JPH10157712A - Aseptic filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: An aseptic filling device of a type in which an upper part is kept aseptic and a lower part is kept in a non-sterile state with a packaging material conveying means as a boundary. Regardless, an object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling device capable of maintaining an aseptic state in an aseptic chamber. A packaging material transporting means for transporting a packaging material in a state of being inserted into a packaging material support opening, a chamber surrounding a transport path by the packaging material transporting means, and a package supported in the chamber by the packaging material transporting means. In a sterile filling device having a sterile air inlet for supplying sterile air to a space where the inside of the material is exposed, an air suction port is provided at a lower portion of the sterile chamber, and countless small holes of an air passage are provided in front of the air suction port. The aseptic filling device is characterized in that a plate having the following is installed so that the air flow in the aseptic chamber goes from top to bottom.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an aseptic filling apparatus for filling contents such as food and medicine into a packaging material in an aseptic environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Packaging forms for packaging contents such as foods and pharmaceuticals in paper or plastic containers, that is, packaging materials, are already widely known. In order to realize such a packaging form, a filling broadcasting apparatus that automatically performs a series of processes such as molding of a packaging material, filling of contents, and sealing of the packaging material is already known. In addition, a so-called aseptic filling apparatus in which a packing material before filling contents is sterilized in an aseptic environment and filled and packed in this type of filling and packaging apparatus is also known.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, as an aseptic filling device, a packaging material 8 is conveyed from the right side to the left side of the figure by an upper traveling portion of an endless and annular conveying belt 18, and a sterilizing device 9 conveys the packaging material during the conveyance. 8 is sterilized, the packaging material 8 is dried by the drying device 19, the contents are filled into the packaging material 8 by the filling device 20, and the lid is hermetically sealed by the sealing device 21. There is a known configuration that takes out a worm. In this apparatus, the entire conveyor belt 18 is surrounded by a sterile chamber, and the entire inside of the sterile chamber is maintained in a sterile state by sterile air introduced into the sterile chamber 2.

As a conventional aseptic filling device, as shown in FIG. 4, a device in which a transport device for a packaging material 8 is constituted by a disk-shaped turntable 5 is known. In this apparatus, a plurality of openings 15 are opened in the turntable 5, a packaging material 8 is inserted into the openings 15, and sterilization processing, drying processing, and contents are performed while rotating each packaging material 8 by rotating the turntable 5. Each of a filling process and a sealing process is performed. In this apparatus, the turntable 5 is surrounded by the aseptic chamber 2, and the space inside the aseptic chamber 2 where the inside of the packaging material 8 is exposed, that is, the space above the turntable 5 is kept in an aseptic state. Is done.

On the other hand, a certain degree of sterility can be maintained in the space below the turntable by maintaining the inside of the sterile chamber 2 under a positive pressure. Since the outer surface is not sterilized, there is a risk that adherent bacteria which cause contamination will be introduced into the space below the turntable 5.

When the packaging material 8 is not held in the opening 15 above and below the turntable, as shown in FIG.
The air that has flowed downward through the turntable 5 rebounds to the bottom of the aseptic chamber, which in turn causes air to flow upward from the lower side of the turntable 5.

This means that bacteria adhered to the outer surface of the unsterilized packaging material on the lower side of the turntable 5 are brought into the lower side of the turntable 5, and the turntable 5 must be completely sterile. Since it is an air flow that brings bacteria to the upper side, there is a possibility that bacteria may be brought to the upper side of the turntable 5 depending on the air flow, and the aseptic holding capacity of the aseptic filling machine is not perfect.

[0008]

The conventional aseptic filling apparatus shown in FIG. 3 has a problem that the whole apparatus becomes very large because the entire conveyor belt must be surrounded by a sterile chamber. In addition, in order to keep the inside of the sterile chamber aseptic, not only the inside of the packaging material but also its outer surface must be sterilized.

According to the conventional aseptic filling apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the outer surface of the packaging material is conceptually outside the aseptic chamber, so that it is not always necessary to surround the turntable under the aseptic chamber, and the apparatus can be miniaturized.

Although the aseptic filling device of the type shown in FIG. 4 has a great advantage, it also has the problems described above. That is, in this device, when the packaging material is inserted into the opening, the pressure difference between the upper and lower portions of the turntable is large, and the upper portion of the turntable is completely sterilely held, but the packaging material is not inserted, or When some of the packaging material is not inserted, there is a flow of contaminated air between the top and bottom of the turntable.

Therefore, the present invention also provides an aseptic filling apparatus of the type in which the upper part is held in a sterile state and the lower part is kept in a non-sterile state with respect to the packaging material conveying means. Regardless, an object of the present invention is to provide an aseptic filling device capable of maintaining an aseptic state in an aseptic chamber.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional aseptic filling apparatus, and supplies aseptic air from a ceiling of a sterile chamber above a turntable and a lowermost part. At the bottom of the sterile chamber, set the air suction port in the sterile chamber. In addition, a plate (usually referred to as a punching board) provided with a myriad of small holes is provided between the turntable and the bottom of the sterile chamber in order to make the suction amount uniform throughout the sterile chamber. Is forced to flow from the upper part of the aseptic chamber to the lower part, and the sterility of the upper part of the turntable can be maintained.

[0013]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an aseptic filling apparatus according to the present invention. The aseptic filling device 1 has a configuration in which a turntable 5 and a drive shaft 7 for rotating the turntable 5 are surrounded by a sterile chamber 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the aseptic filling apparatus includes five steps, namely, a container loading / unloading step A, a sterilizing step B, a drying step C, a filling step D, and a sealing step E. Further, an opening 15 which is a portion for holding the packaging material 8 is arranged on the turntable 5. The turntable 5 rotates counterclockwise around the drive shaft 7 as shown in FIG. 2, and conveys the packaging material.

In the sterile chamber 2, a sterile chamber 2 is provided.
Sterile air for maintaining a positive pressure is blown from the upper sterile air inlet 4. Further, a suction port 14 is provided at the bottom of the sterile chamber. Further, between the turntable 5 and the suction port 14 at the bottom of the sterile chamber 2, a punching board 13, which is a plate having an infinite number of small holes, ie, air passages 17, is disposed. The punching board 13 plays a role in making the suction amount uniform throughout.

FIG. 5 shows a plate of the punching board 13. The punching board 13 not only makes the suction amount uniform, but also eliminates the rebound of air from above, thereby cutting off the flow of non-sterile air above the turntable 5. With this configuration, the air flow in the sterile chamber 2 flows from the top to the bottom of the sterile chamber regardless of whether the packaging material is inserted into the opening 15 or not. That is,
Since the sterile air a and the contaminated non-sterile air b shown in FIG. 1 are always drawn into the suction port 14 below the turntable, the flow of the non-sterile air b above the turntable does not occur.

In order to create a more ideal air flow, it is preferable to control the supply amount of the sterile air a to the sterile chamber 2 and the suction amount of the air b (non-sterile) from the suction port. That is, setting the supply amount of the sterile air a slightly higher than the suction amount of the air b results in higher sterility holding performance. If the supply amount of the sterile air “a” is smaller than the suction amount of the air “b”, the entire inside of the sterile chamber 2 becomes a negative pressure, and there is a danger of external air being mixed in through the container opening 3 and the gap between the connecting portions of the sterile chamber 2. There is. Therefore, the supply amount of the sterile air a must exceed the suction amount of the air b.

[0017]

According to the aseptic filling apparatus of the present invention, the packaging material can be conveyed even in the aseptic filling apparatus in which the upper portion is kept in a sterile state and the lower portion is kept in a non-sterile state with respect to the packaging material conveying means. Regardless of the presence or absence of the packaging material in the means, the inside of the sterile chamber can be maintained in an aseptic state.

Further, according to the aseptic filling device of the present invention, the necessity of sterilizing the outer surface of the packaging material is eliminated, which leads to a reduction in the cost of the device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a vertical section of an embodiment of an aseptic filling device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a horizontal cross section of one embodiment of the aseptic filling device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a longitudinal section of an example of a conventional aseptic filling device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a longitudinal section of an example of a conventional aseptic filling device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a punching board used in the aseptic filling device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: aseptic filling device 2: aseptic chamber 3: container inlet / outlet 4: aseptic air inlet 6: drive motor 9: sterilizing device 10: sterilizing nozzle 11: filling tank 12: filling nozzle 13: punching board 14: suction port 15: Opening for supporting packaging material 16: Process divider 17: Air passage

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A packaging material transporting means for transporting a packaging material in a state of being inserted into a packaging material support opening, a chamber surrounding a transport path by the packaging material transporting means, and a packaging material transporting means supported in the chamber. In a sterile filling apparatus having a sterile air inlet for supplying sterile air to a space where the inside of the packaging material is exposed, an air suction port is provided at a lower portion of the sterile chamber, and countless air passages are provided in front of the air suction port. An aseptic filling apparatus characterized in that a plate having holes is provided so that the air flow in the aseptic chamber goes from top to bottom. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air suction amount is set smaller than the sterile air supply amount.
An aseptic filling device as described.