Device for sterilizing closures for containers

An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, wherein said multiplicity of closure holders comprises a cage-like holder with guide rails extending along a longitudinal direction thereof between which a closure is held.

The apparatus of An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, wherein said rotors are oriented such that said rotor axes of said rotors are coaxial to each other.

An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, wherein said closure holder is oriented with longitudinal extensions thereof in a direction parallel to rotor axes thereof.

An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, further comprising an independent drive for each rotor.

An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, further comprising additional controllable closure outlets for removing closures from at least one of said first treatment zone, said third treatment zone, closure holders of a rotor in said first treatment zone, and closure holders of a rotor in said third treatment zone, said additional controllable outlets being configured for application of a positive pressure to at least one of said first treatment zone and said third treatment zone.

An apparatus for sterilizing cap-like closures for containers, said apparatus comprising a transport system for moving said closures through at least three treatment zones, said at least three treatment zones comprising a first treatment zone in which said closures are preheated, a second treatment zone in which said closures are exposed to a sterilizing agent, and a third treatment zone in which said closures are at least one of activated and dried in a drying medium selected from a group consisting of a sterile gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and sterile air, wherein said first and third treatment zones each comprise a rotor that can be driven to circulate about a rotor axis thereof, and a multiplicity of closure holders formed on a periphery of each of said rotors for moving closures through said first treatment zone from a closure pickup disposed therein to a first closure delivery position, and through said third treatment zone from a second closure delivery position disposed therein to a closure discharge, and wherein said second treatment zone is disposed between said first and second closure delivery positions such that closures delivered to said first closure delivery position, after passing said second treatment zone and after exposure to said sterilizing agent, are passed on to a closure holder ready at said second closure delivery position of said rotor in said third treatment zone, further comprising a closure contact surface disposed at an open lower end of a closure holder, said contact surface being immovable with said rotor and movable relative to said rotor, wherein a closure adjacent to said closure contact surface rolls on circulation of said rotor to generate a closure rotary movement transferred from closure to closure in said closure holder.