Methods and systems for online cleaning of beverage fillers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337357-B2
Application number	US-202017138412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2020
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A method and system for cleaning a beverage filler. The method and system includes storing a cleaning solution, and delivering the cleaning solution to the filler via a nozzle arrangement configured to distribute the cleaning solution to clean a portion of the filler. The cleaning solution is delivered to the filler during online operation of the filler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device that is prone to accumulating spillage from spilled carbonated soft drink that can provide a growth environment for bacteria, the filler device having a filling chamber configured to fill beverage containers with a carbonated soft drink in a filling direction, a conveyor configured to transport the beverage containers in a conveyance direction through the filler device along a conveyance path having at least one loop portion that loops in a plane perpendicular to the filling direction and includes the filling chamber, the method comprising:
while the filler device is filling the beverage containers with the carbonated soft drink, delivering a cleaning solution that comprises an acidified sodium chlorite solution to the filler device via a pressurized nozzle arrangement that includes at least one top nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on an upper portion of the filler device in the loop portion, at least one middle nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on a middle portion of the filler device in the loop portion, and at least one lower nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on a lower portion of the filler device in the loop portion, and wherein the acidified sodium chlorite solution includes from 5-35% of chlorous acid and from 65-95% chlorite.

2. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle arrangement distributes the cleaning solution to at least one of externally facing and internally facing surfaces of the filler device in the at least one loop portion.

3. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle arrangement distributes the cleaning solution to 50% to 100% of a surface area of the filler device in the at least one loop portion.

4. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle arrangement distributes the cleaning solution to 50% to 99% of a surface area of the filler device in the at least one loop portion.

5. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle arrangement distributes the cleaning solution to 80% to 99% of a surface area of the filler device in the at least one loop portion.

6. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle arrangement distributes the cleaning solution to 100% of a surface area of the filler device in the at least one loop portion.

7. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering step includes continuous delivery of the cleaning solution to the filler device while the device is online.

8. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the delivering step includes intermittent delivery of the cleaning solution to the filler device while the filler device is online.

9. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 8 , wherein the intermittent delivery includes delivering the cleaning solution on a schedule including a plurality of cycles, each cycle including in a range of 15 seconds to 2 minutes of continuous delivery followed by in a range of 12 minutes to 15 minutes of continuous no delivery.

10. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurized nozzle arrangement is further configured to rinse and clean beverage containers exiting from the at least one loop portion of the filler device.

11. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving mechanism that includes pistons configured to drive respective beverage containers up and down in the filling direction for filling while the beverage containers are transported along the conveyance path in the at least one loop portion.

12. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , further comprising mixing a sodium chlorite solution with citric acid to produce the acidified sodium chlorite solution.

13. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one top nozzle is oriented downwardly to spray the cleaning solution downwardly onto the upper portion of the filler device.

14. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lower nozzle is oriented upwardly to spray the cleaning solution upwardly onto the lower portion of the filler device.

15. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 7 , wherein a rate of the continuous delivery is variable based on a machine learning algorithm.

16. The method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device according to claim 9 , wherein the schedule is based on a machine learning algorithm.

Assignees

• Chemtreat Inc

Inventors

• Lopiccolo David
• Merino Victor
• Brundage Rick

Classifications

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B67C3/005

  Cleaning outside parts of filling devices · CPC title

• B67C3/001

  Cleaning of filling devices · CPC title

• B08B3/022 Primary

  Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B08B9/023 Primary

  Cleaning the external surfaces {(B08B9/021 takes precedence)} · CPC title