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, Steven Havlik, 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.
Claims34
An apparatus for the sterile filling of containers comprising:
- a filler wheel having at least one gripper adapted to receive a container, and a first filler wheel e-beam unit, wherein the first filler wheel e-beam unit is directed at the at least one gripper such the gripper receives e-beam treatment prior to receiving the container, the filler wheel configured to fill the container with a product;
- a transfer wheel having at least one gripper adapted to receive a container, and a transfer wheel e-beam unit, wherein the transfer wheel e-beam unit is directed at the at least one gripper such the gripper receives e-beam treatment prior to receiving a container;
- a capper wheel having a capper chuck, and a first capper e-beam unit;
- wherein the capper e-beam unit is directed at the capper chuck such a cap loaded in the capper chuck receives e-beam treatment prior to the capper wheel placing the cap onto the container.
A method of sterile filling of containers comprising:
- (A) receiving a container in an isolator unit with a transfer wheel having at least one gripper and passing the container out of the isolator unit to a filler assembly,
- (B) treating a container gripper located on a filler wheel of the filler assembly by directing a first filler wheel e-beam emitter at the container gripper surface prior to receiving the container for filling, receiving a container with the gripper, and filling the container;
- (C) treating a gripper located on a transfer wheel by directing an e-beam emitter at the container gripper surface of the transfer wheel prior to receiving the filled container, and passing the filled container to a capper wheel;
- (D) treating a capper chuck located on a capper wheel by directing a first capper e-beam emitter at the capper chuck, and further treating a cap located on the capper chuck prior to placing the cap on the filled container.
An apparatus for the sterile filling of containers comprising:
- a filler wheel having at least one gripper adapted to receive a container, and a first filler wheel e-beam unit emitting a first filler wheel e-beam field, wherein the first filler wheel e-beam unit is directed at the at least one gripper such that the field encompasses the gripper prior to receiving the container, the filler wheel configured to fill the container with a product;
- a transfer mechanism adapted to receive the container from the filler wheel;
- and
- a capper assembly adapted to receive the container from the transfer mechanism, the capper assembly adapted to place a cap on to the container.
The apparatus 28 wherein the second capper wheel e-beam emitter is positioned below the capper chuck and wherein the second e-beam field is directed upwards towards an underside surface of the capper chuck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.