EP0232985A1

EP0232985A1 - Improvements in or relating to filling apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP0232985A1
Application number: EP87300357A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John Corrugated Products Ltd. Haggart; Kevin Corrugated Products Ltd. Williams
Original assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Current assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Priority date: 1986-02-01
Filing date: 1987-01-16
Publication date: 1987-08-19
Also published as: GB8602506D0

Abstract

Apparatus for filling containers, for example, bags (10) with liquid comprises a filling chamber (22) where the bags (10) are filled in sterile conditions and a tunnel (20) leading to said chamber where at least the openings (14) to the containers (10) to be filled are in alignment, sterilised and, if necessary dried. The containers (10) are moved in a line intermittently through the apparatus such that as one is being filled others are being sterilised.

Description

The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to filling apparatus, especially but not exclusively apparatus for filling bags with liquid in an aseptic manner.
The use of plastic bags contained within more rigid containers, for example corrugated paper cartons, is increasing rapidly but such an arrangement has not proved to be particularly satisfactory for certain liquids and substances, especially those which are readily contaminated, as whereas it is possible to provide sterilised liquids for filling the bags, the filling operation, which normally involves at least one manual step, can result in the bag and/or its contents being contaminated.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.
According to the first present invention there is provided apparatus for filling containers comprising a filling chamber containing container filling means, container alignment and sterilisation means leading to the filling chamber, the container alignment and sterilisation means being housed in the tunnels through which containers or parts thereof pass.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic side elevation of a bag filling apparatus; and
Fig. 2 shows a section through the line II-II of Fig. 1.

A filling apparatus is provided for filling plastics bags 10 each having a projecting neck 12 having an opening 14 therein and arranged in a continuous line with a transverse line of perforations between each bag. Generally each bag will be fitted with a closure inserted into or onto each neck, this closure may be for example a form of dispensing valve, or may be a cap or plug. The bags arrive at the apparatus in a sealed container 16 which has been irradiated to sterilise the bags.
The filling apparatus comprises a base plate 18 above which are mounted a bag alignment and sterilising tunnel and a filling chamber 22 to which a supply of sterile product is supplied by means of a line 24. The line 24 terminates in a filling head which does not form part of the present invention and will not be described in detail. It includes a filling nozzle 23 which is adapted to co-operate with the opening 14 in a bag so that the bag may be filled with a measured quantity of sterile product. The filling chamber may include also means for removing caps or other closures which cover the openings in each bag up to the moment of filling thereby ensuring that the sterile interior of the bag remains uncontaminated during its passage from the container 16 to the filling chamber 22. Bag holding means are also provided in the chamber said holding means may be provided by the bag closure removal apparatus. After filling, sterile caps or closures may be re-applied to the openings 14.
The base plate 18 terminates in a discharge chute 19 and it will be realised therefore that when the bag holding means are released the weight of the filled bags descending down the chute pulls along the line of unfilled bags from the container through the tunnel into the filling chamber. Thus the means for moving the bags to be filled into the filling position is located outside the sterile zone and no additional mechanical means operating within the sterile zone, and therefore possibly introducing contamination, are required.
As the line of bags enters the tunnel 20, guides 25 ensure that the necks 12 are aligned with the filling nozzle in the chamber 22. As each bag is of the same dimensions, when a bag is being filled in the filling chamber the necks 12 of the upstream bags occupy predetermined fixed positions and while occupying one or more of these positions sprays 26 of superheated steam or chemical solution (Fig. 2) are directed on the neck and the area of the bag surrounding the neck to remove any contamination which may have accumulated on the neck of the bag and in the region thereof on the passage between the sterile container 16 and the filling chamber or even prior to the introduction of the container 16 into the apparatus due to some accident or failure in recommended handling techniques.
The entire length of the tunnel 20 is subjected to ultra-voilet light for example, from a striplamp 29 thereby maintaining the sterile conditions therein so that it can be effectively guaranteed that when the neck 12 of the bag reaches the filling chamber it is completely sterile and can therefore safely accept sterile product from the filling nozzle.
At the end of each filling operation the nozzle 23 is withdrawn from the bag. The bag neck is closed off, by replacement of the same closure which had been removed prior to filling. The bag is then released from the filling chamber. When the filling nozzle 23 is removed from the bag, the nozzle is sterilised by directing superheated steam or sterilising solution thereon from a steam jet 27. The line of bags is indexed until the next opening 14 comes into the filling position, the indexing movement being caused by the filled bag or bags being propelled through the machine from the downstream end, as a result of the said filled bags descending down the discharge chute.
An enclosure 30 is provided at one end of the base plate 18 and tunnel 20. It is of sufficient size to enclose a container 16 of bags to be filled and surrounds the inlet to the tunnel. The enclosure has outlet units 33 at its base.
The chamber 22, tunnel 20 and enclosures 30 are maintained at a pressure slightly above ambient pressure, this elevated pressure being any pressure which is sufficient to ensure continual egress of gas from the chamber 22, and the tunnel 20 and enclosure 30 thus permitting no possible ingress of contaminated air. If desired the filling chamber, enclosure and tunnel may be supplied with an inert gas, for example nitrogen, but certainly if air is supplied then it is preconditioned in a sterilising and pressurising unit 31 to ensure that it is sterile.
Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, whereas it is realised that with the exception of the superheated steam used to sterilise the filling nozzle the filling chamber is maintained in a dry state, further dryness can be ensured by blasting heated gas onto the nozzle prior to a filling operation. Additionally drain means are provided leading from the tunnel and/or filling chamber.
Similarly, drying means (32) may be provided in the tunnel and in a further modification the superheated steam sterilising sprays 26 may be replaced by sprays of a germicidal liquid.
In a further modification where bags are supplied without closures the closure removal and replacement means in the filling chamber are omitted.
Instead of an inclined discharge chute, the system may include an alternative means of propulsion, for example a driven conveyor.
It may be possible in certain applications to dispense with the ultraviolet light in the tunnel.
In a further modification the bases of the tunnel sides may have inwardly directed flanges to define a slot along which the necks 12 may travel.
The invention provides filling apparatus where the method employed is based on intermittent bag movement. This factor is utilised, in the invention, to permit a germicidal treatment to be effected at stations prior to the filling chamber, where the neck is temporarily stationary. A sterile tunnel is provided to ensure that, once sterilised, the neck and, if appropriate closure, cannot be re-contaminated prior to entering the sterile filling chamber.

Claims

1. Apparatus for filling containers comprising a filling chamber containing container filling means, characterised in that the apparatus includes also container alignment and sterilisation means (25 and 26) leading to the filling chamber (22), the said container alignment and sterilisation means being housed in a tunnel (20) through which containers or parts thereof pass.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the sterilising means within the tunnel comprises at least one spray (26) for directing superheated steam and/or chemical solution onto the opening (14) to a container (10) and the regions of the container surrounding the opening.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the tunnel is subjected to the further sterilising effect of ultra-voilet light (29). The tunnel includes also drying means (32).

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the filling chamber, (22) includes nozzle means (23) co-operable with the container opening (14) and a jet (27) for directing superheated steam onto said nozzle means (23) at the end of each filling cycle.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the inlet to the tunnel (20) is located in a wall of an enclosure (30) adapted to accommodate a supply (16) containers (10) to be filled and in that means are provided for supplying a sterile gas at above ambient pressure to the filling chamber tunnel and enclosure, with the pressure in the filling chamber greater than the pressure in the tunnel and enclosure.

6. Apparatus claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means (19) for moving containers through the tunnel to the filling chamber are located outside the filling chamber and tunnel on the downstream side of the filling chamber.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container alignment means comprise guides (25) adapted to contact that area of the container surrounding its filling opening (14) to align the container prior to its entry into the filling chamber (22).

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, adapted to fill plastics or foil material bags the opening to which is provided by a circular neck protruding from the surface of the bag characterised in that the bags (10) are joined in end-to-end relation ship, the means for moving the bags through the tunnel (20) and filling chamber (22) comprising a discharge chute (19) for filled bags (10) which pull a line of unfilled bags through the chamber and tunnel.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the container moving means is a drive conveyor.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that sprays (26) for superheaded steam and/or a chemical solution are provided on the tunnel walls to direct steam and/or sterilising solution onto at least the container openings (14).