JPS6355036A - Method and device for sterilizing film, etc. - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a sterilizing device for films and the like, and more specifically,
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sterilizing films suitable for use in the so-called form-fill packaging method, in which a container is formed from a band-shaped packaging film, items are filled in the container, and then hermetically sealed with a cover film.

(b) Prior Art Forming and filling packaging may involve aseptic packaging in which a container is molded onto a packaging film under aseptic conditions, the product is filled into the container, and the container is sealed. Conventional methods for such aseptic packaging include, for example, the aseptic packaging device shown in Utility Model Publication No. 58-36653, in which a hydrogen peroxide solution is used as a sterilizing solution for the film, and the film is sterilized in the hydrogen peroxide solution. After passing through the film, it was common practice to heat the aqueous peroxide solution adhering to the film to evaporate it at the edge of the blade, and then exhaust the vapor of the evaporated hydrogen peroxide solution intensively from a duct.

However, this conventional method has a problem in that a sufficient drying area must be provided to evaporate the hydrogen peroxide solution. This is because if a container is formed into a film without the hydrogen peroxide solution being completely decomposed, hydrogen peroxide will remain in the container, and when the container is filled with goods, especially food, it may cause a human body. This is because it will have a negative impact on

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The problems to be solved by the present invention are to eliminate the residual hydrogen peroxide solution on films, etc., and to enable sterilization of films, etc. in a short period of time.

(d) Means for solving the problem The method for sterilizing a film according to the first invention of the present application involves spraying a peroxide aqueous solution in the form of a mist and heating it to turn it into a gas.
It is configured to allow a film or the like to pass through the hydrogen peroxide gas atmosphere.

The device for sterilizing films, etc. according to the second invention of the present application includes:
A duct is connected to an introduction pipe for introducing the atomized hydrogen peroxide solution into a housing that has an inlet and an outlet such as a film and limits the atmosphere of hydrogen peroxide gas, and the hydrogen peroxide solution is atomized into the introduction pipe. A heater is provided around the inlet pipe, and the atomized hydrogen peroxide solution is heated by the heater and turned into a gas and introduced into the housing, and the film, etc. is passed through the housing. It is configured to allow

In the above configuration, the hydrogen peroxide solution is atomized by the nozzle and sent into the introduction pipe, and while passing through the introduction pipe, it is heated by the heater and becomes gaseous. The gaseous hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide gas is introduced into the housing to create a hydrogen peroxide gas mist surrounding the housing. Films and the like to be sterilized are put into the housing from the inlet and taken out of the housing from the outlet, where they are sterilized while passing through the hydrogen peroxide gas atmosphere of the housing.

(e) Examples Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2, a sterilizer 1 according to this embodiment is shown. In the figure, the sterilizer 1 includes a housing 10 having a width W2 wider than the width Wt of the film f and a predetermined length in the feeding direction of the film f.

An inlet 11 is formed in the inner side wall of the housing (left side in FIG. 1) and an outlet 12 is formed in the other side wall. The housing 10 further has a duct 13 fixed to its lower wall and an introduction pipe 14 fixed to its upper wall substantially perpendicular to the film feeding direction.

A clean air chamber 1 is provided on the outside of the introduction pipe 14 between it and the introduction pipe.
A tube 16 defining 5 is mounted substantially concentrically. A heater 17 is provided on the outer periphery of the introduction pipe 14 within the clean air chamber 15 . This heater may be, for example, an electric heater that is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the introduction tube 14.

A clean air supply source 20 of a known structure is connected to the upper end of the introduction pipe 14. A nozzle 18 is provided in the introduction pipe 14 for blowing out clean air and spraying the hydrogen peroxide solution into the entire introduction pipe in the form of mist. A supply pipe 21 for supplying a hydrogen peroxide solution into the introduction pipe 14 is connected to the introduction pipe 14, and the supply pipe 21 is connected via a valve 22 to a tank 23 containing the hydrogen peroxide solution.

The housing 10 has a film f at the inlet 11 and the outlet 12.
Surrounding guide tubes 26 and 27 are connected to each other. Inside each guide tube 26 and 27 are conduits 28 and 29.
It is connected to the inside of the clean air chamber 15 via the inside of the clean air chamber 15 so that the clean air in the clean air chamber can flow into the guide tubes 26 and 27. Clean air chamber 15 is connected to clean air supply source 20 .

In the above configuration, the introduction tube 14 is heated by the heater 17. Under this condition, when the hydrogen peroxide solution in the tank 23 is sent into the introduction pipe 14 through the supply pipe 21 and clean air is blown out from the nozzle 18, the hydrogen peroxide solution becomes a mist and is sprayed into the introduction pipe 14. It is heated by a heater and becomes gaseous. The gasified hydrogen peroxide solution, that is, hydrogen peroxide gas enters the housing 10 and creates a hydrogen peroxide gas mist atmosphere therein. Meanwhile, the clean air that enters the lean air chamber 15 flows through the conduits 28 and 29. flows into guide tubes 26 and 27 through
A portion flows therethrough into the housing 10 and a portion flows outside.

Under these conditions, when the film f''k is put into the housing from the guide 26 through the inlet 11 and sent through the guide tube 27 from the outlet 12, the film f is sterilized by the hydrogen peroxide gas in the housing. .

Hydrogen peroxide gas within the housing 10 is exhausted to the outside via the duct 13.

FIG. 3h shows a sterile packaging apparatus in which a container film f1 and a cover film f2 are sterilized using the film sterilizer according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 and 1' are a sterilizer, 2 is a sterile housing forming a sterile chamber, 3 is a heater that heats the container film f1,
4 is a molding device for molding a container onto the container film ft, 5 is a filling device for filling the container r with an item, 6 is a sealing device for tightly sealing the container film f1 and the cover film f2, and 7 is a punching device. The structure other than the sterilizer is known. Therefore, descriptions of their structures and operations will be omitted.

The sterile housing 2 is connected to the guide tube 27 and the sterile device 1
The container film f1 and cover film f2 that have been sterilized can be directly inserted into the sterile housing without being exposed to the outside air.

In addition, the outflow pressure of the conduits 28 and 29 is controlled by the inflow pressure of the inlet pipe 14 into the housing 10 and the inflow pressure of the inlet pipe 14 into the housing 10 so that the hydrogen peroxide gas in the housing does not enter the sterile housing 2 or leak outside through the film inlet 11. It is set higher than the outflow pressure of No. 13.

Then, the container film ft and the cover film 12, which have been sterilized by the sterilizers 1 and 1', are used to form, fill and package in the same manner as in the past.

In addition, although sterilization of the strip film was described in the example, the molded container was taken out from the hopper and the housing 10
It goes without saying that hydrogen peroxide gas sterilization can be carried out by transferring the hydrogen peroxide gas into the interior of the factory using a known method.

Although the hydrogen peroxide solution was atomized from the nozzle with sterile air, the hydrogen peroxide solution may also be atomized by applying pressure to the atomizer, as long as it can be atomized.

(to) For production According to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved.

■ The film is not directly immersed in the hydrogen peroxide solution, but is converted into a gas and used directly for sterilization, so no residue is left on the film surface.

(According to the data, the heater temperature is 120°C. The temperature at the outlet to the sterilization chamber is 90°C.) ■ Sterilization can be done in a short time and the equipment can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the sterilizer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 1[-1t in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a molding using the sterilizer of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of a filling packaging machine. 1.1': Sterilizer 10: Inlet of housing 1 12: Outlet 16: Inlet pipe 17: Heater 19: Nozzle patent applicant CBCD Niko Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Aqueous peroxide solution is sprayed in the form of a mist, heated to form a gas, and a film, etc. is passed through the hydrogen peroxide gas atmosphere to sterilize the film, etc. How to sterilize film, etc. 2. Connect a duct to an introduction pipe for introducing atomized hydrogen peroxide solution into a housing that has an inlet and an outlet such as a film and limits the mist surrounding of hydrogen peroxide gas, and inject the hydrogen peroxide solution into the introduction pipe. A heater is provided around the introduction pipe, and the atomized hydrogen peroxide solution is heated by the heater and turned into a gas and introduced into the housing, and the film, etc. is inserted into the housing. A sterilizing device for films, etc., characterized in that the device is configured to allow the film to pass through the inside.