Filling machine with a sterilization station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097987-B2
Application number	US-202117796396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A filling machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages is provided. The filling machine comprises a sterilization station configured to provide a flow of gaseous sterilizing agent towards open ends of ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through said sterilization station. The filling machine comprises at least one clean air supply and at least one baffle plate arranged above the at least one clean air supply, wherein the air supply is configured to direct a stream of clean air towards the ready-to-fill packaging containers. The clean air supply in turn comprises at least one distribution pipe and wherein the distribution pipe extends in a horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being in the direction of the flow of packages through the filling machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filling machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages, comprising a sterilization station configured to provide a flow of gaseous sterilizing agent towards open ends of ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through said sterilization station,
the filling machine further comprising:
a conveyor that conveys the ready-to-fill packaging containers through said sterilization station;
at least one clean air supply and at least one baffle plate arranged above the at least one clean air supply, wherein the air supply is configured to direct a stream of clean air towards the ready-to-fill packaging containers;
the conveyor being movable relative to the baffle plate; and
wherein the clean air supply comprises at least one distribution pipe and wherein the distribution pipe extends in a horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being in the direction of the flow of packages through the filling machine.

2. The filling machine according to claim 1 , wherein the distribution pipe is provided with a plurality of outlet holes distributed in the longitudinal direction of the distribution pipe.

3. The filling machine according to claim 2 , wherein the outlet holes are directed upwards and inwards, towards the ready-to-fill packaging container.

4. The filling machine according to claim 1 , comprising a first distribution pipe arranged on one side of the ready-to-fill package, and a second distribution pipe arranged on the opposite side of the ready-to-fill package.

5. The filling machine according to claim 1 , wherein the clean air supply is configured to provide a planar jet of clean air towards the ready-to-fill package.

6. The filling machine according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of index positions for supplying a gaseous sterilizing agent to a plurality of ready-to-fill packages, wherein the clean air supply, in the form of one or more distribution pipes, extend across said index positions.

7. The filling machine according to claim 1 , wherein the clean air supply is connected to an air supply system for a downstream ventilation system.

8. The filling machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one distribution pipe comprises two distribution pipes extending in the horizontal direction and spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the direction of flow.

9. The filling machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one baffle plate comprises two horizontal baffle plates spaced apart from one another in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of the ready-to-fill packages, both of the horizontal baffle plates being arranged above the at least one clean air supply.

10. The filling machine according to claim 9 , further comprising a gas supply tube for supplying the gaseous sterilizing agent, the gas supply tube being located between the two horizontal baffle plates as seen in a cross-sectional view transverse to the direction of flow of the ready-to-fill packages.

11. A method for sterilizing a ready-to-fill package having an open upper end, comprising supplying a gaseous sterilization agent towards the interior of the ready-to-fill package as the ready-to-fill package is being conveyed in a direction of flow, and providing a flow of clean air towards an exterior surface of the ready-to-fill package, wherein providing the flow of clean air towards the exterior surface of the ready-to-fill package comprises directing a plurality of clean air jets towards a baffle plate in order to provide a planar jet of clean air, the ready-to-fill package moving relative to the baffle plate while the plurality of clean air jets are directed towards the baffle plate, the open upper end of the ready-to-fill package being located above the baffle plate while the plurality of clean air jets are directed towards the baffle plate.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the directing of the plurality of clean air jets towards the baffle plate comprises directing the plurality of clean air jets towards two horizontal baffle plates that are spaced apart from one another, the ready-to-fill package being conveyed between the two horizontal baffle plates, with open ends of the ready-to-fill packaging containers being positioned above the two horizontal baffle plates.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the supplying of the gaseous sterilization agent towards the interior of the ready-to-fill package comprises supplying the gaseous sterilization agent towards the interior of the ready-to-fill package by way of a gas supply tube located between the two horizontal baffle plates as seen in a cross-sectional view transverse to the direction of flow.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the clean air jets are directed towards each of the two horizontal baffle plates by way of respective distribution tubes that are spaced apart from one another and horizontally arranged, the ready-to-fill package being conveyed between the two spaced apart distribution tubes.

15. A filling machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages, the filling machine comprising:
a movable conveyor configured to convey ready-to-fill packaging containers with open ends through the interior of the sterilization station in a direction of flow so that a flow of gaseous sterilizing agent introduced into the interior of the sterilization station while the ready-to-fill packaging containers are conveyed through the interior of the sterilization station is directed towards the open ends of the ready-to-fill packaging containers;
two baffle plates spaced apart from one another in a direction transverse to the direction of flow so that the baffle plates are positioned on opposite sides of the ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through the interior of the sterilization station during operation of the filling machine, each of the baffle plates extending in a horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being the direction of flow of packages through the filling machine; and
at least one clean air distribution tube provided with a plurality of through holes to direct a stream of clean air towards at least one of the horizontal baffle plates and ultimately the ready-to-fill packaging containers, the at least one clean air distribution tube extending in a horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being in the direction of flow of the ready-to-fill packaging containers, the two baffle plates being arranged above the at least one clean air distribution tube.

16. The filling machine according to claim 15 , wherein the conveyor is movable relative to the two baffle plates and relative to the at least one clean air distribution tube so that the ready-to-fill packaging containers being moved through the interior of the sterilization station by the conveyor are moved relative to the two baffle plates and relative to the at least one clean air distribution tube.

17. The filling machine according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one clean air distribution tube comprises two clean air distribution tubes spaced apart from one another in the direction transverse to the direction of flow, each of the clean air distribution tubes being positioned adjacent a respective one of the baffle plates, each of the clean air distribution tubes including a plurality of through holes to direct a stream of clean air towards the respective one of the baffle plates, each of the baffle plates being arranged above the respective clean air distribution tube.

18. The filling machine according to claim 15 , further comprising a gas sup

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Lindblad Ulf
• Regner Mårten
• Runnberg Bo
• Lindblad Jenny

Classifications

• B65B55/025

  Packaging in aseptic tunnels · CPC title

• B65B3/025

  Making parallelepipedal containers from a single carton blank · CPC title

• B65B55/10 Primary

  by liquids or gases · CPC title