WO2013004323A1 - Method and linear device for filling containers with a filling material - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling containers with a filling material and for subsequently sealing the filled containers with container closures, wherein the containers are moved in a timed manner by means of a linear transporter in a container transport direction to a sealing device, are sealed in said sealing device with a container closure in at least one stationary phase of the timed movement and are moved onwards in a subsequent movement phase of the timed movement. In a movement phase preceding application of the container closure, nitrogen, preferably liquid nitrogen, is admitted to the head space of the containers.

Description

 Method and linear system for filling containers with a product

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a linear system according to the preamble of claim 7.

The metered introduction of liquid nitrogen into the headspace of filled containers is known in particular in the beverage industry, on the one hand by the evaporation or outgassing of nitrogen from the headspace existing air and thus existing oxygen to displace (oxygen reduction), on the other hand, an internal pressure in the closed container to produce, so thereby also for thin-walled containers, ie For containers with low weight, achieved sufficient stability and thus the use of such containers is possible. The oxygen reduction in the headspace of the containers, in particular in the case of oxygen-sensitive products or products, substantially improves their durability and quality, e.g. the vitamin C degradation is reduced with appropriate drinks.

Also known is the sterile filling and closing of containers, in particular the sterilization of the closures used during sealing by exposure to a suitable sterilization medium, for example with aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) high concentration and subsequent drying immediately before use of the respective container closure (EP 1 741 666 A2, EP 0 993418 B1, EP 1 175 343 B1). The object of the invention is to provide a method by which a filling and closing of containers under pressure at least the headspace of the filled containers with nitrogen, preferably with liquid nitrogen, with optimal oxygen reduction and yet sufficient internal container pressure, preferably overpressure in each filled container possible is. To solve this problem, a method according to claim 1 is formed. A linear system for carrying out the method is the subject of claim 7. In the invention, the loading of the container or of the contents of the container not occupied headspace of the container with the liquid nitrogen during a movement phase of the clocked movement of the container takes place, preferably in the application or placement of the respective container closure immediately preceding movement phase of the clocked movement , This ensures, inter alia, that sufficient time remains for vaporization or outgassing of the nitrogen and thus sufficient time to displace air and oxygen from the headspace of the container, but at the same time after the final closure of the respective container this has a sufficient, generated by nitrogen internal pressure ,

With the method according to the invention an oxygen reduction is easily possible, so far remains far less than 1% of the original oxygen in the respective head cavities.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention takes place after the application of liquid nitrogen only a "loose" first application of the container closure, ie an application of the container closure in such a way that this is indeed sufficiently secured to the respective container, between container closure and container but passages remain, through which nitrogen and air displaced therefrom, and in particular oxygen, can flow to the outside, only after expiration of a further time interval, which is approximately the duration of a movement step of the clocked movement with which the containers are moved by the linear system or integral multiples thereof, the final tight closure of the container takes place with the respective container closure.

The closures are preferably cap-like closures, for example those which are fastened by deformation and / or screwing onto the containers or onto the container areas having the container mouth. "Headspace" means the container in the sense of that part of the container interior below the container opening, which is not occupied by the contents after being filled in. The term "essentially" in the sense of the invention means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of changes insignificant for the function.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. 1 shows, in a very simplified schematic representation and in plan view, a linear installation for filling and closing containers in the form of bottles under sterile conditions with oxygen reduction and with an internal container pressure (for example overpressure) in the closed container;

 2 shows a simplified partial view and side view of the

 Closing device having section of the system of the figure

1 ;

 Figure 3 in partial view and in section one of the dosing heads

 Nitrogen dosing device with dosing valve and nozzle opening;

4 in positions a) and b) in each case in a partial representation of a container with a container closure, after a first, provisional placement of the container closure (position a)) and after final fixing of the container closure (position b)).

The linear installation, generally designated 1 in FIG. 1, serves for filling and sterile closing of containers 2 in the form of bottles. The container 2 to be filled and sealed are fed to the system 1 via a container inlet 3 according to the arrow A and then moved in a multi-lane container stream or on several trajectories 4.1 with a conveyor 4 through different sections of the system 1, in the illustrated Embodiment by a section 5 for pretreating the containers 2, by a section 6 for filling the containers 2 and by a section 7 for closing the containers 2 under sterile conditions. The containers 2 are, for example, with their bottom on the feed dog 4 and are secured in the region of its container mouth by synchronously with moving support elements 4.2 against falling or the feed dog 4 is formed for a suspended transport of the container 2.

The thus filled and sealed container 2 are discharged via a container outlet 8 according to the arrow C. The movement of the container 2 through the sections 5, 6 and 7 in the transport direction B is clocked, ie in a stepwise transport movement, in the stoppage phases and movement phases alternately follow each other. It is understood that the necessary for the respective treatment of the container 2 facilities are provided on each trajectory 4.1. Furthermore, the upright containers 2, which are oriented with their container axes in the vertical direction, are moved through the sections 5-7 so that at least the respective container opening or container mouth 2.1 is received in a sterile room 9 (FIG. 2), at least during operation the plant 1 is acted upon with a sterile gas and / or vapor medium, preferably with a slight overpressure, for example with sterile air. FIG. 2 shows section 7 of one of the trajectories 4.1 in the region of a closing device. Shown are the container 2 with its arranged in the sterile or aseptic chamber 9 container mouths 2.1 and a closure transfer station 10 and a following in the direction of transport B closing station 11, of the closure transfer station 10 in the transport direction B by a clock or movement step of the clocked transport movement or by an integer Multiple of such a movement step is spaced. The cap-like container closures 12 serving for closing the containers 2 and the container mouths 2.2 are in sterile form, for example after sterilization with a suitable sterilization medium, for example with H 2 O 2 and after drying via a sliding guide 13 of a closure provision position of the closure transfer station 10 arranged in the sterile space 9 supplied and from there with a closure transfer element in the standstill phase of the clocked transport movement placed on each container mouth 2.1. After a further movement stroke of the clocked movement, the container in question 2 is then under the closing station 11, at which the container closure 12 in the stoppage phase of the clocked transport movement is finally fixed to the mouth of the container 2 having mouth region of the respective container 2, for example by pressing and / or pressing and / or forming and / or screwing on and / or welding and / or sealing, etc.

With reference to the transport direction B of the closure transfer station 10, a nozzle opening 14 for the metered discharge of liquid nitrogen (N 2) into the head space of the filled container 2 is provided in the sterile space. The nozzle opening 14, which is part of a nozzle head 16 of a nitrogen dosing unit 15 which extends obliquely from top to bottom into the sterile space 9, is arranged in this sterile 9 so that its distance from the closure transfer station 10 or from the area at which the transfer the respective container closure 12 takes place on a container 2, in the transport direction B is smaller than the distance between the Closure transfer station 10 and the closing station 1 1 or smaller than a moving step of the clocked transport movement of the container 2. Furthermore, the nozzle head 16 and the nozzle opening 14 are arranged so that the axis DA of the nozzle opening 14 in a vertical or substantially vertical plane with the Transport direction B an acute angle a, ie an angle a less than 45 ° includes, which opens against the transport direction B (Fig. 3). The nozzle opening 14, which is arranged above the movement path of the container mouths 2.1, is located at a level below the level of the closure provision position 14 and is generally oriented so that with its container mouth 2.1 below the nozzle 14 moved past container 2 and in particular their headspace with the metered from the nozzle opening 14 liquid nitrogen are applied metered.

For metered delivery of liquid nitrogen, the nozzle opening 14 is formed as a metering valve, using a plunger-like valve body 16, which extends with its tapered end into the open end of the channel 15 formed in the dosing 15 and thereby forms the annular nozzle opening 14. By axial adjustment (double arrow D) of the valve body 17, the nozzle opening can be opened more or less.

The described design and arrangement of the dosing head 16 and the nozzle opening 14 not only ensures that the headspace of the container 2 moved past the nozzle opening 14 is reliably charged with the liquid nitrogen, but in particular also ensures that expansion or vaporization is achieved or outgassing of the liquid nitrogen in the respective headspace and thus for the displacement of oxygen in particular from the respective headspace remains sufficient time, yet applying the container closures 12 so timely that after closing the respective container 2 is still a sufficiently high nitrogen internal pressure in closed container 2 is present. After putting the respective container closure 12 onto a container, this container closure 2 is temporarily fixed in position there, but only so loosely that any further evaporation of liquid nitrogen displaces any oxygen present together with a certain nitrogen content from the head space of the container. The time available for this corresponds to the distance between the closure transfer station 10 and the closing station 1 1, ie the duration of a movement phase of the clocked transport movement or a multiple thereof. Since the nozzle opening 14 is in the above-described manner at a level below the level of the shutter-providing position 10.1 of the closure transfer station 10 and the nozzle head 15 is directed in the manner described above in the container transport direction B obliquely downward toward the trajectory of the container mouths 2.1, is with the discharged from the nozzle opening 14 nitrogen or with the resulting and partially rising nitrogen mist also resting after closing on the container mouth 2.1 inside of waiting in the sliding guide 13 or in the closure transfer station 10.1 of the closing station 1 1 traveled closure 12 gaseous Nitrogen trapped or displaced oxygen. Thus, the gas volume on the inside of the respective closure 12, which is located in the closure transfer element of the closure transfer station 10, depleted of oxygen before or during this is placed on a container 2. As a result, the quality of the oxygen-free or oxygen-poor filling and closing of the container 2 is substantially improved.

The nozzle head 16 is further formed and arranged or inclined so that its channel 16.1 and the inner surface of this channel in all areas also has an inclination relative to the horizontal. The channel 16 can thus be completely emptied, in particular at the nozzle opening 14 which is open completely or over a large area, for example at the end of a production phase or during a cleaning and sterilization phase in which not only the Nozzle head 16, but also all other components of Appendix 1 are treated with a suitable cleaning and / or sterilization medium.

In the illustrated embodiment, at least the final filling of the containers 2 with a filling station 18 takes place a few bars, usually two to four bars, prior to placing the caps 2 on the filled containers 2, i. in the stoppage phase of the clocked movement, before the containers are moved in the next movement phase of this movement to the closure transfer station 10 and are acted upon in this movement phase before the next standstill phase with the exiting the nozzle opening 14 nitrogen.

Preferably, only those functional elements, in particular the closure transfer station 10, the capping station 11, the filling station 18 and also the nitrogen metering units 15 are provided in the sterile chamber 9, which interact directly with the containers, while the remaining parts or elements of such stations outside the sterile room 9, are preferably arranged above this space, in particular also means for providing the liquid nitrogen discharged to the nozzle opening 14. Section 7 during the cleaning and sterilization phase in a cleaning and / or sterilization operation of Appendix 1, the cleaning and / or sterilization media used, which are, for example, vapor and / or gaseous and / or liquid media, for example H202 in aqueous solution with high concentration and as an aerosol or vapor, among other things, passed through the channels 16.1 of the nozzle heads 16, wherein the emerging at the respective nozzle opening 14 cleaning and / or sterilization medium is discharged via a directly arranged on the respective nozzle opening 14 pipe section 19. Furthermore, during the cleaning and / or sterilization operation, the respective cleaning and / or sterilization medium is also supplied to the sterile room 9 at suitable areas for cleaning and / or sterilizing this room and the functional elements arranged there, and from the room 9, for example at areas between the trajectories 4.1 of the container. 2 derived again. The functional elements serving for the introduction and discharge of the cleaning and / or sterilization media, in particular also pipe pieces 19, are, insofar as they interfere with the normal filling and closing profile, designed such that they can be used for this filling and closing operation from the plant 1 or at least from the movement space of the container 2 are movable or pivotable.

A special feature of Appendix 1 is, inter alia, in a metered treatment of the filled container 2 with liquid nitrogen in a linear system 1 or linear machine for cooling and closing the container 2 under aseptic conditions, with a relatively long Ausgasphase for nitrogen for oxygen reduction while still safe nitrogen Pressure build-up in the containers is achieved within close tolerances. The invention has been described above by means of an embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 plant for filling and closing of containers

2 containers

 2.1 Container mouth

 3 container inlet

 4 transporter

 4.1 conveyor belt

 5, 6, 7 section

 8 container outlet

 9 sterile room

 10 closure transfer station

 10.1 Lock deployment position

 11 capping station

 11.1 closing element

 12 container closure

 13 sliding guide for the closures 12

 14 nozzle opening

 15 dosing head

 16 channel

 17 valve body

 18 filling element

 19 pipe piece

 A, B, C Container transport direction

 D axial adjustment

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for filling containers (2) with a filling material, preferably with a liquid filling material, and for subsequently closing the filled containers (2) with container closures (12), the containers (2) being connected to a linear transporter (4). in a container transport direction (B) in a clocked manner to a closing device (10, 11), closed there in at least one standstill phase of the clocked movement with a container closure (12) and moved further in a subsequent movement phase of the clocked movement, characterized in that in one of the Placement of the respective container closure (12) on a container (2) preceding the movement phase of the clocked movement, the head space of the container (2) is dosed with nitrogen, preferably with liquid nitrogen, in order to displace air and in particular oxygen from the head space to achieve an internal container pressure for each closed container (2). 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the metered application of nitrogen to the head space takes place via at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14), the metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) with its nozzle or opening axis (DA) preferably being arranged in this way that a nitrogen jet emerging from the metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) also has a component directed in the container transport direction (B). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the case of cap-like container closures (12), the interior of these closures is also supplied with nitrogen to displace air and oxygen, preferably with that discharged from the at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14). Nitrogen. 4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after the head space of the container (2) has been exposed to nitrogen, a container closure (12) is first placed on the respective container (2) in such a way that it is in the area of the container mouth ( 2.1) is fixed, but a further escape of evaporated nitrogen and thus a further displacement of air and oxygen from the head space is possible, and that only after a further movement phase of the clocked movement at a closing position or station (11) is the container closure finally fixed (12) on the container (2). 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the application of nitrogen to the containers and the closing of the filled containers, preferably also the filling of the containers (2), take place in a sterile room (9) in which the containers ( 2) are included at least with their container mouths (2.1). 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling and closing of the containers (2) together with the application of nitrogen to the head space of the containers and optionally the container closures (12) with the nitrogen are carried out on several parallel movement paths (4.1). take place. 7. Linear system for filling and closing containers (2) with a filling material, preferably with a liquid filling material, the containers (2) being on at least one movement path (4.1) with a linear transporter (4) in a clocked movement at least through sections (6, 7) for filling and closing the containers (2), characterized in that above the movement path of the containers (2) or the container mouths (2.1) on the at least one movement path (4.1) there is at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening ( 14) is provided for the metered introduction of nitrogen, preferably liquid nitrogen, into the head space of the filled container (2), and that the at least one nozzle is positioned so that the nitrogen is introduced into the respective head space during the movement phase of the clocked movement of the containers (2). 8. Linear system according to claim 7, characterized in that the at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) is provided on the movement path (4.1) in relation to the container transport direction (B) after a filling station (18) and before a closure transfer station (10), preferably at a distance from the closure transfer station (10) which is at most equal to, but preferably smaller than, the length of a movement step of the clocked movement of the transporter (4). 9. Linear system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the axis (DA) of the metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) forms an acute angle (a), i.e. an angle (a) smaller than 90 °, with the container transport direction (B), which opens in the opposite direction to the container transport direction (B). 10. Linear system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) is formed by a nozzle head (16) of a nitrogen metering station (15), and that a channel forming the at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14). (16.1) of the nozzle head (16) is also inclined relative to the container transport direction (B). 1 . Linear system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) is arranged at a level below a level at which the container closures (12) are arranged at a closure provision position or station (10.1) of the closure transfer station (10). . 12. Linear system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure transfer station (10) is designed for loose placement or loose fixing of the container closures (2). 13. Linear system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a sterile space (9) in which the containers (2) are moved at least with their container mouth (2.1). 14. Linear system according to claim 13, characterized in that the functional elements that interact directly with the containers (2) when filling and closing the containers (2) as well as the at least one metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) or this metering nozzle or nozzle opening (14) having part of the dosing head (16) are housed in the sterile room (9), and that the remaining parts or functional elements of the closure transfer station (10), the closure station (11) and the nitrogen dosing station (15) are provided outside the sterile room (9). . 15. Linear system according to claim 13 or 14, characterized by means for cleaning and / or sterilizing at least the sterile room (9) and the functional element arranged in this room with at least one gas and / or vapor and / or liquid cleaning and / or Sterilization medium, wherein devices for supplying and/or removing the at least one cleaning and/or sterilization medium are provided, for example, in such a way that, after a cleaning and/or sterilization operation, they can be moved at least out of a movement space in which the containers (2) are located. move during a filling and closing operation.