BEVERAGE FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110094616A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Maekawa, Takaki, Takaku, Hitoshi, Hirooka, Takaharu, Hayakawa, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,108,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/186 Peroxide solutions
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/23 Containers, e.g. vials, bottles, syringes, mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/022 Making containers by moulding of a thermoplastic material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/10 by liquids or gases
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/103 Sterilising flat or tubular webs
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2003/227 Additional apparatus related to blow-moulding of the containers, e.g. a complete production line forming filled containers from preforms
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2003/228 Aseptic features
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/242 engaging with bottle necks B67C3/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 7/0073 Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing B67C3/2642 takes precedence

Abstract

Only a bottle properly preliminarily heated is sterilized by hydrogen peroxide. Temperature inspection to the bottle is performed while travelling the bottle. During the inspection, a bottle of which temperature does not reach a predetermined temperature is removed and a bottle of which temperature reaches the predetermined temperature is continuously travelled, hydrogen peroxide condensed mist α is blown toward a mouth portion 1a of the bottle by a spray tube 59 disposed at a predetermined position, and hot air is blown into the bottle from the nozzle while the nozzle 64 following the mouth portion of the bottle. According to such operation, only the bottle properly heated can be sterilized by the hydrogen peroxide, Thereafter, beverage fills the bottle, which is then sealed.

Claims

1. A beverage filling method comprising the steps of:

forming a bottle from a heated preform through a blow molding process;

inspecting the bottle after the molding;

blowing hydrogen peroxide mist or gas to the bottle within a time in which heat applied to the preform remains after the inspection; and

filling the bottle with beverage and then sealing the bottle.

2. The beverage filling method according to claim 1, wherein the bottle is subjected to an air-rinse treatment by aseptic air after the blowing of the hydrogen peroxide mist or gas into the bottle, and the bottle is then filled with the beverage and sealed.

3. The beverage filling method according to claim 1, wherein the bottle is subjected to a rinse treatment with heated aseptic water after the blowing of the hydrogen peroxide mist or gas into the bottle, and the bottle is then filled with the beverage and sealed.

4. The beverage filling method according to claim 2, wherein the bottle is subjected to a rinse treatment with aseptic water after an air-rinse treatment, and the bottle is then filled with the beverage and sealed.

5. The beverage filling method according to claim 4, wherein the bottle is subjected to a rinse treatment with aseptic water after the air-rinse treatment with aseptic air containing hydrogen peroxide gas, and the bottle is then filled with the beverage and sealed.

6. The beverage filling method according to claim 1, wherein a travelling path is provided so that the molded bottle is continuously travelled to a section at which the sealing of the bottle is performed, the travelling path being formed from a wheel row around which grippers are arranged, and the bottle is transferred from an upstream side wheel to a downstream side wheel in a state that a neck portion of the bottle is grasped by the gripper around the respective wheels while revolving.

7. The beverage filling method according to claim 1, wherein all the processes of molding the bottle from the heated preform through the blow molding process to the beverage filling and bottle sealing process is performed while continuously travelling the bottle, after the molding process and before the sterilization process, a temperature of the bottle to which heat at the preform heating process remains is inspected, a bottle of which temperature does not reach a predetermined temperature is removed, and only a bottle of which temperature reaches the predetermined temperature is sterilized and filled with the beverage.

8. The beverage filling method according to claim 7, wherein the inspection process is performed by inspecting the bottle temperature and imaging a shell portion of the bottle.

9. The beverage filling method according to claim 7, wherein the inspection process is performed by inspecting the bottle temperature and imaging a bottom portion of the bottle.

10. The beverage filling method according to claim 7, wherein the inspection process is performed by inspecting the bottle temperature and imaging a top face of a neck portion of the bottle.

11. The beverage filling method according to claim 7, wherein the inspection process is performed by inspecting the bottle temperature and imaging a support ring of a neck portion of the bottle.

12. A beverage filling apparatus comprising:

a molding section for molding a bottle from a heated preform through a blow molding process;

a sterilization section for sterilizing the bottle molded in the molding section with hydrogen peroxide mist or hydrogen peroxide gas; and

a filling section for filling the bottle sterilized in the sterilization section with beverage and then sealing the bottle, in which the molding section, the sterilization section and the filling section are coupled continuously with each other, bottle travelling means is disposed for continuously travelling the bottle on a travelling path from the molding section to the filling section through the sterilization section, and a portion from the sterilization section to the filling section is covered by a chamber,

wherein an inspection section for performing a predetermined inspection to the bottle molded in the molding section is disposed between the molding section and the sterilization section so as to be coupled therewith, the inspection section including discharging means for discharging, from the bottle travelling path, a bottle judged as a defective bottle by the inspection and positive pressure creating means for creating positive pressure in the inspection section more than pressures in the molding section and the sterilization section, and

wherein the travelling means is provided with wheels disposed in a row from the molding section toward the filling section and a gripper turning around the wheels while gripping the bottle neck portion and transferring the bottle from an upstream side wheel to a downstream side wheel, the gripper being controlled in a travelling speed such that a heat applied to the preform and remaining to the bottle is maintained to a temperature necessary for the sterilization of the bottle in the bottle sterilization section.

13. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an air-rinse section for air-rinsing, with aseptic air, the bottle sterilized in the sterilization section is further disposed between the sterilization section and the filling section.

14. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an aseptic water rinse section for rinsing, with heated aseptic water, the bottle sterilized in the sterilization section is further disposed between the sterilization section and the filling section.

15. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an aseptic water rinse section is disposed between the air-rinse section and the filling section.

16. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 15, wherein air containing hydrogen peroxide gas is blown against the bottle in the air-rinse section.

17. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wheels are sectioned into a desired number of rows, each of which is driven by an independent servo-motor.

18. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the inspection section is provided with temperature inspection means for detecting a temperature of the bottle and judging quality of the bottle.

19. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the gripper travelling in the inspection section is effected with matte surface treatment.

20. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein gripper interference prevention means is provided for preventing interference between grippers at a time of stopping one of the molding section side wheel and the inspection section side wheel adjacent to the molding section side wheel.

21. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an atmosphere shutoff chamber is disposed between a chamber of the inspection section and a chamber of the sterilization section, clean air is supplied into the chamber of the inspection section by air supply means, and air is discharged from the atmosphere shut off chamber by discharge means.

22. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the discharge means, for discharging outside the hydrogen peroxide mist or gas from the chamber of the sterilization section, is disposed at a portion at which the chamber of the sterilization section contacts the atmosphere shutoff chamber.

23. The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 21, wherein an air nozzle forming an air curtain is disposed at a portion at which the chamber of the sterilization section contacts the atmosphere shutoff chamber.