JP4877487B2 - Manufacturing method for products filled with liquid contents in plastic bottles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a product in which a plastic bottle such as a plastic bottle is filled with a liquid content such as a liquid beverage.

  Conventionally, a plastic bottle (for example, a PET bottle) whose inner volume can be changed by expansion and contraction in the height direction by extruding and pushing back the bottom is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This plastic bottle is filled with a high temperature liquid beverage such as tea beverage (high temperature filling), and after tightening the cap, the liquid beverage is cooled and its internal pressure is reduced as its volume decreases. Absorption (prevention) is achieved by reducing the internal volume.

  Its specific structure is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the plastic bottle 10 normally has a bottom portion 11 drawn inwardly in a mountain shape, and a peripheral portion of the bottom portion 11 is substantially flat. From this state, for example, when the rod stick pushes the inner surface of the bottom part 11 of the plastic bottle 10 and pushes out the bottom part 11, the bottom part 11 of the plastic bottle 10 faces outward as shown in FIG. It will be in the state of protruding into a mountain shape. In this state, the height of the plastic bottle 10 becomes the maximum value HH, and the internal volume becomes maximum.

  Further, from the state in which the bottom 11 protrudes outward, for example, the rod rod pushes the outer surface of the bottom 11 of the plastic bottle 10 and pushes back the bottom 11, as shown in FIG. The bottom portion 11 of the plastic bottle 10 is in the original state drawn inward. In this state, the height of the plastic bottle 10 becomes the normal value HL, and its internal volume becomes normal. In FIG. 2, a neck ring protruding outward in a flange shape is formed on the neck portion of the plastic bottle 10.

  A product in which a beverage such as a tea beverage is filled in the plastic bottle 10 that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction and thus can change the internal volume is generally manufactured as follows.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, a plastic bottle 10 is manufactured in a bottle factory. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), a bottle preform formed of a plastic material such as PET is set in a blow molding machine, and a plastic bottle 10 having a shape in which the bottom 11 is drawn inward by blow molding. Is formed (blow molding process). As shown in FIG. 3B, the plastic bottle 10 formed by blow molding is conveyed by the conveyor 100 while the neck ring 12 is individually guided by the guide bar 110 (conveyor conveying step). As shown in FIG. 3C, the plastic bottle 10 thus transported is packed in a plurality of layers (bulk-stacked) on the pallet 200 and shipped to a beverage filling factory. (Bulk product shipment process).

  In the beverage filling plant, the beverage solution is filled into the plastic bottle 10 through the steps shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (a), when the plastic bottles 10 bulk-loaded on the pallet 200 are delivered (bulk product delivery process), the individual plastic bottles 10 unpacked are shown in FIG. 4 (b). As shown, the neck ring 12 is conveyed by the conveyor 300 while being guided by the guide bar 310 (conveyor conveyance). When the plastic bottle 10 to be conveyed reaches the extruder, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the rod rod 320 is inserted into the extruder, and the rod rod 320 pushes the inner surface of the bottom portion 11 to push it. The bottom portion 11 is extruded outward (bottom portion extrusion step). Thereby, the internal volume of the plastic bottle 10 becomes the maximum (refer FIG.2 (b)).

  As shown in FIG. 4D, the neck ring 12 is provided with the guide bar 330 because the plastic bottle 10 whose inner volume is maximized by pushing the bottom portion 11 outward in this way cannot be erect. It is conveyed in a state of being hung by being guided by the neck (neck support conveyance). When the plastic bottle 10 reaches the filling device, as shown in FIG. 5A, the nozzle 340 is inserted into the plastic bottle 10 and the beverage liquid 20 in a hot state such as a tea beverage is ejected from the nozzle 340. Then, it accumulates in the plastic bottle 10 (internal solution filling step). When the beverage 20 is filled until it reaches a predetermined line of sight, the ejection of the beverage 20 from the nozzle 340 is stopped. Then, the plastic bottle 10 filled with the beverage 20 is conveyed to the cap tightening machine, and the cap 15 is wound around the mouth of the plastic bottle 10 as shown in FIG. Then, the plastic bottle 10 filled with the beverage 20 is cooled (cap winding / cooling step).

  By cooling the plastic bottle 10, the volume of the beverage 20 is reduced and the internal pressure is reduced. Thus, the plastic bottle 10 in which the internal pressure is reduced is conveyed to the pushback machine, and is set on the base 360 of the pushback machine and pushed up from the base 360 by the rod bar 350 as shown in FIG. The bottom 11 is pushed back inward. Thus, even if the internal pressure of the plastic bottle 10 is about to decrease, the bottom portion 11 is pushed back to reduce the internal volume, so that the decrease in the internal pressure is absorbed and the internal pressure of the plastic bottle 10 is maintained normally. . And the line of sight of the beverage 20 rises to the normal position due to the decrease in the internal volume of the plastic bottle 10 and is completed as a product.

  Also known is a plastic bottle whose internal volume changes due to expansion and contraction in the height direction due to expansion and contraction of the trunk (for example, Patent Document 2). When manufacturing a product in which such a plastic bottle is filled with a beverage such as a tea beverage, the plastic bottles manufactured at the bottle factory are bulk-loaded and transported to the beverage filling factory. In this case, in the bottle factory, a plastic bottle having a body portion extended to the maximum by blow molding or the like is manufactured. When bulk-packing such plastic bottles and transporting them to a beverage filling factory, if more plastic bottles are to be transported at one time, the plastic bottles are stacked in multiple stages with the barrels contracted (bulk stacking). (For example, Patent Document 3). In addition, as the thickness of the plastic bottle is reduced, it is preferable to stack a plurality of plastic bottles in a state where the body portion is contracted from the viewpoint of preventing deformation during conveyance.

The plastic bottle carried into the beverage filling factory with the trunk portion contracted in this manner is in a state of maximum internal volume by extending the trunk portion before being filled with beverage liquid as in the above-described example (see FIG. 4). To be. Then, after filling the beverage bottle into the maximum internal volume (high temperature filling), winding the cap, and cooling, the body portion is shrunk to maintain the internal pressure to be reduced normally.
JP-T-2006-501109 JP 2002-145235 A JP 2001-180636 A

  In the method of manufacturing a product in which the contents are filled in the plastic bottle as described above, when the plastic bottle is transported in a plurality of stages, the plastic bottle that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction to change the inner volume is shrunk. Therefore, before filling the contents, the plastic bottle must be stretched to the maximum internal volume. In addition, it is possible to transport plastic bottles that expand and contract in a plurality of stages with the body extended, but even in this case, at least each individual bottle is filled before the contents are filled. It is necessary to check whether or not the body of the plastic bottle is kept stretched.

  As described above, in the conventional manufacturing method, it is necessary to have a step of making the plastic bottle the maximum internal volume (see FIG. 4C) before filling the contents, or the plastic bottle is in the maximum internal volume state. Since it is necessary to confirm whether or not it is, it has been a factor that hinders efficient production.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can more efficiently manufacture a product in which contents are filled in a plastic bottle that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction to change the internal volume. A manufacturing method is provided.

A manufacturing method of a product filled with contents in a plastic bottle according to the present invention is a bottle molding step in which the internal volume can be changed by expanding and contracting in the height direction, and the plastic bottle is molded in a state of the maximum internal volume, A bottle transporting process for individually transporting plastic bottles molded in the bottle molding process to the filling device individually, and filling the plastic bottle that has reached the filling device with the predetermined contents. a filling step of, possess a volume reduction step to reduce the height of the plastic bottle after filling of the contents, the bottle molding process, changes the height direction of the telescopic Thus internal volume by extrusion and push-back said bottom A plastic bottle that can be molded in a state where the bottom is extruded, and the bottle transporting step is performed before the bottle molding step. The plastic bottles of the state in which the bottom is extruded transported individually to a filling device, the volume reducing step is a configuration in which the bottom of the plastic bottle to be pushed back.

With such a configuration, plastic bottles that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction to change the internal volume are molded in the state of the maximum internal volume, and are not conveyed in multiple stages, but in the state as they are. Before filling the contents with the filling device, make the plastic bottle the maximum internal volume, or check whether the plastic bottle is the maximum volume There is no need. And, in particular, a plastic bottle whose inner volume can be changed by expansion and contraction in the height direction by pushing out and pushing out the bottom is molded in the extruded state of the bottom, without being conveyed in multiple stages, Since it is individually conveyed to the filling device as it is, it is not necessary to provide a step of extruding the bottom of the plastic bottle before the contents are filled in the filling device.

  According to the present invention, it is not necessary to make the plastic bottle have the maximum internal volume or to check whether the plastic bottle has the maximum volume before the contents are filled in the filling device. This makes it possible to efficiently produce a product filled with contents in a plastic bottle without hindering efficient production.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A method for producing a product in which a plastic bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention is filled with a beverage is performed as shown in FIG. In this example, a plastic container 10 whose internal volume can be changed by expansion and contraction in the height direction by pushing and pushing back the bottom portion 11 as shown in FIG. 2 is used. Moreover, in this manufacturing method, manufacture of the plastic bottle 10 and filling of the drinking liquid with respect to the plastic bottle 10 are made in the same factory.

In FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 1A, a bottle preform formed of a plastic material such as PET is set in a blow molding machine, and the bottom 11 protrudes outward by blow molding so that the maximum internal volume is obtained. The plastic bottle 10 which will be in this state is formed (blow molding process). The plastic bottle 10 formed by blow molding cannot be formed with the bottom 11 protruding, so that the neck ring 12 is suspended by being guided by the guide bar 50 as shown in FIG. (Neck support conveyance). When the plastic bottle 10 reaches the filling device, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the nozzle 51 is inserted into the plastic bottle 10, and a high-temperature beverage liquid 20 such as tea drink is ejected from the nozzle 51. Then, it accumulates in the plastic bottle 10 (inner solution filling step). When the beverage liquid is filled until it reaches the predetermined line of entry, the ejection of the beverage liquid 20 from the nozzle 51 is stopped. Then, the plastic bottle 10 filled with beverage spirit 20 is conveyed to the cap tightening machine, and the cap 15 is wound around the mouth of the plastic bottle 10 as shown in FIG. Then, the plastic bottle 10 filled with the beverage 20 is cooled (cap tightening / cooling step).
In place of the neck support and conveyance by the guide bar 50 as shown in FIG. 1B, for example, conveyance by a neck gripper as disclosed in JP-A-11-236123 or JP-A-7-117837 is disclosed. As long as the container is self-supporting, the conveyance form is not particularly limited.

In the same manner as described above, the plastic bottle 10 whose internal pressure is reduced by cooling is conveyed to the pushback machine, and is set on the base 53 of the pushback machine, as shown in FIG. The bottom 11 is pushed back inward by the rod rod 52 pushed up. As the bottom portion 11 is pushed back in this way, the internal volume of the plastic bottle 10 is reduced (volume reduction), so that the decrease in the internal pressure is absorbed by the reduction in the internal volume, so that the internal pressure of the plastic bottle 10 becomes normal. Maintained. Then, the line of sight in the beverage 20 rises to the normal position due to the decrease in the internal volume of the plastic bottle 10 and is completed as a product.
At that time, by appropriately setting the internal pressure of the plastic bottle 10, even when the plastic bottle 10 is thinned, the rigidity as a beverage container can be secured by the internal pressure.

  According to such a manufacturing method, the plastic bottle 10 is formed in a state in which the bottom portion 11 is extruded by blow molding and has a maximum internal volume, and the plastic bottle 10 is stacked in a plurality of stages as in the conventional case. Since it is individually conveyed to the filling step (FIG. 1 (c)) of the beverage liquid 20 as it is without passing through the conveying step, the bottom part 11 of the plastic bottle 10 is extruded before filling. There is no need for a process to make it into a state. Since such a process is unnecessary, a product can be manufactured more efficiently.

  Further, unlike the conventional case (see FIG. 4C), there is no need to insert the rod rod 320 into the plastic bottle 10 and extrude the inner surface of the bottom portion 11, so that the tip of the rod 320 and the inner surface of the bottom portion 11 Dust and the like are not generated by rubbing. For this reason, the process of checking such dust is not necessary at all.

  In the above-described example, the plastic bottle 11 whose inner volume can be changed by the expansion and contraction in the height direction by pushing out and pushing back the bottom portion 11 is used. Even when a plastic bottle (see Patent Document 2) that changes the product is used, a product can be manufactured through the same process. In this case, the plastic bottle is formed by blow molding in a state where the body portion is extended, and is conveyed as it is to the filling device and filled with beverage liquid, and then the cap is tightened and the body portion is contracted. Made.

  In addition, although the example of high temperature filling, such as a drink liquid, was demonstrated, for example, the same method is employable also when filling an inner solution (aseptic filling) in an aseptic state. In aseptic filling, the initial line of sight when filling the inner solution is set relatively downward to ensure that the inner solution does not overflow from the mouth when filling the inner solution. The For this reason, the filling line can be raised to the normal position by shrinking the plastic bottle after filling the inner solution with the maximum inner volume. Thereafter, the cap is wound around the plastic bottle.

  The present invention has an effect that a product in which contents are filled in a plastic bottle that can be expanded and contracted in the height direction to change the content can be more efficiently manufactured, and a plastic bottle such as a PET bottle It is useful as a method for producing a product filled with a liquid content such as liquid beverage.

It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the plastic bottle of a structure where an internal volume changes with expansion-contraction of the height direction by the extrusion of a bottom part, and pushback. It is a figure which shows the process in the manufacturing factory of the plastic bottle from which an internal volume changes with extrusion and pushing-back of a bottom part. It is a figure which shows the process (the 1) in the factory which is filled with a drink liquid to the plastic bottle from which an internal volume changes with extrusion and pushing-back of a bottom part. It is a figure which shows the process (the 2) in the factory which is filled with a drink liquid to the plastic bottle from which an internal volume changes with extrusion and pushing-back of a bottom part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Plastic bottle 11 Bottom part 12 Neck ring 15 Cap 20 Drinking liquid 50 Guide bar 51 Nozzle 52 Rod stick 53 Base

Claims (1)

A bottle molding process that can change the internal volume by expanding and contracting in the height direction, and molding a plastic bottle in the maximum internal volume state,
A bottle transporting process for individually transporting plastic bottles in a state of the maximum internal volume molded in the bottle molding process to a filling device;
A filling step of filling a predetermined content in the filling device into the plastic bottle reaching the filling device;
After filling of the contents reducing the height of the plastic bottle was closed and volume reduction step,
The bottle molding step molds a plastic bottle whose inner volume can be changed by expansion and contraction in the height direction by extruding and pushing back the bottom part in a state where the bottom part is extruded,
In the bottle conveying step, the plastic bottle in a state where the bottom portion molded in the bottle molding step is extruded is individually conveyed to a filling device,
In the volume reducing step, the bottom portion of the plastic bottle is pushed back, and the plastic bottle is filled with contents.

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