JP3451913B2 - Apparatus for confirming jetting state of nozzle in sterilization and / or cleaning process in asep filling system - Google Patents

Description

Description [0001] The present invention relates to an aseptic,
That is, in a sterile filling system, a container, in a sterilization and / or washing process performed prior to filling various beverages such as drinking water, juice, oolong tea, and milk coffee, the present invention relates to a nozzle ejection state confirmation device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a confirmation device for promptly catching abnormal nozzle injection and preventing sterilization and / or poor cleaning of a container. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is known that a series of steps in an aseptic filling system is performed in accordance with a sterilization washing / finish rinser / content filling / capping step of a container. These steps are typically performed in class 10,
It is held in a booth sectioned in a clean room kept at 000, and this booth is kept in class 100. [0003] Among these processes, as an example of a sterilization / cleaning process, a sterilizing solution or a cleaning solution is sprayed from an upwardly installed nozzle attached to a rotating wheel into an inverted container to sterilize or wash. It is known that a rotary sterilization and cleaning method for performing the above is adopted. In this method, the container that has been sterilized and washed,
After the finishing rinser process, it is sequentially sent to the filling process and the capping process, and is discharged as a product outside the aseptic filling system. As an example of using a chemical (bactericide) in the sterilization step, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-
A sterilization method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 58744 can be mentioned. This method uses a peracetic acid-based disinfectant mixed with hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant, and is excellent in that the container can be disinfected in a short time without increasing the concentration of the disinfectant. This medicine is sprayed from a nozzle provided upward on the periphery of a rotating rotary main wheel into an inverted container rotating at the same speed to sterilize the container. [0005] In the cleaning step, the container is cleaned by the same operation, except that the liquid to be sprayed is different in terms of sterile water and chemical liquid for cleaning. In any of these steps, it is natural that impurities such as bacteria and dust do not enter, and a precise program controlled by a computer is incorporated in all the steps. [0006] However, if all devices operate as programmed beforehand, no problem should occur, but the production equipment is not continuous operation but intermittent. In some cases, there is a possibility that, during non-operation, a disorder that hinders smooth operation may occur for some reason. Therefore, even in the aseptic filling system, double or triple measures must be taken in anticipation of a case where the operation of the apparatus is not correct. [0007] In the sterilization / cleaning process, various causes of failure are conceivable. Among them, the most important one is that the injection of the nozzle for sterilization / cleaning is abnormal. When the sterilization / washing is performed by using a rotary type device, usually, about 30 to 1 around the periphery of one main wheel.
The system is equipped with 50 injection nozzles. The nozzle is inserted into the mouth of an inverted container that is fed one after another from the inlet wheel, and sterilization or washing is completed before it is delivered to the outlet wheel. ing. However, if at least one of the above 30 to 150 nozzles has a jetting failure or a nozzle that cannot be jetted,
The container corresponding to the nozzle will be sent to the next step without being sterilized and / or washed,
It causes the production of defective products. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for confirming a jetting state of a nozzle such as abnormal jetting or jetting failure before or during operation of the apparatus in a sterilization / cleaning process. [0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, which was proposed in order to achieve the above object, to sense in proximity switch whether the injection from the nozzle by the swinging of the swing arm There is an important feature that
The result can be made to be recognized by an operator by means such as reading from an electric signal and displaying the result on a display of an operation panel in an analog manner . That is, according to the present invention, in a rotary sterilizer and / or rotary washer in which the container sterilization and / or cleaning step is performed while the main wheel is rotating, the container is located above the periphery of the main wheel. The nozzle attached to the main wheel is sprayed between the contact point of the inlet wheel for feeding the container to the main wheel and the contact point of the outlet wheel for transferring the sterilized and / or washed container from the main wheel to the outlet conveying device. When the proximity switch is dissociated to a distance where the proximity switch can not detect the approach, and when the nozzle does not fire, it has a swing arm that maintains the proximity state to a distance where the proximity switch can detect the approach, and from the nozzle
The present invention provides an apparatus for checking the ejection state of a nozzle, wherein an operator is made to recognize the presence or absence of ejection . According to the present invention, in the normal state, the proximity switch is turned on when a swing arm biased by a spring approaches, and when the swing arm moves upward by jetting of a nozzle, the proximity switch is turned on. An apparatus for checking the injection state of the nozzle is provided, which is configured to be turned off when the proximity switch can no longer sense the approach. Further, according to the present invention, the swing arm has a cylindrical recess formed on a lower surface on one side of the swing arm to receive a jetting state of the nozzle from below, and On the side of the above, a proximity switch connected to the electric control panel is hung from above, and the above-described nozzle ejection state confirmation device, which is biased by a spring to bring the proximity switch and the swing arm into an approach sensing state, is provided. Provided. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The features of the apparatus for checking the injection state of the nozzle of the present invention are, first of all, a point where no container exists on the periphery of the main wheel, that is, a contact point of the inlet wheel for feeding the container to the main wheel, and sterilization and / or sterilization from the main wheel. It is provided between the contact point of the outlet wheel for transferring the washed container and sending it to the outlet transfer device. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the state. In FIG. 1, a is an injection confirmation sensor, 11 is a machine frame,
12 is a main wheel, 13 is an entrance wheel, 14 is an exit wheel, 15 is a container loading device, 16 is a container discharging device, 1
7 is a container delivery position from the inlet wheel to the main wheel, 1
Numeral 8 indicates a container transfer position from the main wheel to the outlet wheel. 2 and 3, reference numeral 21 denotes an injection nozzle;
Denotes a jet receiving cylindrical concave portion, 23 denotes a swing arm, 24 denotes a swing fulcrum of the swing arm, 25 denotes a proximity switch, 26 denotes a spring, and 27 denotes a swing arm support member. The installation point of this apparatus is from the location indicated by a in FIG. 1, that is, from the center of the main wheel 12 while the container is being transported along the Ω shape, to the transport device 15,
It is a point extended in 16 directions, that is, a place where no container exists. By checking the injection state of the nozzle at this point, the sterilization or cleaning process of the container is not hindered only for the inspection. The second feature of the present invention is that the state of ejection of the nozzle is confirmed by the swing arm 23 being dissociated from the proximity switch 25 when the nozzle 21 ejects, and the swing arm 23 being disengaged from the proximity switch 25 when the nozzle does not eject. lies in that in order to maintain the state that was close to 25. The operation of the injection state checking device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a state where there is no injection of the nozzle. That is, the proximity switch 25
Is close to the swing arm 23,
In a normal state, it is ON, and in this state, the swing arm 23 is held by the holding member 27 by urging the swing arm 23 upward by the action of the spring 26. Usually, around 30 rims of the main wheel 12 are provided.
From 150 to 150 nozzles are provided and numbered, and the operating state is input to the computer. Therefore, despite the nozzle 21 passing under the injection confirmation sensor, the confirmation sensor a
Is in the ON state as it is, it means that the ejection of the nozzle 21 was not performed, and the result is displayed on the display (not shown) of the operation panel by an electric signal together with the number of the nozzle that did not eject. You. FIG. 3 shows a state where the swing arm 23 is operated by the injection of the nozzle 21. That is,
When the nozzle 21 ejects, the ejection receiving cylindrical concave portion 22 provided on the lower surface of the swing arm 23 moves upward by the force, so that it approaches the proximity switch on the opposite side via the fulcrum 24 of the swing arm. Part is dissociated,
Displays the OFF state. Therefore, it is recognized that the nozzle which has been turned off when the nozzle 21 has passed under the ejection confirmation sensor a is normal, and the operation is continued as it is. The swing arm 23 is preferably made of stainless steel because chemical resistance is required and the problem of rust must be cleared. Swing arm 23
Means that one side via the fulcrum 24 senses the injection of the nozzle and moves upward, and the other side via the fulcrum approaches a distance that can be sensed by the proximity switch in a normal state, and changes the end direction. It is urged upward by a spring 26 and is held by a holding member 27. Therefore, the biasing force of the spring is adjusted to a value that allows the swing arm 23 to approach the proximity switch 25 in the normal state and disengages the approach state when the injection from the nozzle 21 is performed. There must be. [0021] This injection confirmation operation is performed first by sterilization and / or
Alternatively, it is desirable that the cleaning be performed before the operation of the cleaning device. As a result, even if a nozzle that cannot be jetted is found, it is only necessary to repair it before production and start production, and it is possible to reduce the loss as compared with the discovery after production is started. At the time of confirmation performed before operation of the apparatus, the injection from the nozzle does not necessarily need to be liquid, but may be gas. Of course, this checking operation is performed continuously even during the operation of the apparatus. If it is confirmed that injection is impossible, the apparatus is stopped with the main wheel having made one rotation, and the nozzle corresponding to the defective nozzle is stopped. Repair. In any case, the impossibility of jetting of the nozzle can be confirmed during one rotation of the main wheel, so that a defective product during sterilization and / or cleaning is not sent to the next step as it is. According to the present invention, when sterilization and / or cleaning of the aseptic filling system is performed by rotating a rotary type wheel, a nozzle for injecting a sterilizing agent and / or cleaning water is provided. There is provided an apparatus capable of easily and with high accuracy confirming when injection becomes impossible. The device is installed in a containerless part of the rotary sterilization and / or cleaning process, so that it is not interrupted for inspection with this device and can be used before production or Confirmation work can be performed during production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sterilization / cleaning process provided with a nozzle injection confirmation device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the device showing a state in which a proximity switch is ON. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the device showing a state in which a proximity switch is OFF. [Description of Signs] a Injection confirmation sensor 11 Machine frame 12 Main wheel 13 Inlet wheel 14 Outlet wheel 15 Container loading device 16 Container discharging device 17 Container transfer position from inlet wheel to main wheel 18 Container transfer from main wheel to outlet wheel Position 21 Injection nozzle 22 Injection receiving cylindrical concave portion 23 Swing arm 24 Swing arm swing fulcrum 25 Proximity switch 26 Spring 27 Swing arm support member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] The sterilization and / or cleaning step of the container is performed by
In a rotary sterilizer and / or rotary washer performed during rotation of a main wheel, a contact point of an inlet wheel located above a periphery of the main wheel and feeding a container to the main wheel, and sterilizing and / or cleaning from the main wheel. The proximity switch is dissociated to a distance where the proximity switch cannot detect approach when the nozzle attached to the main wheel ejects, and closes when the nozzle does not eject, between the contact point of the exit wheel that transfers the later container and sends it to the exit transport device. Equipped with a swing arm that keeps the switch close to the distance where the switch can detect the approach , and recognizes whether or not the nozzle is firing from the nozzle.
Injection status checking system of nozzles is characterized in that so as to.