JPH0146375B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for aseptically filling and sealing self-supporting unstable containers.

Recently, aseptic filling has become popular in order to preserve foods for a long time and improve quality such as taste and color. Sterile filling of metal cans by sterilization and aseptic filling of fresh cream, etc. by sterilization and molding of plastic sheets have now been completed to some extent.

On the other hand, for highly viscous liquids such as ketchup and mayonnaise, which are stored for a long period of time after opening, soft plastic containers with screw caps are generally used for convenience in squeezing out the container and storing it. FIG. 1 shows an example of such a container. Conventionally, such containers are sterilized by high temperature treatment during or after filling.
In order to handle soft containers at high speed, the containers are inserted into a special transport bucket (also called a hakama) from start to finish. Also, by taking advantage of the high temperatures during container molding, the containers are transported from the molding company to the food company while sealed, and the openings are cut off just before filling.

Figure 2 shows an outline of the current filling.

1 is a container, 2 is a transport bucket, and the container 1 is inserted into the bucket 2 by an alignment feeder 3, and then the opening is cut by a cutter 4 while being transferred on a free conveyor, and the contents are drained by a filling machine 5. The container is filled, the mouth is sealed with aluminum foil or the like by a sealer 6, and the container is transported downstream. However, if you try to perform filling and sealing under aseptic conditions (not necessarily completely sterile, but also commercially sterile conditions (meaning conditions in which bacteria do not propagate)), it will be necessary to perform filling and sealing in a sterile atmosphere. This requires cutting, filling, and sealing at the mouth, and sterilization of the outer surface of the container is required.

To achieve this, there is a method of handling the container naked, sending it to a sterile room, sterilizing the outside, and cutting off the mouth, but there are limits to its ability to handle lightweight and soft containers.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned points, and its purpose is to provide a compact and lightweight container that can be aseptically filled while being inserted into a transport bucket, which is unstable on its own. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive and highly capable aseptic filling and sealing device for self-supporting unstable containers.

The present invention provides an intermittent rotary table that constitutes a sterile chamber in a device that sterilizes the outer surface of the container, cuts the mouth, fills the contents, and seals the mouth in an aseptic atmosphere by inserting a self-supporting unstable container into a transport bucket and transporting the container. Container external sterilizer, mouth cutting device,
an insertion section that is provided with a contents filling device and a mouth sealing device, and that allows the intermittent rotation table to insert the head of the container into the sterile chamber; and an elevating and lowering device that transports the transport bucket into which the container is carried. The carrier is equipped with a carrier, and when a container inserted into a conveyor bucket is fed onto the carrier, the carrier rises, whereby the container head is moved from the insertion part of the rotary table into the sterile chamber. While the rotary table rotates intermittently under a sterile atmosphere, the containers are sequentially sterilized by a device for sterilizing the outer surface of the container, a device for cutting the mouth, a device for filling contents, and a device for sealing the mouth, which are arranged on the circumference of the container. Since it is possible to sterilize the external surface of the container, use a mouth cutting device, fill the contents, and seal the mouth, the structure of the device can be simple, compact, and inexpensive, and the entire process from sterilization to filling and sealing can be done in one step. Since the process can be carried out using a single rotating device, it is easy to operate and maintain, and since it can be inserted into a transport bucket for processing, it is possible to increase the speed and improve the capacity.

The present invention will be explained below based on examples.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, reference numeral 11 indicates a table that is rotated intermittently by 60 degrees, and reference numeral 12 indicates a carrier that is provided to rotate together with the table 11 and is configured to perform lifting and lowering operations using a known cam or the like.
3 is linked to the rotation of the table 11, and the carrier 12
This is a feeding device for feeding a transport bucket 15 into which a self-supporting unstable container 14 is inserted. 16,17
18 is a container mouth cutting device; 19 is a filling device; and 20 is a mouth sealing device, which are arranged in sequence on the circumference of the table 11. . 21 is a discharge device for discharging the transport bucket from above the carrier 12, 22 is a supply side free conveyor, and 23 is a discharge side free conveyor. 26 is a cover that constitutes the sterile chamber 25 together with the table 11; 24 is the table 11;
When the container head is protruded from this hole into the sterile chamber 25, it is air-sealed, forming a complete chamber, and creating a positive pressure of sterile air inside the sterile chamber 25. It is now possible to do so. In addition, when there is no container supply, the indigo 27 is used as an air sealing means for the hole 24.
is provided.

Next, the effect will be explained.

The container 14, which is lightweight, weak and unstable on its own and is not suitable for high-speed transportation as a single unit, is replaced by a rigid transportation bucket 15.
(the insertion device is not shown) and is carried independently on the free conveyor 22. In conjunction with the intermittent rotation of the rotary table 11, the supply device 13 indexes the transport bucket 15 and supplies it onto the carrier 12. Although details of this device are not shown, commonly used screws and star foils can be used.

When the carrier 12 receives the transport bucket 15, it is raised by a known means such as a cam on the rotating shaft. As a result, the head of the container 14 passes through the hole 24 provided in the rotary table 11 and projects onto the table 11.
Hole 24 is air sealed by container 14. A plurality of containers 14 are supplied to the table 11 while the table 11 rotates intermittently by 60 degrees. This container is the sterilizer 1
In two stages 6 and 17, the portion protruding above the table 11 is sterilized.

In this example, the table is rotated intermittently by 60 degrees, but this should be done in the most efficient manner by allocating the required time for sterilization, cutting, filling, and sealing, and is not limited to this. It's not something you can do.

The mouth of the sterilized container 14 is cut open by a mouth cutting device 18 in the next stage. In this case, the inner surface of the container is sterile and there is no need for sterilization. Although the cutting device 18 is not shown, it includes a rotating cutter,
A cutting method and device suitable for the container such as a hot wire may be used. The container 14 with its mouth opened is sent to a filling device 19 stage and filled with contents. Filling device 19
Depending on the contents and container to be filled, a piston-type quantitative filling device, a head-type filling device with liquid level control, etc. are selected as appropriate. The next step is to seal the mouth of the filled container. Although aluminum foil heat sealing is generally used as the sealing device 20, a sealing device suitable for the container and its contents can be selected. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the aluminum foil is sterilized before the sealing device.

The container 14 filled and sealed in the above manner is discharged onto the free conveyor 23 by the discharge device 21 after the carrier 12 is lowered (the lowering means is not shown).
Although the details of the discharge device 21 are not shown, the supply device 1
You can also use star foil and screws similar to 3. Container 14 thus sterilized, mouth-cut, filled, and sealed within sterile chamber 25
is sent from this device along with the transport bucket to the post-process inspection and packaging line.

As is clear from the points described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) By placing only the container head into a sterile chamber, the transport bucket, which does not require sterilization, can be used commonly in lines other than filling equipment (from container alignment to packaging).

Since the conveying bucket is not connected to a chain or the like and is conveyed independently, conveyance on a conveyor or other conventional conveying techniques can be used as is.

In addition, the use of transport buckets enables high-speed transport of lightweight and weak containers.(2) The movable part of the sterile chamber uses a table rotation system, which simplifies the structure, improves machining accuracy, and reduces costs. Become.

(3) Operation and maintenance are easy because the process from sterilization to filling and sealing can be performed in one device that rotates once.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external view showing an example of a container, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional filling and sealing device, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional filling and sealing device.
It is an AA sectional view of the figure. 11: Intermittently rotated table, 12: Carrier, 14: Container, 15: Transport bucket, 16,1
7: Container external sterilizer, 18: Mouth cutting device, 1
9: Contents filling device, 20: Mouth sealing device, 2
4: Container head insertion hole, 25: Sterile chamber, 2
6: Cover.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In a device that transports an unstable self-supporting container by inserting it into a transport bucket, sterilizing the outer surface of the container, cutting the mouth, filling the contents, and sealing the mouth in an aseptic atmosphere, the intermittent rotary table that constitutes the sterile chamber is used. an insertion section that has a container outer surface sterilizing device, a mouth cutting device, a contents filling device, and a mouth sealing device disposed on the circumference and allows the intermittent rotary table to insert the head of the container into the sterile chamber; A sterile filling and sealing apparatus for self-supporting unstable containers, characterized in that a carrier that can be raised and lowered for transporting the transport bucket into which the containers are carried is provided.