System for handling sterilization of thin body flexible containers (pouch)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10588990-B2
Application number	US-201615739947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A system handles the sterilization of thin-body, pouch-type, flexible containers (1) and provides for applying sacrificial closures (200) to the pouches. The system loads the provisional closed pouches to be sterilized on a transport device (300) for collective transport, to perform the sterilization of the transport device (300) carrying the provisional closed pouches. The system separates in a sterile chamber, the sacrificial closures (200) from the pouches, performing filling and applying an inviolable cap (100).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of preparation for sterilisation of pouches comprising the steps of:
producing a plurality of pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a container body formed by walls made of flexible film and a straw comprising an entrance portion with an inlet and a tube with an outlet, said straw being sealingly applied to the container body with at least a section of the tube protruding outside of the container body;
providing a plurality of sacrificial closures reversibly applicable to an outlet mouth of the straw;
applying, sealingly and reversibly, one of the sacrificial closures to the outlet of the straw, obtaining provisional non-filled closed pouches to be sterilised, wherein the one of the sacrificial closures is sealingly applied to the outlet to preserve a future condition of sterility inside the pouch;
loading a plurality of provisional closed pouches to be sterilised on a transport device for collective transport towards a steriliser.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport device consists of a section bar having a prevailing extension along a sliding axis and the loading step involves insertion by sliding of the provisional closed pouches in said section bar along said sliding axis.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport device comprises fins and the loading step provides for support of the provisional closed pouch, in a standing configuration, in which the straw is arranged above and the pouch below, or in an upside down configuration, in which the straw is arranged below and the pouch above, through use of the fins between the support surfaces of the straws.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the step of loading the provisional closed pouches to be sterilised on the transport device, further comprising a step of forming a transport group containing a plurality of stacked transport devices.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each sacrificial closure is applied by pressure to the outlet.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each sacrificial closure comprises a lateral annular wall and a bottom, made in one piece with the lateral wall, for the closure of the outlet.

7. A method of sterilisation of flexible pouches, comprising the steps of:
providing a transport group comprising a plurality of transport devices, each of the transport devices carrying non-filled closed pouches to be sterilised and stacked; wherein each closed pouch to be sterilised comprises a container body having walls made of film, a straw sealingly applied to the container body and a sacrificial closure sealingly and reversibly applied to an inlet of a tube of the straw to close the tube, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet to preserve a future condition of sterility inside the pouch;
performing a sterilisation of the transport group by ionising radiation.

8. A method for filling flexible pouches, comprising the steps of:
providing a transport group comprising a plurality of transport devices, each carrying sterilized closed non-filled pouches, the transport devices being stacked, wherein each closed pouch comprises a container body having walls made of film, a straw sealingly applied to the container body and a sacrificial closure sealingly and reversibly applied to an inlet of a tube of the straw to close the tube, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet so as to preserve a condition of sterility inside the pouch;
picking the closed pouches from the transport group and sending the closed pouches in succession to a sterile chamber;
for each sterilised closed pouch, making at least a portion of the tube provided with the sacrificial closure to pass through the sterile chamber;
during said passing through of the sterile chamber, separating the sacrificial closure from the tube, filling the sterilised open pouch and applying a tamper-proof cap to the tube to close the pouch.

9. A method for sterilising and filling flexible pouches, comprising the steps of:
producing a plurality of pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a container body formed by walls made of flexible film and a straw comprising an entrance portion with an inlet and a tube with an outlet, said straw being sealingly applied to the container body with at least a section of the tube protruding outside of the container body;
providing a plurality of sacrificial closures reversibly applicable to the outlet mouth of the straw;
applying one of the sacrificial closures to the outlet of the straw, thereby obtaining provisional closed non-filled pouches to be sterilised, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet so as to preserve a future condition of sterility inside the pouch;
loading a plurality of provisional closed pouches to be sterilised on a transport device for collective transport;
performing a sterilisation of the transport group loaded with provisional closed pouches, by ionising radiation;
picking the sterilised provisional closed pouches from the transport device and sending the sterilised provisional closed pouches in succession to a sterile chamber;
for each sterilised closed pouch, making at least a portion of the tube provided with the sacrificial closure to pass through the sterile chamber;
during said passing through of the sterile chamber, separating the sacrificial closure from the tube, filling the sterilised open pouch and applying a tamper-proof cap to the tube to close the pouch;
collecting and setting aside the sacrificial closures.

10. An assembly comprising:
a transport device for collective transportation of flexible pouches;
a plurality of provisional closed non-filled pouches to be sterilised loaded on the transport device, wherein each provisional closed pouch to be sterilised comprises a container body having walls made of film, a straw sealingly applied to the container body and a sacrificial closure sealingly and reversibly applied to an inlet of a tube of the straw to close the tube, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet to preserve a future condition of sterility inside the pouch.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the transport device is provided with fins suitable to support the pouch by engaging the pouch between the support surfaces of the straw.

12. The assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the transport device is a section bar having prevalent extension along a sliding axis.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the pouches are slidable in the section bar along said sliding axis.

14. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the fins cooperate with guide surfaces of the straw to guide the sliding of the pouch in the section bar.

15. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the section bar has a delimited compartment delimited in part by a base, said compartment being suitable to accommodate at least a portion of the tube of the straw and the sacrificial closure applied to said tube.

16. A transport group comprising a plurality of simple transport surfaces, wherein each transport surface comprises a predefined number of assemblies according to claim 15 , placed side by side at a same height and carrying provisional closed pouches to be sterilised arranged in a same direction, either all of the pouches standing, wherein the straw is arranged above and the pouch below; or all upside down, wherein the straw is arranged below and the pouch above, and wherein the transport surfaces are stacked.

17. A transport group comprising a plurality of dual transp

Assignees

• Guala Pack Spa

Inventors

• Tamarindo Stefano

Classifications

• B65B55/08 Primary

  by irradiation · CPC title

• B65B3/045

  for filling flexible containers having a filling and dispensing spout, e.g. containers of the "bag-in-box"-type · CPC title

• B65B61/186

  by applying or incorporating rigid fittings, e.g. discharge spouts · CPC title

• B65B43/123 Primary

  Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain · CPC title

• B67C7/008

  comprising a cleaning step between two closing steps · CPC title