Method and installation for packaging in a sterile medium

Installation for packaging in a sterile medium, comprising:

• a sterile enclosure having lateral walls, and upper and lower walls;
• means for supplying the enclosure with sterile gas at a pressure slightly greater than the pressure prevailing outside the enclosure;
• means for separating a thermoplastic film, by traction, at the entrance to the sterile enclosure, from a covering film applied to the thermoplastic film in an air-tight manner at least along its edges;
• first means for conveying said thermoplastic film so that this film forms at least one part of the lower wall of the sterile enclosure;
• a station for heating the thermoplastic film to a forming temperature;
• a station for forming containers in said thermoplastic film located at least partly in the sterile enclosure and comprising at least one mould able to move vertically under the thermoplastic film and at least one forming punch able to move vertically inside a chamber located above the thermoplastic film;
• a filling station comprising at least one nozzle supported by a nozzle support and opening out above the plane of the thermoplastic film;
• a covering station for covering the full containers with a covering strip;
• and a sealing station for sealing the covering strip on each container, in an air-tight manner, around its filling opening, said chamber and said nozzle support being mounted in a sealed manner on part of the wall of the enclosure which overhangs the plane of the thermoplastic film, the parts of the forming station located above said chamber, the parts of the filling station located above the nozzle support and all the part of the covering and sealing stations being outside the sterile enclosure.

An installation for packing a product in a sterile medium comprising:

• a sterile enclosure having side walls, an upper wall and a bottom wall;
• means for supplying said sterile enclosure with sterile gas at a pressure slightly greater than the pressure prevailing outside said sterile enclosure;
• means for carrying a container strip of thermoplastic material, said container strip forming at least part of the bottom wall of said sterile enclosure;
• a station for heating said container strip;
• a station for forming containers in said container strip situated at least in part in said sterile enclosure and comprising at least one mold vertically mobile under said container strip, and at least one forming punch mobile vertically inside a sleeve above the transport level of said container strip beyond the entrance to said forming station;
• a filling station comprising at least one nozzle carried by a nozzle support and opening out above said transport level of said container strip;
• a covering station for covering filled containers with a cover strip, without the inside of said containers being contaminated by a non-sterile atmosphere;
• a sealing station for sealing in a tight manner said cover strip on said container strip around the filling opening of each container;
• means disposed at an entrance to said sterile enclosure for separating said container strip from said cover strip by traction, said container strip and said cover strip being previously superimposed against one another in an air-tight manner at least along their sides and having sterile sides facing one another;
• and
• guiding means for guiding said cover strip between said entrance to said sterile enclosure and said covering station at a delivery end of said sterile enclosure, said cover strip passing above said forming and said filling stations, said sleeve of said forming station and said nozzle support of said filling station both being mounted on a portion of a wall of said external enclosure which overhangs said transport level of said container strip, the elements of said forming and said filling station being situated above said sleeve and above said nozzle support, and the elements of said covering and said sealing stations being situated outside said sterile enclosure.