UA124647C2 - BEVERAGE FILLING PLANT - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to devices for filling and closing bottles, which takes place in a sterilized medium. The installation is made on double-circuit leaky housings under different internal pressures of space. Accordingly, the inner leaky insulator is under pressure above atmospheric, and the outer leaky housing is under pressure below atmospheric, and the extractor hood fan removes the spent gaseous peroxide from the leaky housing to the outside when throtting the process windows. In addition, in the outer leaky housing introduced ring nozzles of hot sterile air for heating bottles and nozzles of the sterilizing mixture for processing outside and inside the bottles and for disinfection of transfer sprockets, and in the inner leaky insulator installed nozzles sterilizing mixture and annular (slit) nozzles for purging hot sterile air of bottles and caps. The technical and economic advantage of the proposed technical solution is to increase the reliability, simplification and reduction of the bottling process with high biological purity of the beverage.

Description

The invention relates to devices for filling and closing bottles, which is carried out in a sterilizable environment.

In the first plants, the containers were filled and sealed in non-aseptic equipment, and then the molded containers were transferred to a "clean room", at least a filling machine and a capping machine.

Moreover, a "normal" aseptic bottling line involves: the formation of a container, which begins with a workpiece made of thermoplastic material or a preform; chemical sterilization of the formed container or preform; filling and capping of the filled container, which must be done in a clean room. A "clean room" is a contamination-controlled room containing all filling devices, including both process areas where containers are effectively filled/closed and auxiliary areas where the means of moving the filling/capping machine operate.

Therefore, the main disadvantage of the "clean room" is its large volume, which requires long and expensive sterilization procedures. There is also significant loss of working fluids, such as sanitizing fluids and sterile air, as well as wear phenomena, such as the filters required to clean the air, designed to create excess pressure in the cleanroom to prevent contaminants from entering the environment. Another disadvantage of using a "clean room" is related to the difficulties in performing the operations of changing the format, maintenance or adjustment of the machine units due to the risk of contamination that such operations involve. Therefore, the operator's access to the "clean room" is also particularly important.

The evolution of aseptic technology has gone in the direction of reducing the volumes that should be sterile.

Therefore, the modern concept of the aseptic bottling line involves: sterilization of the blank for the container using chemical agents or radiation sterilization;

From "aseptic" formation of the container, starting from a sterilized blank; filling and capping of the filled container, which must be performed in a sterile environment.

An active sterilization zone for filling containers is known (see patent 5 Me9296600

B2 IPC B67C 3/00, 3/22, publication dated 03/29/2016), containing a first module that washes and sterilizes empty containers and delivers sterilized containers to a second module that fills and closes containers in the active sterilization zone using a sterilization unit electron beam.

This system involves dividing the bottling plant into blocks, that is, sterilization of the container takes place in one block, sterilization of the lid - in another, filling and capping - in the third. Disinfection is carried out with the help of irradiation, but does not exclude treatment with a sterilizing mixture. This in itself leads to complications in the design, maintenance, and sealing of the installation.

A known device for bottling beverages for aseptic liquid filling of bottles (see patent 05 Mo7/404276 U 2 IPC E16) 15/40, 15/42, publication dated 07.29.2008), containing a sterile "clean room" with a given concentration of hydrogen peroxide (NgO?g2), which is separated from a non-sterile room or space by a siphon seal.

The essence of this device is to separate and seal two different rooms.

A complex liquid barrier and bellows are used, which leads to the complexity and increase in the cost of manufacturing, and also leads to complex maintenance.

A known device for sterile filling of bottles with liquids (see application 05

Мо20090071104 А 1 МПК АЕбТИ 2/22, 8658 55/10, В67С 7/00, publication dated 19.03.2009), containing a sterilizer for sterilizing the bottle with hydrogen peroxide Hg2O and removing it from the container with sterile air, in addition, filling devices are provided and for capping bottles, using temperatures above the dew point to ensure very rapid sterilization due to thermally enhanced reaction rates.

The device provides gas tightness of the entire system, including the sterilization tunnel.

This is achieved due to complex sealing. In addition, the chambers where the container is processed and filled are also hermetically separated. All this causes difficulty in the manufacture and use of the installation.

A well-known aseptic machine for filling and capping (see, application UR. Mo2018047944А 60 MPK AbTI 2/18, 2/20, 8658 55/04, 55/10, В67С 7/00, publication dated 03/29/2018), which includes a hermetically sealed a closed container, a heating device for heating sterile air and injecting through an air outlet nozzle, as well as a generator of sterilization gas for introduction through spray nozzles into a hermetically sealed container.

The invention belongs to classical asepsis, with different sterilization and filling zones.

It is necessary to maintain tightness with all the difficulties in operation and maintenance that arise from this.

A known system of aseptic filling of packages with liquid products (see, application 05

Мо20040222224 А 1 IPC Vb67С 7/00, publication dated 11.11.2004), which excludes specialized machines and requirements for sterile air spaces of existing aseptic filling systems, which involves the use of membranes over the opening that fills the package.

The system allows you to capture and maintain sterile contents even during transportation in non-sterile air spaces.

The operation of the system is based on special flexible membranes that are inserted into the bottle and keep the sterilizing and sterile environment inside the container. The undoubted advantage of this installation is that it is possible to use ordinary, non-aseptic equipment, but additional consumables appear, which leads to an increase in the price of a product unit, and in addition, it is inconvenient for the consumer when opening the drink, because in practice, products with inserts demand is not used.

A known system for sterilizing bottles with a gaseous sterilizer (see patent 5

Ме9802726 В 2 IPC AYETI 2/208, В65 В55/02, 55/10, 55/18, publication dated 31.10.2017), containing a source of gaseous sterilizer, hydraulically connected to injectors moving together with bottles, for decontamination which vaporized hydrogen peroxide (HgOg) was used.

The patented installation is a complex rotary device, because the filling with the sterilizing mixture and the blowing are carried out simultaneously with the passage of the bottles on the carousels. This undoubtedly makes it more expensive and more difficult to manufacture. During sterilization, the injection device is lowered deep into the bottle, which requires precise positioning of the bottle under the injection device. Sterilization, blowing of the mixture are located in different chambers, and closed channels between the chambers, as well as a solid body, require high-quality sealing of the installation. Expensive filters are used to prepare sterile air.

A known device for sterilization (see patent 5 Mo4797255A IPK AYETI 2/20, B65B 55/10, publication dated 10.01.1989), which includes the formation of hydrogen peroxide transported by air heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature of the object's evaporation surface , subject to sterilization.

This technical solution is mainly aimed at the preparation of a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and air, and the goal is to reduce its consumption. Despite this, an installation option is given, where more attention is also paid to the decontamination of the container. The injection zone is separated into a separate chamber, and the blowing zone is not separated from the product filling zone. Also, no consideration is given to how a sterile or sterilizing atmosphere is maintained during bottling. Ultraviolet is additionally used to disinfect containers. Judging by the drawing and despite the lack of information in the patent description, it can be concluded that such an installation will require high-quality sealing with ventilation.

The closest in technical essence and the achieved result is a device for sterilizing and filling packaging containers (see patent SHO Mob351924 В 1 IPC Ab61I12/186, В65В 55/10, В67С 7/00, publication dated 05.03.2002), which are exposed to the influence of sterilizing agent during transport with controlled synchronization in the process line through different processing stations, the agent is then removed with sterile hot air without an expensive "clean room" and in a technically simple manner.

However, the invention has a number of significant technical drawbacks: 1. The conveyor that moves the bottles has an intermittent drive, so the positioning of the bottle under the disinfection station for the implementation of this installation must be very precise. 2. Lack of sterilization of the lid, however, the patent holder clarifies: while providing a sterile closure (applying a sterile closure to the packaging container), a sealing plate is used in this installation. This is an additional consumable, moreover, it is unpopular with the consumer. 3. Absence of hydrogen peroxide (HgOg) treatment of transmission sprockets, and the bottle is not held by the neck, but a special design is used with special non-standard clamps, equipped with plates and rods for individual placement and support of each container, which complicates the design of the installation and makes the bottling process more expensive, except containers are not disinfected. 4. The process of outflow of "spent peroxide" occurs by partial suction from the bottle. For this, a special annular gap is provided in each decontamination station, through which the spent mixture is removed from the bottle into a special outlet channel. This significantly complicates the design of each decontamination station. 5. The description says that the sterilization/filling chamber is a "tube" with open ends at the front and back. The pressure inside the pipe is increased, so ventilation must be implemented, from higher to lower pressure, and the chamber itself must be completely airtight to prevent the sterilizing mixture from escaping. Such a solution requires certain expenses for creating tightness. 6. The conveyor is linear, and increasing the productivity of the installation is achieved by increasing the number of processing stations located in a row (in the technical solution there are eight of them, that is, eight containers can be processed at the same time), and this leads to an increase in the cost of the installation. 7. The graphic image shows that the bottle enters with the neck up, and on the finish, that is, on the holder, it enters with the neck down. Therefore, an additional device that turns it over is needed, but nothing is said about it in the patent materials. 8. The creators of the patent also stipulate that the general ventilation system is carried out by standard previously known methods, the ventilation units are located on top of the bottling plant. Also, the safe entry and exit of bottles from the decontamination/filling chamber must be implemented, which excludes the exit of the sterilizing mixture outside the filling installation, because the installation does not have a double circuit. 9. In addition, the creators of the specified technical solution explain that in order to achieve this method of disinfection, namely, the supply of a sterilizing mixture under high pressure and its simultaneous removal through the ventilation channel (also with air blowing), the container should preferably have the shape of a bottle, because the flow distribution the inlet/outlet mixture is effective only in this case due to geometric features.

The technical result of the proposed solution is to increase reliability, simplify and reduce the cost of the bottling process due to the creation of a hydrogen peroxide sterilizer

From an acceptable structure, which ensures the necessary high biological purity of the beverage being poured in a sterilizing environment.

Another advantage of the solution is the creation of a beverage bottling plant in which the volumes to be sterilized and the time required to perform the sterilization operations are significantly reduced relative to known solutions.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the installation for bottling beverages contains an isolator, the internal space of which consists of a sterilizing mixture that includes hot air and sprayed finely dispersed hydrogen peroxide, peroxide - HgO", and the installation is made on double-circuit non-hermetic housings under different internal pressures of the space, respectively the internal leaky insulator is under pressure above atmospheric, and the external leaky case is under pressure below atmospheric, and when throttling process windows, the exhaust fan of the external leaky case carries spent gaseous peroxide from the leaky case to the outside, in addition, ring nozzles of hot sterile are introduced in the external leaky case air for heating the bottles and nozzles of the sterilizing mixture for processing the outside and inside of the bottles and for disinfecting the transmission gears, and in the inner leaky isolator, nozzles of the sterilizing mixture are installed for d deactivation of space, sealing caps, as well as ring (slit) nozzles for blowing bottles and sealing caps with hot sterile air.

The essence of the solution is that the installation for bottling drinks is implemented on two-circuit non-hermetic housings: an external non-hermetic housing and an internal non-hermetic insulator, which include two enclosure circuits with two internal zones-spaces that are under different internal pressures of the aggregate medium.

Moreover, the space of the internal leaky insulator, created with the help of positive pressure of the constant presence of the sterilizing mixture, which includes hot air and sprayed finely dispersed hydrogen peroxide, peroxide - H2O", which are injected by annular (slit) nozzles and nozzles.

To remove the sterilizing mixture from the bottles, as well as from the surface of the lids, a directed intense flow of hot air is used, the sterility of which is achieved by heating it to a temperature of 300 "С, and then cooling it to 70-80 "С, because its emission is directed through annular (slit ) nozzle.

In addition, sterility is achieved by maintaining in the non-hermetic isolator a concentration of hydrogen peroxide sufficient to ensure the sterility of the space around the non-hermetic isolator,

Circulation of the spent sterilizing mixture is carried out through the technological windows of the entrance of bottles and caps, the exit of the finished product, the entrance-exit of the open space in the transmission sprocket insulator.

Low pressure is maintained in the external non-hermetic housing by adjusting the speed of the ventilation hood according to the signal from the pressure indicator installed inside the housing.

At the same time, the throttling operation is carried out during the start-up and adjustment works, the area is selected for which the constant required pressure is maintained inside the leaky isolator circuit, conditions are created for the necessary consumption of the sterilizing mixture, and the installation is formed on a conventional bottling line with relatively small and inexpensive equipment modifications.

A comparison of the proposed solution with known technical solutions shows that it has a new set of essential features, which together with already known features allow to successfully implement the set goal.

The invention is illustrated with graphic materials, where the installation for bottling drinks is shown.

Composition of the proposed facility: 1. Supply of bottles. 2. Injection of the sterilizing mixture into the bottle. 3. Injection of the sterilizing mixture into the leaky insulator. 4. Injection of a sterilizing mixture for processing the transmission sprockets. 5. Injection of a sterilizing mixture for processing the cap 6. The area of blowing the bottles from residual peroxide with hot sterile air at a temperature of 70-80 "C. 7. The area of blowing the cap caps from residual peroxide with hot sterile air at a temperature of 70-80 "C.

From 8. Filling the bottle with hot sterile air. 9. Sterilized product filling valves (not shown on the chair). 10. Leaky internal insulator. 11. Process openings (windows), peroxide outlet. 12. External non-hermetic housing. 13. Beverage bottling area. 14. Bottle capping area. 15. The entrance of the capping cap. 16. Capping heads (not shown in the drawing). 17. Output of finished products. 18. Ventilation hood. 19. Sterilized product supply pipeline. 20. Transmission sprockets.

The operation of the double-circuit bottling device is carried out as follows.

The two-circuit filling installation, unlike the "classic" equipment, has no restrictions on the protection of the circuits of the internal leaky insulator 10 and the external leaky case 12 from the ingress of ordinary air from the outside, and the principle of operation is based on the free movement of air through the technological holes (windows) 11 of these circuits due to created pressure difference inside. The contours of the internal non-hermetic insulator 10 and the external non-hermetic housing 12 are not barriers against the penetration of the environment from the outside, but on the contrary - obstacles to the exit of the sterilizing agent Z to the outside into the space around the installation.

The most important distinguishing feature of the proposed technical solution from the classical method is the use of a two-circuit system filling installation: the circuit of the external leaky casing 12 is under pressure below atmospheric, which blocks the exit of the aggressive sterilizing agent C into the space around the installation.

A feature of the installation design is that the aseptic mode of beverage bottling takes place in a sterile non-hermetic isolator 10, while sterility is achieved by maintaining in the non-hermetic isolator 10 a concentration of a mixture of hot air and hydrogen peroxide - peroxide HgO5 3, sufficient to ensure sterility.

The bottling plant is a maximally closed space with openings for the entry of empty bottles 1, capping lids 15 and the output of finished products 17. Inside the bottling plant there is a sterile non-hermetic insulator 10, where the bottles are filled with a pre-pasteurized drink, which is fed through the supply pipe of the sterilized product 19. In order to ensure normal operation, the installation maintains rarefaction relative to the environment (-50-100 Pa) due to forced exhaust ventilation 18. The leaky isolator 10 is located inside the bottling installation and is a maximally closed zone with openings for the entrance of the bottle and cap 11 and the exit of the finished product 17. In the isolator 10, an excess pressure relative to the environment (4100 Pa) is maintained due to the blowing of sterile air through the nozzles 6, 7 and the sterilizing mixture through the nozzles 3, 5, which make it possible to maintain in the isolator 10 the concentration of peroxide necessary to maintain the sterility of the space inside the leaky insulator 10. Inside the bottling unit there are nozzles for processing incoming bottles 1, capping caps 15, sprockets that feed bottles into the leaky insulator 10, and sprockets that remove bottles from the leaky insulator 10. All nozzles supply a sterilizing mixture heated to 70-80 C under pressure C bar.

Bottles 1 and caps 15 are treated with a sterilizing mixture from all sides from the outside and the inside, as a result of which all microorganisms on their surface are killed. Bottles 1, capping lids 15, which fall into the non-hermetic insulator 10, and drive mechanisms are pre-treated with a sterilizing mixture, and due to this, they are completely sterile. Inside the leaky insulator 10, incoming bottles 1 and stoppers 15 (pre-treated with a sterilizing mixture) are blown with sterile hot air (70-80 "C) under a pressure of 3 bar through cascades of sterile air nozzles 6, 7, 8. Blowing bottles with sterile with air is carried out through a cascade of nozzles 6 from the moment the bottle 1 enters the leaky insulator 10 until the bottle 1 is placed under the filling valve 9. Blowing of the lids 15 with sterile air is carried out by a cascade of nozzles 7 from the moment of entry into the leaky insulator 10 until the capping cap 15 is gripped by the capping head 16. As a result of blowing with sterile air 6, 7, 8, the majority of peroxide located on the inner walls of bottles 1 and stoppers 15 is removed by the flow of this air, the remaining peroxide decomposes under the influence of high temperature. This allows to achieve the minimum concentration of peroxide in the finished product 17, respectively to the requirements of food safety.

The work process can be represented by the sequence of operations: 1. The sterilizing mixture 3, 4, 5 fills the non-hermetic insulator 10 and creates excess pressure inside it (higher than the air pressure around the installation). 2. From the leaky isolator 10, the sterilizing mixture passes into the space under the external circuit 12. The circuit 10 has technological holes 11, through which the pressure will try to equalize with the pressure outside it, thereby creating a flow of medium from the leaky isolator 10 to the outside - into the circuit of the external leaky of the body 12. Technological holes 11 are regulated by the throttling method in such a way that the excess pressure is always maintained at a constant required level. 3. With the help of the ventilation hood 18 mounted in the installation 12, the air mixture is extracted from the space of the external circuit 12 and will be fed into the ventilation system, which in turn is removed outside the premises. The speed of the fan is regulated, thereby allowing to choose the right amount of diverted flow and to create a given discharge inside the outer leaky housing 12 with the outer circuit. 4. Due to the fact that the pressure in the outer circuit of the leaky housing 12 is maintained below the air pressure surrounding the installation, air enters the external circuit 12 from the outside, which in turn is removed by the hood 18 from the outer circuit of the leaky housing 12. 5. Due to the hood 18 from the outer contour of the leaky housing 12, the structure of the sterilizing mixture flows from the leaky insulator 10 and the air entering the device from the outside is implemented, thus preventing the aggressive sterilizing mixture from entering the space around the bottling unit, thus protecting operators working with the unit from harmful exposure to the sterilizing mixture.

The negative pressure inside the outer circuit of the leaky housing 12 completely excludes the exit of gas contents outside its borders, so it fully guarantees protection against the ingress of the aggressive component of the sterilizing mixture, namely, HgO»5 peroxide, into the outer space of the leaky housing 12 and into the operator's work area.

The results of the disinfection and bottling tests reflect the organoleptic indicators of the quality of the process, which ensures the receipt of a competitive finished product, the unit of concentration of which (residual peroxide level) - ppt (rapb5 reg tiyPop) - parts per million, is a value equal to 0.3 ppt, which is lower generally accepted 60 world standards.

The technical and economic advantage of the proposed technical solution is to increase the reliability, simplify and reduce the cost of the bottling process with high biological purity of the beverage being bottled, and the process takes place in continuous aseptic conditions, is economical in implementation and allows to reduce operating costs while improving the environmental load.

Claims (1)

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