction while sandwiching a neck portion of the container from both sides. 3. The container conveying method according to claim 1, wherein the grip conveyor is a side grip conveyor that rotates in a horizontal direction while sandwiching the container body from both sides. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure inside the clean room is set to be more positive than the pressure outside the clean room.