Extended agitation rotary sterilizer
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorJoost Veltman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a rotary processor, which uses magnetic fields to increase the heating or cooling of containers. The invention provides the magnetic fields along the sides of the rotary processor before or after the containers are rotated under the force of friction due to gravity. The magnetic field increase the number of transition phases of rotation, by creating a force of friction caused by the magnets which will rotate the containers and then removing the magnetic fields so that the containers stop rotating.
Claims17
An apparatus for processing filled containers, comprising:
- a vessel with a vessel wall surrounding a central cavity with a first end and a second end and a top and a bottom, with a length of the vessel extending between the first end and the second end of the vessel;
- an axle extending from the first end of the central cavity;
- a reel connected to the axle, with a length of the reel extending between the first end and the second end of the vessel wherein the reel has an outer edges, wherein the outer edges of the reel are parts of the reel displaced furthest from the axle and are able to rotate around the axle within the central cavity;
- means connected to the outer edges of the reel and extending along the length of the reel for pushing the containers around the reel as the reel is rotated;
- and
- a spiral piece on the inside of the central cavity around the reel;
- and
- means for creating a first magnetic field on the vessel wall.
A method for processing filled containers, comprising the steps of:
- introducing the filled containers into the vessel;
- rotating the filled containers around the vessel in a plurality of cycles by a rotating means, wherein each cycle is a rotation around the vessel, wherein each cycle, comprises the steps of:
- starting rotation of the filled containers at a first point where the rotation is from force of friction due to gravity;
- stopping the rotation of the filled containers at a second point where the rotation is from force of friction only due to gravity, and wherein the part of the cycle between the first point and the second point is a first region;
- starting rotation of the filled containers at a third point outside of the first region, wherein the rotation is from force of friction due to a first magnetic field;
- and
- stopping the rotation of the filled containers at a fourth point outside of the first region, wherein the rotation is from force of friction due to the first magnetic field, wherein the part of the cycle between the third point and the fourth point is a second region;
- moving the filled containers from a first end of the vessel towards a second end of the vessel;
- and
- removing the filled containers from the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.