JPH08230986A - Disinfection device for liquid injection nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To disinfect a liquid injection nozzle while it is out of operation by a method wherein a disinfection device is equipped with a cup holder having upper and lower protruding members, the upper protruding member is connected to a nozzle member and the lower protruding member to a flange of a liquid disinfectant cup and the tip of the injection nozzle is immersed in liquid disinfectant. CONSTITUTION: An injection nozzle 15 is inserted into a container supplied by a container feeder to fill liquid into the container. To disinfect the injection nozzle 15, a filling apparatus is stopped and then a liquid disinfectant cup 31 is held so that the tip of the injection nozzle 15 can be inserted into the liquid disinfectant cup 31. An upper connector part 35 of a cup holder 34 is set on the upside of a lower connector member 19 of a nozzle member 11 and at the same time, a flange 32 of the liquid disinfectant cup 31 is set on the upside of a lower connector member 36 to combine the up holder 34 and the liquid disinfectant cup 31 with the nozzle member 11. The injection nozzle 15 is immersed into liquid disinfectant and kept for a specified period of time to disinfect the injection nozzle 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for sterilizing a liquid filling nozzle with a sterilizing agent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a sterilizing means for liquid-filled nozzles, it has been common practice to ventilate water vapor through the nozzles. Also, as a recent example, "filling nozzle cleaning device"
(Actual Kaihei 5-26900) can be mentioned. As shown in FIG. 8, this device has an insertion hole 5 that faces the upper and lower portions of the washing water container 55 and allows the filling nozzle 52 of the filling machine to pass therethrough.
3, 54 are provided, and a long cylinder 56 is integrally provided in the lower insertion hole 54 so as to project downward, and a washing water such as hot water is stored in the storage tank 51 for the filling material, and the filling nozzle 52 is opened and closed. The cleaning water is made to flow down the inside of the filling nozzle 52 to be washed and sterilized, and then the inside of the long cylinder 56 is caused to rise and counter-flow, so that the outside of the filling nozzle 52 is washed and sterilized to be overflowed and discharged from the drain pipe 57. . The apparatus is intended for washing and sterilizing the washing water of the inner and outer portions of the filling nozzle 52 of the filling machine without scattering.

[0003]

However, in the former method in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, water vapor diffuses into the work place and adversely affects the equipment, and the operation rate of the apparatus is lowered because of this operation at the start of work. There was a problem. Further, in the latter case, the washing water container 52 is installed in the filling nozzle 52, and after the washing, it has to be removed, which makes the operation troublesome. Furthermore, in a device that fills a liquid at high speed, since the number of filling nozzles is large and the arrangement is circular, it is difficult to manufacture a washing water container 52 that fits this, and it is difficult to attach and detach it.

In view of the present situation, as a result of earnest research, the inventors of the present application have noticed that sterilization is required only at the tip portion of the filling nozzle, and if only that portion is immersed in the sterilizing solution, the purpose is achieved. The inventors have found that this can be done and completed the present invention. That is, the present invention is a sterilizer for a liquid filling nozzle that holds a nozzle member that is provided with a pipe-shaped filling nozzle and fills a container with liquid. And a cup holding member having a U-shape, the upper protrusion member is engaged with the nozzle member, the lower protrusion member is engaged with the flange of the sterilizing liquid cup, and the tip of the filling nozzle is immersed in the sterilizing liquid to sterilize the nozzle. It is a sterilizer for a liquid filling nozzle.

[0005]

First, a liquid filling device to which the present invention can be suitably applied will be described. 1-3, 1 is a liquid filling device, which is mainly a container feeder 3 for supplying a container 2 such as a PET bottle, a filling machine 4 for filling the supplied container 2 with a liquid, and a container filled with the liquid. It is composed of a container discharger 5 for sending 2 to the next step. The container feeder 3 is provided with a conveyer 6 for transferring the container 2 and a semicircular concave portion 7 which rotates horizontally and is provided in a circumferential portion, and which is engaged with the concave portion 7 to feed the container 2 to the filling machine 4. It is composed of wheels 8. The container discharger 5 is composed of a star wheel 9 for discharging the container 2 and a conveyor 10.

On the other hand, the filling machine 4 comprises a nozzle member 11, a ring-shaped cam 12, and a pedestal 13 on which the container 2 is placed. The ring-shaped cam 12 is fixed, but the nozzle member 11 and the pedestal 13 are integrally rotatable about a shaft 14. Nozzle member 11
Is a filling nozzle 15 for filling the liquid, a ring-shaped cam 12
Roller 16 rolling up, a pair of guide bars 17, the bar 1
7, upper and lower connecting members 18, 19, a slide bearing 20 into which the guide rod 17 is inserted, and an umbrella-shaped lower connecting member 19
It is composed of a centering member 21 which is fixed to the container 2 and fits into the opening of the container 2 to determine the position of the container 2. And
The roller 16 and the filling nozzle 15 are fixed to the upper connecting member 18, and when the roller 16 rolls on the ring-shaped cam 12, the filling nozzle 15, the guide rod 16, and the centering member are acted by the action of the cam 12. 21 moves up and down integrally. However, the pedestal 13 and the slide bearing 19 only rotate horizontally while maintaining the same height.

The liquid filling device 1 is configured as described above, and the container 2 supplied by the container supply device 3 has the filling nozzle 15 and the container 2 concentric at the position A, and thereafter, the ring-shaped cam. By the action of 12, the filling nozzle 15 is inserted into the container 2, and the filling of the liquid is started from the position B. Filling is completed at the position of C after about one round, and at the position of D, the filling nozzle 1
5, the container 2 is sent to the next step by the container discharger 5. The liquid filling device 1 is configured as described above and fills the container 2 with liquid. However, if the filling operation is continued for a long time or left overnight after the work is completed, various bacteria will propagate in the filling nozzle 15 part. Therefore, it becomes necessary to sterilize the filling nozzle 15.

The present inventor has developed the following device as a sterilizing means for the filling nozzle 15. 4 to 6, reference numeral 31 is a cylindrical sterilizing solution cup, and a flange 32 is installed on the upper portion. A sterilizing solution 33 is stored in the sterilizing solution cup 31, and as the sterilizing solution, a mixed solution of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, alcohol,
Etc., and an ordinary sterilizing solution may be used without any particular limitation. Reference numeral 34 is a cup holding member for installing the sterilizing liquid cup 31 on the filling nozzle 15 of the nozzle member 11.
As shown in FIG. 7, the cup holding member 34 has a generally U-shape, and the upper and lower engaging members 35 and 36 that are bent are provided with semi-elliptical notches 37 and 38. Projections 39 and 40 are formed. Here, the sterilizing liquid cup 31 and the cup holding member 34 constitute the sterilizing device 41.

In order to install the sterilizing liquid cup 31 on the tip of the filling nozzle 15, first, the liquid filling device 1 after the filling operation is stopped, and then the sterilizing liquid cup 31 is placed on the tip of the filling nozzle 15. Hold it so that it is inserted as shown in. Next, the upper engaging member 35 of the cup holding member 34 is placed on the upper surface of the lower connecting member 19 of the nozzle member 11, and the flange 32 of the sterilizing liquid cup 31 is placed on the upper surface of the lower engaging member 36 at the same time. The cup holding member 34 and the sterilizing liquid cup 31 are combined with the member 11.

By maintaining this state for a certain period of time, the filling nozzle 15 can be sterilized. For example, by holding a 400 ppm solution of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide for about 2 hours, the bacteria in the filling nozzle 15 can be reduced to zero. Alternatively, if the sterilizer 41 is installed on the nozzle member 11 after the work is completed and the sterilizer 41 is removed before the work on the next day, the filling work can be started immediately, which is efficient.

[0011]

The present invention is constructed as described above, and since the sterilizing liquid cup can be easily installed in the filling nozzle and the nozzle can be sterilized, the sterilization can be performed outside the working time. It is possible to increase the operation rate of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a liquid filling device.

FIG. 2 is a development view of line 2-2 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a detailed front view of a nozzle member.

FIG. 4 is a front view in which a sterilization cup is installed on the filling nozzle.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of FIG. 4;

6 is a bottom view of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cup holding member.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fluid Filling Device 2 Container 3 Container Feeder 4 Filling Machine 5 Container Discharger 11 Nozzle Member 13 Pedestal 15 Filling Nozzle 21 Centering Member 31 Sterilizing Liquid Cup 33 Sterilizing Liquid 34 Cup Holding Member 35 Upper Engaging Member 36 Lower Engaging Member 41 Sterilizer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masao Funabashi, 339 Noda, Noda, Chiba Prefecture, Kikkoman Corporation (72) Hiroshi Usami, 339, Noda, Noda, Chiba Prefecture, Kikkoman Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sterilizing device for a liquid filling nozzle, comprising a pipe-shaped filling nozzle for holding a nozzle member and filling a container with a liquid, comprising: a sterilizing device, a sterilizing liquid cup having a flange on an upper portion thereof, and upper and lower projecting members. And a cup holding member having a U-shape, the upper protrusion member is engaged with the nozzle member, the lower protrusion member is engaged with the flange of the sterilizing liquid cup, and the tip of the filling nozzle is immersed in the sterilizing liquid to sterilize the nozzle. A sterilizer for a liquid filling nozzle.