JP2569201B2 - Spray sterilizer with gas replacement mechanism and sterilization method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spray disinfection device equipped with a gas replacement mechanism provided with a water tank for performing bubbling, and a gas replacement spray disinfection method using the device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a processing method using an inert gas,
JP-A-57-206447 and JP-A-59-78674 are known. The main purpose of the technology described in these publications is to obtain a high quality product by preventing the oxidation of the processed product.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional examples not described above, for example, 30 minutes to 90 minutes
The inert gas used in one batch process of about one minute is consumed as it is every time, which causes a great expense and a large storage facility, noise at the time of exhaustion and a large amount of the inert gas. There have been problems such as the unfavorable safety of the working environment due to the exhaust.

In addition, since the pressure in the processing tank is adjusted with an inert gas during operation, there are also problems in terms of exhaust cost and work environment in this respect.

The object of the present invention is to degas the gas phase and the liquid phase by bubbling, thereby preventing the oxidation of foods and chemicals contained in plastic containers that increase air permeability at high temperatures, and increasing the pressure naturally without adjusting the pressure. The present invention aims to provide a spray-type sterilizing apparatus with a gas replacement mechanism and a sterilizing method capable of recovering an inert gas and recovering degassed and replaced water after the processing is completed. Things.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, as a first invention,
A processing tank having a built-in spray pipe and having a supply / exhaust port through a valve at the upper end, a water storage tank having a built-in bubbling pipe, and a gas communicating the upper end of the processing tank with the upper end of the water storage tank through a valve. A supply pipe, a water supply pipe communicating a lower part of the processing tank and a lower part of the water storage tank via a valve and a pump, and a lower part of the processing tank and an indirect heating type heat exchanger through a valve and a pump. And a treatment liquid circulation path connected to a spray pipe in the treatment tank from the heat exchanger via a valve.

Further, as a second invention for sterilizing treatment using the apparatus of the first invention, a treatment tank is loaded with an object to be treated and hermetically sealed, and a water supply tank prepared from the lower end of the treatment tank is filled with water and supplied. The water supply step of exhausting from the exhaust port, the upper end of the treatment tank and the upper end of the water tank are connected by a gas supply pipe, and the inert gas prepared in the water tank is sent to the treatment tank and the water in the treatment tank is sent to the water tank. Return gas replacement process, return part of the water in the water storage tank to the processing tank, seal the processing tank, and do not perform any pressure adjustments. A process of performing sterilization to cooling while forcibly circulating heating water or cooling water to the spray pipe for a certain period of time, and communicating the gas supply pipe to send water in a water storage tank into the processing tank to perform processing. Gas to recover inert gas from tank to water tank A recovery step, the water recovery step of returning the water in the open water supply pipe processing bath into the water storage pipe, and the retrieval step of issuing an object to be processed from the processing tank, and the gas replacement spray sterilization process comprising.

Operation In the first invention, since the water storage tank has the bubbling pipe,
After supplying water to the full water, the interior of the gas phase and the liquid phase is deaerated by supplying an inert gas in a sealed state. Using this inert gas and degassed water, the inside of the treatment tank is degassed and supplied with water by a gas supply pipe and a water supply pipe connecting the treatment tank and the water distribution pipe at the upper and lower ends, and inert from the upper end. Gas can be supplied. Further, since a heat exchanger of an indirect heating type is provided and a processing liquid circulation path connecting the lower end of the processing tank and the spray pipe in the processing tank is provided, the degassed water is heated by the processing tank, the pump and the heat. It can circulate between the exchanger and the spray tube, during which processing by heating and cooling by the heat exchanger is possible. After the heat sterilization treatment, the water in the water storage tank is sent to the processing tank by a water supply pipe and a gas supply pipe between the processing tank and the water storage tank, and the inert gas is collected in the water storage tank. Was opened, air was introduced from the upper end of the treatment tank, and water could be collected into the water storage tank by a water supply pipe.

In the second invention using the above-mentioned apparatus, an object to be treated is loaded into a treatment tank, and an inert gas and degassed water prepared in advance in a water tank are used to perform heat sterilization and cooling. Processing is performed. That is, a water supply step is performed by sending water in the water storage tank to the processing tank by a water supply pipe connected at a lower end of the processing tank and the water storage tank, and exhausting the water from a water supply / exhaust port. A gas replacement step can be performed in which the water is sent to the treatment tank and the water in the treatment tank is returned from the water supply pipe to the water storage tank. Further, a part of the water in the water storage tank is returned to the processing tank, and the water is circulated through the pump, the heat exchanger, and the spray pipe, whereby a processing step from heating to cooling by indirect heat exchange is performed. During this processing step, the processing tank is closed, and the pressure is not adjusted at all, and the pressure is naturally increased and decreased by heating and cooling. After the treatment is completed, a gas recovery step is performed in which water in the water storage tank is sent to the processing tank, and an inert gas in the processing tank is recovered to the water storage tank via a gas supply pipe. After this step, the supply / exhaust port is opened to return the water in the treatment tank to the water storage tank, and the water recovery step is performed, so that the object to be treated can be taken out.

Example Hereinafter, a sterilizing apparatus and a sterilizing method as an example will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a processing tank, and a valve (V ₁ ) is provided at the upper end.
And a supply / exhaust port 2 through which a spray pipe 3 is incorporated. Reference numeral 4 denotes a water storage tank having a bubbling pipe 5 therein. Reference numeral 6 denotes a gas supply and recovery pipe, which connects the upper end of the treatment tank 1 and the upper end of the water storage tank 5 via a valve (V ₂ ).
Reference numeral 7 denotes a water supply and recovery pipe, which connects the lower part of the treatment tank 1 and the lower part of the water storage tank 4 via a valve (V ₃ ) and a pump 8. 9 is an indirect heating type heat exchanger, 10 is a processing liquid circulation path,
The lower part of the processing tank 1 passes through the heat exchanger 9 via a valve (V ₄ ) and a pump 11 and is connected to the spray pipe 3 in the processing tank 1 via a valve (V ₅ ). It is forcibly circulated. Water or steam is supplied to the indirect heating type heat exchanger 9 through a heat transfer plate so that heat can be exchanged.

_{(V 6) ~ (V 9} ) respectively show a valve.

In the above configuration, first, a processing liquid used in the processing tank 1 is prepared in the water storage tank 4. Water is supplied to the water storage tank 4 until the water tank 4 is full while opening the valve (V ₆ ) to exhaust air. Next, (V ₆ ) is closed, water is drained from the lower part, the level is lowered to a predetermined level, and the upper surface is evacuated. From the bubbling tube 5, for example,
Bubbling with N ₂ gas is started, gas replacement of water and upper gas phase is performed, and after a certain time (V ₆ ), the gas is opened and evacuated. To complete.

Thereafter, sterilization treatment is performed using the degassed gas-replaced water.

(A) A loading step of loading and sealing an object to be treated into the processing tank 1, and (b) supplying water previously prepared in the water storage tank 4 from the lower end of the processing tank 1 to the processing tank 1 via the water supply pipe 7. (V ₁₎ Close if the exhaust and filled with water by opening the (V ₁₎ water supply step (the second
(Refer to the figure), (c) The gas supply pipe 6 communicating the upper end of the processing tank 1 and the upper end of the water storage tank 4 opens (V ₂ ) and sends the inert gas prepared in the upper space of the water storage tank 4 to the processing tank 1. Processing tank 1
(D) A part of the water in the water storage tank 4 is returned to the processing tank, the processing tank is sealed, and the processing liquid circulation path is forced by the pump 11. In the circulating process, the workpiece is heated and cooled indirectly by hot water or cooling water from the preheat exchanger, and the workpiece is processed by spraying from the spray pipe 3. During this time, the internal pressure of the processing tank becomes a natural pressure increase and a natural pressure decrease, and no pressure adjustment is performed (see FIG. 4).

(E) After the treatment, the gas supply pipe 6 is communicated, the water in the water storage tank 4 is sent into the processing tank 1, and the inert gas is recovered from the processing tank to the water storage tank (see FIG. 5). .

(F) Further, the air supply / exhaust port 2 is opened, and through the water supply pipe 7,
All steps are completed by a water collecting step of returning the water in the processing tank 1 to the water storage tank 4 (see FIG. 6), and (g) a step of taking out an object to be processed from the processing tank as the end of the processing.

Effect of the Invention In the apparatus of the present invention, the water and the inert gas, which have been degassed and replaced by the water storage tank, can be prepared, and the processing tank is provided by the gas supply pipe and the water supply pipe communicating between the processing tank and the water storage tank. The deaeration and supply of water are performed, and the whole process up to the cooling and heating of the object to be processed by the water indirectly heated through the processing liquid circulation path is performed with degassed gas-replaced water. Processing in the presence of inert gas is possible, and the collection of inert gas and the water that has been replaced with degassed gas becomes possible, making it possible to reuse it for the next processing. Gas is no longer consumed.

Accordingly, stable heat sterilization treatment can be performed with respect to foods and medicines that are not oxidized in plastic containers.

In addition, the processing tank is sealed during processing, and a natural pressure increase and decrease system that does not pressurize or depressurize (exhaust) from outside is used, so there is no need to consume any inert gas that is pressurized and exhausted during operation. It became.

Further, in the method of the present invention, the degassing in the gas phase and the liquid phase in the water storage tank is reliably performed, and the water and the inert gas are exchanged between the processing tank and the water storage tank by using the water and the inert gas. As a result, the heat sterilization treatment preventing oxidation can be realized. By using an indirect heating type as a heat exchanger, heating and cooling can be performed freely, without adversely affecting the degassed processing liquid, and the processing of foods and chemicals contained in plastic containers can be performed stably. effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 6 are explanatory views showing respective steps. 1 ... processing tank, 2 ... supply / exhaust port, 3 ... spray pipe, 4
... water storage tank, 5 ... bubbling pipe, 6 ... gas supply and recovery pipe, 7 ... water supply and recovery pipe, 8, 11 ... pump, 9
…… Heat exchanger, 10 …… Treatment liquid circulation path

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A processing tank having a spray pipe built therein and having a supply / exhaust port at its upper end via a valve, a water storage tank having a bubbling pipe built therein, and a valve connected to the upper end of the processing tank and the upper end of the water storage tank. A gas supply pipe that communicates with a gas supply pipe, a water supply pipe that communicates a lower part of the treatment tank with the lower part of the water storage tank via a valve and a pump, and a valve that connects the lower part of the treatment tank and an indirect heating type heat exchanger. And a processing liquid circulation furnace connected to the spray pipe in the processing tank from the heat exchanger via a valve and a pump from the heat exchanger. 2. A loading step for loading an object to be treated into a processing tank and sealing it, a water supply step of filling the water in a storage layer prepared in advance from a lower end of the processing tank and exhausting the water from a supply / exhaust port, and an upper end of the processing tank. A gas supply pipe connects the upper end of the water tank with the gas supply pipe, sends the inert gas prepared in the water tank to the processing tank and returns the water in the processing tank to the water tank, and a part of the water in the water tank. Is returned to the treatment tank, the treatment tank is sealed, and without any pressure adjustment, heating water or cooling water is supplied to the spray pipe in the treatment tank through the pump and heat exchanger for a certain period of time under the conditions of natural pressure increase and decrease. A processing step of performing sterilization to cooling during forced circulation, and a gas recovery step of communicating the gas supply pipe to feed water from a water storage tank into the processing tank, and recovering an inert gas from the processing tank to the water storage tank. Open the water supply pipe and drain the water in the treatment tank A water recovery step of returning to the water tube, take-out step and the gas replacement spray sterilization treatment method consisting of issuing an object to be processed from the processing tank.