Drink filling system and sterilizing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751742-B2
Application number	US-201314646552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

In a sterilizing method for a drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line ( 7 ) for feeding drink into a filling machine ( 2 ) through a heating sterilizing section ( 18 ), wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line ( 7 ), F-values are calculated while detecting temperature at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value. According to such method, a working time till the starting of drink filling work or a producing interval time can be shortened.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sterilizing method for a drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line for feeding drink into a filling machine through a heat sterilizing section, wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line, F-values are calculated while detecting temperature of the fluid within the pipelines at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value,
wherein an upstream side return path is provided for the upstream side pipe line section going through the heating sterilizing section of the drink supply pipe line to thereby form an upstream side circulation path, the F-values are calculated while flowing the hot water from the upstream side pipe line section and flowing the heated steam toward the inside of the filling machine from the downstream side of the upstream side pipe line section, and the sterilizing process is ended at a time when each of the minimum F-values reaches the aimed valve.

2. The sterilizing method for a drink filling system according to claim 1 , wherein the F-value is calculated by using a following equation 1:
F=∫ t 0 t 1 10 (T-Tr)/Z dt   [Equation 1]

wherein T is an optional sterilizing temperature (° C.), 10 (T-Tr)/Z is a fatality rate at the optional temperature T, which corresponds to a heating time (second) at the temperature of 121.1°, in which the value 121.1 is the reference temperature (° C.), and 10 represents the Z value (° C.).

3. A drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line for feeding drink into a filling machine through a heating sterilizing section, wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line, F-values are calculated while detecting temperature of the fluid within the pipelines by temperature sensors disposed at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value,
wherein an upstream side return path is provided for the upstream side pipe line section going through the heating sterilizing section of the drink supply pipe line to thereby form an upstream side circulation path, the F-values are calculated by temperature sensors disposed at predetermined portions of the upstream side circulation path while flowing the hot water in the upstream side circulation path and the F-values are calculated also by temperature sensors disposed at predetermined portions of the downstream side circulation path while flowing the heated steam to the downstream side pipe line section extending from the upstream side of the upstream side pipe line section towards the inside of the filling machine, and the sterilizing process is ended at a time when each of the minimum F-values reaches the aimed valve.

Assignees

• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayakawa Atsushi
• Ito Shuta

Classifications

• B08B2230/01

  Cleaning with steam · CPC title

• B08B9/0325 Primary

  Control mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B67C7/0073

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

• B65B2210/06

  Sterilising or cleaning machinery or conduits · CPC title

• B67C3/001 Primary

  Cleaning of filling devices · CPC title