JPS624298B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sterile packaging machine suitable for packaging liquids, which performs forming, filling and packaging in a sterile chamber isolated from outside air.

In this type of packaging machine, there is a molding device and a filling device that mold containers onto resin film in a sterile room, as well as a cover film bonding device (sealing device).
Because it is necessary to prevent germs from the outside air from entering the inside of the package taken out of the packaging machine, the sterile room becomes large and it becomes difficult to maintain the inside in a sterile state. Another problem was that the machine (packaging machine) became large and uneconomical.

In addition, this type of packaging machine intermittently transfers the resin film that serves as the container to perform forming, filling, sealing, etc., so when filling liquid food, the liquid may suddenly drop inside the container. There was a problem that the product would ripple and scatter due to acceleration and deceleration, making it impossible to form a reliable seal.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its object is to provide an improved aseptic packaging machine for liquid packaging that is compact and does not cause sealing failures due to scattering of contents, etc. It is in.

In the present invention, a container film is transferred by a feeding device in a sterile room maintained at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure with sterile air, and a forming device, a filling device, and a sealing device provided in the middle of the container film transfer line are used to transport the container film. In a sterile packaging machine for liquid packaging that performs forming a container into a container film, filling the container with liquid, and sealing the container film and cover film, the feeding device is gripped by the side edge of the container film. divided into an intermittent feeding device that feeds the container film intermittently and a continuous feeding device that grips the side edge of the container film and feeds it continuously, and the two feeding devices are arranged in series with the intermittent feeding device on the upstream side, The forming device is provided on the intermittent transfer line of the container film by the intermittent feeding device, and the sealing device is combined with a preliminary sealing device for sealing the container film and the cover film in a band shape along the transfer direction, and The filling device and the preliminary sealing device are separated into the container film and the main sealing device for sealing the cover film, and the filling device and the preliminary sealing device are installed on the continuous transfer line of the container film by the continuous feeding device, and the main sealing device is installed in the sterile room. The preliminary sealing device is provided with a plurality of pairs of sealing rollers disposed externally and sandwiching the container film and the cover film between the containers and on both sides of the container film. It is constructed by providing a slider that reciprocates in the transfer direction in synchronization with the feed of the continuous feed device, and upper and lower seal molds attached to the slider to seal the container film and cover film.

In the above configuration, the forming device forms a container on the container film while the container film is intermittently fed by the intermittent feeding device, and the filling device fills the container with items while the container film is continuously fed by the continuous feeding device. In addition, the container film and the cover film are preliminarily sealed by a preliminary sealing device, and after the preliminary sealing is completed, the container film and the cover film are permanently sealed outside the sterile room.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a sterile packaging machine 1 for liquid packaging according to the present embodiment includes a housing 1 defining a sterile chamber C.
The sterile chamber C is always maintained at positive pressure (slightly higher than atmospheric pressure) by sterile air sent from a known sterile air supply unit (not shown).

A sterilizing liquid tank 12 is formed in the housing 10 adjacent to an inlet 11 of a resin film f ₁ (hereinafter referred to as a container film) on which a container is molded, and a sterilizing liquid tank 12 is formed from outside the housing through the inlet 11 into the housing, that is, into the sterile room C. Container film f ₁ placed in is sterilizing liquid tank 1
It is passed through the sterilizing liquid 1 in 2 to perform sterilization treatment.

In the sterile chamber C, an intermittent feed device 2 and a continuous feed device 3, which grip and transfer the container film by its edge, are arranged in series and separated from each other. Inside the sterile room C, a heater 5 for heating the container film f ₁ and a forming device 6 for forming the container r onto the container film are connected in series on the intermittent transfer line of the container film fed by the intermittent feeding device 2. A filling device 7 for filling a product (for example, liquid food) into a container r, a container film f ₁ and a cover film are disposed on the continuous transport line of the container film and fed by the continuous feeding device 3. A _preliminary sealing device 8 is provided for preliminary sealing.

Outside the housing 10, adjacent to the outlet 13,
A continuous feeding device 3a that grips and transfers the edges of the preliminarily sealed container film _f1 and cover film _f2 , and a main sealing device 9 that performs the final seal while moving together with these films are provided. .

In FIG. 2, an intermittent feeding device (hereinafter referred to as an intermittent conveyor) 2 includes two drive sprockets 21 and 21a fixed to a rotating shaft 20 at a distance, and an idle sprocket 2 that engages with the drive sprockets.
2, 22a and their sprockets 21 and 22
and chain 2 hung between 21a and 22a.
3 and 23a, and the rotating shaft 20 thereof is intermittently rotated by an intermittent rotating mechanism 41 provided between the rotating shaft 20 and the driving shaft 40 of the driving mechanism 4.

The links 231 of each chain 23, 23a include
As shown in FIG. 3, a pawl 233 is pivotally mounted, and a tip 234 of the pawl is pressed against the other link 232 by a spring 235. When the projection 236 of the pawl 233 is pushed by the tip of the sprocket, the tip of the pawl 233 separates from the link 232 and receives the edge of the container film _f1 between them, and when the chain leaves the sprocket, the edge The child is learning to grasp the The above claw 233 and spring 23
5 etc. cooperate with the links to form chucks 237, which are provided at equal intervals over the entire length of the chain. Since this chuck is of a known structure, further detailed explanation will be omitted.
In addition, chains 23 and 23a are idle sprocket 2.
Move around 2 and 22a and the claws will hold the container film f ₁
or drive sprocket 21, 2
When the claw moves around 1a and comes under the container film, a known method is used to prevent the film and the claw from interfering with each other.

The continuous feeding device (hereinafter referred to as a continuous conveyor) 3 has drive sprockets 31 and 31a fixed to a rotating shaft 30 at a distance, idle sprockets 32 and 32a that engage with the drive sprockets, and both sprockets 31 and 32 and 31a and 32a. A rotating shaft constituted by chains 33, 33a provided therebetween is continuously rotated by a drive shaft 40 and gears 42, 43 provided therebetween. The chains 33, 33a are provided with chucks similar to the chuck 237 described above at predetermined intervals.

Since the heater 5, the molding device 6, and the filling device 7 can have conventional structures, a detailed explanation of these devices will be omitted.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the preliminary sealing device 8
, a plurality of lower seal rollers 81 are fixed to a shaft 80 provided below the container film transfer line in a direction orthogonal to the line at the same pitch P in the width direction of the container r, and each lower seal roller 81
Upper seal rollers 8 are disposed directly under the upper seal rollers 8 and are rotatably supported by holders 82, respectively.
3, and a heater 84 provided in front of each holder 82 (on the upstream side in the direction of transport of the cover film f ₂ ).

The shaft 80 is connected to the drive shaft 40 of the drive mechanism 4 via a gear device 44 and is rotated by the drive shaft 40 . The rotation speed of the shaft 80 is adjusted in advance so that the circumferential speed of the outer periphery of the lower seal roller 81 is the same as the continuous transport speed of the container film f ₁ by the continuous conveyor 3.

Each holder 82 is connected via a vertically extending rod 85 to a beam 86 provided at the top of the housing 10, and the beam is adapted to be moved up and down by a cylinder 87. Therefore, the upper seal roller 83 is pressed against the lower seal roller by the cylinder 87.

In the preliminary sealing device configured as described above, the container film f ₁ is continuously transferred by the continuous conveyor 3.
A cover film _f2 heated by a heater 84 is placed over the container r (here, the contents have already been filled in the container r), and the upper and lower seal rollers 8
3 and 81 and preliminarily sealed. The seal line between the container film and the cover film formed by this preliminary seal is in the form of stripes extending in the extending direction of the container film, as shown by a in FIG.

The continuous feed device (continuous conveyor) 3a has the same structure and function as the continuous conveyor 3, so a description thereof will be omitted.

4 and 6, the present sealing device 9 is movably attached to a pair of guide rods 14 provided along the transport direction of the films f ₁ and f ₂ at the upper outer end of the housing 10 on the exit 13 side. A slider 91, an upper seal mold 92 of a known structure attached to the lower surface of the slider 91, and a cylinder 95 attached to a mounting plate 94 suspended and supported by a plurality of supports 93 on the slider 91;
A lower seal mold 96 of a known structure is provided above the mounting plate 94 so as to be movable up and down by a cylinder 95.

A pin 911 protruding from the side of the slider 91 is received in an elongated hole formed in the upper part of a lever 97 that is swingable about a fulcrum 971, and the lower end of the lever has a drive shaft 40 or a drive shaft that interlocks with the drive shaft 40. A roller 972 is attached that engages the front cam 45 fixed to the other shaft.

In this sealing device having the above configuration, the slider,
Therefore, the entire sealing device operates at the same speed as the transfer speed of the films f ₁ and f ₂ by the action of the lever and the cam, and at the same time as the distance of 1/2 of the pitch of the container in the longitudinal direction of the container film, that is, 1/2W. It is designed to be moved back and forth with a stroke.

When the container r reaches position A, this sealing device presses the lower seal mold 96 toward the upper seal mold 92 with the cylinder 95 while moving in the direction of arrow Z, and moves by 1/2 W to reach position B. In the meantime, the container film f ₁ and the cover film f ₂ are sealed in a ring shape around the container r as shown by b in FIG.

After sealing is completed, the remaining 1/2 watt of film is
The sealing device returns to its original position and prepares for the next seal.

In the above-mentioned aseptic packaging machine, the easy film _f1 enters the aseptic chamber C through the inlet 11, is sterilized in the sterilizing liquid tank 12, and then heated by the heater 5 and the forming device 6 while being intermittently transferred by the intermittent conveyor 2. , the filling device 7 and the preliminary sealing device 8 are formed while the container is being continuously transferred by the continuous conveyor 3.
Filling the container with the product and filling the container with the film.
Preliminary linear sealing is performed between f ₁ and cover film f ₂ , and after leaving the sterile room, the entire circumference of the container is sealed by the main sealing device 9 while being continuously transferred by the continuous conveyor 3 a. . Then, in the subsequent process, it is punched out to desired dimensions.

In the above example, the stroke of this sealing device was set to 1/2W, but if the movement during this period is not sufficient to seal, it is possible to seal two rows of containers lined up in the width direction of the film at once. The stroke of this sealing device may be set to W.

Since the aseptic packaging machine according to the present invention is configured as described above, the process of forming containers on the container film _f1 is performed intermittently by the continuous conveyor 2 and the forming device 6, but the process after filling is performed intermittently. Since the container film is continuously transported by the continuous conveyor 3, even when liquid food is filled into the container r by the filling nozzle, the liquid in the container can be reliably sealed without scattering.

In addition, since the container r formed on the film and filled is pre-sealed before being taken out from the sterile room C, not only will germs in the atmosphere not enter the container r, but the final Seal in sterile room C
It can be done outside the This means that the housing 10 forming the sterile chamber C can be downsized, and by extension, the entire sterile packaging machine can be downsized.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a sterile packaging machine capable of producing small and safe products can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the aseptic packaging machine for liquid packaging according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an intermittent and continuous transfer device, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a chuck for gripping a film, and FIG. The figure is a side view of the preliminary sealing device and the main sealing device, FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line - in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line - in FIG. 4, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the sealing state by a preliminary sealing device and a main sealing device. 1: Aseptic packaging machine for liquid packaging, 2: Intermittent feeding device, 3: Continuous feeding device, 6: Forming device, 7: Filling device, 8: Preliminary sealing device, 81: Lower seal roller, 83: Upper seal roller, 9 : This sealing device,
91: slider, 92: upper seal type, 96: lower seal type, C: sterile chamber, f ₁ : container film, f ₂ : cover film.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Transfer the container film using a feeding device in a sterile room kept at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure with sterile air,
A forming device, a filling device, and a sealing device provided in the middle of the container film transfer line perform forming a container onto the container film, filling liquid into the container, and sealing the container film and the cover film, respectively. In an aseptic packaging machine for liquid packaging, the feeding device is divided into an intermittent feeding device that grips the side edge of the container film and feeds it intermittently, and a continuous feeding device that grips the side edge of the container film and feeds it continuously. The two feeding devices are arranged in series with the intermittent feeding device on the upstream side, the forming device is provided on the intermittent transfer line of the container film by the intermittent feeding device, and the sealing device is connected to the container film and the container film. The filling device and the preliminary sealing device are divided into a preliminary sealing device that seals the cover film in a band shape along the transfer direction and a main device that seals the container film and the cover film around the container. The main sealing device is disposed outside the sterile room, and the pre-sealing device is provided on a continuous transfer line for the container film, and the preliminary sealing device is provided between the containers and on both sides of the container film and the cover film. A plurality of pairs of sealing rollers are arranged to sandwich the container film. and an upper and lower sealing mold for sealing a cover film.