초록 ▼

A device for filling bottles with liquid foodstuff in sterile conditions wherein an intermittently driven device is provided with bottle supports arranged successively in a line in the direction of conveyance and which passes through processing stations. The device is arranged in a hygienic chamber

A device for filling bottles with liquid foodstuff in sterile conditions wherein an intermittently driven device is provided with bottle supports arranged successively in a line in the direction of conveyance and which passes through processing stations. The device is arranged in a hygienic chamber having through openings for the containers of the inlet and outlet thereof, including at least one inlet for introducing sterilizing medium in the upper wall of the hygienic chamber. Contiguous bottle supports form a closed area within the upper wall of the hygienic chamber and gas extraction systems are disposed in the vicinity of the bottle openings and on the outside of the hygienic chamber perform as dynamic sluice elements. The growth conditions for microorganisms in the hygienic chamber are hindered even in the event the amount of sterilizing agent is reduced.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device for sterile filling of containers, which comprises(i) a hygienic chamber having at least an upper zone and a lower zone;(ii) a conveyor system housed in said hygienic chamber comprising a plurality of container carriers for holding a multiplicity of containers and means for transporting

1. A device for sterile filling of containers, which comprises(i) a hygienic chamber having at least an upper zone and a lower zone;(ii) a conveyor system housed in said hygienic chamber comprising a plurality of container carriers for holding a multiplicity of containers and means for transporting said container carriers and containers through a conveyance circuit having a plurality of horizontally spaced processing levels,(iii) means for introducing sterilizing agent into said upper zone of said hygienic chamber, wherein said multiplicity of containers are at least sterilized, and(iv) means for maintaining said container carriers in close proximity to one another to form a predominantly closed field when said container carriers are in said upper zone of said chamber for maintaining the highest concentration of said sterilizing agent in said upper zone, said conveyor system and hygienic chamber adapted for a reduction in the concentration of sterilizing agent in said hygienic chamber as said agent descends through said plurality of horizontally spaced processing levels of said conveyance circuit. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said hygienic chamber is defined at least in part by an upper wall, and said container carriers in said upper zone with said upper wall providing a head space for guiding the distribution of sterilizing agent in said head space and for maximizing contact with said containers. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said head space is adapted for conveying said sterilizing agent in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of conveyance of said container carriers. 4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor system further comprises vertically operating conveyor means for transmission of container carriers between said plurality of horizontally spaced processing levels. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the container carriers enter said predominantly closed field through dynamic locks comprising openings in said hygienic chamber for containers to enter, including means for moving and mounting said containers on said container carriers, and for extraction of gases introduced with said containers. 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein most of the container carriers in said upper zone are in juxtaposition with one another. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said conveyance circuit is of a rectangular configuration, and comprises at least three processing levels in said hygienic chamber, an upper first processing level, a lower container carrier return level and an intermediate level for loading empty containers and unloading filled and sealed containers from said container carriers. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein said upper first processing level is in said upper zone of said hygienic chamber, said first processing level further comprising means for filling and sealing sterilized containers. 9. The device of claim 1, wherein said container carriers comprise generally U-shaped recesses arranged on opposite sides of said carriers for engaging with necks of bottle shaped containers. 10. A method for sterile filling of containers, which comprises the steps of:(i) providing a hygienic chamber having at least an upper zone and a lower zone and a plurality of horizontally spaced processing levels in said upper and lower zones;(ii) introducing a plurality of empty containers into a first processing level in said upper zone for transporting through a conveyance circuit in said chamber, said containers positioned in close proximity to one another in said first processing level to form a predominantly closed field with a wall of said chamber;(iii) introducing a sterilizing agent into said predominantly closed field to maintain the highest concentration of sterilizing agent in said upper zone in contact with said containers and a reduction in concentration of sterilizing agent in said hygienic chamber as said agent descends through said plurality of spaced processing levels;(iv) transporting said sterilized containers to a filling station and a sealing station for filling and sealing said sterilized containers, and(v) discharging said filled and sealed containers from said hygienic chamber. 11. The method according to claim 10, including the step of loading empty containers onto the conveyance circuit at a loading station for transporting to said predominantly closed field. 12. The method according to claim 11, including the steps of introducing said containers into said closed field through openings, extracting gases introduced with said empty containers, and for transporting through said conveyance circuit. 13. The method according to claim 11 wherein said empty containers are arranged on multiple container carriers, said carriers in juxtaposition with one another in said first processing level. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said conveyance circuit is of a rectangular shaped configuration comprising at least three horizontally spaced processing levels, an upper first processing level wherein said empty containers are sterilized, filled and sealed, an intermediate level wherein said filled containers from the first processing level are unloaded, and a lower level wherein said empty carriers are returned to said intermediate processing level for loading said container carriers with empty containers. 15. The method according to claim 10, including the step of filling empty containers in said first processing level with nitrogen. 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the containers are filled with a liquid foodstuff. 17. The method according to claim 10, wherein said conveyance circuit is rectangularly shaped. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein said empty carriers in the lower processing level are spaced apart from one another in returning to said intermediate processing level.