JPH0217415B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for sterilizing sealed packages.

A conventional sterilization processing apparatus for sealed packages will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. 01 is a filling and sealing machine, and the filling and sealing machine 01 is used to sterilize sealed packages (not shown) filled with various contents and sealed (for example, retort pouches for food). etc)
is discharged to an empty tray 04 on a conveyor 03 via a discharge device 02. Further, 05 is a tray stacking device, and the tray stacking device 05 stacks a predetermined number of trays 06 containing sealed packages. As this device, for example, a device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-25090, which stacks trays 06 one by one, is known. Further, 07 is a pool conveyor, and the pool conveyor 07 pools a predetermined number of stacked trays 09 stacked in a predetermined number by the tray stacking device 05. Also, 010 is a sterilizer, and the sterilizer 0
10 stores the stacked trays 09, sterilizes them with high-temperature, high-pressure steam or boiling water, and discharges them to the pool conveyor 011 after cooling. Further, 012 is a tray unloading device, and the tray unloading device 012, contrary to the tray stacking device 05, loads the sterilized stacked trays 09 one by one from the top onto the conveyor 01.
3. Unload on top. This device is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-25090. Further, 014 is a package take-out device, which takes out sealed packages from the tray 06 conveyed by the conveyor 013.
It is transferred to a packaging machine such as a drying device (not shown). On the other hand, the empty tray 04 is transported to the upstream side of the vacuum sealing machine 01 by a truck (not shown) or the like.

The sterilization processing device for the sealed package is sterilizer 01.
A pool conveyor 07 for temporarily pooling the stacked trays 09 before sterilization processing is arranged on the upstream side of 0, and a pool conveyor 011 for temporarily pooling the stacked trays 09 after sterilization processing is arranged on the downstream side. Although the loading and unloading work into the sterilizer 010 has been automated, on the other hand, the following problem has arisen.

(i) After the filling and sealing machine 01 starts operating, it takes nearly one hour for the tray 06 containing sealed packages to reach the conveyor 013 via the sterilizer 010, and the packaging unloading device 014, drying device, etc. Only at this time will the machine begin operation.

That is, a "time difference" occurs in the start time of operation between the filling and sealing machine 01 and the packaging machine, and it becomes necessary to adjust the working hours between the filling and sealing machine 01 and the packaging machine, which is unfavorable in terms of labor management. As a countermeasure for this, the sterilization processing apparatus pools the sterilized stacked trays 09 and trays 06 on the pool conveyor 011 and transport conveyor 013 until the next morning, but the capacity is insufficient. In particular, the larger the sterilizer, the greater the time difference, so lack of capacity became a major problem.

(ii) Empty trays 04, which have been emptied by taking out the sealed packages with the package unloading device 014, must be placed in a predetermined number on a trolley and transported to the filling and sealing machine 01, which requires manual labor. Automation has not been achieved here due to necessity.

(iii) In addition, if the package unloading device 014 breaks down or the packaging machine in the subsequent process stops, the stacked trays 09 and trays 06 can be pooled using the pool conveyor 011 and transport conveyor 013. Nevertheless, it became impossible to supply empty trays 04 to the filling and sealing machine 01, and as a result, the operation of the filling and sealing machine 01 had to be stopped, reducing production efficiency.

(iv) Furthermore, if the sterilizer 010 is stopped due to malfunction, cleaning, inspection, etc., the sealed package before sterilization is left on the pool conveyor 07 until the sterilizer 010 is restarted, and the sterilizer 010 The larger the package, the longer the sealed package waits on the pool conveyor 07 before sterilization, which causes problems such as deterioration of the quality of the filling and change in taste.

The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems, and is a packaging method in which an empty tray 4 is transported to a loading position for sealed packages discharged from the filling and sealing device 1, and the sealed packages are stored on the empty tray 4. A loading conveyor 3, a tray pool conveyor 5 that pools trays 6 containing packages from the same packaging loading conveyor 3, and a tray pool conveyor 5 that pools trays 6 containing packages from the same tray pool conveyor 5, and a tray 6 for storing packages from the same tray pool conveyor 5 into a pallet on the upstream side of the sterilizer. A tray stacking device 7 stacks the pallets 8 sent from the tray conveyor 16, and the pallets 8 from the tray stacking device 7 and the stacking tray 21 above them.
a sterilizer 20 that sterilizes the stacked trays 21 from the stacked tray pool conveyor 9 on the upstream side of the sterilizer; A sterilizer 50 that sterilizes the stacked trays 21 from the stacked tray pool conveyor 51, and a stacked tray pool on the downstream side of the sterilizer that pools the pallets 8 from the sterilizers 20, 50 and the stacked trays 21 above them. conveyor 22,
54, and the pallets 8 from the stacked tray pool conveyors 22 and 54 on the downstream side of the sterilizer are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16 on the downstream side of the sterilizer, and the stacked tray 21 is packed into individual packages containing packages. Tray take-out device 3 that separates the body into trays 6 containing bodies
8, a sealed package take-out device 40 for taking out the sealed package from the tray 6 storing the package from the tray take-out device 38, and a sealed package take-out device 40.
An empty tray stacking device 43 stacks the empty trays 4 from the sterilizer on top of the pallets 8 sent from the pallet conveyor 16 on the downstream side of the sterilizer, and a stacking device 43 stacks the empty trays 4 from the empty tray stacking device 43 on top of the pallets 8 sent from the pallet conveyor 16 downstream of the sterilizer. A stacked empty tray pool conveyor 45 that pools stacked trays 44, and a stacked empty tray pool conveyor 45 that pools stacked trays 44.
The pallets 8 from the sterilizer are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16 on the upstream side of the sterilizer, and the stacked trays 44 are
Empty tray take-out devices 46, 4 that separate the empty trays 4 into individual empty trays and convey them to the packaging loading conveyor 3.
The purpose of this is to eliminate the time difference between the filling and sealing device and the packaging device, as well as to avoid increasing the size of the sterilizer. I can handle it. The transportation of empty trays from the package take-out device to the filling and sealing device can be automated. The filling operation can be continued without stopping the filling and sealing device. Furthermore, even if the sterilizer stops due to a malfunction or the sterilizer becomes larger, the sealed package sterilizer does not have to wait for a long time on the pool conveyor upstream of the sterilizer before being sterilized. The point is that it provides

Next, the sterilization treatment apparatus for sealed packages of the present invention is
To explain with an example shown in FIGS. 8 to 8,
1 is a filling and sealing device, and the filling and sealing device 1 is
Sealed packages (not shown) filled with various contents and sealed are passed through a loading device 2 to a package loading conveyor 3 (a roller conveyor, which is driven by a driving means (not shown). Unless otherwise specified, the driving means will be described below) Similarly, the required number of pieces (16 pieces in total in this embodiment) are loaded onto the empty tray 4 above. In addition, 5 is a tray pool conveyor, and the same tray pool conveyor 5
pools the trays 6 containing sealed packages. In addition, 7 is a tray palletizer (tray stacking device), and the tray palletizer 7 stacks the trays 6 on a pallet 8 by a predetermined number of stages and transfers them to the entrance side pallet pool conveyor (stacked tray pool conveyor) 9 side. do. Further, 10 is a roller conveyor, and the roller conveyor 10 can be rotated by a driving means (not shown). Moreover, hydraulic cylinder 11
It is integrally attached to the roof and can be raised and lowered. Also, 12 is a frame, and the same frame 12
is installed parallel to the conveying direction of the tray 6, and rotatably supports a lever 13 with a claw that can be latched onto the rail 6a of the tray 6 when the tray 6 is placed on the roller conveyor 10 and ascends. ing. The lever 13 has one end supported by the frame 12 and can be rotated by an air cylinder 14, and is provided so as not to interfere with the vertical movement of the tray 6. Further, 15 is an upper limit switch, and the upper limit switch 15 is a roller conveyor 1.
Frame 1 to regulate the upper limit of the rising movement of 0.
It is installed on 2. Reference numeral 16 denotes a pallet conveyor, which is composed of a chain conveyor 17, sprockets 18, 19, etc., and conveys the pallet 8 to just above the roller conveyor 10 as shown in FIG. The sprockets 18, 19, etc. are supported by a bracket (not shown). In addition, 20 is a sterilizer;
A predetermined number of stacked trays 21 are stacked on a pallet 8 and are sterilized with high-temperature, high-pressure steam.
After cooling, it is discharged to the outlet side pallet pool conveyor (stacked tray pool conveyor) 22. Also 22
is the exit side pallet pool conveyor, and the exit side pallet pool conveyor 22 is the roller conveyor 2.
3 and a corner transfer conveyor 24.
and the stacked trays 21 filled and sealed during the stop time of the packaging machine. The corner transfer conveyor 24a alternately supplies stacked trays 21 from the pool conveyors 22 and 54 to the roller conveyor 23a. 24 is a corner transfer conveyor, and the corner transfer conveyor 24 includes a roller 25 rotated by a drive means (not shown) and a drive chain conveyor 2.
6. (See Figures 6 and 7). 26 is a drive chain conveyor, and the drive chain conveyor 26 includes sprockets 28, 29, and 30 rotatably supported by a bracket 27 having a U-shaped cross section, and a sprocket 31 fixed coaxially with the sprocket 30. The chain 35 is stretched between the sprocket 31, the sprocket 33 on the motor 32 side, and the tension sprocket 34, and the hydraulic cylinder 36 is integrated with the bracket 27. The driving chain conveyor 26 is connected to the rollers 25 by a hydraulic cylinder 36.
go up and down between Further, reference numeral 37 denotes a frame, and the frame 37 rotatably supports the roller 25. In addition, 38 is a tray depalletizer (tray take-out device), and the tray depalletizer 38 is
It has the same structure as the tray palletizer 7, but
In contrast to the tray palletizer 7, after the pallets 8 are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16, the trays 6 are taken out one by one from below and transferred to the roller conveyor 39. Further, 40 is a package take-out device, which takes out sealed packages from the tray 6 conveyed on the corner transfer conveyor 24 and roller conveyor 41, and packs the sealed packages in a drying device (not shown) or the like. The empty tray 4 is then transferred to the tray palletizer (empty tray removal device) 43 via the corner transfer conveyor 24 and roller conveyor 42. Further, 43 is a tray palletizer, which has the same structure and function as the tray palletizer 7, and stacks a predetermined number of empty trays 4 from below onto the pallets 8 transferred by the pallet conveyor 16. After forming a stacked tray 44, the pallets are discharged to a pallet pool conveyor 45. Further, 45 is a pallet pool conveyor (stacked tray pool conveyor), which is installed between the tray palletizer 43 and the tray depalletizer 46, so that even when the packaging machine stops, the filling and sealing device The capacity is set so that continuous operation is possible without interrupting the supply of empty trays 4 to 1.
Reference numeral 46 denotes a tray depalletizer (empty tray take-out device), which has the same structure and function as the tray depalletizer 38, and stores the stacked trays 44 transferred by the pallet pool conveyor 45 into the pallet 8. The pallets 8 are separated into empty trays 4 and 4, and the pallets 8 are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16. Empty trays 4 are taken out one by one from below and discharged to a roller conveyor (empty tray take-out device) 47. The liquid is then transferred to the filling and sealing device 1 side. Further, 50 is a sterilizer, which has the same structure and function as the sterilizer 20, and is arranged in parallel with the sterilizer 20. A pallet pool conveyor 51 is connected to the inlet side by a corner transfer conveyor 24, and the pallet pool conveyor 9 on the inlet side is alternately supplied with stacked trays 21. Reference numeral 51 denotes a pallet pool conveyor (stacked tray pool conveyor), and the pool conveyor 51 is composed of a roller conveyor 52, a corner transfer conveyor 24, and a roller conveyor 53. Further, 54 is a pallet pool conveyor, and the pallet pool conveyor 54 is composed of a combination of a roller conveyor 55, a corner transfer conveyor 24, and a roller conveyor 56, and the stacking trays 21 for the time difference and the packaging machine are stopped. It has a total pool capacity including the stacked trays 21 filled and sealed during the time period.

Next, the operation of the apparatus for sterilizing sealed packages will be explained.

(a) A predetermined number of sealed packages filled and sealed by the filling and sealing device 1 are loaded from the package loading device 2 onto the empty trays 4 on the loading conveyor 3, and are transferred to the tray palletizer 7 via the corner transfer conveyor 24 and the tray pool conveyor 5. will be transferred to. The trays 6 are transferred one by one to the tray palletizer 7 by means (not shown) (stopper, limit switch, etc.).

(b) As shown in Figure 5, tray 6 is on roller conveyor 1.
0, the hydraulic cylinder 11 starts to rise, and when it reaches the height at which the upper limit switch 15 is activated (the state shown by the two-dot chain line), the retracted claw lever 13 returns to the solid line position. It advances and hooks onto the rail 6a of the tray 6. The roller conveyor 10 descends and waits for the next tray 6 to arrive. When a new tray 6 arrives on the roller conveyor 10, the hydraulic cylinder 11 rises and contacts the previous tray 6, which is latched onto a claw lever 13. At this time, the upper limit switch 15 is activated, and the claw lever 13 is retracted and removed from the rail 6a of the previous tray 6. From this state, the hydraulic cylinder 11 further rises by the height of one tray, and then the claw lever 13
advances and engages the rail 6a of the new tray 6, and the hydraulic cylinder 11 descends. This operation is repeated to stack a predetermined number of trays 6 one by one from below.

(c) When a predetermined number of trays 6 are stacked, the roller conveyor 10 is lowered from the upper surface of the chain conveyor 17 as shown in FIG. 8, the chain conveyor 17 is driven, and the pallet 8 is carried in. Next, the roller conveyor 10 rises and lifts the pallet 8. When the upper surface of the pallet 8 comes into contact with the lowest tray 6, the claw lever 13 is retracted and the stacked trays 2 are removed.
1 is placed on the pallet 8, which is lowered to the level of the roller conveyor 10 shown in FIG. Palette 8
A predetermined number of stacked trays 21 are driven by a roller conveyor 10 and conveyed to an entrance side pallet pool conveyor 9 via a corner transfer conveyor 24. The corner transfer conveyor 24 alternately supplies the stacked trays 21 to the inlet side pallet pool conveyor 9 and the pallet pool conveyor 51.

(d) A predetermined number of stacked trays 21 pooled on the inlet-side pallet pool conveyor 9 or pallet pool conveyor 51 are stored in the sterilizer 20 or 50, sterilized with high-temperature, high-pressure steam, and after cooling are transferred to the outlet. Discharge to side pallet pool conveyor 22 or pallet pool conveyor 54. The outlet-side pallet pool conveyor 22 or pallet pool conveyor 54 stores the stacked trays 21 discharged from the sterilizer 20 or 50 in a "first in, first out" order (those that entered the sterilizer 20 or 50 first 2), they are arranged by a combination of the roller conveyor 23 and the corner transfer conveyor 24 or a combination of the roller conveyor 55 and the corner transfer conveyor 24, as shown in ~ in FIG. The stacked trays 21 from the pool conveyors 22 and 54 are alternately supplied to the roller conveyor 23a by the corner transfer conveyor 24a.

(e) The stacked trays 21 placed on the pallets 8 are first separated by the tray depalletizer 38 and discharged to the pallet conveyor 16, and then the trays 6 are taken out one by one from below and placed on the rollers. Transfer to conveyor 39.

(f) The sealed package is taken out from the tray 6 conveyed on the corner transfer conveyor 24 and the roller conveyor 41 by the package take-out device 40, and the empty tray 4 is transferred to the tray palletizer 43 via the corner transfer conveyor 24 and the roller conveyor 42. Transfer to.

(g) Like the tray palletizer 7, the tray palletizer 43 stacks a predetermined number of empty trays 4 from below on the pallet 8 transferred by the pallet conveyor 16 to form a stacked tray 44, and then Transfer to pool conveyor 45.

(h) The tray depalletizer 46 is connected to the pallet pool conveyor 4 in the same way as the tray depalletizer 38.
The stacked trays 44 transferred at step 5 are separated into pallets 8 and empty trays 4, the pallets 8 are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16, and the empty trays 4 are taken out one by one from below and discharged to the roller conveyor 47. Then, the empty tray 4 is supplied to the filling and sealing device 1 side.

Next, the effects of the sterilization treatment apparatus for sealed packages will be explained. Since the pool conveyors 9, 22 and 51, 54 are arranged on the inlet and outlet sides of the sterilizers 20 and 50, the "time difference" between the filling and sealing device and the packaging device can be eliminated. Moreover, since the pool capacity of the outlet side pallet pool conveyors 22 and 54 can be increased, it is possible to cope with an increase in the size of the sterilizer. Furthermore, a stacking device 43 stacks empty trays after the sealed packages are discharged to the packaging device side, a pool conveyor 45 pools the stacked trays stacked by the stacking device 43, and a pool conveyor 45. Tray take-out devices 46 and 47 take out the conveyed stacked trays one by one to the filling and sealing device 1 side.
Therefore, it is possible to automate the transportation of empty trays from the package removal device 40 to the filling and sealing device 1 side. Furthermore, even if the package removal device 40 or the packaging machine in the post-process breaks down, the filling and sealing device 1 can be stopped because a large amount of empty trays 4 are stacked on the pallet pool conveyor 45. The filling operation can be continued without any problems. In addition, even if one sterilizer is stopped due to malfunction, cleaning, inspection, etc., the other sterilizer will continue operating and production will continue, and normally multiple sterilizers are used to perform the sterilization process. The waiting time of the stacked trays before sterilization is kept at an appropriate time so that the waiting time is not too long.
It does not alter the quality of the filling, which eliminates problems such as changes in taste. In addition, without using palette 8,
The trays 4 and 6 themselves may be stacked. In addition, palletizer 7, 43 depalletizer 38,
46 may be stacked from above and taken out.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is, of course, not limited to these embodiments, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a system diagram showing a conventional sterilization processing device for sealed packages, Fig. 2 is a system diagram showing an embodiment of the sterilization processing device for sealed packages according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 shows an empty tray. Perspective view, Figure 4 is from the arrow in Figure 2.
5 is a front view along the arrow line in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the corner transfer conveyor, FIG. 7 is a front view along the arrow line in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a side view of the pallet conveyor. 1... Filling and sealing device, 3... Packaging loading conveyor, 4... Empty tray, 5... Tray pool conveyor, 6... Packaging storage tray, 7... Tray stacking device, 8... Pallet, 9 , 51... Stacked tray pool conveyor on the upstream side of the sterilizer, 16, 16
... Pallet conveyors on the upstream and downstream sides of the sterilizer, 20, 50 ... Sterilizer, 21 ... Stacked trays, 22, 54 ... Stacked tray pool conveyor on the downstream side of the sterilizer, 38 ... Tray Retrieval device, 40
... sealed package removal device, 43 ... empty tray stacking device, 45 ... stacking empty tray pool conveyor, 4
6,47...Empty tray take-out device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A packaging loading conveyor 3 that conveys an empty tray 4 to a loading position for sealed packages discharged from the filling and sealing device 1 and stores the sealed packages on the empty tray 4; A tray pool conveyor 5 pools trays 6 containing packages from the same tray pool conveyor 5, and a pallet 8 sent from a pallet conveyor 16 upstream of the sterilizer to be described later. A tray stacking device 7 that stacks the trays on top of each other, a stacking tray pool conveyor 9, 51 on the upstream side of the sterilizer that pools the pallets 8 from the tray stacking device 7 and the stacked trays 21 thereon, and the sterilizer. A sterilizer 20 that sterilizes the stacked trays 21 from the stacked tray pool conveyor 9 on the upstream side; a sterilizer 50 that sterilizes the stacked trays 21 from the stacked tray pool conveyor 51 on the upstream side of the sterilizer; Sterilizer 20,
Pallet 8 from 50 and stacked tray 2 above it
pallets 8 from the stacked tray pool conveyors 22, 54 on the downstream side of the sterilizer, which pool 1, and the stacked tray pool conveyors 22, 54 on the downstream side of the sterilizer.
is discharged to the pallet conveyor 16 on the downstream side of the sterilizer, and the stacked tray 21 is transferred to the one containing the packages.
Tray take-out device 38 that separates into individual trays 6
A sealed package take-out device 40 takes out the sealed package from the tray 6 containing the package from the tray take-out device 38, and an empty tray 4 from the sealed package take-out device 40 is placed on the downstream side of the sterilizer. An empty tray stacking device 43 that stacks the pallets 8 sent from the pallet conveyor 16, and a stacking empty tray pool that pools the pallets 8 from the empty tray stacking device 43 and the stacked trays 44 above them. The pallets 8 from the conveyor 45 and the empty tray pool conveyor 45 are discharged to the pallet conveyor 16 upstream of the sterilizer, and the stacked trays 44 are separated into individual empty trays 4 and loaded with the above-mentioned packaging. Empty tray take-out devices 46 and 47 to be transported to the conveyor 3
A sterilization device for sealed packages, characterized by comprising: