Bottle decontamination system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802726-B2
Application number	US-201314095146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2013
Priority date	Sep 29, 2009
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A system for sterilizing bottles with a gaseous sterilant. The system includes moving means for continuously moving bottles one after another along a path. An assembly is provided for distributing a predetermined amount of the gaseous sterilant from a source of gaseous sterilant to each of the bottles. The assembly includes a plurality of injectors that are movable with the bottles. One of the plurality of injectors is associated with each of the bottles. The injector is fluidly connected to the source of gaseous sterilant when the bottle associated with the injector is disposed along a first portion of the path. The injector is disposed above the bottle when the injector is in a first position. The injector is disposed within an interior of the bottle when the injector is in a second position such that the predetermined amount of the gaseous sterilant is conveyed into the interior of the bottle.

First claim

Having described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A method of sterilizing at least one bottle, said method comprising the steps of:
moving said bottle continuously along a path, a first portion of the path being defined by a decontamination chamber, an outer boundary of the decontamination chamber being at least partially defined by a portion of a housing, the portion of the housing at least partially surrounding the decontamination chamber, said portion of the housing comprising a guide plate mounted to and extending about a circumference of an inner surface of said portion of the housing, said guide plate having a generally continuous slot formed therein as a continuous path from an upper edge of the guide plate to a lower edge of the guide plate, said bottle having an interior;
providing a source of a gaseous sterilant of a known concentration;
providing an assembly for distributing a predetermined amount of said gaseous sterilant from said source of said gaseous sterilant to said bottle when said bottle is disposed along the first portion of said path, said assembly being configured to support said bottle, said assembly including a center hub of said decontamination chamber, said center hub being positioned at a center of said decontamination chamber and being rotatable about a vertical axis, said assembly further comprising a circular plate secured to said center hub, the circular plate having at least one recess disposed along a peripheral edge thereof, said recess being dimensioned to receive an outer diameter of said bottle, said assembly further including at least one guide rod connected to said circular plate and associated with the recess, said assembly further including at least one slide mounted on the guide rod and configured to reciprocally move along the guide rod, the slide having a roller that is movable through said slot to cause said slide to reciprocally move along said guide rod, said assembly further comprising at least one injector associated with said at least one bottle, said injector being attached to the slide, said injector being fluidly connected to said source of gaseous sterilant, said injector being configured to move with said bottle received in the recess, said slide being configured to move said injector between a first position at which said injector is disposed above said bottle and a second position at which said injector is disposed within said interior of said bottle;
moving said bottle into a beginning of said first portion of said path at which said bottle is moved into said recess of said circular plate, said injector being in said first position when said bottle is moved into said recess;
dispensing said gaseous sterilant through said injector when said bottle is moved into said beginning of said first portion of said path, thereby filling said decontamination chamber with said gaseous sterilant and exposing an outer surface of said bottle to said gaseous sterilant; and
rotating said bottle along said first portion of said path about said vertical axis from said beginning of said first portion of said path toward an end of said first portion of said path, the rotating causing said roller on said slide to follow said slot in said guide plate, thereby resulting in said slide moving downwardly along said guide rod when said slot moves toward said lower edge of said guide plate, said downwardly moving slide moving from said first position into said second position, thereby forcing said gaseous sterilant being dispensed through said injector into said interior of said bottle such that said gaseous sterilant forced into said interior of said bottle exits the interior of said bottle through a throat of the bottle to an area along said outer surface of said bottle,
wherein, after said slide reaches said second position, as said bottle continues to be rotated toward said end of said first portion of said path, said slide moves upwardly along said guide rod when said slot moves toward said upper edge of said guide plate, thereby upwardly moving slide from said second position into said first position.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
moving said bottle from said end of said first portion of said path in said decontamination chamber to a second portion of said path in an aeration chamber at least partially defined by a second portion of the housing, said assembly being a first of a plurality of assemblies, a second of said assemblies being configured to distribute a predetermined amount of dry, filtered air from a source thereof to said bottle when said bottle is disposed along the second portion of said path, said at least one injector being a first of a plurality of said at least one injectors associated with said at least one bottles;
fluidly connecting a second of said injectors associated with said bottle to a source of a dry, filtered air when said bottle associated with said second injector is disposed along said second portion of said path; and
conveying said dry, filtered air through said second injector and into said interior of said bottle when said bottle is disposed along said second portion of said path.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said path defines a decontamination zone and said assembly includes an auxiliary line that fluidly connects said decontamination zone to said source of said gaseous sterilant, and
wherein said dispensing includes dispensing said predetermined amount of said gaseous sterilant through said auxiliary line and through said decontamination zone.

Assignees

• American Sterilizer Co

Inventors

• Mielnik Thaddeus J
• Hill Aaron L

Classifications

• B65B55/02

  Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages · CPC title

• B65B55/10

  by liquids or gases · CPC title

• B65B55/18 Primary

  by liquids or gases (B65B55/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61L2/208 Primary

  Hydrogen peroxide · CPC title

• B05B7/1686

  involving vaporisation of the material to be sprayed or of an atomising-fluid-generating product · CPC title