JPS60175541A - Method and apparatus for substituting air in head space of container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To certainly substitute air in the head space of a container with inert gas, by blowing inert gas into the head space of the container from the inert gas jet orifices of a belt while a container transfer apparatus and the belt are moved at an equal speed. CONSTITUTION:Inert gas is blown into the head space of a liquid filled container 1 from the inert gas jet orifices provided to an endless belt 7 by drilling moving in an inert gas box 12 while the container transfer apparatus 2 of a route allowing the liquid filled container 1 to reach a container sealing apparatus and the belt 7 are moved at an equal speed so as to synchronize said container 1 with the jet orifices 6 to substitute air in the head space of the container 1 with inert gas. By this method, air in the head space of the container after the filling of a liquid can be surely substituted with inert gas.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for replacing air remaining in a head space in a container filled with a liquid product with an inert gas (carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, argon gas, etc.) using a filling device, and a method thereof. It is related to the device.

Liquid foods, medicines, cosmetics, etc. are oxidized by air,
Therefore, if air remains in the head space of a container filled with one liquid, the remaining air will also oxidize the products in the container, causing quality deterioration. A method is used to replace the air with inert gas. A general method for replacing this residual air with inert gas is to inject inert gas from an inert gas injection nozzle while the container filled with liquid by the filling machine is moved by a container transfer device at regular intervals. After being blown into the head space of the container, the container is immediately transferred to a sealing machine and the mouth of the container is sealed with an upper lid such as a cap or crown. According to this method, while the filled container is moved by the container transfer device, several inert gas injection nozzles are fixed at regular intervals on the moving trajectory of the filled container. Since the position of the inert gas jet and the mouth of the container is likely to shift, and the moving speed of the filling container is fast, turbulent flow occurs between the inert gas jet and the mouth of the filling container, resulting in displacement in the head space of the container. Inability to accurately replace the air in the head space of a container with inert gas due to reasons such as part of the gas being expelled to the outside, and liquid in the container being blown away by the jet stream from the inert gas injection nozzle. There were some practical disadvantages.

The present invention was developed with the aim of solving the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for accurately replacing the air in the head space of a container with an inert gas after filling with liquid.

The feature of the replacement method of this invention is that ``a liquid-filled container on a container transfer device on a route leading to a container sealing device, and an inert gas box perforated in an endless belt that moves within an inert gas box. While moving the container transfer device and the belt at the same speed so that they are synchronized with the gas injection hole, inert gas is blown into the container head space from the inert gas injection hole to turn the air in the container head space into an inert gas. "Replace".

The containers filled with liquid are passed at regular intervals and at a predetermined speed by a container transfer device under an inert gas spun belt in which inert gas injection holes are bored in the endless belt to match the intervals between the containers. When doing this, the inert gas injected from the inert gas injection hole is blown into the container head space and replaces the air remaining in the head space, but depending on the speed of the purge belt and the container transfer device. This is done at the same speed as the moving container. This replacement method is different from conventional replacement methods, and according to the method of the present invention, while the moving speed of the filled container being moved and the moving speed of the inert gas barge belt are the same, Since the inert gas is blown into the container head space accurately from the inert gas injection holes drilled in the belt, gas replacement is accurate, and the inert gas llf' is emitted by the injection holes. In addition, compared to conventional jet stream injection, it brings about advantages such as far less scattering of the filling liquid in the container and less amount of inert gas used.

The characteristics of the replacement device for carrying out the method of the present invention are as follows: Inert gas is applied to the upper part of the container transfer device for moving the containers after filling with liquid at predetermined intervals, and the inert gas is applied to the upper part of the container transfer device at the same intervals as the intervals between the containers. An inert Caspern belt with injection holes is stretched endlessly, and an inert gas box with a lip groove shape in cross section is covered with a portion of the belt located below the belt.
The moving speed of the container transfer device and the inert gas barge are provided in the above-mentioned method, in which feed holes are bored at appropriate intervals on both sides of the edge of the purging belt, and fitting protrusions that fit into some of the feed holes are provided on each pulley surface. Even if the moving speed of the purge belt is set to the same speed by the drive adjustment device, the purge belt actually slips, causing misalignment between the filling container and the inert gas injection hole. A sprocket hole was drilled in the hole, and a fitting protrusion that fit into the spout hole was provided protruding from each of the above-mentioned bullion surfaces. The feeding hole serves to prevent the purge belt from slipping by fitting into the fitting protrusion provided on the pulley.

The pitch and number of the feed holes are determined as appropriate, but according to the results of experiments, it appears that the pitch should be the same as the pitch of the inert gas injection holes.

The cross-sectional shape of the inert gas box is a lip groove shape,
When the belt located below the purge belt is passed through the inside of this box, the lateral wobbling that occurs during the movement of the purge belt is prevented by the inner walls on both sides of the box, and the surface of the purge belt has a lip. Since it is held on the surface, it is possible to maintain the correct positional relationship between the filled container and the inert nozzle injection hole drilled in the container. Furthermore, since the moving speed of the filling container and the purge belt move at the same speed, the air flow under the hox becomes close to a laminar flow, and the replacement rate improves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following - embodiments of the replacement method and apparatus of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings show the main structure of the present invention, and auxiliary elements such as a filling device and a sealing device are omitted. FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a first It is a sectional view taken along the line x-x' in the figure.

After being filled with liquid in the filling device, the container 1 reaches a container transfer device consisting of a transfer belt 2 and a screw conveyor 3, where the body of the filling container 1 is brought into contact with the screw root of the screw conveyor and held at a screw pitch interval. At the same time, it is moved together with the transfer belt 2 at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow. During this movement, the filled container 1 is supported by the guide rod 4 so as not to fall backward. This container transfer device is a sealing device called Starboil (
(not shown). In the upper part of the container transfer device, two pulleys 5.5' are installed facing each other in the direction of transfer of the container transfer device and at a suitable distance from each other; An inert gas spun belt 7 having inert gas injection holes 6 bored in the belt to match the intervals of the containers 1 is stretched endlessly,
Move in the direction of the arrow. A sprocket hole 8 is formed on both sides of the edge of the purging belt 7 so as to be aligned with the inert gas injection hole 6 formed in the belt 7.
-5 and 5' are fitted to prevent the purge belt 7 from slipping. Several fitting protrusions 9 are provided on the circumferential surface of each pulley in accordance with the pitch of the feed holes 8. Although the feed holes 8 are drilled along both sides of the belt 7, if the feed holes 8 are provided only on one side and are fitted with the fitting protrusions 9 of each pulley, the purge belt 7 will be distorted. This is not preferable because the positional relationship between the filled container 1 and the inert gas injection hole 6 will be disturbed. Roller 10°10' is belt 7
Provided so that the tension can be adjusted. Further, the purge belt 7 is connected to a drive element 11 connected to the shaft of the drive pulley 5.
．． 11'.

An inert gas box 2, which has a lip groove shape in cross section and has an appropriate length, is covered by a belt located below the heald 7, and the purge belt 7 moves inside this box in the direction of the arrow while inert gas box 2 has a suitable length. An inert gas is blown into the head space in the container directly below the active gas injection hole 6 to replace the remaining air with the inert gas. Therefore, it is necessary that the moving speed of the container transfer device and the moving speed of the inert gas spun belt be the same.

The inert gas box 12 is provided with an inert gas introduction pipe 13, and both sides of the box are closed with end plates 13a. The gas pressure in the box 12 varies depending on the hole diameter and number of the inert gas injection holes 6, but the hole diameter is 5 mm.
yj-, 0 for 11 holes, 1 to 0.2 kg/
cr/l G is the standard tonal.

As described above, the box 12 configured as described above contributes to preventing sideways movement of the inert gas spun belt 7 when it moves at a high speed.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the construction of an inert gas spun belt, in which inert gas injection holes 6 are perforated at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of the belt 7', at appropriate locations before the injection holes 6. It has a structure in which a rectangular container receiving tongue 14 is installed vertically in the width direction of the belt at the position shown in FIG. The point is that there is no protrusion 9. The purpose of the filling container moved by the transfer device is to blow inert gas into the head space of the container from the inert gas injection hole 6 while pushing the tongue 14 to replace the remaining air with the inert gas, and the purge belt 7' Since the moving filling container is moved by pressing the tongue 14, the drive element 11.11' can be omitted, and the moving speed of the belt 7' and the moving speed of the filling container 1 can be synchronized. can.

According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the overall effect is that the air in the container headspace can be accurately replaced with an inert gas.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view thereof, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1.
A sectional view along the x' line - the fourth factor is a partially omitted perspective view showing another embodiment of the inert gas spun belt. Explanation of symbols 1... Container after liquid filling, 2... Container transfer belt, 3
...Screw conveyor, 4...Guide rod, 5.5'...
・Belt pre"2, 6...Inert gas injection hole, 7, 7
'...Belt for inert gas spun, 8...Sprocket hole,
9... Fitting projection, 12... Inert gas box, 1
3... Inert gas introduction pipe, 14... Container receiving tongue. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a method of replacing air in a container head space after filling with a liquid with an inert gas, the liquid-filled container is placed on a container transfer device on a route leading to a container sealing device and an inert gas. While moving the container transfer device and the belt at the same speed so that the inert gas injection holes bored in the endless belt moving inside the gas box are synchronized, the inert gas injection holes are injected into the container head space from the inert gas injection holes. A method for replacing air in a container headspace, comprising replacing the air in the container headspace with an inert gas by blowing gas. 2. An inert gas spun belt with inert gas injection holes drilled in the front and rear pulleys at the same intervals as the intervals between the containers is attached to the upper part of the container transfer device that moves the containers after filling with liquid at predetermined intervals. The purge belt is stretched endlessly, and an inert gas box with a lip groove shape in cross section is covered with the belt located below the belt, and perforations are punched at appropriate intervals on both sides of the edge of the purge belt. A device for displacing air in a container headspace, characterized in that a fitting protrusion that fits into a feed hole is provided on each of the brie faces. 3. A container head according to claim 2, wherein rectangular container receiving tongues are erected in the width direction of the belt at predetermined intervals on the outer surface of an inert gas spun belt that does not have feed holes. Air displacement device in the space.