Blow molding machine and method for sterilizing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046506-B2
Application number	US-201515109867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The blow molding machine is sterilized by filling a preform (1) with a liquid sterilizer (P) containing an ethanol constituent or both an ethanol constituent and a hydrogen peroxide constituent, and blasting blow air into the preform (1) in a state where the liquid sterilizer (P) remains in the preform (1) to diffuse the liquid sterilizer (P).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for sterilizing a blow molding machine that sterilizes the blow molding machine by filling a preform with a liquid sterilizer and blasting blow air into the preform in a state where the liquid sterilizer remains in the preform to diffuse the liquid sterilizer, wherein the preform containing the liquid sterilizer of 0.1 mL to 10 mL is held by a holding member and heated to activate the liquid sterilizer in the preform, the holding member is sterilized by the activated sterilizer, the preform is then put in a molding die, an extension rod is made to protrude into the preform, blow air is blasted into the preform from a valve block to expand the preform into a container and at the same time diffuse the remaining liquid sterilizer in the container, the extension rod then retracts, and the liquid sterilizer remaining in the container is guided to the retracted extension rod through the valve block along with the blow air and the interior of the valve block and the extension rod are sterilized.

2. The method for sterilizing a blow molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein, the remaining liquid sterilizer in the container is further guided into a chamber surrounding the blow molding machine after being guided to the retracted extension rod through the valve block along with the blow air.

3. The method for sterilizing a blow molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein an interior of the molding die of the blow molding machine is also sterilized by blasting the blow air into the preform to expand and break the preform, thereby diffusing the remaining liquid sterilizer.

4. The method for sterilizing a blow molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the preform is blow-molded after the liquid sterilizer is made to adhere to an outer surface of the preform.

5. The method for sterilizing a blow molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid sterilizer contains one or both of a hydrogen peroxide constituent and an ethanol constituent.

Assignees

• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayakawa Atsushi
• Sato Yoshinori

Classifications

• B29C49/42085

  holding inside the neck · CPC title

• A61L2103/23

  Containers other than laboratory or medical, e.g. bottles or mail · CPC title

• B29K2067/003

  PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate · CPC title

• A61L2/18

  Liquid substances · CPC title

• B29C2049/4697

  Clean room · CPC title