# US 9,751,742 B2 · Drink filling system and sterilizing method thereof

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- Number: US 9,751,742 B2
- Document ID: US9751742B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/646,552
- Filed: 2013-12-17
- Published: 2015-10-15
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-27
- Assignees: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa; Shuta Ito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751742B2

## CPC

- B67C 3/001: {Cleaning of filling devices}
- B08B 9/027: Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
- B08B 9/0325: {Control mechanisms therefor}
- B67C 7/0073: {Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing (B67C3/2642 takes precedence)}
- B08B 2230/01: Cleaning with steam
- B65B 2210/06: Sterilising or cleaning machinery or conduits
- B65B 2210/08: Cleaning nozzles, funnels or guides through which articles are introduced into containers or wrappers
- B67C: CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)

## Abstract

In a sterilizing method for a drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line (7) for feeding drink into a filling machine (2) through a heating sterilizing section (18), wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line (7), F-values are calculated while detecting temperature at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value. According to such method, a working time till the starting of drink filling work or a producing interval time can be shortened.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sterilizing method for a drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line for feeding drink into a filling machine through a heat sterilizing section, wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line, F-values are calculated while detecting temperature of the fluid within the pipelines at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value,
wherein an upstream side return path is provided for the upstream side pipe line section going through the heating sterilizing section of the drink supply pipe line to thereby form an upstream side circulation path, the F-values are calculated while flowing the hot water from the upstream side pipe line section and flowing the heated steam toward the inside of the filling machine from the downstream side of the upstream side pipe line section, and the sterilizing process is ended at a time when each of the minimum F-values reaches the aimed valve.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sterilizing method for a drink filling system according to claim 1, wherein the F-value is calculated by using a following equation 1:
F=∫t0t110(T-Tr)/Zdt [Equation 1]
wherein T is an optional sterilizing temperature (° C.), 10(T-Tr)/Z is a fatality rate at the optional temperature T, which corresponds to a heating time (second) at the temperature of 121.1°, in which the value 121.1 is the reference temperature (° C.), and 10 represents the Z value (° C.).

### Claim 3

A drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line for feeding drink into a filling machine through a heating sterilizing section, wherein hot water or heated steam is fed to the drink supply pipe line, F-values are calculated while detecting temperature of the fluid within the pipelines by temperature sensors disposed at a plurality portions of the drink supply pipe line at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value,
wherein an upstream side return path is provided for the upstream side pipe line section going through the heating sterilizing section of the drink supply pipe line to thereby form an upstream side circulation path, the F-values are calculated by temperature sensors disposed at predetermined portions of the upstream side circulation path while flowing the hot water in the upstream side circulation path and the F-values are calculated also by temperature sensors disposed at predetermined portions of the downstream side circulation path while flowing the heated steam to the downstream side pipe line section extending from the upstream side of the upstream side pipe line section towards the inside of the filling machine, and the sterilizing process is ended at a time when each of the minimum F-values reaches the aimed valve.