US 5,031,673 AGranted

Method and apparatus for dispensing a liquid into containers in an aseptic or sterile manner

AssigneesSeitz Enzinger Noll Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Granini GmbH & Co. KG

InventorLudwig Clusserath

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method and apparatus to aseptically dispense liquid under counterpressure for filling thereof into a container. In a sterilization phase that precedes the filling, the inner surfaces of a container, the container mouth, as well as an outer surface of the container adjacent to the mouth thereof, are acted upon by a hot, pressurized, gaseous or vaporous sterilization medium. During both the sterilization and filling phases, the respective container is thereby completely disposed in a chamber in such a way that the interior of the container communicates via the mouth thereof with the interior of this chamber. The sterilization medium is introduced into the container at a distance from the mouth thereof via a filling tube that later serves for filling. At least during a portion of the sterilization phase, but also during the subsequent filling phase, the chamber is closed to the atmosphere in such a way that at least during this portion of the sterilization phase, a sterilization medium pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure is set in the chamber, and during the filling phase the dispensing of the liquid into the respective container is effected against a counterpressure that exists within the chamber.

Claims14

Dependent claims

In a method of dispensing a liquid under counterpressure into a container, such as a bottle, in an aseptic or sterile manner, whereby said container that is to be filled is acted upon, at least during a portion of a sterilization phase that precedes a filling phase where said container is filled with said liquid, in a chamber that is adapted to be closed off to the atmosphere, by a hot, gaseous or vaporous sterilization medium that is under pressure, with this medium acting upon inner surfaces of said container that delimit the interior thereof, upon the mouth of said container, and also upon the outer surface of said container adjacent to said mouth thereof, with said chamber being disposed below a filling element that in said filling phase delivers said liquid into the interior of said container via a filling tube that extends through said mouth of said container and into the interior thereof, the improvement therewith comprising the steps of:

during said sterilization phase as well as during said filling phase, accommodating said container enclosed completely in said chamber in such a way that said interior of said container communicates via said mouth thereof with said interior of said chamber;
during said sterilization phase as well as during said filling phase accommodating said container completely in said chamber the interior of which communicates by the mouth of the container with the interior thereof;
during said sterilization phase, introducing said sterilization medium via said filling tube and said exit thereof into said interior of said container, with said exit being positioned directly at the bottom of said container;
and in said filling phase, with said chamber closed-off to the atmosphere, effecting dispensing said liquid from said exit into the container against a counterpressure that exists in said interior of said chamber after a desired filling state has been achieved in said container, supplying said sterilization medium to said filling tube to completely drain same into said bottle.

1 more element

In a method of dispensing a liquid under counterpressure into a bottle, which may break due to temperature shock, in an aseptic or sterile manner, whereby said bottle that is to be filled is positioned below a filling element and is acted upon, at least during a sterilization phase that precedes a filling phase where said bottle is filled with said liquid, in a chamber that is adapted to be closed off to the atmosphere, by a hot, gaseous or vaporous sterilization medium that is under pressure, with this sterilization medium acting upon inner surfaces of said bottle that delimit the interior thereof, upon the mouth of said bottle, and also upon the outer surface of said bottle adjacent to said mouth thereof, with said chamber being disposed below said filling element that in said filling phase delivers said liquid into said interior of said bottle via a filling tube that extends through said mouth of said bottle and into said interior thereof, the improvement comprising the steps of:

during a step of preheating, said step preceding said sterilization phase, accommodating said bottle in said chamber in such a way that said interior of said bottle communicates via said mouth thereof with the interior of said chamber, with said bottle being acted upon by said sterilization medium via said filling tube and an exit thereof, said sterilization medium escaping from said interior of said chamber to the atmosphere in a pressureless manner through an opening that is disposed below said mouth of said bottle and extends about said bottle;
during said sterilization phase, following said preheating, as well as during said filling phase accommodating said bottle completely in said chamber in such a way that said interior of said bottle communicates via said mouth thereof with said interior of said chamber;
during said sterilization phase introducing said sterilization medium via said filling tube and said exit thereof into said interior of said bottle, with said exit being positioned directly at a bottom of said bottle, with said chamber being closed off to the atmosphere and said sterilization medium escaping from said interior of said camber via a flow-reducing mechanism that effects a pressure differential between said interior of said chamber and the atmosphere;
prior to said filling phase discharging said sterilization medium from said interior of said chamber and pressurizing said chamber which is closed off to the atmosphere with a gaseous medium, such as inert gas or sterile air, that is under pressure to effect a counterpressure in said chamber and said bottle;
in said filling phase, with said chamber being still closed off to the atmosphere, effecting dispensing said liquid from said exit into said bottle against said counterpressure;
after a desired filling state has been achieved in said bottle, supplying said sterilization medium to said filling tube to completely drain same into said bottle;
and
after conclusion of said filling phase withdrawing said bottle which has been filled with said liquid from said filling element and cleaning said interior of said chamber as well as said filling tube by rinsing said filling tube with said sterilization medium as well as by supplying said chamber with said sterilization medium, said cleaning of said interior of said chamber as well as said filling tube being maintained until another bottle to be filled is positioned below said filling element.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/552,326Filed 12 Jul 1990 · continuation
Priority: DE 380985224 Mar 1988
Granted: 16 Jul 1991
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B67C 3/286
Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves: related to flow rate control, i.e. controlling slow and fast filling phases
B65B 55/10
Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging: by liquids or gases
B67C 3/004
Using cups or dummies to be placed under the filling heads: permanently attached to the filling machine and movable between a rest and a working…
B67C 3/10
Using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure: preliminary filling with inert gases, e.g. carbon dioxide