JPH0815904B2 - Sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a sterilizer for sterilizing cartons for paper containers for storing drinks of milk or juice, which is called, for example, a Gobeltop type.

[Prior Art] FIG. 12 shows a Gobel-top type paper beverage container 1.
When manufacturing this container 1, as shown in FIG. 13, after sterilizing a cylindrical carton 4 of a constant length with both ends open, heating, temporary folding, and sealing steps are performed, and as shown in FIG. Is molded into a flat bottom shape. After this, fill the required beverage,
As shown in FIG. 12, the upper part 3 is formed into a gable shape, and the container 1
To complete.

This container sterilization step is generally performed by spraying a hydrogen peroxide solution as a sterilizing agent on the inner and outer surfaces of the opened carton 4 or by immersing it in a sterilizing solution and then drying with hot air. There is. Further, after forming the bottom of the carton into a flat bottom shape, spraying a bactericide while transporting using a chain and drying with hot air are also performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in sterilization by spraying a sterilizing solution, the spray of the bactericide may be non-uniform, or the spray amount thereof may be insufficient, in which case sterilization failure may occur. . On the other hand, if the entire carton is immersed in the disinfectant, the possibility of sterilization failure is eliminated, but it is difficult to remove the disinfectant by subsequent hot air drying, and there is a risk that the disinfectant remains on the inner surface of the container. Also,
When the sterilizing agent is sprayed while the carton is transported by the chain, the distance required for this step becomes extremely long, and the entire sterilizing apparatus including the sterilizing step becomes extremely large.

Further, these sterilizers are commonly used with a filling and packaging device that molds the bottom of a sterilized carton, fills the beverage, and seals the top to form a beverage container filling and packaging facility. Therefore, it is extremely strongly desired to downsize the entire filling and packaging equipment including a sterilizing device for completely sterilizing the carton and removing the sterilizing agent, and a filling and packaging device for filling the sterilized carton with the beverage and forming the container. It is rare.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is possible to completely sterilize a carton, efficiently remove the sterilizing agent from the carton, and to reduce the size of the entire filling and packaging equipment including the sterilizing device and the filling and packaging device. An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A sterilizer according to the present invention is a sterilizer tank circulation device in which hollow beverage container cartons having open ends on both sides are sequentially dipped in the sterilizer tank and pulled up from the sterilizer tank. The sterilized carton is sequentially immersed in the washing tank, circulated and circulated and pulled from the washing tank. A circulation device for the cleaning tank, and a sterile air jetting device arranged adjacent to each of these circulation devices. The air ejection device includes a rotation support member attached to a drive shaft that intermittently rotates each circulation device, a plurality of nozzle members attached to the peripheral portion of the rotation support member at equal intervals, and each of these nozzle members. Has a nozzle port opened at the tip of
The sterilizing air and the cleaning agent on the inner surface of the carton pulled up from the sterilizing tank and the cleaning tank are blown off by the aseptic air ejected from the nozzle opening.

[Operation] The sterilizer of the present invention sterilizes the carton by sequentially immersing the carton in the sterilization tank with the circulation device and pulling it up from these. The completely sterilized carton is successively immersed in the washing tank by a circulation device and then pulled up to wash away the sterilizing agent adhering to the surface of the carton. Further, the sterile air jetting device arranged adjacent to each circulation device blows sterile air from the nozzle port at the tip of the nozzle member onto the inner surface of each carton pulled up from the sterilization tank and the cleaning tank. This prevents the disinfectant and the cleaning liquid from being carried to the next step.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a sterilizer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sterilization device 10 is used for filling and packaging, for example, the gobel top type container 1 shown in FIG. 12 together with the aseptic filling and packaging device.

The sterilization apparatus 10 is wholly disposed in the aseptic chamber 10a, and in the supply section 11 on the right side of the figure, it is expanded from a flat folded state to a state in which both sides are opened as shown in FIG. Cartons 4 are sequentially supplied. This supply section 11
The carton 4 supplied from the above is sterilized by the sterilization unit 12, the sterilizing agent is washed off by the cleaning unit 14, and then dried by the drying unit 16.

The sterilization unit 12 has, for example, 35% by weight heated to about 80 ° C.
A sterilization tank 20 containing the hydrogen peroxide solution as a sterilizing agent is provided below, and the carton 4 is laterally held and circulated in the sterilization tank 20 by an endless circulation device 18.

The circulation device 18 includes a large number of retainers 19 for laterally holding the carton 4, two endless chains 21 for holding the retainers 19 at equal intervals, and a sprocket 23 around which the chains 21 are wound. Prepare The sprocket 23 is attached to a drive shaft 15 extending over the sterilization unit 12, the cleaning unit 14, and the drying unit 16, and is intermittently rotated by the drive shaft 15.

 FIG. 2 schematically shows the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18.

As shown in the figure, the retainer 19 is formed by four guide rails 17 that guide the edge of the carton 4 and a bracket 17a that fixes the guide rail 17 to the chain 21. These guide rails 17 are formed in an L-shaped cross section and guide the carton 4 along the direction of the drive shaft 15. Also carton 4
The guide rails 17 are curved outward at the end on the side for receiving the carton 4, and the carton 4 is smoothly inserted into the retainer 19.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, when the circulation device 18 is intermittently rotated by the sprocket 23 mounted on the drive shaft 15, the carton 4 is successively immersed in the sterilization tank 20 and pulled up from the sterilization tank. . Since both ends of the carton 4 are open and are horizontally immersed in the sterilization tank 20, the sterilizing agent is completely spread to the inner surface of the carton 4, and sterilization unevenness due to adhesion of bubbles and the like does not occur.

 The carton 4 that has been sterilized is sent to the cleaning unit 14.

In this cleaning unit 14, a cleaning tank 22 containing a cleaning liquid and a circulation device 18 similar to the sterilization unit 12 are arranged. A certain amount of sterile water that has been completely sterilized by a sterile filter is stored in this cleaning tank 22 as a cleaning agent, and this sterile water is maintained at 60 ° C or higher and 80 ° C or lower to more completely remove the bactericide. Preferably.

As in the case of the sterilization unit 12, in the cleaning unit 14, when the circulation device 18 that holds the carton 4 by the retainer 19 is intermittently rotated by the drive shaft 15 and the sprocket 23,
The carton 4 is successively dipped in the cleaning tank 22 and then pulled up, and the germicide attached to the surface is washed off with a cleaning liquid.

A drying unit 24 for drying the carton 4 is provided with a drying tank 24 and a circulation device 18 similar to the sterilizing unit 12. A large number of hot air nozzles 26 are fixedly installed in the drying tank 24 along the traveling path of the circulation device 18, and are fed from the hot air supply pipe 28 while the carton 4 is intermittently rotated by the circulation device 18. Hot air is jetted toward the carton 4 and dried.

A more similar drying unit may be provided after the drying unit 16 to perform more complete drying. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the hot air nozzles in the opposite direction to the hot air nozzles 26 arranged in the drying tank 24 of the drying section 16.

In addition, the feeding mechanism that feeds the carton 4 in order from the supply unit 11 to the discharge unit 17 through the sterilization unit 12, the cleaning unit 14, and the drying unit 16,
For example, a claw member that engages one end of the carton 4 may be of a normal structure in which it can be drawn in a chain or a reciprocating rod, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a sterilizing air jetting device 30 is arranged in the upper part of each of the sterilization unit 12 and the cleaning unit 14 adjacent to the circulation device 18. The sterile air jetting device 30 includes a sterile air supply device 32 and a nozzle device 34.

2 to 5 show the nozzle device 34 of the sterile air ejection device 30, and FIG. 6 shows the sterile air supply device 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle device 34 is provided with a disk-shaped rotation support member 36 whose central portion is fixed to the drive shaft 15, and the rotation support member 36 has a peripheral portion of the adjacent circulation device 18. Four rod-shaped nozzle members 39 mounted at the same intervals as the retainer 19 are mounted. This nozzle member 39 is
A rectangular tip 3 with a continuous nozzle opening 38a on the periphery
8 and a projecting piece 39a protruding from the base end portion, and is attached to the rotation supporting member 36 so as to move in the axial direction.

The nozzle port 38a of the nozzle member 38 is formed in a structure that ejects sterile air in a state of being inclined toward the tip side, and when inserting the tip portion 38 into the carton 4, the inside of the carton 4 is inclined in the forward direction of this moving direction. Blow sterile air onto the surface. Furthermore,
It is preferable to provide a nozzle port that is adjacent to the nozzle port 38a that is inclined and ejected toward the tip side and that is inclined in the opposite direction and that ejects sterile air. In this case, carton 4
Even when the nozzle member 38 is extracted from the container, aseptic air can be ejected onto the inner surface of the carton 4 while being inclined in the moving direction. In any case, the nozzle port 38a is provided with a sterile air supply device via an air passage extending in the nozzle member 39.
It is connected to 32, and aseptic air is supplied at the insertion position and the extraction position of the nozzle member 39 described later.

Then, when the drive shaft 15 stops, the nozzle member 39
A moving mechanism for moving the nozzle member 39 horizontally along the axial direction is arranged in order to insert the distal end portion 38 of the nozzle member 38 into the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18.

The moving mechanism of the present embodiment is formed of a rack 40 and a pinion 42 that meshes with the rack 40, and the rack 40 has a locking piece 40a that engages with the projecting piece 39a of the nozzle member 39. Pinion
When the rack 42 rotates, the rack 40 is horizontally guided by the guide portion 41 along the axial direction of the nozzle member 39. Further, in order to extract the tip end portion 38 of the nozzle member 39 from the retainer 19,
A similar moving mechanism (not shown) is arranged on the radially opposite side of the rotation support member 36.

Next, the operation of the nozzle device 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. Incidentally, FIG. 3 shows the nozzle device 34 of FIG.
The circulation device 18 is seen from above, FIG. 4 is seen from the front side, and FIG. 5 is seen from the side.

Since both the circulation device 18 and the rotation support member 36 are intermittently rotated by the drive shaft 15, and the retainer 19 and the nozzle member 39 are arranged at equal intervals to each other, when the drive shaft 15 is stopped, the sterilization tank 20 or the washing tank is washed. The retainer 19 that holds the carton 4 that has been dipped in the tank 22 and pulled up from now is disposed so as to face the tip end portion 38 of the nozzle member 39 in the axial direction. At this time, the nozzle member 39 occupies the insertion position of the moving mechanism arranged side by side with the rack 40, and the base end side of the projecting piece 39a is arranged close to the locking piece 40a of the rack 40. The relationship between the nozzle member 39 and the rack 40 at this insertion position is the second.
The relationship between the lower nozzle member 39 and the rack 40 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to this. Further, in FIG. 5, the rack 40 on the right side of the drawing corresponds to this, but the nozzle member 39 is not shown here.

When the pinion 42 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown on the lower side of FIG. 3, the rack 40 meshing with the pinion 42 moves leftward in FIG. 3, and the nozzle member 39 also locks the engaging piece 40a and the projecting piece 39a. Move in the same direction as rack 40 through. The tip end 38 of the nozzle member 39 is inserted into the carton 4 while ejecting sterile air from the nozzle port 38a in a state of being inclined forward in the moving direction with respect to the inner surface of the carton 4 held by the retainer 19. Blow off water droplets of disinfectant or cleaning agent from the inside surface of the.

When the drive shaft 15 rotates 90 ° in the direction of the arrow, the nozzle member 39 previously inserted in the carton 4 reaches the top position while being arranged in the carton 4 of the retainer 19.
When the drive shaft 15 is stopped in this state, the nozzle member 39 that has been moved to the insertion position is moved to the rack 40 as shown in FIG.
The nozzle member 39 is moved by the rack 40 and the pinion 42 and inserted into the carton 4 held by the retainer 19 as described above.

When the drive shaft 15 further stops after rotating by 90 °, the nozzle member 39, which has been arranged at the top position as described above, together with the carton 4 in the retainer 19, together with the insertion of the nozzle member 39, is extracted in the radial direction. The position is reached where it is juxtaposed with the rack 40 of the transfer mechanism. This state corresponds to the relationship between the nozzle member 39 and the rack 40 shown on the upper side of FIG. 3, and the nozzle member 39 and the rack 40 on the left side of the drawing in FIG. 5 correspond to this.

When the upper pinion 42 in FIG. 3 rotates counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow, the rack 40 is moved to the right in FIG. 3, and the nozzle member is engaged via the locking piece 40a and the projecting piece 39a.
39 is removed from carton 4. When the sterile air is ejected from the nozzle opening 38a of the tip portion 38 when the nozzle member 39 is pulled out, the water droplets can be more completely removed.
In this case, in addition to the nozzle opening 38a for ejecting aseptic air in a state of inclining to the tip end side of the nozzle member 39, the nozzle member 39 for ejecting aseptic air in an inclined state to the rear end side is provided, so that the nozzle member 39 is extracted. Even at this time, the water droplets can be efficiently removed while chasing the water droplets toward the front in the moving direction of the nozzle member 39.

The nozzle member 39 ejected from the carton 4 is sequentially rotated to pass through the lower position, and then is again placed at the insertion position as shown in FIG. 2 to repeat the above operation.

Although the above embodiment has four nozzle members 39,
More nozzle members 39 may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sterile air supply device 32 includes a support member.
A cylindrical fixing member 32a attached to the machine frame of the sterilization device 10 via 31 and a rotating member 32b attached to the outer peripheral portion of the fixing member 32a, and the drive shaft via the fixing member 32a. 15
Is rotatably inserted, and the rotating member 32b rotates together with the drive shaft 15. The fixing member 32a includes a pair of supply holes 44 connected to a sterile air pressure source, and an air reservoir communicating with each supply hole 44.
45 and a distribution hole 46 communicating with each air reservoir 45.
The rotating member 32b is connected to the nozzle port 38a via the air passage of the nozzle member 39. In this embodiment, there are four communication holes 48, and these communication holes 48 communicate with the air passage of the nozzle member 39 via the flexible pipe member.

In this aseptic air supply device 32, the rotary member 32b has a drive shaft 15
Together with the supply of sterile air to the nozzle opening 38a of the nozzle member 39 arranged at the insertion position and the extraction position, the nozzle opening 38 of the nozzle member 39 arranged at the top position and the lower position
Do not supply sterile air to a.

The aseptic air jetting device 30 removes water droplets of the sterilizing agent or the cleaning agent from the inner surface of the carton 4, and further, between the sterilizing section 12 and the cleaning section 14 and the cleaning section 14.
A normal disinfectant removing device for removing these water drops from the outer surface of the carton 4 may be provided between the drying section 16 and the drying section 16.

Therefore, according to the sterilization apparatus 10 including the aseptic air blowing device 30, the carton 4 supplied by the supply unit 11 is laterally held by the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18 in the sterilization unit 12 while being stored in the sterilization tank 20. It is successively dipped in the bactericide and then pulled up. Since the carton 4 is immersed in the sterilization tank 20 with both ends open and arranged horizontally, the sterilizing agent does not completely reach the inner surface of the carton 4 and bactericidal unevenness due to adhesion of bubbles or the like does not occur.

The carton 4 pulled up from the sterilization tank 20 has a circulation device 18
The aseptic air ejected from the nozzle port 38a of the tip 38 of the nozzle member 39 inserted into the carton 4 when it reaches the insertion position of the nozzle member 39 of the aseptic air ejector 30. As a result, water drops of the germicide are blown off. The carton 4 blown away with the germicide has a nozzle member 39
Is extracted and then sent to the cleaning unit 14.

In the cleaning section 14, the carton 4 is immersed in the cleaning tank 22 while being held horizontally by the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18, and is then pulled up. The disinfectant adhering to the surface of the carton 4 is washed with the cleaning liquid and flows down with the cleaning liquid when it is pulled up from the cleaning tank 22. Then, the carton 4 pulled up from the cleaning tank 22 is moved further upward and the nozzle member 39
When reaching the insertion position, the cleaning liquid is blown off by the sterile air similarly ejected from the nozzle port 38a of the nozzle member 39, and after this nozzle member 39 is pulled out at the extraction position, it is sent to the drying unit 16. .

In the drying section 16, the carton 4 is intermittently rotated in the drying tank 24 while being held by the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18.
Then, while being circulated in the drying tank 24, the carton 4 is completely dried by the hot air jetted through the supply pipe 28 and the hot air nozzle 26. Then, the carton 4 which has been dried is carried out to the filling and packaging step next to the discharging section 17.

7 to 11 show a sterile air ejection device 50 according to another embodiment.

This aseptic air ejection device 50 uses a rotation support member 53 as a drive shaft.
An aseptic air supply device 51 fixed to 15 and through which the drive shaft 15 is rotatably inserted is brought into contact with the rotation support member 53 in an airtight and rotatable manner. Similar to the nozzle member 39, four nozzle members 52 each having a nozzle opening (not shown) formed in the peripheral portion of the rectangular tip end portion are fixed to the rotation supporting member 53 at equal intervals. Each of these nozzle members 52 is formed with an air passage communicating with sterile air at the nozzle opening, and this air passage opens on the surface opposite to the rotation support member 53. On the other hand, on the surface of the sterile air supply device 51 that abuts the rotation support member 53,
Two aseptic air supply ports are opened at positions corresponding to the insertion position and the withdrawal position of the nozzle member 39 in the above embodiment, and the nozzle member 52 fixed to the rotating member 53 rotates to the insertion position and the withdrawal position and stops. When the nozzle member 52
Aseptic air is supplied to the nozzle port of.

Further, a carton 4 is provided around the periphery of each of these nozzle members 52.
The four guide rails 54 having an L-shaped cross section for holding are fixed.

Then, at a position corresponding to the insertion position and the withdrawal position in the above-mentioned embodiment, the carton 4 is inserted from the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18 into the guide rail 54 of the aseptic air ejection device 50, and the normal traverse chain 56 is withdrawn therefrom. 2 sets are arranged. The transverse feed chain 56 has a claw member 58 capable of locking the end of the carton 4, and the claw member 58 projects from the chain 56 at a portion which linearly moves by an appropriate guide member.
After moving the carton 4 to a predetermined position, it is retracted inward from the chain 56. FIG. 7 shows the retainer 19 of the circulation device 18.
FIG. 8 is a view showing the transverse feed chain 56 for insertion for moving the carton 4 from the aseptic air ejection device 50 to the aseptic air ejection device 50, and FIG. A transverse feed chain 56 for insertion and withdrawal is shown at the top and the top, respectively. Further, FIG. 10 shows a transverse feed chain 56 for extraction, and FIG. 11 shows a transverse feed chain for insertion.

According to this aseptic air ejection device 50, the carton 4 pulled up from the sterilization tank 20 or the cleaning tank 22 is further raised by the circulation device 18 and reaches the insertion position aligned with the nozzle member 52 of the aseptic air ejection device 50. At this insertion position, the carton 4 is moved from the retainer 19 along the guide rail 54 by the transverse feed chain 56 and inserted onto the nozzle member 52. During this period, the carton 4 is blown off with water droplets of a sterilizing agent or a cleaning agent with aseptic air ejected from the nozzle opening at the tip of the nozzle member 52. After that, when the carton 4 is held by the guide rail 54 and reaches the extraction position via the top position,
It is extracted from this by the lateral feed chain 56 and
Returned to Retainer 19.

Therefore, aseptic air jetting device 30, 5 of either embodiment
Even when 0 is used, the sterilization apparatus 10 can completely sterilize the carton 4 and can completely remove and dry the sterilizing agent, and further, the overall structure of the sterilization apparatus 10 can be made small and an inexpensive apparatus can be obtained. .

[Effect] As is apparent from the above, according to the present invention, the carton can be completely sterilized, and the bactericide can be efficiently removed, and the entire filling and packaging equipment including the sterilization device and the filling and packaging device can be downsized. , Can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the overall arrangement of a sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the sterile air ejection apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is its plan view, and FIG. Figure is IV of Figure 3
-A front view taken along line IV, FIG. 5 is a side view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a sterile air supply device, and FIG. 7 is a sterile air jet device according to another embodiment. A schematic perspective view of
8 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 9 is a front view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is a view taken along line XX of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is XI of FIG. A view along the line XI, FIGS. 12 to 14 show a beverage container to be sterilized by the sterilizer of FIG. 1, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a completed state, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the carton, Figure 14 is a perspective view of the lower part. 1 ... Beverage container, 2 ... Bottom part, 3 ... Top part, 4 ... Carton, 12 ... Sterilization part, 14 ... Washing part, 16 ... Drying part, 18
...... Circulator, 19 …… Retainer, 20 …… Sterilization tank, 22 ……
Washing tank, 24 …… drying tank, 30,50 …… Sterile air blowing device, 3
2,51 …… Sterile air supply device, 34 …… Nozzle device, 36,53
...... Rotary support member, 38,52 …… Nozzle member.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Takuya Adachi 1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-63-138931 (JP, A) JP-A 1-279028 (JP, A)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sterilization tank circulation device in which hollow beverage container cartons having open ends on both sides are successively immersed in the sterilization tank and pulled up from the sterilization tank, and the sterilized cartons are successively immersed in the cleaning tank. The circulating device of the cleaning tank that circulates and circulates and pulls from the cleaning tank, and the sterile air jetting device arranged adjacent to each of these circulating devices are provided. A rotary support member mounted on a drive shaft that rotates, a plurality of nozzle members mounted at equal intervals on the peripheral portion of the rotary support member, and a nozzle port opened at the tip of each of these nozzle members. A sterilizing device having the sterilizing agent and the cleaning agent on the inner surface of the carton pulled up from the sterilizing tank and the cleaning tank, respectively, with aseptic air ejected from the nozzle opening. 2. The nozzle member, with respect to the rotation support member,
The sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizer is mounted so as to be movable along the axial direction of the drive shaft, and the tip of the nozzle member can be inserted into the carton of each circulation device. 3. The sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle member is fixed to a rotation supporting member, and is provided with a detaching device for sequentially mounting and withdrawing the cartons of each circulating device while the cartons are stopped. apparatus.