Active Sterilization Zone for Container Filling
AssigneeStokely-Van Camp, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Mastio, Rei-Young Amos Wu, Michael F. McGowan, Subodh K. Raniwala, Gregory Schimmel, James D. Schuman, Richard O. Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.
Claims27
An apparatus comprising:
- a filler wheel having a plurality of filler wheel grippers adapted to grip containers;
- a first filler wheel e-beam emitter emitting a filler wheel e-beam field directed at the filler wheel grippers to aid in sterilizing the filler wheel grippers, the filler wheel configured to fill containers;
- a transfer wheel having a plurality of transfer wheel grippers adapted to grip filled containers from the filler wheel, the transfer wheel having a transfer wheel e-beam emitter emitting a transfer wheel e-beam field directed at the transfer wheel grippers to aid in sterilizing the transfer wheel grippers prior to gripping a filled container.
A method of sterilizing critical contact surfaces during a filling operation comprising:
- providing a first filler wheel e-beam emitter adapted to emit an e-beam field and directing the first filler wheel e-beam emitter at filler wheel grippers adapted to receive containers;
- providing a transfer wheel e-beam emitter adapted to emit an e-beam field and directing the transfer wheel e-beam emitter at transfer wheel grippers adapted to receive containers;
- providing a first capper wheel e-beam emitter adapted to emit an e-beam field and directing the first capper wheel e-beam emitter at a capper chuck on a capper wheel.
An apparatus for transferring containers filled with product by a filler assembly to a capper assembly that places caps on the filled containers, the apparatus comprising:
- a transfer wheel configured for rotational movement and having a container inlet portion and a container outlet portion, the transfer wheel having a plurality of transfer wheel grippers adapted to receive the containers filled with product from the filler assembly;
- a transfer wheel e-beam emitter operably associated with the transfer wheel, the transfer wheel e-beam emitter emitting an e-beam field dimensioned such that the transfer wheel grippers pass through the e-beam field prior to receiving the container filled with product, the transfer wheel adapted to deliver the container filled with product to the capper assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.