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, Richard O. Powell
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims25
An apparatus comprising:
- a capper wheel having a capper chuck adapted to receive a cap to be placed on a container;
- and
- a first capper wheel e-beam emitter operably associated with the capper wheel, the first capper wheel e-beam emitter emitting a first e-beam field,
- wherein the capper wheel moves the capper chuck into the first e-beam field at a start position adapted to be prior to receiving the cap.
An apparatus comprising:
- a capper wheel having a capper chuck adapted to receive a cap to be placed on a container;
- and
- a capper wheel e-beam emitter operably associated with the capper wheel, the first capper wheel e-beam emitter emitting a first e-beam field,
- wherein the capper wheel moves the capper chuck into the first e-beam field and wherein the capper chuck has a central axis wherein the capper wheel rotates the capper chuck about the central axis while the capper chuck is in e-beam field.
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the capper chuck is rotated approximately 180 degrees.
An apparatus comprising:
- a capper wheel having a capper chuck adapted to receive a cap, the capper wheel further having a gripper adapted to receive a container filled with product;
- a first e-beam emitter emitting a first e-beam field directed at the capper chuck at a start position;
- a second e-beam emitter emitting a second e-beam field directed at the capper chuck at a cap loaded position, the capper chuck rotating about a central axis in the cap loaded position wherein the capper chuck is adapted to rotate the cap loaded therein in the second e-beam field;
- and
- a third e-beam emitter emitting a third e-beam field directed at the airspace located generally between the capper chuck and gripper, the capper wheel moving the capper chuck adapted to have the cap therein and the gripper adapted to have the container filled with product therein to a cap installing position, wherein the capper chuck moves to install the cap onto the container.
A method for maintaining a sterile environment during the capping of a container filled with product comprising:
- providing a first e-beam emitter directed at a capper chuck;
- providing a second e-beam emitter directed at an inside area of a cap;
- providing a third e-beam emitter directed at an airspace located between a filled container and the cap as the cap is rotated onto the filled container.
A method comprising:
- (A) receiving a container filled with product;
- (B) substantially sterilizing a capper chuck;
- (C) receiving a cap by the capper chuck;
- (D) rotating the cap with the capper chuck while simultaneously sterilizing the inside surface of the cap;
- (E) substantially sterilizing the airspace between the cap and the container;
- (F) capping a container filled with product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.