JP2907446B2 - Transport bucket in sterilization equipment for hermetically sealed containers using microwaves - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a transport bucket in an apparatus for heating and sterilizing a hermetically sealed container, which uses a microwave, to seal a chemical solution.

(Prior Art) For example, a hermetically sealed container, such as an ampoule, in which a medicinal solution such as an injection is sealed is generally subjected to a sterilization process in the manufacturing process.

The applicant has previously proposed a sterilizer using microwaves as a sterilizer.

It is a device that inserts a sealed container from a slot formed on the upper surface of an irradiation furnace connected to a rectangular waveguide that propagates microwaves, and sterilizes the sealed container while moving the inside of the irradiation furnace along the slot. It is.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the sterilization apparatus as described above, the irradiation rates of microwaves to the respective sealed containers are different unless the sealed container groups traveling in the irradiation furnace do not move at a certain distance from each other. The temperature varies between them, and uniform sterilization cannot be performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a transport bucket in which a group of sealed containers traveling in an irradiation furnace can move at a certain distance from each other without changing their posture.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The following means are provided to achieve the above object.

That is, the transport bucket traveling in the microwave heating furnace is attached to an endless chain stretched between two driving sprockets rotating in synchronization, and moves along a guide rod stretched between the sprockets. So,
Holders are in close contact with each other by forming the holder length of each transport bucket so that the total length of the transport bucket group when the endless chain travels linearly along the guide rod is the same as the axis distance between sprockets FIG. 3 is a transport bucket in a sterilization device for hermetically sealed containers using microwaves, which is configured to be able to proceed.

And it is a conveyance bucket in the sterilization apparatus of the sealed container using the microwave which was comprised so that the holder of a conveyance bucket could move along a pair of upper and lower guide rods.

(Operation) The two driving sprockets rotate synchronously, and when the endless chain travels linearly along the guide rod, the transport buckets travel in close contact with each other and each transport bucket travels at a certain distance from each other. The sealed container held in the transport bucket receives uniform microwave irradiation without changing its posture.

(Example) An example shown in the drawings will be described below.

In the embodiment, an ampule will be described as an example of a sealed container. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be similarly applied to a bottle or a bottle in which a liquid is sealed.

First, the entire sterilization apparatus will be described. In FIG. 6, (1) is a supply star wheel for supplying an ampule (a) carried by a screw (3) from a hopper (2).
(4) is a transport bucket holding the ampoule (a) and traveling in the sterilizer (A), which is attached to an endless chain (7) wound around driving sprockets (5) and (6). . This transfer bucket (4) is an ampoule (a)
Circulating clockwise while holding the preheating section (8),
The ampoule (a) is sterilized while passing through the heating section (9) and the heat retaining section (10).

(11) and (11 ') are infrared radiation thermometers for measuring the temperature of the ampoule (a) which has been sterilized by heating in the heating section (9) and the heat retaining section (10).

Then, the sterilized ampoule (a) is carried out by the discharge star wheel (12) and the screw (13), and the signal is output from the infrared radiation thermometers (11) and (11 ') arranged at two measurement positions. Sorting guide (14) that extracts the ampoule (a) that does not fall within the preset temperature range as a defective product
And carried out to the non-defective product transport path (15) and the defective product transport path (16).

In addition, (17) is a cooling device for cooling the ampoule (a), and (18) is a control unit. In this control unit (18), the sterilization temperature range of the ampoule is set, and the infrared radiation thermometer (11) ( The microwave output is automatically controlled so that the temperature rise temperature value is kept within a certain range by the signal from 11 '), and at the same time, the entire apparatus is controlled, such as determining whether sterilization has been performed correctly or not.

Next, a transport device of the transport bucket in the sterilizer will be described.

The endless chain (7) wound around the sprockets (5) and (6) as shown in FIGS.
, A plate (20) is attached to each of the bearing cases (19), and a transport bucket (4) is attached to the plate (20).

Inside the bearing case (19), there are upper and lower two open type bearings (21) and (22) as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and these bearings (21) and (22) are fixed horizontally to the sterilizer. Since the two guide rods (23) and (24) are inserted, the bearing case (19), the plate (20) and the transport bucket (4) can move without breaking a fixed posture.

The length of the guide rods (23) and (24) is the length of the straight part of the endless chain (7), and is supported by a heating furnace wall described later by a stay (not shown). The open type is to avoid this stay.

Here, the bearing case (19) and the plate (20) form a holder (4 ') for the transport bucket (4).
The transport bucket (4) has triangular projections (2
5) Several (26) are connected to form an ampoule (a) between these projections.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the middle of the ampule (a) is held between the upper protrusions (25), and the bottom of the ampule (a) is held between the lower protrusions (26). A space (g) is formed between the projection (25) and the projection (26).

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport bucket (4) is provided to be slightly inclined inward from the vertical, and the ampule (a) is inclined between the projections (25) and (26) of the transport bucket (4). While rotating in the clockwise direction together with the endless chain (7).

As described above, the ampule (a) moves while being supported by the transport bucket (4), and sequentially passes through the preheating section (8), the heating section (9), and the heat retaining section (10).

 Next, the heating section (9) will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the heating section (9) comprises a hot air case (28) covering the upper part of the ampule (a) and an irradiation furnace (29) for irradiating the ampule (a) with microwaves.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral (30) denotes a microwave oscillator (31), and a rectangular waveguide (32) through which microwaves propagate is an excess microwave absorber. The horizontal part of the rectangular waveguide (31) is an irradiation furnace (29).

The upper surface of the irradiation furnace (29) is composed of two top plates (33) and (34) as shown in FIG.
A slot (35) is formed in the gap (34).

Therefore, the ampoule (a) transferred to the heating section (9) by the transfer bucket (4) moves from the slot (35) with only the lower portion inserted into the irradiation furnace (29).

The ampoule (a) is moved from the entrance (29a) to the exit (29b) of the irradiation furnace (29) in the direction of arrow a in FIG.
It moves in the opposite direction to the microwave irradiation direction.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lower part of the ampule (a) supported by the projections (25) and (26) of the transport bucket (4) enters the irradiation furnace (29). Ampoule (a) is slotted (35) while microwaves are illuminated on the bottom
, During which the chemical solution in the ampoule (a) absorbs microwave energy and rises in temperature.

The direction of microwave irradiation and the direction of travel of the ampule (a) are opposite to each other, and the microwave is strongly irradiated to the ampule (a) as it travels in the irradiation furnace (29).

Hot air is blown out of the hot air case (28) to heat the upper branch of the ampule carried into the heating section (9).

According to the sterilization apparatus as described above, by heating the bottom of the ampoule by microwave irradiation, convection is generated in the chemical solution in the ampoule, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the chemical solution can be eliminated, and the inside of the irradiation furnace can be ampoule. The temperature is raised slowly during the movement of the ル, so that the variation in the temperature of each ampoule can be reduced.

And since the upper branch part of the ampoule without a chemical is heat-treated in the hot air case, the ampule branch part and the space part are sufficiently sterilized.

The ampoule that travels in the irradiation furnace of the heating unit (9) in the sterilization apparatus described above does not move at a constant posture without moving the microwave to each ampule unless it moves. If the microwave irradiation amount to the lower ampoule is not constant, the temperature of the ampules varies, and uniform sterilization cannot be performed.

Therefore, in the present invention, the sprockets (5) and (6) are driven so as to rotate synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 5, a transport bucket (4) installed on an endless chain (7) stretched between sprockets (5) and (6) includes a bear link case (19) and a plate (20).
The linear part of the endless chain (7) guided by the guide rods (23) and (24) has the same axial center distance (l) as the sprockets (5) and (6). The holder (4 ') of the transport bucket is formed in such a length that the axial center distance (l) is equally divided so that the transport bucket (4) is long, and the transport bucket (4) is in close contact with the straight portion of the endless chain (7). Configure to progress.

With the above configuration, even if the chain is loosened due to wear or the like, the total length of the transport bucket group in the linear portion of the endless chain is the same as the axial center distance (l) of the sprockets (5) and (6). The distance between the ampules supported in (4) does not change. That is, if the chain is wound around a normal driving sprocket and a driven sprocket, the rotation of the sprockets is shifted by the influence of the chain extension and the distance between the apples is changed, but the two sprockets (5) ( This problem is solved by driving 6) so as to rotate synchronously. In addition, since the support posture of the ampule does not change, the irradiation amount of the microwave is the same for each ampule, and uniform irradiation is performed, and there is no variation in the heating temperature of the ampule. Therefore, a uniform sterilization process is performed.

Now, let the axial center distance of the sprockets (5) and (6) be l,
If the number of conveying bucket in the linear portion of the endless chain (7) and n the length of the bearing case as S ₁ in the holder of the transport bucket (4) as shown in Figure 4, with l = S ₁ × n is there. The length of S ₁ is the length of, for example, the endless chain 4 links worth.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, when the endless chain travels linearly along the guide rod, the total length of the transport bucket group is formed so as to be the same as the axial distance between the sprockets, and the transport is performed. Since the bucket holder is formed to have such a length as to be able to move in a close state, the transport bucket holder advances in a close state in the linear portion of the endless chain even if the endless chain is loosened due to wear or the like. Accordingly, the distance between the transport buckets does not change, and the posture does not change, so that there is a feature that the microwave irradiation becomes uniform for each ampule. In particular, when the holder of the transport bucket is guided by the upper and lower guide rods, the attitude of the transport bucket does not change.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a plan view of a transport bucket, FIG. 2 is a side view of the transport bucket, FIG. 3 is a front view of the transport bucket, FIG. 4 is a partial view showing a state where the transport bucket is attached to an endless chain, FIG. Is a plan view of an endless chain provided with a transport bucket, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sterilizer, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a transport bucket portion, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the same, and FIG. 9 is a transport bucket in a heating furnace. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a heating furnace, and FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing slots in the heating furnace. (4) Transport bucket (5) (6) Sprocket (7) Endless chain (19) Bearing case (20) Plate (22) (23) Guide rod

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A transport bucket advancing in a microwave heating furnace is mounted on an endless chain stretched between two driving sprockets rotating in synchronism, and moves along a guide rod stretched between said sprockets. The holder length of each transport bucket is formed so that the total length of the transport bucket group when the endless chain advances linearly along the guide rod is the same as the axial distance between the sprockets. A transfer bucket in a sterilization apparatus for hermetically sealed containers using microwaves configured so that the holder can move in close contact. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holder of the transport bucket is movable along a pair of upper and lower guide rods.
A transfer bucket in a sterilization device for a sealed container using the microwave described in the above.