Means for lid sterilization and temporal sealing

• US 4,981,649 A
• Filed: 03/10/1989
• Issued: 01/01/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd. (Megmilk Snow Brand Company Limited), Yoshino Kogyosho Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd. (Megmilk Snow Brand Company Limited), Yoshino Kogyosho Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tatsuo, Shibauchi, Yoshito, Hatanaka, Kohichi, Mogi, Katsuyuki, Hanada, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/321,870
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 422/24, 422/303, 422/304, 250/455.1, 414/225, 141/63, 141/91, 53/167
• US Class Current: 422/24
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/04 Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging sterilising bottles B67C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2807 Feeding closures
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2878 by heat-sealing

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and means for lid sterilization and temporal sealing. With the lid sterilization means, a lid'"'"'s whole surface is completely sterilized, while it is held and revolved, and the lid then is put on the opening of a container which is hung by a flange on a pair of rails and carried by a pushing plate. With the temporal sealing means, the lid is partially pushed on the flange by a heater and is briefly and temporarily sealed.

Claims

1. A method for sterilizing a lid and thereafter providing said lid on top of a container, the container having been previously sterilized, in a non-germ atmosphere, the method comprising:

intermittently rotating a rotary drum such that it moves to successive stop positions, the rotary drum having a plurality of rooms, each of which has an opening that intermittently and airtightly faces an inner surface of a wall cylinder having at least one mouth,

and, through each mouth of said wall cylinder, (a) providing a lid into one of said rooms, (b) applying a sterilizer and ultraviolet rays into the room to sterilize said lid and (c) blowing hot wind into the room to dry said lid, each of steps (a) - (c) being performed in order at different stop positions.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lid is held alternatively by a first sucking disk and a second sucking disk provided on said rotary drum, one of which is arranged to move upwardly and downwardly more than the other, at least while said sterilizer and ultraviolet rays are applied and hot wind is blown into the room.

3. A lid sterilization means comprising an outer cylinder which seals both sides of a cylindrically shaped wall cylinder,

and a rotary drum which comprises a number of concave shaped rooms at fixed positions on an outer surface of said rotary drum, each room airtightly facing an inner surface of said wall cylinder, the rotary drum being installed in said outer cylinder to intermittently rotate by fixed angular amounts between stop positions,

said wall cylinder having, at portions adjacent where said rooms intermittently stop, with a carry-in mouth through which said lid is carried into said room, a sterilizer apply mouth to apply sterilizer means therethrough, an ultraviolet rays apply mouth to apply ultraviolet rays therethrough, a hot wind passage mouth for blowing hot wind therethrough and a carry-out mouth to carry out said lid therethrough.

4. A lid sterilization means as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a first sucking disk and a second sucking disk, arranged to alternatively hold said lid at different heights, said second sucking disk being secured at a fixed position, said first sucking disk being able to move up and down farther than said second sucking disk.

5. A lid sterilization means as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first sucking disk is arranged to move upwardly and downwardly following rotation of a cam plate while said rotary drum is at a stop position.

6. A lid sterilization means as claimed in claim 3 wherein said hot wind passage mouth is big enough to face and interconnect with a number of said rooms at a stop position.

7. A lid sterilization means as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a vacuum manifold secured to said rotary drum, the vacuum manifold comprising a first passage for said first sucking disk and a second passage for said second sucking disk,

and a vacuum disk airtightly, rotatably and coaxially secured to said vacuum manifold, the vacuum disk rotating intermittently by the same angular amounts as said rotary drum, the vacuum disk comprising a first bypass and a second bypass which interconnect and disconnect said first passage and second passage to a vacuum chamber.