Cap sterilizer, content filling system, cap sterilization method, and content filling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974941-B2
Application number	US-201716306527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A cap sterilizer (50) includes an infeed chamber (52), a sterilant atomizing chamber (53), and an air rinse chamber (54). At least the infeed chamber (52) and the air rinse chamber (54) are exhausted. Both an exhaust pressure (E2) in the infeed chamber (52) and an exhaust pressure (E4) in the air rinse chamber are higher than an exhaust pressure (E3) in the sterilant atomizing chamber (53), or the sterilant atomizing chamber (53) is not exhausted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cap sterilizer comprising:
an infeed chamber;
a sterilant atomizing chamber;
an air rinse chamber;
a spray nozzle which sprays a sterilant against a cap in the sterilant atomizing chamber, wherein the cap is fed from infeed chamber to the sterilant atomizing chamber; and
an air rinse nozzle which air-rinses, in the air rinse chamber, the cap sprayed with the sterilant by the spray nozzle, wherein
sterile hot air is blown against both inner and outer surfaces of the cap by the air rinse nozzle,
the infeed chamber and the air rinse chamber are exhausted, and
an exhaust pressure in the infeed chamber and an exhaust pressure in the air rinse chamber are higher than an exhaust pressure in the sterilant atomizing chamber, or the sterilant atomizing chamber is not exhausted.

2. The cap sterilizer according to claim 1 , wherein as the sterile hot air is blown by the air rinse nozzle, temperature of the cap rises to 40° C. or more and 140° C. or less.

3. The cap sterilizer according to claim 1 further comprising a washing nozzle which washes the cap air-rinsed by the air rinse nozzle.

4. The cap sterilizer according to claim 1 , wherein a conveying speed of the cap is 100 cpm or more and 1500 cpm or less.

5. A content filling system comprising the cap sterilizer according to claim 1 .

6. A cap sterilization method comprising:
a step of feeding a cap from an infeed chamber to a sterilant atomizing chamber;
a step of spraying a sterilant against a cap in the sterilant atomizing chamber; and
a step of air-rinsing the cap sprayed with the sterilant in an air rinse chamber, wherein sterile hot air is blown against both inner and outer surfaces of the cap; and
exhausting at least the infeed chamber and the air rinse chamber, wherein an exhaust pressure in the infeed chamber and an exhaust pressure in the air rinse chamber are higher than an exhaust pressure in the sterilant atomizing chamber, or the sterilant atomizing chamber is not exhausted.

7. A cap sterilizer comprising:
an infeed chamber;
a sterilant atomizing chamber which sprays a sterilant against a cap fed from the infeed chamber; and
an air rinse chamber which air-rinses the cap sprayed with the sterilant in the sterilant atomizing chamber, wherein
sterile hot air is blown against both inner and outer surfaces of the cap in the air rinse chamber,
the infeed chamber and the air rinse chamber are exhausted, and
an exhaust pressure in the infeed chamber and an exhaust pressure in the air rinse chamber are higher than an exhaust pressure in the sterilant atomizing chamber, or the sterilant atomizing chamber is not exhausted.

8. The cap sterilizer according to claim 7 , wherein as the sterile hot air is blown in the air rinse chamber, temperature of the cap rises to 40° C. or more and 140° C. or less.

9. The cap sterilizer according to claim 7 , further comprising a washing chamber which washes the cap air-rinsed in the air rinse chamber.

10. The cap sterilizer according to claim 7 , wherein a conveying speed of the cap is 100 cpm or more and 1500 cpm or less.

11. A content filling system comprising the cap sterilizer according to claim 7 .

12. A cap sterilization method comprising:
a step of feeding a cap from an infeed chamber to a sterilant atomizing chamber;
a step of spraying a sterilant against the cap in the sterilant atomizing chamber; and
a step of air-rinsing the cap, sprayed with the sterilant in the sterilant atomizing chamber, in an air rinse chamber, wherein sterile hot air is blown against both inner and outer surfaces of the cap in the air rinse chamber; and
exhausting the infeed chamber and the air rinse chamber, wherein an exhaust pressure in the infeed chamber and an exhaust pressure in the air rinse chamber are higher than an exhaust pressure in the sterilant atomizing chamber, or the sterilant atomizing chamber is not exhausted.

Assignees

• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayakawa Atsushi
• Takagi Masatoshi
• Takaku Hitoshi

Classifications

• A61L2103/00

  Materials or objects being the target of disinfection or sterilisation · CPC title

• A61L2103/23

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

• A61L2/20 Primary

  Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours · CPC title

• A61L2/18

  Liquid substances · CPC title

• B67C7/0073 Primary

  Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing (B67C3/2642 takes precedence) · CPC title