Apparatus and method for sterilizing receptacle closures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518918-B2
Application number	US-201715405699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A sterilization apparatus for sterilizing receptacle closures, comprising: a treatment chamber having an inlet station and an outlet station; a feeding device configured to feed a succession of receptacle closures to the inlet station; a conveyor configured to convey the receptacle closures through the treatment chamber from the inlet station to the outlet station; a sterilization agent injection device configured to inject a sterilization agent into the treatment chamber, wherein: the conveyor includes a plurality of adjacent guide rails; the feeding device is configured to feed the receptacle closures to at least one active guide rail of the plurality of guide rails; and the sterilization agent injection device includes a plurality of injection devices, each injection device being associated with one of the guide rails; and a controller configured to selectively actuate the injection devices according to a first and second operative mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cap sterilization apparatus for sterilizing caps, comprising:
a treatment chamber having an inlet station;
a cap feeder configured to feed a succession of caps to the inlet station;
a conveyor configured to convey the caps through the treatment chamber from the inlet station to an outlet station, the conveyor including;
a plurality of substantially horizontal guide rails, including:
at least one first guide rail configured to carry and guide caps having a first format; and
at least one second guide rail located adjacent to the first guide rail and configured to carry and guide caps having a second format different from the first format; and

a plurality of pushing devices, each pushing device being selectively activatable for pushing the caps along one of the first and second guide rails toward the outlet station;

a plurality of injection devices configured to inject a sterilization agent into the treatment chamber to apply the sterilization agent to the caps during conveying along one of the first and second guide rails from the inlet station to the outlet station, wherein:
each one of the injection devices is configured to cooperate with one of the first and second guide rails for injecting the sterilization agent into the treatment chamber and toward one of the first and second guide rails;

a controller configured to actuate the injection devices according to a first and second operative mode;
wherein in the first operative mode, the controller is configured to actuate one of the injection devices cooperating with the first guide rail filled with the caps having the first format during conveying of the caps from the inlet station to the outlet station; and
wherein in the second operative mode, the controller is configured to:
actuate one of the injection devices cooperating with the first guide rail during conveying of the caps having the first format from the inlet station to the outlet station; and
actuate another one of the injection devices cooperating with the second guide rail, when the second guide rail is empty during conveying of the caps on the first guide rail.

2. The sterilization apparatus to claim 1 , wherein each one of the first and second guide rails is configured to receive, carry, and guide one respective format and/or type of caps or a respective group of format and/or type of caps, and the cap feeder is configured to feed the succession of caps to the respective guide rail being adapted to receive, carry, and guide the format and/or type of caps of the caps.

3. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each injection device includes at least one injection tube arranged adjacent to the respective guide rail and extending at least along an injection portion of the respective guide rail.

4. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the sterilization injection device further includes a sterilization agent distributor, and wherein the controller is configured to control the sterilization agent distributor to selectively supply the sterilization agent to the injection tubes through a respective first end portion and a respective second end portion, and wherein:
in the first operative mode, the sterilization agent distributor is controlled to supply the sterilization agent to the respective injection tube associated to the first active guide rail through the respective first and second end portions, and
in the second operative mode, the sterilization agent distributor is controlled to supply the sterilization agent to the respective injection tube associated to the first guide rail through the respective first and second end portions and to the respective injection tube or injection tubes associated to the second guide rail adjacent to the first guide rail through the respective first end portions.

5. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an expelling device configured to advance the succession of caps along the first guide rail to the outlet station for expelling the caps from the first guide rail.

6. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the expelling device includes a plurality of expelling devices each one associated with one respective guide rail, and wherein each expelling device includes one respective interaction assembly configured to cooperate with the caps received, carried, and guided by the respective guide rail and adapted to move from a relative rest position to the outlet station.

7. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cap feeder includes an air flow generating device configured to feed the caps to the at least one first guide rail by a flow of air; and
the sterilization apparatus further comprises a deflector arranged in the area of the inlet station and being configured to restrict the flow of air generated by the air flow generating device within the area of the inlet station.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an air shielding device disposed in the vicinity of the outlet station and configured to hinder entrance of air from an outside space into the treatment chamber through the area of the outlet station.

9. A sterilization apparatus for sterilizing receptacle closures, comprising:
a treatment chamber having an inlet station and an outlet station;
a feeding device configured to feed a succession of receptacle closures to the inlet station;
a conveyor configured to convey the receptacle closures through the treatment chamber from the inlet station to the outlet station;
an air shielding device disposed in the vicinity of the outlet station and configured to hinder entrance of air from an outside space into the treatment chamber through the area of the outlet station;
an outlet unit configured to receive the receptacle closures from the conveyor and having a plurality of outlet rails, each outlet rail being configured to receive the receptacle closures from one respective guide rail, and wherein the air shielding device includes a shielding plate arranged within the outlet unit and the outlet rails extend through the shielding plate;
a sterilization agent injection device configured to inject a sterilization agent into the treatment chamber, wherein:
the conveyor includes a plurality of adjacent guide rails, each guide rail being configured to receive, carry, and guide a succession of receptacle closures from the inlet station to the outlet station;
the feeding device is configured to feed the receptacle closures to at least one active guide rail of the plurality of guide rails; and
the sterilization agent injection device includes a plurality of injection devices, each injection device being associated with one of the guide rails; and

a controller configured to selectively actuate the injection devices according to a first and second operative mode;
wherein in the first operative mode, the controller s configured to actuate an injection device associated with the active guide rail; and
wherein in the second operative mode, the controller is configured to actuate the injection device associated with the active guide rail and an injection device associated with one or more guide rails adjacent to the active guide rail.

10. A method for sterilizing caps, comprising:
feeding a succession of caps to an inlet station of a treatment chamber;
conveying the succession of caps through the treatment chamber from the inlet station to an outlet station of the treatment chamber, wherein a conveyor configured to convey the succession of caps through the treatment chamber includes:
a plurality of substantially horizontal guide rails, including:
at least one first guide rail configured to carry

Assignees

• Sidel Participations Sas
• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• Lucani Enrico
• Borgese Rossana
• Mameli Alessandro
• Euzen Fabrice

Classifications

• B67B3/003 Primary

  Pretreatment of caps, e.g. cleaning, steaming, heating or sterilizing · CPC title

• B65B59/003

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material · CPC title

• B65B7/2807

  Feeding closures · CPC title

• B65B55/027

  Packaging in aseptic chambers · CPC title

• A61L2/206

  Ethylene oxide · CPC title