Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B55/00—Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging
  • B65B55/02—Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
  • B65B55/027—Packaging in aseptic chambers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aseptic packaging installation.
• the existing aseptic conditioning installations include a cabin producing around the machine line a conditioning enclosure having a high degree of asepsis, the cabin itself being arranged in a second enclosure having a second degree of less asepsis than the first degree of asepsis and in which is located the control console of the line of machines.
• a flow of filtered air for example class 10,000 air, is introduced through the ceiling to the control enclosure and flows vertically into it at a sufficient flow rate. - health to ensure a slight suppression of the control enclosure compared to the external environment.
• the air from the control enclosure is taken up by a filtration device placed in the ceiling of the cabin to ensure in it a vertical air flow of a higher degree of asepsis than in the control room , for example a class 100 air flow, the flow rate being sufficient to ensure a slight suppression of the conditioning enclosure with respect to the control enclosure.
• the structure of the assembly is relatively complex and of high cost due to the two filtration members used.
• Document GB-A-1 220 959 also discloses an aseptic packaging device comprising a sterile packaging enclosure surrounding the packaging machine and connected to a filtration device, and a control enclosure receiving the remote control members from the machine and having a common wall with the conditioning enclosure. A door is arranged on the common wall to allow communication between the two speakers.
• the control enclosure has an airlock function between the conditioning enclosure and the outside. This airlock is not itself connected to the filtration device so that external pollution is likely to contaminate the airlock, this contamination being liable to be transmitted to the conditioning enclosure when the door is opened.
• an aseptic packaging installation comprising, on the one hand, a packaging enclosure containing a line of packaging machines arranged on a floor forming one of the walls of the packaging enclosure, a filtration member being connects to the conditioning enclosure to create an overpressure therein, and on the other hand a control enclosure having a common wall with the conditioning enclosure, this common wall being perforated to allow the establishment of a flow of air filter from the conditioning enclosure to the control enclosure.
• the installation comprises an air recycling circuit from the control enclosure to the filtration member.
• the packaging enclosure surrounds the control enclosure on at least two sides of the latter. This minimizes the footprint of the packaging installation while allowing direct access to the machine line from the control enclosure.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a packaging installation according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view along the line II-II of Figure 1;
• the packaging installation comprises vertical walls delimiting a rectangular external contour generally denoted at 1 and two vertical walls 2 arranged in L inside the external enclosure and delimiting therein. ci a control enclosure 3 and a conditioning enclosure 4. The outer walls 5 of the control enclosure 3 extend from the ground to the ceiling. One of them is equipped with an access door 6.
• the conditioning enclosure 4 has an L-shaped floor space 8 from the ground.
• the floor forms a lower horizontal wall of the conditioning enclosure.
• the external walls 7 of the conditioning enclosure 4 extend from the floor 8 to the ceiling.
• the floor 8 and the walls 5 and 7 are supported by uprights 9.
• Each of the walls 2 has a lower part 10 sealed in connection with the floor 8, a intermediate part 11 comprising openings 12, and an upper part comprising transparent sliding doors 13.
• one of the walls 5 comprises an orifice 14 associated with an extraction device 15 connected by a conduit 16 to filtration members 17 arranged in the ceiling of the conditioning enclosure 4 at the base of the machines.
• the packaging installation comprises a conveyor 18 introducing the containers into the packaging enclosure and a series of machines such as a carousel 19 for external cleaning of the containers, a carousel 20 for internal sterilization of the containers, a carousel 21 for emptying and drying the containers, a carousel 22 for filling the containers, a carousel 23 for coating the containers, and a conveyor 24 for discharging the filled containers, the containers being transferred from one machine to another by transfer stars 25.
• a conveyor 18 introducing the containers into the packaging enclosure and a series of machines such as a carousel 19 for external cleaning of the containers, a carousel 20 for internal sterilization of the containers, a carousel 21 for emptying and drying the containers, a carousel 22 for filling the containers, a carousel 23 for coating the containers, and a conveyor 24 for discharging the filled containers, the containers being transferred from one machine to another by transfer stars 25.
• the various machines and the transfer stars are driven by drive members 26 mounted under the floor.
• These drive members preferably include a line of gears.
• each gear line is preferably driven by an electric motor and the different gear lines are synchronized by measuring a phase shift on the supply of the drive motors.
• a flow of air of the required degree is propelled vertically from the filtering members 17 around the machines arranged vertically as indicated by the arrows in thick lines in FIG. 2.
• the filtered air flows through the openings 12 of the wall elements 11 and enters the control enclosure 3 or an operator controls the line machine to the middle of a desk 27.
• the air from the control enclosure is then recycled to the conditioning enclosure by the extractor 15 and the connection duct 16.
• the air entering the control enclosure esi has a lesser degree of asepsis than the air in the conditioning enclosure due to the passage of air on the machines but the degree of asepsis in the control enclosure remains sufficient to allow the operator to open a sliding doors 13 and access to a machine if necessary.
• a technician can directly access them from the side of the walls 7.
• the aseptic packaging installation according to the invention has been illustrated in relation to an L-shaped enclosure surrounding the control enclosure on two sides, it is possible to provide a rectilinear packaging enclosure, the control enclosure extending then on one side thereof, or on the contrary a packaging enclosure in the form of a U shape, the control enclosure being centrally disposed which makes it possible to minimize the space requirement of the installation for a particularly long machine line.
• the conditioning enclosure 4 has a floor 8 which is raised relative to the floor of the control enclosure, one can provide in the control enclosure a floor located at the same level as that from the conditioning enclosure to facilitate the passage of an operator from the control enclosure to the conditioning enclosure. Insofar as the overpressure in the control enclosure is sufficiently high, it is possible to provide openings in the lower part 10 of the walls 2 so as to project filtered air onto the drive members in a direction away from the pollution.

Landscapes

• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Central Air Conditioning (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)
• Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)
• Bag Frames (AREA)
• Prostheses (AREA)
• Pretreatment Of Seeds And Plants (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
• Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)
• Amplifiers (AREA)
• Paper (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9551889

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (2)

• 1999
  • 1999-11-09 FR FR9914043A patent/FR2800710B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-10-31 DK DK00974615T patent/DK1227981T3/da active
  • 2000-10-31 DE DE60009124T patent/DE60009124T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-10-31 ES ES00974615T patent/ES2218245T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-31 EP EP00974615A patent/EP1227981B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-31 JP JP2001536438A patent/JP2003513861A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-10-31 WO PCT/FR2000/003035 patent/WO2001034477A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-10-31 AT AT00974615T patent/ATE261850T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-31 PT PT00974615T patent/PT1227981E/pt unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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