Aseptic filling system

• US 9,321,621 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Harashima, Takashi, Kondo, Haruhiko, Kitano, Koji, Akiyama, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Hemant M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neacsu, Valentin
• Application Number:
  US13/699,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 531/67, 532/81, 535/61, 535/25, 425/534, 425/150, 428/36.92, 198/571, 198/478.1, 198/575, 198/469.1, 198/470.1, 198/576, 198/577
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/023 using inherent heat of the preform, i.e. 1 step blow moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4676 being dry air to surround or flush parts of the blow moulding apparatus, e.g. blow mould, preforms or parisons
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4679 Sterile gas to surround or flush parts of the blow-moulding apparatus, e.g. blowing means, preforms or parisons
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4697 Clean room
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4698 Pressure difference, e.g. over pressure in room
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7878 Preform or article handling, e.g. flow from station to station
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/76 Measuring, controlling or regulating measuring in general G01; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/36 rotatable about one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4205 Handling means, e.g. transfer, loading or discharging means handling of inserts or reinforcements B29C49/20; handling of linings or labels B29C49/2408
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42057 Aligning disorderly arranged preforms, e.g. delivered disorderly
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42107 with accumulator or temporary storage, e.g. while waiting for the blowing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42808 Filling the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/46 characterised by using particular environment or blow fluids other than air
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/78 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• 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 7/0073 Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing B67C3/2642 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an aseptic filling system which is disposed in an aseptic environment and with which preforming, bottle formation, and filling of bottles with a beverage are performed in an aseptic state. The aseptic filling system includes a preform molding machine, a blowing machine for forming bottles by blowing up the preforms molded by the preform molding machine, and a filling machine for filling the bottles formed by the blowing machine with the beverage.

Claims

1. An aseptic filling system disposed in an aseptic environment and performing molding of preforms, bottle forming, and filling of bottles with a beverage in an aseptic state, the aseptic filling system comprising:

a preform molding machine;

a blowing machine for forming bottles by blowing up the preforms molded by the preform molding machine; and

a filling machine for filling the bottles formed by the blowing machine with the beverage, wherein

the blowing machine and the filling machine are integrated with each other by a plurality of star wheels that are rotatable and capable of holding the bottles at a circumferential portion thereof, and

the bottles formed by the blowing machine are fed to the filling machine successively via the plurality of star wheels,

wherein the plurality of star wheels comprises;

an unloading star wheel for taking out the bottles formed by the blowing machine; and

a filling star wheel for supplying the bottles to the filling machine; and

a delivering star wheel for delivering the bottles, held by the unloading star wheel, to the filling star wheel is disposed between the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel, and

wherein the delivering star wheel is configured to be changed in position to an operating state of engaging with the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel and to a retreated state of temporarily being able to block an interval of latching between the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel by moving away from at least any of the wheels.

2. The aseptic filling system according to claim 1, wherein

the preform molding machine comprises an injection molding machine that performs batch-wise injection molding while melting a resin continuously,

the injection molding machine includes molds comprising at least bipartite members that are closed during injection molding and opened up when taking out the preforms and a removing unit removing and unloading the preforms attached to one of the molds to a predetermined position when the molds are opened, and

the molds and the removing unit are disposed inside an aseptic environment meeting predetermined conditions.

3. The aseptic filling system according to claim 2, wherein

at a start of injection molding by the injection molding machine, the batch-wise injection molding is performed just a predetermined number of times to form the preforms and the molded preforms are taken out by the removing unit and unloaded out of the aseptic environment meeting predetermined conditions.

4. The aseptic filling system according to claim 1, wherein

the blowing machine comprises:

an oven for heating the conveyed preforms to a predetermined temperature; and

a bottle-forming mechanism blowing up and forming the preforms heated by the oven into bottles.

5. The aseptic filling system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shutter unit temporarily closing a communicating path between the blowing machine and the filling machine when the delivering star wheel is in the retreated state, and

wherein in the state where the shutter unit is closed, a side of the blowing machine can be sterilized using a non-aqueous method, and

a side of the filling machine can be sterilized using an aqueous method.

6. The aseptic filling system according to claim 1, wherein

the preform molding machine, the blowing machine, and the filling machine are covered by a clean booth that demarcates an aseptic environment in its interior, and the interior of the clean booth is set at a pressure higher than an exterior pressure of the clean booth.

7. The aseptic filling system according to claim 6, wherein

the clean booth covering the respective equipment has, on an upper surface thereof, a fan for sucking in air from the exterior of the clean booth and the clean booth has HEPA filters or ULPA filters aligned at predetermined intervals for filtering the air sucked in by the fan, and

the clean booth has, on a lower surface side thereof, an exhaust window through which the air inside the clean booth is exhausted.

8. The aseptic filling system according to claim 7, wherein

the clean booth covering the respective equipment is further disposed inside an aseptic environment of a predetermined degree of cleanness.

9. The aseptic filling system according to claim 1, wherein

the blowing machine is arranged from a rotary type blowing machine that is capable of forming the bottles while rotating the preforms, the rotary type blowing machine being engaged with the plurality of star wheels to be integrated with the same, and

the filling machine is arranged from a rotary type filling machine capable of filling the bottles with the beverage while rotating the bottles, the rotary type filling machine being engaged with the plurality of star wheels to be integrated with the same.

10. An aseptic filling system disposed in an aseptic environment and performing molding of preforms, bottle forming, and filling of bottles with a beverage in an aseptic state, the aseptic filling system comprising:

a preform molding machine;

a preform buffer for temporarily storing the preforms molded by the preform molding machine;

a blowing machine for forming bottles by blowing up the preforms; and

a filling machine for filling the bottles formed by the blowing machine with the beverage, wherein

the blowing machine and the filling machine are integrated with each other by a plurality of star wheels that are rotatable and capable of holding the bottles at a circumferential portion thereof, and

the bottles formed by the blowing machine are fed to the filling machine successively via the plurality of star wheels,

wherein the plurality of star wheels comprises;

an unloading star wheel for taking out the bottles formed by the blowing machine; and

a filling star wheel for supplying the bottles to the filling machine; and

a delivering star wheel for delivering the bottles, held by the unloading star wheel, to the filling star wheel is disposed between the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel, and

wherein the delivering star wheel is configured to be changed in position to an operating state of engaging with the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel and to a retreated state of temporarily being able to block an interval of latching between the unloading star wheel and the filling star wheel by moving away from at least any of the wheels.

11. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, wherein

the preform molding machine comprises an injection molding machine that performs batch-wise injection molding while melting a resin continuously,

the injection molding machine includes molds comprising at least bipartite members that are closed during injection molding and opened when taking out the preforms and a removing unit removing and unloading the preforms attached to one of the molds to a predetermined position when the molds are opened, and

a conveying path is provided at the predetermined position where the removing unit removes and unloads, the conveying path successively conveys the preforms to the preform buffer, and the preforms are cooled by air while being conveyed.

12. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, wherein

the preform buffer is set to a capacity for temporarily storing the preforms supplied to the blowing machine for filling the bottles manufactured by the system with the beverage.

13. The aseptic filling system according to claim 12, wherein

the preform buffer comprises a buffer tank for storing a predetermined number of the preforms.

14. The aseptic filling system according to claim 12, wherein

the preform buffer comprises a buffering belt for placement and conveying of a predetermined number of the preforms.

15. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a detecting unit detecting an amount or a number of the preforms temporarily stored in the preform buffer; and

a molding rate controlling unit adjusting a molding rate of the preform molding machine based on the amount or the number of the preforms detected by the detecting unit.

16. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an aseptic conveying unit disposed between the preform buffer and the blowing machine for conveying the preforms, unloaded from the preform buffer, to the blowing machine.

17. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, wherein

the preform buffer is also covered with a clean booth, and the interior of the clean booth is set at a pressure higher in air than an exterior pressure of the clean booth.

18. The aseptic filling system according to claim 10, wherein

the preform molding machine comprises an injection molding machine that performs batch-wise injection molding while melting a resin continuously,

the injection molding machine includes molds comprising at least bipartite members that are closed during injection molding and opened up when taking out the preforms and a removing unit removing and unloading the preforms attached to one of the molds to a predetermined position when the molds are opened, and

the molds and the removing unit are disposed inside an aseptic environment meeting predetermined conditions.