JP2011046390A - Packaging and filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packaging and filling apparatus that prevents liquid food product residue from adhering to and accumulating on a cutter knife, thereby preventing a liquid food product adhering to the cutter knife from soiling a cut part of the lateral seal of a packaging container. <P>SOLUTION: The packaging and filling apparatus continuously supplies web-like packaging material, fills a tubular packaging material 1 with a liquid food product from a filling pipe to a liquid level in a predetermined position higher than the exit of the filling pipe, laterally seals a tube by means of a sealing jaw 10a and counter jaw 11 in a transverse direction of the tube under a liquid level, and cuts the tube with the knife 42, thus manufacturing a package container 13. The apparatus has a nozzle 21 for jetting a coherent cleaning jet stream B toward the edge of the knife 42 at the position where the knife is temporarily stopped apart from and opposite to the tubular packaging material 1 at a stage prior to the cutting of a lateral seal band area. The nozzle 21 is disposed at a position opposite the washed knife 42 across the tubular packaging material 1 and facing the edge of the temporarily stopping knife 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging and filling apparatus for filling beverages and the like and packaging them in containers.

When manufacturing packaging containers that contain liquid foods such as milk, mineral water, tea, juice, soup, alcohol, etc., web-like (band-like) packaging laminate materials are used, and the packaging laminate materials are continuously heat sealed, By being sealed with an ultrasonic seal or the like, a packaging container is formed. For example, in a packaging filling device, a packaging laminate material is formed into a tube shape, sealed in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction) by a vertical sealing device, and then filled with liquid food in the tube, and then a horizontal sealing device under the liquid level To form a pillow-shaped original container, and further shape the original container into a predetermined shape to complete a packaging container.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a packaging and filling apparatus. The web-shaped packaging laminate material 1 is loaded into a packaging and filling apparatus in a reel state. The packaging laminate material 1 includes a paper base material and a flexible laminate in which polyethylene resin is laminated on both sides of the paper base material, and an aluminum foil or gas barrier is provided between the paper base material and the film as necessary. A barrier layer made of an adhesive resin or the like is formed, and exterior printing is performed in advance on a portion corresponding to the surface of the packaging container 14.

The fed packaging laminate material 1 is continuously conveyed by the feeding device of the conveying means, is sent to the strip joining device 3 through a bending roller, a damper roller, and the like, and one edge portion of the packaging laminated material 1 is fed by the strip joining device. , The strip 2 is joined continuously, joining the next strip with a seam.

As for the packaging laminated material 1, the pull tab is joined by the pull tab joining apparatus as needed. The packaging laminated material 1 is sent to the sterilization tank 4 and sterilized with a sterilization liquid such as hydrogen peroxide in the sterilization tank 4. The packaging laminate material 1 is sent to an air knife 5, dried by the air knife 5, and then fed into a sterilization chamber 40 that guarantees filling the tube-shaped packaging material with liquid food in a sterile atmosphere. The packaging laminated material 1 is gradually deformed by the molding ring 6 and other molding rings to form a tube shape.

The tubular packaging laminate material 1 is preheated by hot air from the preheating means 8 of the vertical sealing device and sealed in the longitudinal direction, and fluid food is filled into the tubular packaging laminate material 1 from the lower end of the filling pipe 7. The
Liquid food is filled into the tubular packaging material from the filling pipe to a predetermined liquid level.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tubular packaging laminate material 1 is guided downward, sent to the lateral sealing device 10, sandwiched and sealed in the lateral direction, and formed into a container shape and laterally sealed. The laminated material is cut with a knife or the like to form a pillow-shaped preformed container 13.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed partial cross-sectional view of the horizontal sealing device 10. In this aspect, the tube-shaped packaging material 1 filled with the liquid food is first sandwiched between the upper pair of sealing jaws 10 a and the opposing jaws 11. While being sent downward by a length corresponding to one packaging container, it is sandwiched between a pair of upper molding flaps 41 and 41 and molded into an approximate container shape. Two transverse sealing zones are formed by transverse sealing in the transverse direction, and the middle of the sealing zone of the connected pillow-shaped preforms is cut with a knife 42 and separated into individual pillow-shaped preforms 13.
In this embodiment shown in FIG. 3, two pairs of sealing jaws and opposing jaws and a forming flap are provided to perform lateral sealing, preforming and cutting at high speed, and the lateral sealing, preforming and cutting steps are completed. The pair retracts sideways and returns to the top, and repeats the next side seal, pre-forming and cutting steps.

As shown in FIG. 4, the preformed container 13 is conveyed by a final molding and conveying device 15 and formed into a final shape, thereby completing a packaging container 14 that contains fluid food.

JP 10-129608 A

In the packaging filling described above, when the horizontal seal portion is cut below the liquid level, liquid food may adhere to the cutter knife, and the attached liquid food may contaminate the cut portion of the horizontal seal portion of the packaging container.
In order to solve this problem, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cleaning medium supply unit that supplies a cleaning medium to the tip of a cutter knife that cuts the lateral seal portion, and supplies the cleaning medium when the lateral seal portion is cut by the cutter knife. The cleaning medium is supplied by the means, and the cutter knife is immediately cleaned (see Patent Document 1).

If the cleaning medium supply means is provided in the cutter knife, adjacent or in the vicinity thereof, a horizontal sealing device is also provided, so that the installation space is limited, and the structure is complicated and expensive in terms of cost. In addition, the liquid food adheres to the cut surface of the lateral seal portion of the packaging container, and a large amount of liquid food residue accumulates and frequently adheres to the cut surface of the packaging container by repeated cutting at high speed. The liquid food residue accumulates in the cutter knife.
Therefore, it is necessary to clean the cutter knife so that it is clean and clean before cutting the transverse seal portion, not when the transverse seal portion is cut by the cutter knife.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging and filling apparatus that prevents the accumulation of liquid food residue on a cutter knife and prevents the liquid food adhering to the cutter knife from contaminating the cut portion of the lateral seal portion of the packaging container. Objective.

The packaging and filling apparatus of the present invention that solves this problem continuously feeds a web-shaped packaging material, forms it into a tube shape, vertically seals in the vertical line direction of the tube that is overlapped at both ends of the packaging material, and vertically Liquid food from a filling pipe is filled into a tubular packaging material that is continuously conveyed downward to a liquid level at a predetermined position above the outlet of the filling pipe, and a sealing jaw and a counter jaw are transversely crossed by the tube. A packaging and filling device for producing a packaging container by transversely sealing while pulling down the tube at the same time, preliminarily molding the tube with a molding flap at the same time, and cutting with a knife in the transverse sealing zone,
A nozzle for injecting a coherent cleaning jet toward the tip of the knife at a position where it is temporarily stopped or decelerated facing away from the tubular packaging material at a stage before the transverse seal zone cutting;
The nozzle is disposed on the opposite side of the knife to be cleaned across the tube-shaped packaging material and facing the knife tip that temporarily stops or decelerates.
It is characterized by that.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pair of nozzles are disposed with the tubular packaging material interposed therebetween.

In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the pair of nozzles eject a coherent cleaning jet toward the tip of the knife from obliquely above the knife.

According to the present invention described above, the following functions are exhibited and advantageous effects are obtained.
The packaging and filling apparatus according to the present invention forms a web-shaped packaging material into a tube shape, vertically seals in a vertical line direction of the tubes overlapped at both ends of the packaging material, and is continuously conveyed vertically downward. Fill the packaging material with liquid food from the filling pipe to the liquid level at a predetermined position above the outlet of the filling pipe, and seal horizontally while pulling the tube with the sealing jaw and counter jaw in the transverse direction of the tube below the liquid level. Then, the tube is simultaneously sandwiched between molding flaps and preformed, and cut at the transverse seal zone to produce a packaging container.

Since the web-like packaging material filled with liquid food is horizontally sealed under the liquid level, unnecessary air or the like does not remain in the container, contributing to quality maintenance.
In the packaging filling described above, the pressure of the liquid food in the filled tube is a positive pressure corresponding to the depth of the liquid from the liquid surface. When the packaging material is molded with a molding flap, it can be molded well by being positive pressure.

The packaging and filling apparatus according to the present invention performs horizontal sealing while holding the tube between the sealing jaw and the counter jaw in the transverse direction of the tube under the liquid level and pulling it down simultaneously, and preliminarily molding the tube with the molding flap. Cut with a knife.
In a feature of the invention, the nozzle is coherent toward the tip of the knife at a position where it is temporarily stopped or decelerated facing away from the tubular packaging material prior to cutting the transverse seal zone. A washing jet is ejected.
Since the knife can be washed before the cutting and the liquid food residue accumulated on the knife can be washed away, the cut portion of the horizontal seal portion of the packaging container is not soiled.
Moreover, since it is a coherent jet, it is possible to clean the knife while accurately hitting the object to be cleaned.
Furthermore, in a preferred aspect of the present invention, the entire object to be cleaned can be cleaned without omission by scanning the tip of a horizontally long knife.

If a cleaning medium supply means such as a nozzle is provided inside, adjacent to or near the cutter knife, a horizontal sealing device is also provided, so there is a limitation in installation space, which is structurally complicated and expensive in cost. Become.
In the feature of the present invention, the nozzle is disposed on the opposite side of the knife to be cleaned with the tube-shaped packaging material interposed therebetween, so that it does not interfere with the lateral seal device or the tube-shaped packaging material. Since the installation location does not interfere with other members, there are few structural restrictions and an inexpensive nozzle or the like can be provided.
Further, since the nozzle is disposed at a position facing the tip of the knife that temporarily stops or decelerates, unlike the knife that moves at high speed, it is possible to clean the knife accurately over a sufficient amount of time.

It is sectional drawing seen from the side which illustrates roughly operation | movement of the knife of the packaging filling apparatus by this invention. It is sectional drawing seen from the upper direction explaining roughly operation | movement of the knife of the packaging filling apparatus by this invention. It is a section front view explaining the transverse seal device of a packing filling device. It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of the packaging filling apparatus which can be used for this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 4, the packaging and filling apparatus according to this embodiment forms the web-shaped packaging material 1 into a tube shape, vertically seals the longitudinal direction of the tube at both ends of the packaging material, and is conveyed vertically downward. The tube-shaped packaging material is filled with liquid food from the filling pipe 7 in the aseptic chamber 40 to a liquid level at a predetermined position above the outlet of the filling pipe, and as shown in FIG. The tube is sandwiched between the sealing jaw 10 and the counter jaw 11 while being pulled down, and then the tube is simultaneously sandwiched between the molding flaps 41 and 41, and preliminarily molded, and then cut with the knife 42 in the lateral sealing zone and preliminarily packaged. 13, and the liquid food filling container 14 of the product is manufactured by the final molding device 15.

The nozzle 21 of the example of the packaging and filling apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is located at a position A where the nozzle 21 is faced away from the tubular packaging material 1 and temporarily stopped or decelerated before the transverse seal zone 22 is cut. A coherent cleaning jet B is ejected toward the tip of the knife 42.
The knife 42 of the example packaging and filling apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is disposed between two lateral sealing devices, and the middle of the two lateral sealing zones 22 is cut by the forward and backward movement of the knife 42.

The nozzle 21 of this embodiment is disposed on the opposite side of the knife 42 to be cleaned with the tubular packaging material 1 interposed therebetween. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nozzle 21 ejects a coherent cleaning jet B toward the tip of the knife 42 from obliquely above the knife 42.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of nozzles are arrange | positioned on both sides of a tubular packaging material.
The nozzle 21 does not obstruct the movement of the lateral sealing devices 11 and 10a and the tube-shaped packaging material 1 and does not interfere with other members at the place where the nozzle 21 is installed. The most suitable nozzle can be disposed.
Further, since the nozzle 21 is disposed at a position facing the knife tip 42 at the location A where the nozzle 21 temporarily stops, the knife 21 is cleaned accurately in a sufficient time.

The nozzle 21 of the embodiment of the packaging and filling apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can wash the knife in the stage before cutting and wash off the liquid food residue accumulated on the knife. As a result, the cut portion of the lateral seal portion of the packaging container is not soiled.
In this embodiment, since it is a coherent jet, the cleaning liquid hits the object to be cleaned accurately.
As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 21 scans the tip of the horizontally long knife 42 with the jet B to clean the entire object to be cleaned without omission.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change variously based on the meaning of this invention, and does not exclude them from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be applied to the manufacture of a packaging container for packaging and filling liquid foods and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tube-shaped packaging material 7 ... Filling pipe 10a ... Seal jaw 11 ... Counter jaw 13 ... Pre-formed container 22 ... Horizontal seal zone 42 ... Knife
B ... Jet

Claims (3)

A tube-shaped packaging material that is continuously fed in a web-like packaging material, molded into a tube shape, vertically sealed in the direction of the vertical line of the tubes overlapped at both ends of the packaging material, and continuously conveyed downward vertically Filled with liquid food from the filling pipe to a liquid level at a predetermined position above the outlet of the filling pipe, and horizontally sealed while pulling down the tube with the sealing jaw and counter jaw in the transverse direction of the tube below the liquid level, A packaging and filling device for producing a packaging container by simultaneously pre-molding a tube with a molding flap and cutting with a knife in a transverse sealing zone,
A nozzle for injecting a coherent cleaning jet toward the tip of the knife at a position where it is temporarily stopped or decelerated facing away from the tubular packaging material at a stage prior to cutting of the transverse seal zone;
The nozzle is disposed on the opposite side of the knife to be cleaned across the tubular packaging material and facing the tip of the knife that temporarily stops or decelerates.
A packaging and filling apparatus. The packaging filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of nozzles are disposed with the tubular packaging material interposed therebetween. The packaging and filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of nozzles eject a coherent cleaning jet toward the tip of the knife from obliquely above the knife.