KR970004584B1 - Sterilization apparatus in chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Sterilizer inside the container

1 is a schematic structural diagram of a container sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic structural diagram of a low temperature plasma processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a detailed view of an electrode rod and a gas nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the folding structure of the pallet of the embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

(1): 1st pressure reduction chamber (2): 2nd pressure reduction chamber

(3): third pressure reducing chamber (4): first gate valve

(5): second gate valve (6): third gate valve

(7): fourth gate valve (8): receiving guide roll group

(9): pallet (10): container

(11): electrode rod 12: gas nozzle

(13), (14), (15): Pressure reducing pump (16): Ground wire

(17): drive gear

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilization apparatus inside a container which continuously sterilizes the inside of a container such as a bottle containing food, medicine, or the like, or a PET bottle by plasma treatment.

For example, in a pharmaceutical company such as a chemical liquid or a food company producing liquid food such as soy sauce, beer, liquor or fruit wine, the bottle before filling these chemical liquids or liquid foods (hereinafter, these are simply referred to as liquids), It is necessary to sterilize and clean the inside of the pet bottle (hereinafter referred to as a container) in order to prevent corruption of the liquid filled in the container.

Conventionally, as a means for sterilizing and cleaning the inside of such a container, boiling means by boiling water have been devised, but since the heating temperature is 100 ° C. or less, sterilizing all kinds of germs is necessary. impossible. Therefore, in order to heat sterilize all kinds of germs, it is necessary to raise the inside of the sterilization chamber (a kiln) above normal pressure, for example, raise the heating temperature to about 120 ℃, but in this case, the heat resistance temperature of the container to be sterilized and cleaned is In this regard, high heat (high pressure) sterilization is possible in a container such as a glass bottle, but high heat sterilization treatment is not possible, for example, because a heat-resistant temperature is low in a resin bottle.

Therefore, the sterilization treatment of the plastic bottle was performed using a special chemical agent, and then sterilized and washed through the respective treatment steps of washing with pure water after the chemical liquid sterilization treatment.

Therefore, a special chemical solution is required for the sterilization of the PET bottle, and an expensive pure water production apparatus is required for cleaning with pure water. The sterilization of the PET bottle is costly and economical. There was a problem that was bad.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and a first object thereof is to re-sterilize a container at a low temperature (at room temperature) using a low temperature plasma, whereby, for example, in a bottle, the bottle An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization apparatus inside a container capable of effectively sterilizing all germs without damaging itself.

The second object is to provide a sterilization apparatus inside the container which can increase the sterilization capacity of the container by continually sterilizing the container by low temperature plasma in order to have a sterilization and cleaning capability of a large number of containers to be treated in the industry. To provide.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, (1) is a 1st decompression chamber, (2) is a 2nd decompression chamber, (3) is a 3rd decompression chamber, 1st decompression chamber (1) and 2nd decompression The yarns 2 are arranged in the transverse direction in order of the third darkening chamber 3. In the inlet side of the 1st pressure reduction chamber 1, the 1st gate valve 4 is partitioned through the valve 5, and the 2nd pressure reduction chamber 2 and the 3rd pressure reduction chamber 3 are provided. And a partition is formed via the 3rd gate valve 6, and the 4th gate valve 7 is arrange | positioned at the exit side of the 3rd pressure reduction chamber 3. As shown in FIG.

The structures of the gate valves (4), (5), (6), and (7) provide a closing operation in the decompression chamber for keeping the inside of each decompression chamber airtight, and carrying in / out of the sterilized container into the decompression chamber. The opening operation can be performed, but since the gate valve structure can be a conventionally known one, detailed description of each gate valve structure is omitted.

In each of the decompression chambers (1), (2), and (3), a bottom guide group (8) made of a plurality of insulating materials is provided in the horizontal direction, and the bottom guide group (8) is made of metal. The pallet 9 can be guided. 10 is a container to be sterilized, and these containers 10 are arranged on the pallet 9 and conveyed together with the pallet 9.

11 is disposed in the second decompression chamber 2, and the electrode rods inserted into the respective vessels 10, 12 are provided close to the electrode rods 11, and in the container 1; Gas nozzles inserted together with the electrode rod 11, and 13, 14, and 15 denote pressure reducing pumps respectively provided in the first, second, and third pressure reducing chambers. Denoted at 16 is a ground line 17 indicating a drive gear of the guide roll group 8.

The structure of this embodiment and the operation | movement are demonstrated below.

First, the second gate valve 5, the third gate valve 6, and the third gate valve 7 disposed in the second pressure reducing chamber 2 and the third pressure reducing chamber 3 are closed. Then, the pressure reduction pumps 14 and 15 are driven to depressurize the inside of the second decompression chamber 2 and the third decompression chamber 3, and in particular, the low pressure plasma inside the second decompression chamber 2. For example, the pressure can be reduced to 100-200 Torr.

Subsequently, the first gate valve 4 is opened to bring the plurality of containers 10 to be sterilized together with the pallet 9 into the first decompression chamber 1, and then the first gate valve 4. Is closed, and the pressure reduction pump 13 is driven to depressurize the inside of the first decompression chamber 1 until it becomes the same pressure as the second and third decompression chambers.

The second gate valve 5 is opened and the guide roller group 8 is pulsated at the time when the pressure is reduced, and the container 10 in the first pressure reduction chamber 1 is removed together with the pallet 9. It transfers into the pressure reduction chamber (2) of 2. The container 10 supplied in the second pressure reduction chamber 2 is positioned in position with the pallet by a position sensor not shown. Then, the electrode rod 11 and the gas nozzle 12 are inserted into each container 10 after positioning.

Subsequently, gas for plasma generation is ejected from the gas nozzle 12, and a high frequency is transmitted from the electrode rod, and between the respective electrodes 11 and the metal pallet 9 connected to the ground wire 16. At this time, low temperature plasma is generated, and the low temperature plasma is sterilized by the processing time of about 2 minutes in each container 10.

After the sterilization treatment by this low temperature plasma, the electrode rod 11 and the nozzle 12 are raised to the position shown in the drawing, and opened by the third gate valve 6, and the pallet 10 on which the container 10 is placed. ) Is transported into the third decompression chamber 3. Subsequently, the second and third gate valves 5 and 6 are closed to keep the inside of the second decompression chamber 2 at a low pressure, and the fourth gate valve 7 is opened to plasma sterilize. The container 10 is taken out together with the pallet 9 out of the pressure reduction chamber.

The first gate valve 4 is opened again, and a new unsterilized container is supplied together with the pallet 9 into the first decompression chamber, and the sterilization of the container is repeatedly performed in the same process as described above.

In this way, the present invention can be carried in and out of a pallet on which a plurality of containers to be sterilized are placed, and a first pressure reducing chamber, a second pressure reducing chamber, and a third pressure reducing chamber can be made negative by the driving force of the pressure reducing pump. The pressure-reduction chambers of the first and second decompression chambers, between the inlet of the first decompression chamber, the first decompression chamber and the second decompression chamber, and the third decompression chamber. A gas valve for disposing a gate valve at each of the outlets of the outlet and supplying a low temperature plasma generating gas into each container carried in the second pressure reducing chamber in the second pressure reducing chamber, and a low temperature plasma in each container. Since it is a sterilization apparatus inside a container provided with an electrode for generating a, it is possible to generate a low-temperature plasma inside the individual container to be sterilized, so that the sterilization treatment inside the container is made effective and quick. .

In addition, according to the present invention, the sterilization treatment of a plurality of containers is performed automatically and continuously even though it is an intermittent operation, and the sterilization treatment can be surely performed on the basis of energy saving.

Claims (1)

The first decompression chamber, the second decompression chamber, and the third decompression chamber, which can carry in and out a pallet on which a plurality of containers to be sterilized, can be brought in and out, and can be made negative pressure inside by the driving force of the immersion pump, are sequentially Exposed near each other, between the inlet of the first decompression chamber, between the first decompression chamber and the second decompression chamber, between the second decompression chamber and the third decompression chamber, and to each of the outlets of the third decompression chamber. The gate valve is disposed, and in the second decompression chamber, a gas nozzle for supplying low-temperature plasma generating gas into each vessel carried in the second decompression chamber, and an electrode for generating low-temperature plasma in each vessel. Sterilizing apparatus inside the container, characterized in that provided.