Sterilisation tunnel of pharmaceutical containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12171891-B2
Application number	US-202017614781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2020
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A sterilization tunnel has an inlet opening for pharmaceutical containers to be sterilised, an outlet opening, a high-temperature sterilisation chamber and a cooling chamber in line therewith and communicating with the outlet opening. A conveyor means transports the containers through the sterilisation chamber and the cooling chamber up to the outlet opening. A transfer plane is positionable in a first configuration aligned with the conveyor to transfer the containers out of the tunnel through the outlet opening. A shutter opens and closes the outlet opening. The transfer plane is movable and positionable in a second configuration inside the cooling chamber and misaligned with respect to the conveyor. When the transfer plane is inside the cooling chamber, the shutter is lowerable in abutment with a seal element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sterilisation tunnel of pharmaceutical containers, comprising:
an inlet opening, for inlet of containers to be sterilised,
an outlet opening, for outlet of the sterilised containers;
at least a sterilisation chamber, for sterilisation of the containers at high temperature, and a cooling chamber, for cooling the sterilised containers, consecutive to the sterilisation chamber and communicating with the outlet opening;
a conveyor means, for receiving the containers from the inlet opening and for transporting the containers through the sterilisation chamber and the cooling chamber up to in proximity of the outlet opening;
a transfer plane, situated consecutive to the conveyor means, wherein the transfer plane is mounted with respect to the conveyor means so as to be arrangeable in a first alignment configuration, wherein it is aligned to the conveyor means and arranged at the outlet opening, in order to receive the sterilised containers from the conveyor means and enable transfer thereof externally of the tunnel through the outlet opening;
a shutter, arranged and movable with respect to the outlet opening and with respect to the transfer plane so as to be positionable in a raised position, in order to maintain the outlet opening open and enable outlet of the sterilised containers, and in a first lowered position, abutting the transfer plane, in order to close the outlet opening;
wherein the transfer plane is mounted with respect to the conveyor means in such a way as to be movable and positionable in a second misaligned configuration with respect to the conveyor means wherein the transfer plane is misaligned with respect to the conveyor means and arranged internally of the cooling chamber of the tunnel, and in that the shutter, when the transfer plane is moved and positioned in the second misaligned configuration and arranged internally of the cooling chamber, is movable in order to be positioned in a second lowered position, at a lower height than the first lowered position, in which the shutter is positioned abutting a seal element.

2. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 1 , further comprising lateral borders for guiding the containers arranged at sides of the conveyor means and wherein the transfer plane is hinged to the lateral borders at hinge points and movable in rotation about the hinge points with respect to the lateral borders so as to be movable from the first alignment configuration with the conveyor means into the second misaligned configuration from the conveyor means to inside the cooling chamber of the tunnel, and vice versa from the second configuration to the first configuration.

3. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 2 , wherein the transfer plane is hinged to the lateral borders by means of support arms, fixed on one side, bilaterally to the transfer plane and, on the other side, hinged to the lateral borders at the hinge points.

4. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 3 , wherein the transfer plane comprises lateral walls, for containing and guiding the containers during the passage thereof through the outlet opening, and wherein the shutter comprises a lower portion conformed in such a way as to have a projecting central part having dimensions such as to be able to insert between the lateral walls and abut the transfer plane, when the shutter is positioned in the first lowered position.

5. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 1 , wherein the shutter, when the transfer plane is to be moved and positioned from the first aligned configuration to the second misaligned configuration, and vice versa from the second misaligned configuration to the first aligned configuration, is raisable to a height that is such as to free a maneuvering space sufficient to move and displace the transfer plane.

6. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 1 , further comprising an abutment element positioned between the conveyor means and the outlet opening in a position that is such as to constitute an abutment and a support for the transfer plane when the transfer plane is positioned in the first aligned configuration to the conveyor means, in order to maintain the transfer plane aligned to the conveyor means of the outlet opening.

7. The sterilisation tunnel of claim 1 , further comprising an inflatable seal arranged peripherally about the outlet opening, internally of the tunnel, the inflatable seal being maintained uninflated and therefore retracted, when the shutter has to be movable with respect to the outlet opening, between the raised position and the first lowered position, and being inflatable and thus expandable in order to abut the shutter when the shutter is positioned in the second lowered position to abut the seal element.

Assignees

• Marchesini Group Spa

Inventors

• Monti Giuseppe

Classifications

• A61L2103/23

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

• A61L2202/122

  Chambers for sterilisation · CPC title

• A61L2/26

  Accessories · CPC title

• A61L2/04 Primary

  Heat (radiation A61L2/08) · CPC title

• B65B55/06

  by heat · CPC title