JPWO2010087332A1 - Contents filling method, contents filling system, and bottle with contents - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a content filling method, a content filling system, and a content-filled bottle capable of reducing the amount of oxygen present in the bottle from the beginning and suppressing oxidative deterioration of the content. The present invention is a content filling method for filling a bottle having a mouth portion and a bottle body with the content. First, only an inert gas is supplied from the mouth portion into the bottle body to replace the inside of the bottle body with the inert gas, and then the contents are filled into the bottle body from the mouth portion. By the inert gas previously introduced into the bottle body, bubbles containing the inert gas are generated in the contents filled in the bottle body.

Description

  The present invention relates to a content filling method, a content filling system, and a bottle with a content, and in particular, a content filling method capable of suppressing oxidative deterioration of the content by reducing the initial oxygen amount in the bottle. , A content filling system, and a bottle with content.

  In recent years, it has been desired to reduce the weight of plastic bottles by reducing the amount of plastic material used in the plastic bottles. However, reducing the weight of the plastic bottle leads to a decrease in strength and content storage (oxygen barrier) property of the plastic bottle.

  For this reason, in order to improve the content storage (oxygen barrier) property, the plastic bottle can be blended with a material having oxygen barrier properties and oxygen absorption functionality, or the plastic bottle can be multilayered to form a plastic bottle. A technique for increasing the gas barrier property of the material (suppressing the aging of the contents over time) is used.

  In addition, there is a filling and packaging technology that removes oxygen in the head space (suppresses initial oxidation of the content) by replacing the oxygen in the head space in the plastic bottle with an inert gas after filling the content. Exists (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-155943).

  On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-301441 discloses a technique in which an inert gas and cleaning water (rinsing water) are mixed and injected into an empty bottle.

JP 2008-155943 A JP 2002-301441 A

  However, as in JP 2008-155943 A, there is a limit to the gas replacement rate only by spraying an inert gas into the head space of a bottle containing contents and substituting oxygen with the inert gas. To do. In particular, depending on the type of contents, there are some which enclose the surrounding air during filling and are easy to foam, and this foam is difficult to disappear. In the case of a bottle filled with such a foamy content, when oxygen in the head space is replaced with an inert gas, oxygen present in the space outside the bubble (the space above the liquid surface) in the head space. It can be substituted, but oxygen present inside the foam cannot be substituted. Such oxygen present in the bubbles is released into the head space as the bubbles disappear after a certain period of time, resulting in an increase in the amount of oxygen in the head space.

  On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-301441, there is no distinction between the step of injecting an inert gas and the step of injecting cleaning water (rinsing water), so that the cleaning water (rinsing water) is sufficiently drained. It seems difficult. That is, since the rinse water and the inert gas are blown out in a spray form, the rinse water remains in a mist form on the inner wall of the bottle, and it is considered that draining becomes difficult.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and a content filling method and a content filling system capable of reducing the amount of oxygen present in the bottle from the beginning and suppressing the oxidative deterioration of the content. And to provide a bottle with contents.

  The present invention relates to a content filling method for filling a bottle having a mouth portion and a bottle body with only the inert gas supplied from the mouth portion into the bottle body. The content filling method is characterized by comprising an inert gas replacement step of substituting with and a content filling step of filling the content of the bottle into the bottle body.

  The present invention includes a sterilization step for sterilizing the inside of the bottle and a rinsing step for supplying rinsing water from the mouth into the bottle body before the inert gas replacement step. Is the method.

  The present invention is the content filling method characterized in that a sterilization step of sterilizing the inside of the bottle with an electron beam is provided before the inert gas replacement step.

  The present invention is a content filling method characterized in that an inert gas supply step for supplying an inert gas from the mouth portion into the bottle body is provided after the content filling step.

  The present invention is the content filling method, wherein after the inert gas supply step, a cap mounting step of mounting a cap on the mouth is provided.

  The present invention is a content filling method characterized in that in the content filling step, the content is filled into the bottle body from the mouth portion at a temperature of 5 ° C to 55 ° C.

  The present invention is a content filling method characterized in that the entire process is performed in a sterile atmosphere.

  The present invention relates to a foam in which an inert gas is contained in the contents filled in the bottle body during the content filling process by the inert gas introduced into the bottle body during the inert gas replacement process. Is a content filling method characterized by the above.

  The present invention is the content filling method, wherein the content is made of a tea beverage, a milk beverage, a coffee beverage, a functional beverage, a vegetable juice beverage, or a fruit juice beverage.

  The present invention is the content filling method characterized in that the period from the inert gas replacement step to the content filling step is performed in 0.5 to 20 seconds.

  The present invention is the content filling method, wherein the bottle body of the bottle has a body portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.

  The present invention is characterized in that the bottle main body of the bottle has a body part and a bottom part in which a depression part is formed, and the depth of the depression part is 4% to 40% of the outer diameter of the body part. It is the content filling method to do.

  The present invention relates to a content filling system that fills a bottle having a mouth portion and a bottle body with only the inert gas supplied from the mouth portion into the bottle body. The content filling is provided with an inert gas replacement part that is replaced with the above and a content filling part that is provided on the downstream side of the inert gas replacement part and fills the bottle body with the content from the mouth part System.

  The present invention is provided with a sterilization unit for sterilizing the inside of the bottle upstream of the inert gas replacement unit, and upstream from the inert gas replacement unit and downstream of the sterilization unit, from the mouth into the bottle body. A rinsing section for supplying rinsing water is provided.

  The present invention is a content filling system characterized in that a sterilization section for sterilizing the inside of a bottle with an electron beam is provided upstream of an inert gas replacement section.

  The present invention is the content filling system characterized in that an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas from the mouth portion into the bottle body is provided downstream of the content filling unit.

  The present invention is the content filling system characterized in that a cap mounting portion for mounting a cap on the mouth portion is provided on the downstream side of the inert gas supply portion.

  The present invention is the content filling system, wherein the bottle body of the bottle has a body portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.

  The present invention is characterized in that the bottle main body of the bottle has a body part and a bottom part in which a depression part is formed, and the depth of the depression part is 4% to 40% of the outer diameter of the body part. Content filling system.

  The present invention includes a bottle having a bottle main body and a mouth portion, and a content filled in the bottle main body of the bottle, and the contents are formed with bubbles containing an inert gas therein. It is a bottle with contents.

  The present invention is the bottle with contents, wherein the bottle body of the bottle has a body portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.

  The present invention is characterized in that the bottle main body of the bottle has a body part and a bottom part in which a depression part is formed, and the depth of the depression part is 4% to 40% of the outer diameter of the body part. It is a bottle with contents.

  According to the present invention, since only the inert gas is supplied from the mouth portion into the bottle body and the inside of the bottle body is replaced with the inert gas, the contents are filled into the bottle body from the mouth portion. The inside is filled with an inert gas, and bubbles containing the inert gas are formed in the contents. Thereby, the amount of oxygen existing in the bottle from the beginning (total amount of oxygen in the initial container) can be reduced, and the initial oxidative deterioration of the contents can be suppressed.

  Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a rinsing process for supplying rinsing water from the mouth portion into the bottle body, and then only the inert gas is supplied from the mouth portion into the bottle body, and the inside of the bottle body is filled with the inert gas. Since the inert gas replacement step for replacement is provided, the rinse water can be effectively removed by the inert gas.

  Moreover, according to this invention, the inert gas supply process which supplies an inert gas from a mouth part in a bottle main body after a content filling process is provided. This makes it possible to supplement the bottle body with the inert gas lost from the bottle body during transport, reduce the amount of oxygen present in the bottle from the beginning (total oxygen amount in the initial container), and reduce the content of the contents. Initial oxidation deterioration can be more reliably suppressed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the contents are filled from the mouth portion into the bottle body at a temperature of 5 ° C. to 55 ° C., and the entire process is performed in a sterile atmosphere. That is, since the contents are not heated, deterioration of the contents due to heat can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, even when the contents are easily foamed, for example, tea beverages, milk beverages, coffee beverages, functional beverages, vegetable juice beverages, or fruit juice beverages, the initial oxidative deterioration of the contents is prevented. It can be effectively suppressed.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since the process from the inert gas replacement step to the content filling step is performed in 0.5 seconds to 20 seconds, the bottle can be filled with the content at high speed.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a content filling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a rinse part and an inert gas replacement part of the content filling system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a content filling method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C are diagrams showing bottles in each step of the content filling method according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a graph comparing the total oxygen amount in the initial container. FIG. 6 is a graph comparing changes with time of the total oxygen amount in the container. 7A and 7B show a bottle according to Example A. FIG. 8A and 8B show a bottle according to Example B. FIG. 9A and 9B show a bottle according to Example C. FIG. 10A and 10B show a bottle according to Example D. FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention.

(Content filling system)
First, the content filling system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  A content filling system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that fills a bottle 30 having a mouth portion 31 and a bottle body 32 with a content 43. The content filling system 10 includes a sterilization unit 11, a rinse unit 12, an inert gas replacement unit 13, a content filling unit 14, an inert gas supply unit 15, and a cap mounting unit 16. . The sterilization unit 11, the rinse unit 12, the inert gas replacement unit 13, the content filling unit 14, the inert gas supply unit 15, and the cap mounting unit 16 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. .

  A first transport mechanism 17 that transports the bottle 30 from the sterilization unit 11 to the rinse unit 12 is provided between the sterilization unit 11 and the rinse unit 12. Further, a second transport mechanism 18 that transports the bottle 30 from the inert gas replacement unit 13 to the content filling unit 14 is provided between the inert gas replacement unit 13 and the content filling unit 14.

  Among these, the sterilization part 11 sterilizes the inside of the empty bottle 30 with the disinfectant 40 ejected in the form of a mist, a rod, or a fountain. Examples of the bactericidal agent 40 include hydrogen peroxide water and peracetic acid. In the sterilization unit 11, in addition to the sterilization method using the sterilizer 40, an electron beam sterilization method (hereinafter also referred to as EB (Electron Beam) sterilization) that does not use the sterilizer 40 may be used.

  The rinse part 12 supplies the rinse water 41 from the mouth part 31 of the bottle 30 whose inside is sterilized by the sterilization part 11 into the bottle main body 32. The rinse water 41 is made of warm water (sterile water) of about 25 ° C. to 80 ° C., for example. In addition, when using EB sterilization method in the sterilization part 11, this rinse part 12 does not necessarily need to be provided. In this case, the amount of water and electricity used in the manufacturing process can be reduced.

  In addition, in the 1st conveyance mechanism 17 located between the sterilization part 11 and the rinse part 12, the bottle 30 is turned upside down so that the opening part 31 may face downward.

The inert gas replacement unit 13 supplies only the inert gas 42 from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle main body 32 to the bottle 30 rinsed by the rinsing unit 12, thereby causing the inert gas 42 to pass through the bottle main body 32. It replaces with. Various gases can be used as the inert gas 42, and nitrogen (N ₂ ) is particularly preferable. Moreover, it is preferable that the amount of the inert gas 42 to be filled exceeds the volume of the bottle 30. In addition, in the inert gas replacement part 13, the bottle 30 is in the state where the mouth part 31 is directed downward. Thus, the inert gas 42 is filled in the bottle 30 by substituting the air (oxygen) in the bottle 30 using the inert gas 42.

  Next, the configuration of the rinse section 12 and the inert gas replacement section 13 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rinse part 12 and the inert gas replacement part 13 are each arrange | positioned on the distributor 50. As shown in FIG. The distributor 50 includes a fixed portion 51 and a rotating portion 52 that rotates on the fixed portion 51 in a certain direction. Among these, a plurality of nozzles 53 protruding upward are connected to the rotating portion 52. The bottle 30 rotates in a fixed direction together with the nozzles 53 inserted into the mouth portion 31 as the rotating portion 52 rotates. In FIG. 2, only a part of the distributor 50 is schematically shown for convenience.

  The rinse section 12 includes a rinse water tank 59 that contains the rinse water 41, a rinse water supply pipe 54 that is connected to the rinse water tank 59, and a rinse water supply space 55 that is connected to the rinse water supply pipe 54. ing. Among these, the rinse water supply space 55 is formed in the fixed portion 51 and communicates with the nozzle 53 that has moved to the top of the rinse water supply space 55 as the rotating portion 52 rotates. Accordingly, the rinse water 41 is supplied from the rinse water tank 59 into the bottle 30 through the rinse water supply pipe 54, the rinse water supply space 55, and the nozzles 53 in order, and the inside of the bottle 30 is washed.

  On the other hand, the inert gas replacement unit 13 includes an inert gas tank 56 containing the inert gas 42, an inert gas supply pipe 57 connected to the inert gas tank 56, and an inert gas supply pipe 57 connected to the inert gas supply pipe 57. And an active gas supply space 58. Among these, the inert gas supply space 58 is formed in the fixed portion 51 and communicates with the nozzle 53 that has moved above the inert gas supply space 58 as the rotating portion 52 rotates. As a result, the inert gas 42 is supplied from the inert gas tank 56 into the bottle 30 through the inert gas supply pipe 57, the inert gas supply space 58, and the nozzles 53 in order, and is replaced with the air in the bottle 30. Is done.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, a content filling unit 14 for filling the content 43 from the mouth 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle body 32 is provided on the downstream side of the inert gas replacement unit 13. In the contents filling unit 14, the contents 43 are filled into the bottle 30 in a state where the inert gas 42 is filled. The contents 43 may be made of various beverages and the like, but in particular, a liquid that easily foams, such as a tea beverage such as green tea, a milk beverage such as milk, a coffee beverage, a functional beverage, a vegetable juice beverage, or a fruit juice beverage. It can be used suitably.

  In the second transport mechanism 18 between the inert gas replacement unit 13 and the content filling unit 14, the bottle 30 is turned upside down again so that the mouth portion 31 faces upward.

An inert gas supply unit 15 is provided on the downstream side of the content filling unit 14. The inert gas supply unit 15 supplies the inert gas 42 from the mouth part 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle body 32, and a space above the liquid level of the contents 43 in the bottle body 32 (liquid level upper space 32 a). The inside is filled with an inert gas 42. As the inert gas 42, for example, nitrogen (N ₂ ) can be used similarly to the gas supplied in the inert gas replacement unit 13. Note that the inert gas supplied by the inert gas supply unit 15 may be made of a different type of gas from the inert gas supplied by the inert gas replacement unit 13. The amount of the inert gas 42 filled in the inert gas supply unit 15 is preferably equal to or greater than the total volume of the bubbles 43a and the liquid surface upper space 32a. Here, in this specification, the liquid surface upper space 32 a is a space formed above the liquid surface of the content 43 in the space inside the bottle main body 32, and excludes bubbles 43 a generated in the content 43. Say something. Therefore, the gas contained in the bubble 43a and the upper liquid surface space 32a corresponds to the gas in the head space after entering the market.

  The cap mounting unit 16 provided on the downstream side of the inert gas supply unit 15 seals the bottle 30 by mounting the cap 33 on the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30.

(Content filling method)
Next, the content filling method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4A to 4C. The content filling method according to the present embodiment is performed using the above-described content filling system 10 (FIG. 1).

  First, in the sterilization part 11, the inside of the empty bottle 30 is sterilized with the sterilizing agent 40 (sterilization process) (step S1 of FIG. 3). As this disinfectant 40, hydrogen peroxide solution or peracetic acid is mentioned as mentioned above. In this sterilization step, in addition to the sterilization method using the sterilizer 40, the above-described EB sterilization method may be used. Thus, the inside of the bottle 30 is sterilized in the sterilization unit 11.

  Next, the sterilized bottle 30 is turned upside down in the first transport mechanism 17 so that the mouth portion 31 faces downward, and is transported to the rinse section 12. Next, in this rinse part 12, the rinse water 41 is supplied in the bottle main body 32 from the opening part 31 of the bottle 30 (rinsing process) (step S2 of FIG. 3). In this way, by rinsing the inside of the bottle 30 using the rinse water 41, the disinfectant 40 and the like remaining in the bottle 30 are removed. When the EB sterilization method is used in the sterilization process, the sterilization process is not used, and therefore it is not always necessary to provide this rinse process. However, even when the EB sterilization method is used in the sterilization process, this rinsing process may be provided in order to remove foreign matters remaining in the bottle 30.

  Subsequently, the bottle 30 is conveyed to the inert gas replacement unit 13 with the mouth portion 31 facing downward. In the inert gas replacement unit 13, only the inert gas 42 is supplied from the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle body 32, and the inside of the bottle body 32 is replaced with the inert gas 42 (inert gas replacement step) ( Step S3 in FIG. Thus, by injecting the inert gas 42 into the bottle main body 32 from below, there is an effect that the rinse water 41 remaining in the bottle main body 32 can be effectively removed.

  Next, the bottle 30 filled with the inert gas 42 is turned upside down in the second transport mechanism 18 so that the mouth 31 faces upward, and is transported to the content filling unit 14. Subsequently, in the content filling unit 14, the content 43 is filled into the bottle body 32 from the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 (content filling step) (step S4 in FIG. 3, FIG. 4A). The contents 43 to be filled are controlled (liquid deaeration) and managed in advance in the liquid treatment step so as to suppress the dissolved oxygen concentration.

  During the content filling step, a large number of bubbles 43a are generated inside and on the surface of the content 43 filled in the bottle body 32 of the bottle 30 due to entrainment during filling. In this case, as described above, the inert gas 42 is introduced into the bottle body 32 in the inert gas replacement step. Therefore, in the content 43, a bubble 43a in which the inert gas 42 is stored is generated. Further, the inert gas 42 is encapsulated in the contents 43.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the content 43 is made of a liquid that easily foams, such as a tea beverage such as green tea, a milk beverage such as milk, a coffee beverage, a functional beverage, a vegetable juice beverage, or a fruit juice beverage. It is preferable. That is, according to this embodiment, since the effect of suppressing the initial oxidation of the content 43 is high, the content 43 is a liquid having a property that the flavor and color difference are easily changed by oxidative degradation, as represented by green tea. Very suitable. It is also effective to use a liquid that contains a large amount of milk components that are easy to foam when the contents 43 are filled and in which foam does not easily disappear.

  After the content filling process, the bottle 30 is conveyed to the inert gas supply unit 15. Next, in the inert gas supply unit 15, the inert gas 42 is supplied from the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle main body 32 (inert gas supply step) (step S <b> 5 and FIG. 4B in FIG. 3). Thereby, the inert gas 42 is filled in the liquid surface upper space 32 a of the bottle body 32. As a result, the inert gas 42 partially lost during the transportation of the bottle 30 from the inert gas replacement unit 13 through the content filling unit 14 to the inert gas supply unit 15 is supplemented in the bottle body 32. .

  After the inert gas supply step, the bottle 30 is conveyed to the cap mounting unit 16. Thereafter, in the cap mounting section 16, the cap 33 is mounted on the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 to obtain the content-filled bottle 35 (cap mounting process) (steps S6 and 4C in FIG. 3).

  The content-filled bottle 35 after sealing is provided with a bottle 30 having a bottle main body 32 and a mouth portion 31, and a content 43 filled in the bottle main body 32 of the bottle 30. In addition, an inert gas 42 is filled in the liquid surface upper space 32a of the bottle main body 32, and bubbles 43a containing the inert gas 42 are formed inside (FIG. 4C). Therefore, the amount of oxygen existing in the bottle 30 from the beginning (the total amount of oxygen in the initial container) is extremely small.

  By the way, in this Embodiment, while the whole process from the sterilization process mentioned above to a cap mounting | wearing process is performed in aseptic atmosphere, 5 to 55 degreeC, for example, normal temperature (for example, normal temperature (from the mouth part 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle main body 32). The content 43 is filled at 5 ° C. to 35 ° C.). That is, a so-called aseptic filling method is employed.

  Here, the difference between the aseptic filling method according to the present embodiment and the hot pack filling method will be described. As a feature of the aseptic filling method according to the present embodiment, since the filling temperature of the content 43 is 5 ° C. to 55 ° C., the amount of gas in the bubbles 43a and the upper liquid surface space 32a at the time of filling is The volume of the head space of the product (the bottle 35 with contents) is approximately equal.

  On the other hand, when the hot pack filling method is adopted, the contents are filled at a high temperature of 85 ° C. or higher. For this reason, the head space is filled with steam at the time of filling, and the oxygen concentration of the head space is low. Further, when the contents thereafter become room temperature, the head space is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the solubility of a gas in a liquid generally has a property of increasing at a lower temperature.

  Therefore, in the aseptic filling method according to the present embodiment, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the content 43 is likely to increase due to the entrainment of air when the content 43 is filled, as compared with the hot pack filling method. In addition, since the liquid level upper space 32a is large, the total oxygen amount in the bottle 30 tends to increase. Therefore, particularly when using the aseptic filling method, it is effective to prevent the contents 43 from being oxidized by suppressing the amount of oxygen existing in the bottle 30 from the beginning (total amount of oxygen in the initial container).

  In the present embodiment, the production (conveyance) speed of the contents-filled bottle 35 is preferably 100 bpm to 2000 bpm. Here, bpm (bottle per minute) refers to the conveyance speed of the bottle 30 per minute. In this case, it is preferable that the period from the inert gas replacement step (step S3 in FIG. 3) to the content filling step (step S4 in FIG. 3) is performed in 0.5 to 20 seconds.

  In addition, as a material of the bottle 30, synthetic resin materials, such as a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polypropylene (PP), and polylactic acid (PLA), can be used. The preferred shape of the bottle 30 will be described in detail later.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, only the inert gas 42 is supplied from the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle body 32 and the inside of the bottle body 32 is replaced with the inert gas 42. The contents 43 are filled into the bottle body 32. As a result, the bottle main body 32 is filled with the inert gas 42, and bubbles 43 a containing the inert gas 42 are formed in the contents 43. As a result, the total amount of oxygen in the initial container in the bottle 30 (the amount of oxygen present in the upper liquid level space 32a immediately after production, the amount of oxygen present in the bubbles 43a, and the amount of oxygen dissolved in the contents 43) The initial oxidation deterioration of the content 43 can be suppressed. Specifically, in the case of a bottle 30 of 500 ml size, the total oxygen amount in the initial container can be suppressed to 2.0 cc or less.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, the rinse water 41 is supplied in the bottle main body 32 from the mouth part 31 of the bottle 30 (rinsing process), and only the inert gas 42 is supplied in the bottle main body 32 from the mouth part 31 after that. Then, the inside of the bottle body 32 is replaced with the inert gas 42 (inert gas replacement step). Therefore, the rinse water 41 can be effectively removed by the inert gas 42.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, the inert gas supply process which supplies the inert gas 42 from the opening part 31 into the bottle main body 32 is provided after the content filling process. As a result, the inert gas 42 partially lost from the bottle main body 32 during conveyance can be supplemented to the bottle main body 32, and the initial oxidation deterioration of the contents 43 can be more reliably suppressed.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, while filling the content 43 in the bottle main body 32 from the opening part 31 at 5 to 55 degreeC, the whole process is performed in aseptic atmosphere (aseptic filling system). That is, unlike the hot pack filling method, the contents 43 are not heated, so that deterioration of the contents 43 due to heat can be prevented.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to significantly modify the equipment used in the conventional aseptic filling method, so that the equipment cost can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the production (conveyance) speed of the content-filled bottle 35 is 100 bpm to 2000 bpm, and the time from the inert gas replacement step to the content filling step is 0.5 second to 20 seconds. Therefore, the contents 43 can be filled into the bottle 30 at high speed.

(Example)
Next, specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 6.

Example 1
A content-filling bottle 35 (Example 1) was produced using the content filling system 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the content filling method shown in FIG. In this case, the contents 43 were filled in an aseptic atmosphere at normal temperature (aseptic filling method). Further, a PET bottle having a capacity of 500 ml was used as the bottle 30, and the conveyance speed of the bottle 30 was 900 bpm.

  First, the inside of the bottle 30 was sterilized with a disinfectant composed of hydrogen peroxide (sterilization process), and then rinse water was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 (rinse process). Subsequently, 550 ml of an inert gas composed of nitrogen was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32, and the inside of the bottle body 32 was replaced with nitrogen gas (inert gas replacement step). Next, the contents 43 made of green tea was filled from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 (content filling step). In this case, the oxygen concentration in the green tea before filling was 1.4 ppm. The filling temperature of green tea was 30.2 ° C.

  Next, an inert gas composed of nitrogen is supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 (inert gas supply step), and then a cap 33 is attached to the mouth portion 31, whereby the bottle with contents according to the first embodiment. 35 was obtained. In this case, the capacity of the head space was 20 ml.

The total amount of oxygen in the initial container (beverage-derived oxygen amount + headspace-derived oxygen amount) of the content-containing bottle 35 (Example 1) thus obtained was measured. The total amount of oxygen in the initial container is calculated based on the following formula, measuring the oxygen concentration (%) of the headspace, the volume of the headspace, the filling amount of the contents, and the dissolved oxygen concentration (%) in the contents. did.
(Total oxygen content in the initial container) = (head space oxygen concentration) × (head space capacity) + (content filling amount) × (dissolved oxygen concentration in the content)

  As a result, the total oxygen amount in the initial container was 1.5 cc (beverage-derived oxygen amount 0.4 cc + headspace-derived oxygen amount 1.1 cc) (see FIG. 5). The amount of oxygen derived from the beverage includes the amount of oxygen dissolved in the green tea, and the amount of oxygen derived from the head space includes the amount of oxygen present in the upper liquid level space 32a and the amount of oxygen present in the bubbles 43a. .

(Example 2)
The contents 43 were filled with the liquid temperature lower than that in Example 1 to generate a large amount of bubbles 43a (the proportion of the head space capacity occupied by the bubbles 43a (also referred to as the bubble rate) was 18%). A bottle 35 (Example 2) with contents was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above. When the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of the bottle 35 with contents (Example 2) was measured, it was 1.0 cc (beverage-derived oxygen amount 0.4 cc + headspace-derived oxygen amount 0.6 cc) (see FIG. 5). ).

(Comparative Example 1)
After the rinsing step, the same as in Example 1 except that 550 ml of gas made of sterilized air instead of nitrogen was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 and that the inert gas supplying step was not performed. Thus, a bottle with contents (Comparative Example 1) was produced. When the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of the bottle with contents (Comparative Example 1) was measured, it was 5.0 cc (beverage-derived oxygen amount 1.0 cc + headspace-derived oxygen amount 4.0 cc) (see FIG. 5). .

(Comparative Example 2)
After the rinsing step, a bottle containing contents (Comparative Example 2) was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 550 ml of sterilized air instead of nitrogen was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32. Produced. When the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of this bottle with contents (Comparative Example 2) was measured, it was 2.5 cc (beverage-derived oxygen amount 0.5 cc + headspace-derived oxygen amount 2.0 cc) (see FIG. 5). .

(Comparative Example 3)
A bottle with contents (Comparative Example 3) was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hot pack filling method was used instead of the aseptic filling method. When the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of this bottle with contents (Comparative Example 3) was measured, it was 1.7 cc (beverage-derived oxygen amount 0.4 cc + headspace-derived oxygen amount 1.3 cc) (see FIG. 5). .

  As a result, the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of the bottle 35 with contents according to Example 1 and Example 2 could be suppressed to 2.0 cc or less (1.5 cc and 1.0 cc, respectively). This numerical value is equivalent to or lower than the numerical value (1.7 cc) of the bottle with contents (Comparative Example 3) produced under the same conditions using the hot pack filling method (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, the total oxygen amount in the initial container of the bottles with contents according to Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 exceeded 2.0 cc (5.0 cc and 2.5 cc, respectively).

  Next, the total oxygen amount in the container with the passage of time was compared between the bottle 35 with contents according to Example 1 and Example 2 described above and the bottle with contents according to Comparative Examples 1 to 3. (FIG. 6). As a result, in the case of the bottle 35 with contents according to Example 1 and Example 2 and the bottle with contents according to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the passage of time is caused by oxygen permeating the wall surface of the bottle. Along with this, the total oxygen amount in the container gradually increased (the graph in FIG. 6 increased to the right). However, even after a long time has elapsed, the difference in the total oxygen amount in the containers of these bottles was maintained almost constant. Also from this, it was confirmed that keeping the total amount of oxygen in the initial container low is effective for suppressing the oxidative deterioration of the contents.

(Composition of bottle)
Next, the configuration of a bottle suitably used in the content filling method and the content filling system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, only the inert gas 42 is supplied from the mouth portion 31 of the bottle 30 into the bottle body 32 and the inside of the bottle body 32 is replaced with the inert gas 42 (inert gas replacement). Step), then, the contents 43 are filled into the bottle body 32 from the mouth portion 31 (content filling step).

  In addition, as described above, a large number of bubbles 43a are generated in the content 43 due to entrainment during the content filling process. An inert gas 42 is confined inside the bubble 43a. Therefore, the larger the total volume (hereinafter also referred to as the foaming volume) of the large number of bubbles 43a, the more the amount of oxygen in the liquid surface upper space 32a of the bottle body 32 can be relatively reduced. Further, the inert gas 42 inside the bubble 43a is not replaced with external oxygen until the cap mounting process. Therefore, the amount of oxygen present in the bottle 30 (initial container total oxygen amount) can be kept low. The present inventors have found that such a foaming volume is easily affected by the shape of the bottle 30, and in particular, is easily affected by the shape of the bottom of the bottle 30.

  Hereinafter, the bottles (Example A, Example B, Example C, and Example D) used in the present embodiment will be sequentially described with reference to FIGS.

(Example A)
7A and 7B show a bottle 30 (30a) suitably used in the content filling method and the content filling system according to the present embodiment (Example A). 7A is a perspective view showing a bottle according to Example A, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 7A) showing the bottom of the bottle according to Example A.

  The bottle 30 (30a) shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B has a mouth portion 31 and a bottle body 32. Among these, the bottle main body 32 has the trunk | drum 21 and the bottom part 22 which is connected to the trunk | drum 21 and consists of petaloid shape. The bottom part 22 has five leg parts 23 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this case, the outer diameter (body diameter) of the body part 21 is 55 mm to 70 mm, preferably 60 mm to 70 mm.

(Example B)
8A and 8B show a bottle 30 (30b) suitably used in the content filling method and the content filling system according to the present embodiment (Example B). 8A is a perspective view showing a bottle according to Example B, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 8A) showing a bottom portion of the bottle according to Example B.

  The bottle 30 (30b) illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B includes a mouth portion 31 and a bottle body 32. Among these, the bottle main body 32 has the trunk | drum 21 and the bottom part 24 in which the depression part 25 was formed in the center while connecting with the trunk | drum 21. FIG. In this case, the outer diameter (body diameter) of the body part 21 is 55 mm to 70 mm, preferably 60 mm to 70 mm.

  The bottle 30 b has a depressed portion 25 that is depressed inward at the center of the bottom 24. The depression 25 has a tapered peripheral wall 26 inclined toward the inside and a substantially star-shaped central recess 27 provided at the upper end thereof. Further, the depth of the depressed portion 25, that is, the distance Hb from the ground contact portion 28 to the deepest portion of the depressed portion 25 is 4% to 40%, preferably 10 to 30% of the trunk diameter. If the distance Hb is smaller than 4% of the trunk diameter, the foaming volume of the foam 43a cannot be made sufficiently large. On the other hand, when the distance Hb exceeds 40% of the body diameter, the stability of the moldability is deteriorated and the shape of the bottom 24 is difficult to be obtained, which is not preferable.

(Example C)
9A and 9B show a bottle 60 that can be used in the content filling method and the content filling system according to the present embodiment (Example C). 9A is a perspective view showing a bottle according to Example C, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 9A) showing the bottom of the bottle according to Example C.

  A bottle 60 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B has a mouth portion 31 and a bottle body 32. Among these, the bottle main body 32 has the trunk | drum 21, and the bottom part 61 in which the recessed part 62 was formed while connecting with the trunk | drum 21. FIG. The recess 62 has a plurality of step portions 63, 63. In this case, the outer diameter (body diameter) of the body part 21 is 55 mm to 70 mm. Further, the depth of the concave portion 62, that is, the distance Hc from the ground contact portion 64 to the deepest portion of the concave portion 62 is 4% to 15% of the trunk diameter.

(Example D)
10A and 10B show a bottle 70 that can be used in the content filling method and the content filling system according to the present embodiment (Example D). 10A is a perspective view showing a bottle according to Example D, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 10A) showing the bottom of the bottle according to Example D.

  A bottle 70 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B has a mouth portion 31 and a bottle body 32. Among these, the bottle main body 32 has the trunk | drum 21 and the bottom part 71 in which the recessed part 72 was formed while connecting with the trunk | drum 21. FIG. In this case, the outer diameter (body diameter) of the body part 21 is 55 mm to 70 mm. The depth of the recess 72, that is, the distance Hd from the ground contact portion 73 to the deepest portion of the recess 72 is 4% to 15% of the trunk diameter.

(Example)
Next, a specific embodiment of the bottle shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 will be described.

  First, the bottles shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 were prepared (referred to as the bottle 30a of Example A, the bottle 30b of Example B, the bottle 60 of Example C, and the bottle 70 of Example D, respectively). Each bottle 30a, 30b, 60, 70 had an internal volume of 500 ml, and the shape of each bottle was the same except for the bottom. Next, a bottle with contents was prepared for each bottle. Specifically, a bottle with contents was produced as follows.

(Example A)
Using the bottle 30a of Example A shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a bottle 35 with contents (Example A) was produced. Specifically, a content-filling bottle 35 (Example A) was produced using the content filling system 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the content filling method shown in FIG. In this case, the contents 43 were filled in an aseptic atmosphere at normal temperature (aseptic filling method). Moreover, a PET bottle having a capacity of 500 ml was used as the bottle 30a, and the conveyance speed of the bottle 30a was 600 bpm.

  First, the inside of the bottle 30a was sterilized with a disinfectant composed of hydrogen peroxide (sterilization process), and then rinse water was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 (rinse process). Subsequently, 600 ml of inert gas 42 made of sterilized nitrogen gas was supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32, and the inside of the bottle body 32 was replaced with nitrogen gas (inert gas replacement step). Next, the contents 43 made of green tea was filled from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle body 32 (content filling step). In this case, the oxygen concentration in the green tea before filling was 1.4 ppm. The filling temperature of green tea was 30.2 ° C.

  Next, an inert gas composed of nitrogen is supplied from the mouth portion 31 into the bottle main body 32 (inert gas supply step), and then the cap 33 is attached to the mouth portion 31, whereby the bottle with contents according to Example A 35 was obtained. In this case, the capacity of the head space was 20 ml.

  The foaming volume and the total oxygen amount in the initial container of the content-containing bottle 35 (Example A) thus obtained were measured. As a result, the foaming volume was 3.6 cc, and the total oxygen amount in the initial container was 1.4 cc.

(Example B)
A content-filled bottle 35 (Example B) was produced in the same manner as Example A, except that the bottle 30b shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B was used. When the foaming volume and the total oxygen amount in the initial container of the bottle 35 (Example B) with contents were measured, the foaming volume was 3.4 cc, and the total oxygen amount in the initial container was 1.5 cc.

(Example C)
A bottle with contents (Example C) was prepared in the same manner as Example A except that the bottle 60 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B was used. When the foaming volume and the total oxygen amount in the initial container of the bottle with the contents (Example C) were measured, the foaming volume was 2.1 cc and the total oxygen amount in the initial container was 2.0 cc.

(Example D)
A bottle with contents (Example D) was produced in the same manner as Example A, except that the bottle 70 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B was used. When the foaming volume and the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of this bottle with contents (Example D) were measured, the foaming volume was 0.8 cc and the total amount of oxygen in the initial container was 2.4 cc.

  As a result, the bottles 30a and 30b according to the example A and the example B have a shape in which foaming due to the bubbles 43a of the inert gas 43 is likely to occur as compared with the bottles 60 and 70 according to the example C and the example D. As a result, it was found that the total amount of oxygen in the initial container of the contents-containing bottle 35 according to Example A and Example B can be kept relatively low. That is, the bottles 30a and 30b according to Example A and Example B have relatively large irregularities formed at the bottoms 22 and 24, respectively. For this reason, foaming is likely to occur when the contents 43 are filled, and it is considered that the total amount of oxygen in the initial container could be kept low. On the other hand, when the bottom portion is a flat bottom shape, the turbulent flow phenomenon hardly occurs and the foaming hardly occurs when the filling liquid is filled, so that the effect of suppressing the total oxygen amount in the initial container is small. In other words, when the bottom part has a petaloid shape (Example A), or when a depressed part is formed at the bottom part (Example B), the shape of the bottom part is complicated. Easily occurs, bubbles are generated, and the bubbles are filled with nitrogen. In addition, about the bottles 60 and 70 by Example C and Example D, although the effect which suppresses the total oxygen amount in an initial container becomes relatively low, the effect is not necessarily acquired.

Claims (22)

In the content filling method of filling the content into a bottle having a mouth part and a bottle body,
An inert gas replacement step of supplying only the inert gas from the mouth portion into the bottle body and replacing the inside of the bottle body with the inert gas;
A content filling method comprising: a content filling step of filling a content into a bottle body from a mouth portion. Before the inert gas replacement process,
A sterilization process for sterilizing the inside of the bottle;
A rinsing step of supplying rinsing water from the mouth portion into the bottle main body is provided.   The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein a sterilization step of sterilizing the inside of the bottle with an electron beam is provided before the inert gas replacement step.   2. The content filling method according to claim 1, further comprising an inert gas supply step of supplying an inert gas from the mouth portion into the bottle body after the content filling step.   The content filling method according to claim 4, wherein a cap mounting step of mounting a cap on the mouth portion is provided after the inert gas supply step.   The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein, in the content filling step, the content is filled from the mouth portion into the bottle body at a temperature of 5 ° C to 55 ° C.   2. The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein the whole process is performed in a sterile atmosphere.   The inert gas introduced into the bottle body during the inert gas replacement process causes bubbles containing the inert gas inside the contents filled in the bottle body during the content filling process. The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein:   The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises a tea beverage, a milk beverage, a coffee beverage, a functional beverage, a vegetable juice beverage, or a fruit juice beverage.   2. The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein the period from the inert gas replacement step to the content filling step is performed in 0.5 seconds to 20 seconds.   The content filling method according to claim 1, wherein the bottle main body of the bottle has a trunk portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.   The bottle main body of a bottle has a trunk | drum and the bottom part in which the depression part was formed, and the depth of a depression part is 4 to 40% of the outer diameter of a trunk | drum, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. The content filling method described. In a content filling system that fills a bottle with a mouth and a bottle body,
An inert gas replacement unit that supplies only inert gas from the mouth into the bottle body and replaces the inside of the bottle body with inert gas; and
A content filling system provided with a content filling unit that is provided on the downstream side of the inert gas replacement unit and fills the bottle body with the content from the mouth. On the upstream side of the inert gas replacement part, a sterilization part for sterilizing the inside of the bottle is provided,
14. The content filling according to claim 13, wherein a rinsing part is provided upstream of the inert gas replacement part and downstream of the sterilizing part to supply rinsing water from the mouth part into the bottle body. system.   14. The content filling system according to claim 13, wherein a sterilization unit for sterilizing the inside of the bottle with an electron beam is provided upstream of the inert gas replacement unit.   14. The content filling system according to claim 13, wherein an inert gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas from the mouth portion into the bottle body is provided on the downstream side of the content filling unit.   15. The content filling system according to claim 14, wherein a cap mounting portion for mounting a cap on the mouth portion is provided downstream of the inert gas supply portion.   14. The content filling system according to claim 13, wherein the bottle main body of the bottle has a trunk portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.   The bottle main body of the bottle has a body part and a bottom part in which a depression part is formed, and the depth of the depression part is 4% to 40% of the outer diameter of the body part. The described content filling system. A bottle having a bottle body and a mouth;
With the contents filled in the bottle body of the bottle,
A bottle with a content, wherein a foam containing an inert gas is formed inside the content.   21. The bottle with contents according to claim 20, wherein the bottle body of the bottle has a trunk portion and a bottom portion having a petaloid shape.   21. The bottle main body of the bottle has a trunk part and a bottom part in which a depression part is formed, and the depth of the depression part is 4% to 40% of the outer diameter of the trunk part. The bottle with the listed contents.

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