JPS6147322A - Sterile packaging method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for aseptically filling and packaging liquid foods into cup-shaped containers. More specifically, the present invention converts air existing in the top space of a filled container into an inert gas:
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for replacing the present invention with two.

(Prior art) Conventional aseptic filling methods for liquid foods include filling a cup-shaped container made of a sterilized oxygen-barrier material with a sterilized liquid food; The contents are sealed with a lid made of. At this time, if oxygen exists in a sealed container, the quality of fruit juice drinks, alcoholic beverages, seasonings, etc. that are sensitive to oxygen will deteriorate, so to remove this oxygen, the air inside the container is replaced with an inert gas. It is necessary to replace it with

Conventionally, for example, when sealing a lid, a part of the lid is left unsealed, a nozzle is inserted into the container through this unsealed part, inert gas is injected, and the next step is to unseal the lid. There are two methods: a method of sealing the container, a method of filling the contents in an inert gas atmosphere, and a method of sealing the lid material.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, the former method is designed to prevent sealing failure due to splashing of the contents (there is a problem of lowering the gas pressure, resulting in a lower gas pressure). In addition, the latter method requires that the entire filling section and sealing section be covered with a chamber, and there is a problem that the entire device becomes clumsy.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The aseptic packaging method of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above object, continuously supplies sterilized cup-shaped containers, and sterilizes the cup-shaped containers. After filling the liquid food and immediately before placing a sterilized lid over the opening of the cup-shaped container, the air near the liquid level in the cup-shaped container is replaced with sterilized inert gas. It is characterized by the fact that The aseptic packaging apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for carrying out the above method, and includes a sterilizer that sterilizes the base material of a cup-shaped container to be supplied, and a liquid food sterilized in the cup-shaped container. and a sterilizer that sterilizes a lid material covering the opening of the cup-shaped container, and an inert A chamber having a gas injection mechanism and a gas discharge mechanism and covering the vicinity of the upper part of the liquid level in the cup-shaped container is provided, and an inert gas supply device is provided for supplying an inert gas into the chamber. This is a unique aseptic packaging device.

The above-mentioned present invention will be explained in more detail below using the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the aseptic packaging apparatus "10" of the present invention. FIG. The device 10 has a sterilizing tank 3 that sterilizes the bottom material, and a sterilizing tank 3 that sterilizes the lid material rolled out from the lid material roll/de. Shielding plates r and A are provided to shield the inside of the aseptic packaging apparatus IQ from outside air.

A guide roll 4i is placed in front of the bottom material and the lid material in the direction of movement, and a guide roll 4i is arranged to merge the two, and a molding device for forming the bottom material into a cup shape is placed between the guide roll and the sterilization tank 3. Devices l/, /2 are provided, and a filling device /3 for filling the inside of the molded cup 7 with liquid food is arranged between the forming devices //, /2 and the guide roll /da. Filling device/, 7+= is a sterilization device (not shown) that sterilizes the filling.
is provided.

A sealing device 15 is provided in front of the molded cup 7 of the guide roll /q in the direction of travel, and seals the opening of the molded cup with a lidding material sheet. molded cup 7
A punching device (not shown) for punching out the sealed molded cup 7 is provided at the front in the direction of travel.

Between the filling device/3 and the guide roll/da is a cover that covers the upper portion of the molded cup 7 as shown in FIG. / is provided, an inert gas injection nozzle protruding to the outside of the bottom material / and the cover 2120 is provided, and a discharge nozzle 23 protruding to the outside of the champagne O is provided on the surface of the cover 20 on the filling device /3 side. ing. Inert gas injection nozzle 2
As shown in Figure 2, a molded cup 7 having a split nozzle 2q installed near the opening may be used.

A chamber for supplying inert gas is shown in FIG. S, a supply gas supply port Io is provided at 20, a steam filter 37, and an inert gas injection nozzle 22C: piping is provided. Steam supply port IB is connected to a boiler (not shown): = inert gas supply port 1
．． is connected to an inert gas cylinder (not shown). In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to complete the aseptic treatment of the inert gas, a hydrogen peroxide liquid spray device 33 and a heater 31I may be provided between the sterile filter 32 and the valve V. .

Next, the operation of aseptic packaging using the above device/f7 will be explained.

The bottom material l supplied by the bottom material roll / passes through a sterilization tank 3 and is sterilized, after which it is shaped into a cup shape (
: Molded and sent to the next process. After the cup-shaped molded cutlet is filled with high temperature sterilized liquid food C by the filling device /3, it moves further and reaches the bottom of the cover 27; Here, molded cup 7 and cover J/-
Chamberco formed from two. An inert gas G, which has been sterilized by an inert gas supply device 3o, is injected into the inside of the inert gas through an injection nozzle, and is then discharged through an exhaust nozzle 3. is discharged to the outside. At this time, the air existing in the top space H of the molded cutlet filled with the liquid food C as shown in FIG. Filled with active gas G.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure V, if a two-split nozzle is provided at the upper part of the opening of the molding cutter and an inert gas G is injected from the split]: The opening of the molded cup 7 that has passed through the Champerco 0 is then supplied from the lid roll /l and enters the sterilization tank da. In the next step, the lid material □ is heat-sealed to the molded cup ? from the sealing device ff / !; A cup product g, which is punched out and sealed with a liquid food product C, is produced continuously.

be done.

- Next, the operation of the inert gas sterilization process by the inert gas supply device 30 will be explained. In Fig. 5, first close the valves V7, V4. 'V5 and V6, open the valve v1;i to supply steam from the steam supply port I8, and remove the drain from the valve v1. 32. At this time, the steam temperature is ta10C.
The steam pressure of the pulp Val2 is adjusted so that it becomes 1=1.

Sterilization time is about 30 minutes.

When the sterilization of the sterile filter 3- is completed, the valve v6 is closed, the valve v3 is opened, and the piping system between the sterile filter 32 and the chamber 20 is sterilized.

In this case, the piping system is open, so the steam temperature is 7.
In the case where the temperature did not rise above 00°C, heat-resistant bacteria in the ≠ part of the piping system were still alive. If it is necessary to further sterilize heat-resistant bacteria living in this piping system, use a hydrogen peroxide spray device 33 as shown in FIG. By installing the heater J41 between the sterile filter 32 and the valve V and spraying the hydrogen peroxide solution into the piping system from the hydrogen peroxide solution spray device 33, it is possible to kill heat-resistant bacteria that are still alive. can. The hydrogen peroxide solution remaining in the piping system will be replaced with the inert gas supplied later by heater J4N.
It can be completely dried by heating it for a second time. After performing the sterilization treatment as described above, the pulps v2 and V3 are closed to stop the supply of steam, and the valve v4 is opened to supply inert gas from the inert gas supply unit 0. The supplied inert gas is passed through a sterile filter to remove bacteria, passes through a valve V, and is injected into the chamber 2θ.

Ru.

Specific examples using the apparatus of the present invention are shown below.

After sterilizing the bottom material made of a composite material whose main constituent resin layers are high-impact polystyrene, vinylidene chloride, and high-impact polystyrene with a hydrogen peroxide solution at a concentration of Jk% and a temperature of 60°C, the volume Form into a small cup, fill with IOO% orange juice that has been sterilized at high temperature for a short time, replace the air in the top space of the cutlet container with nitrogen gas that has been sterilized, and then close the container with a lid. When the product was sealed and a cup product was manufactured, 5. The residual oxygen concentration inside the cup showed a low average value of %.
Regarding orange juice, it was proven that a good aseptic packaged product could be produced without a decrease in vitamin C, taste, or aroma.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention is directed to filling a sterilized cup-shaped container with a sterilized liquid food, and then sterilizing the air present in the top space of the cup-shaped container. This method has the advantage that the gas is replaced with an inert gas, and the lid is immediately sealed with two lids, thus aseptic filling and packaging of liquid foods with the top space filled with the inert gas can be carried out continuously.

(Effects of the Invention) To explain in more detail, according to the present invention, the air in the top space of the cup-shaped container filled with liquid food is replaced with inert gas in the chamber immediately before being covered with the lid material. Therefore, unlike conventional methods, there is no need to insert the top space (ni nozzle) after stacking the lid materials, and the chamber is provided only in 7 parts of the passage path of the cup-shaped containers that are continuously supplied. As a result, the device of the present invention can easily produce a cup product with a simple structure and a high rate of inert gas replacement in the head space.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the aseptic packaging device of the present invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the chamber in which inert gas is injected in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is the A cross-sectional view taken along arrow I-1 in the figure, No. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the chamber shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an inert gas supply device, and FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of . ／・・・・・・・・・・・・Bottom material=・・・・・・・・・・・・Lid material 3, q・・・・・・Sterilization tank 7・・・・・・・・・...Molded cup......Cup product/θ......Aseptic packaging equipment l/,/co...
...Molding equipment/3...Filling! ! : Place lq fist 11・+
+1 Guide roll 15.1..1-...Sealing device 1g-1...+Cancer-Bottom material RO, LE 19.111 ■Lid material roll 20 e-Exposure 1 ■Nursing thigh chamber 2/ ＋■・1・Fist・Cover, 2・・・・・・・Injection nozzle 23・・・・
...Discharge nozzle, ll'4 ...... Division nozzle 30 ...
・・・・・・Inert gas supply device 3/・・・・・・・
... Steam filter 32 ... Sterile filter G ... Inert gas H ... ... Top space Patent applicant Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Atsushi Konishi Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) After continuously supplying a sterilized cup-shaped container and filling the cup-shaped container with the sterilized liquid food, a lid material in which the opening of the cup-shaped container is sterilized. In a packaging method for liquid food that involves stacking and sealing the cup-shaped container, after filling the cup-shaped container with the liquid food, immediately before stacking the lid material, the air near the liquid surface in the cup-shaped container is sterilized. A sterile packaging method characterized by replacing the air with active gas. (2) A sterilizer that sterilizes the base material of the cup-shaped container that is continuously supplied, a filling device that fills the cup-shaped container with sterilized liquid food, a sterilizer that sterilizes the lid material, and a sterilizer that sterilizes the cup-shaped container. A sterile packaging device comprising a sealing device for sealing the lid material to the cup-shaped container, wherein an inert gas injection mechanism and a discharge mechanism are provided between the filling device and a position where the cup-shaped container and the lid material are overlapped. A sterile packaging device comprising: a chamber that covers the vicinity of the upper portion of the liquid level in the cup-shaped container; and an inert gas supply device that supplies an inert gas into the chamber. (3) A patent characterized in that the inert gas injection mechanism of the chamber comprises a plurality of nozzles provided above the passage position of the opening of the cup-shaped container in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the cup-shaped container. An apparatus according to claim 2. (4) The second aspect of the invention is characterized in that the inert gas supply device includes a filter that removes bacteria from the inert gas, and a sterilizer that sterilizes the filter and the inert gas passage. Apparatus described in section.