JPH0471769B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an aseptic filling device for sterilizing a filling device that fills a pouch made by laminating a plastic sheet and an aluminum sheet together in an aseptic condition. This invention relates to a filling nozzle sterilizer.

[Prior art and its problems]

Generally, an apparatus for automatically filling liquids such as soft drinks, juices, milk, or other viscous substances into pouches formed from film materials under aseptic conditions is vertically shaped. That is, a filling liquid is supplied from a filling nozzle 2 into a cylindrical bag 1, an appropriate position of the bag 1 is adhered by an adhesive device 3, and then the adhesive part is cut with a cutter 4 to take out the filled product 5. I have to.

Such a vertical filling device is designed to adhere and cut the film with the liquid 6 filled in the cylindrical bag 1, so that the filling liquid gets into the adhesive part and the adhesion is sufficiently performed. In addition, it is impossible to fill with a liquid containing solids because the solids are caught in the bonded portion, making it impossible to bond.

Therefore, the present applicant has already filed an application for an aseptic filling device that aseptically makes a pouch from a plastic sheet and then aseptically fills the pouch with a filling material using a filling nozzle while holding the pouch in a conveying chain. The filling nozzle of such an aseptic filling device must be sterilized before starting filling, and it is generally considered to connect the filling nozzle with external piping and supply heated steam into the nozzle for sterilization. However, even if heated steam is sent with the filling nozzle open, the temperature of the heated steam at the nozzle outlet will drop, and the sterilization effect will not be sufficient.

Therefore, it is required to keep the temperature of the heated steam sufficiently high by increasing the pressure inside the nozzle.

[Purpose of the invention]

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a filling nozzle sterilizer for an aseptic filling device that is capable of maintaining the steam pressure inside the nozzle sufficiently high during sterilization of the filling nozzle to perform sterilization at a high steam temperature.

[Structure of the invention]

The purpose of this is to provide a frame that can be moved in the width direction within the filling chamber, a guide member that supports this frame and extends in the width direction of the filling chamber so that the frame can be moved from outside the filling chamber, and a frame that is movable up and down. a receiver for receiving a filling nozzle during sterilization; a vertical movement mechanism for moving the receiver up and down by operating the receiver from outside the filling chamber; This is achieved by means of a filling nozzle sterilizer of an aseptic filling device, which discharges heated steam to the outside and has a tube equipped with a restriction.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

2 and 3, the filling device M has a longitudinally extending casing 100, in which a filling chamber 101 in which a filling line is formed and a machine room 102 adjacent to this chamber 101 are formed. ing. A filling machine 103 is installed outside the casing 100, and this filling machine 103 is equipped with a filling pipe 104 extending above the top plate of the casing 100 in its width direction, and the tip of this filling pipe 104 descends to open a filling nozzle 105. is forming.

The filling chamber 101 includes a conveying chain 10.
6 is provided, and this conveying chain 106 is rotationally driven by a sprocket 107. This chain 106 includes a large number of pairs of claws 108, 108 for holding both sides of the pouch P, and only one pair of claws is shown in the figure.

The pouch P is prepared in the step 2 before the filling step.
The conveyance chain 106 is made by stacking continuous sheets, performing bottom sealing and side sealing, and then cutting the sheets between the side seals.
It is held in place and travels along the filling line. During transportation, the pouch P is moved by suction cups 113, 1, which are movable in a direction perpendicular to the transportation direction.
13, it is widened left and right and opened. When the pouch P is opened and reaches the filling position, a predetermined amount of filling material is filled from the filling nozzle 105 through the opening of the pouch P. The opening of the filled pouch P is then impulse-sealed by top sealers 114, 114, and is discharged to the outside through a shuttle 115 provided on the side surface of the casing 100.

Note that below the filling nozzle 105 of the casing 100, there is a filling nozzle 105 as shown in FIG.
A filling nozzle sterilizer 120 is provided for pre-sterilizing with heated steam, and this device 120 includes a horizontal movement mechanism that horizontally moves a receiving tube 123 that receives heated steam, and a vertical moving mechanism that moves the receiving tube up and down. The horizontal movement mechanism includes two guide rods 12 extending in the width direction of the casing.
1,121. A frame 122 is fixed to this guide rod 121, and this frame 12
2 is a receiving cylinder 123 in which the filling nozzle 105 is housed;
is supported via a presser frame 124. The upper ends of slide rods 125, 125 are fixed to this presser frame 124, and the slide rod 125 is attached to the frame 12.
The slide rod 125 is vertically slidably engaged with the frame 122. The upper end of a rack 126 is fixed to the side surface of the presser frame 124, and a pinion 128 that extends in the vertical direction and is fixed to the inner end of an operating shaft 127 is engaged with the rack 126. Mechanisms 126 and 128 constitute a vertical movement mechanism.
A handle 129 is fixed to the protruding end of the operating shaft 127 that protrudes outside the casing 100, and by rotating the handle 129, the receiving cylinder 1
23 is designed to move up and down.

The guide rod 121 and the operating shaft 127 are slidably supported by bearings b, b...b provided on the side surface of the casing, and the guide rod 121 is connected by a connecting plate 130 outside the casing.
The operating shaft 127 extends through the center of the connecting plate 130, and rotation of the operating shaft 127 causes the presser handle 13 to rotate.
1 operation.

The portions of the guide rod 121 and the actuating shaft 127 located inside the casing 100 are fitted with a bellows 13.
2, 132, . . . 132 and placed outside the casing is inserted into the casing, bacteria are prevented from entering the filling chamber. The receiving tube 123 communicates with the outside of the filling chamber 101 via a connecting bellows pipe 133 connected to the wall of the filling chamber 101 . Connecting bellows pipe 1
A throttle tube 13 having a throttle 134a on the outer side of the tube 33
4 are connected, and by throttling with this throttle 134a, the temperature of the heated steam increases during sterilization of the filling nozzle 105, and sterilization is completed.

When sterilizing the filling nozzle 105, the connecting plate 130 is pushed in from the standby position shown in the figure and the receiving tube 12 is sterilized.
After moving the pinion 1 directly below the filling nozzle 10 (operating position), rotate the handle 129 to remove the pinion 1.
28. Raise the receiver 123 via the rack 126 to receive the filling nozzle 105 into the receiver 123. Thereafter, the presser handle 131 is rotated to brake the rotation of the operating shaft 127 and start sterilization.
When the pre-sterilization is completed, the receiving tube 123 is lowered,
It is moved from directly below the filling nozzle 105 to its original position. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which a feed screw is used instead of the guide rod 121, and the frame 122 is engaged with the feed screw to rotate the feed screw from the outside.

The filling nozzle sterilizer may also be constructed in a rotary manner as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

That is, the filling nozzle sterilization device 200 includes a horizontal movement mechanism that rotates the receiving tube 105 in the horizontal direction;
It has a vertical movement mechanism that moves the receiver up and down,
In this case, both mechanisms share a rotary actuation shaft 201 provided vertically near the side wall of the casing 100, and said actuation shaft 201 is connected to an outer cylinder 201a forming part of the horizontal movement mechanism, and a rotatable actuator therein. It consists of an inner shaft 201b that is housed and forms a part of the vertical movement mechanism.The upper end of this rotary operating shaft 201 penetrates a bearing 202 provided on the casing top plate and projects upward, and the upper ends of both shafts 201b are Up and down handle 2
03, and a rotation handle 204 is fixed to the upper end of the outer cylinder 201a. The inner shaft 21
The lower end of 2b is threadedly engaged with a mounting plate 208, and this mounting plate 208 is connected via a connecting rod 207 to a base 206 of a receiving tube 207 connected to the filling nozzle 105. Further, a rotating plate 210 is connected to this connecting plate 208 via a connecting rod 209, and this rotating plate 210 is fixed to the lower end of the outer cylinder 201a.

The base 206 of the receiving tube is rotatably connected to the upper end of a discharge pipe 211, and the discharge pipe 211 is supported by a support frame 212 fixed to the casing 100.

When pre-sterilizing the filling nozzle 105, first rotate the rotation handle 204 toward the filling nozzle 105 to move the receiver 205 from the standby position to the filling 10.
5 directly below (operating position). Next, the vertical handle 203 is rotated in a direction in which the receiving tube 205 rises, thereby rotating the inner shaft 201b. In addition, the inner shaft 2
Since the lower end of the inner shaft 201b is threadedly engaged with the mounting plate 208, the rotation of the inner shaft 201b causes the receiving cylinder 205 to move up and down via the mounting plate 208. In this way,
After the receiving tube 205 is engaged with the lower end opening of the filling nozzle 105, heated steam is sent into the filling nozzle 105 for pre-sterilization. After sterilization, the receiver 205 is returned to its original position by performing a reverse operation.

In order to fix the receiving cylinder 205 in the standby position and the operating position directly below the filling nozzle 105, a screw-type stopper S,
S may be provided to stop the outer cylinder 201a at a predetermined position.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the filling nozzle can be received in the receiving cylinder by operating the horizontal movement mechanism and the vertical movement mechanism from outside the filling chamber. In this manner, the filling nozzle is fitted into the receiver while maintaining the inside of the filling chamber in a clean and sealed state, and the heated steam inside the filling nozzle can be discharged to the outside via the connecting bellows pipe. Further, since a constriction tube having a constriction is connected to the outside of the connecting bellows tube, the pressure inside the filling nozzle can be increased to maintain the heated steam temperature at a high level, thereby increasing the sterilization effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the main parts of a conventional vertical filling device.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an aseptic filling device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a filling nozzle sterilizing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a filling nozzle sterilizing device showing another embodiment of the present invention. A side view of the device, and FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view thereof. 100... Casing, 105... Filling nozzle, 106... Conveyance chain, 120... Filling nozzle sterilizer, 134... Throttle tube.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A receiver provided in the filling chamber, which engages the lower end of the filling nozzle during pre-sterilization of the filling nozzle and guides heated steam within the filling nozzle, and a receiving sleeve that prevents the receiver from getting in the way during the filling operation. a horizontal movement mechanism for horizontally moving the receiver between a standby position and an operating position located directly below the filling nozzle during pre-sterilization; a vertical movement mechanism for moving the receiver up and down; a connecting bellows pipe that connects the chamber wall surface and discharges heated steam in the filling nozzle to the outside; the horizontal moving mechanism and the vertical moving mechanism are disposed within the filling chamber; an operating section connected to the vertical movement mechanism and operating the horizontal movement mechanism and the vertical movement mechanism is provided outside the filling chamber;
A filling nozzle sterilizing device for an aseptic filling device, characterized in that a throttle tube having a throttle is connected to the outer side of the connecting bellows tube. 2. The horizontal movement mechanism includes a guide member that extends movably in the width direction of the filling chamber and is operable from outside the filling chamber, and a frame that is held by the guide member and supports the receiver, and the vertical movement mechanism includes: The aseptic filling device according to claim 1, comprising a rack and pinion mechanism for moving the receiving tube up and down with respect to the frame, and an operating shaft for operating the rack and pinion mechanism. Filling nozzle sterilizer. 3. The horizontal movement mechanism and the vertical movement mechanism share an operating shaft extending in the vertical direction, and the operating shaft includes an inner shaft and an outer cylinder in which the inner shaft is housed, and the receiving cylinder is rotatable in the horizontal direction. The inner shaft and the outer cylinder are each connected to a receiving cylinder, and the outer cylinder is connected to the receiving cylinder so that its rotational motion can be transmitted, and the inner shaft 2. A filling nozzle sterilizer for an aseptic filling device according to claim 1, wherein the filling nozzles are connected to the receiver so that their rotation is converted into vertical movement of the receiver.