PACKAGE PRODUCING MACHINE AND ASEPTIC CHAMBER FOR A PACKAGE PRODUCING MACHINE

Abstract

An aseptic chamber of a package producing machine is provided. The aseptic chamber comprises an entry section for allowing a web of packaging material to enter the aseptic chamber, and at least one electron beam emitter arranged downstream the entry section for treating the web of packaging material it runs through the aseptic chamber. The entry section comprises an entry chamber arranged between an infeed gasket and an inner gasket.

Claims

1. An aseptic chamber of a package producing machine, comprising an entry section for allowing a web of packaging material to enter the aseptic chamber, and at least one electron beam emitter arranged downstream the entry section for treating the web of packaging material as it runs through the aseptic chamber, wherein the entry section comprises an entry chamber arranged between an infeed gasket and an inner gasket.

2. The aseptic chamber according to claim 1, wherein the infeed gasket and/or the inner gasket is provided with a cutout for allowing a pre-applied opening device of the web of packaging material to pass.

3. The aseptic chamber according to claim 2, wherein the width of the entry chamber is dimensioned to accommodate the pre-applied opening device of the web of packaging material.

4. The aseptic chamber according to claim 1, wherein the entry section further comprises an exit chamber arranged between the inner gasket and an exit gasket.

5. The aseptic chamber according to claim 4, wherein the volume of the entry chamber is larger than the volume of the exit chamber.

6. The aseptic chamber according to claim 3, wherein the exit gasket is provided with a cutout for allowing a pre-applied opening device of the web of packaging material to pass.

7. The aseptic chamber according to claim 4, wherein the width of the exit chamber is dimensioned to accommodate the pre-applied opening device of the web of packaging material.

8. The aseptic chamber according to claim 1, further comprising an evacuation pipe connected to the entry chamber.

9. The aseptic chamber according to claim 8, wherein the evacuation pipe is connected to the entry chamber at a position below the infeed gasket and the inner gasket.

10. The aseptic chamber according to claim 8, further comprising a venting pipe connected to the aseptic chamber downstream the entry section.

11. The aseptic chamber according to claim 8, wherein the evacuation pipe is connected to the venting pipe by means of an Y-connector.

12. A package producing machine, comprising an aseptic chamber according to claim 1.

13. A method for a package producing machine, comprising: feeding a web of packaging material to an aseptic chamber, allowing the packaging material to enter an entry section of the aseptic chamber by passing an entry chamber arranged between an infeed gasket and a downstream inner gasket, and evacuating the entry chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a package producing machine according to an embodiment;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an aseptic chamber according to an embodiment;

[0027] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an entry section of an aseptic chamber according to an embodiment;

[0028] FIGS. 4a-c are cross-sectional views of an entry section of an aseptic chamber according to an embodiment;

[0029] FIG. 4d is an isometric view in cross-section of the entry section shown in FIGS. 4a-c; and

[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a method according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Starting in FIG. 1, a schematic view of the general principle of a package producing machine 10 is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the package producing machine 10 is configured to transform a web of packaging material 20 to a series of individual packages 30.

[0032] The web of packaging material 20 is e.g. provided on a reel 22, and fed continuously through the package producing machine 10 where it passes several different stations. Although many different stations may be included in a package producing machine 10, the example of FIG. 1 specifically depicts an aseptic chamber 100, a filling station 40, and a sealing and forming station 50.

[0033] The web of packaging material 20 enters the aseptic chamber 100 through an entry section 110. It thereafter passes a sterilization unit 150 in the form of one or more electron beam emitters 152. After being exposed to electron beam irradiation, the web of packaging material 20 exits the aseptic chamber 100 through an exit section 160. In the filling station 40 the web of packaging material 20 is formed into a tube 24. The tube 24 is filled with the desired content, preferably a liquid food product, through a filling pipe 42 before the sealing and forming section 50 provides transversal seals to the tube 24, cuts the leading part of the tube 24 from the upstream tube 24 at the position of the transversal seal, and forms the separated package 30 to its desired shape.

[0034] An embodiment of an aseptic chamber 100 is further shown in FIG. 2. The aseptic chamber 100 is enclosed by a housing 102. The entry section 110 (indicated schematically) is arranged at the housing 102, thereby allowing the web of packaging material 20 to enter the interior of the housing 102. The sterilization unit 150 is arranged inside the housing 102, and enclosed by a shield 154. In the shown example, two electron beam emitters 152 are arranged inside the shield 154 and arranged on opposite sides of the web of packaging material 20. Hence, when the web of packaging material 20 passes the sterilization unit 150 both sides of the web of packaging material 20 will be sterilized by electron beam irradiation.

[0035] The aseptic chamber 100 is provided with a venting system 170. The venting system 170 comprises a compressor 172 configured to control the environment inside the aseptic chamber 100. For this, the compressor 172 is connected to a venting pipe 173 which at its opposite end is connected to the housing 102. As will be explained further below, the venting system 170 further comprises an evacuation pipe 174 which is branched from the venting pipe 173 and connected to the entry section 110 of the aseptic chamber 100.

[0036] Now turning to FIG. 3, details of the entry section 110 of the aseptic chamber 100 are further shown. The web of packaging material 20 is, as previously explained, entering the aseptic chamber 100 through the entry section 110. Although shown only partly in FIG. 3, the web of packaging material 20 is preferably provided with pre-applied opening devices, such as screw caps 26. The opening devices 26 should be distributed on the web of packaging material 20 such that each formed package 30, when produced by an associated package producing machine 10, is provided with one, and only one, opening device 26.

[0037] The entry section 110 is provided with a slit 112 through which the web of packaging material 20 is fed. The slit 112 is formed in an exterior plate 114 and has a width dimensioned to allow the web of packaging material 20 to pass. Further, the height of the slit 112 is dimensioned such that any pre-applied opening device 26 of the packaging material can pass through.

[0038] The evacuation pipe 174 is connected at the center of the entry section 110, below the slit 112. As can be further seen in FIG. 3 the venting pipe 173 is connected to the housing 102 of the aseptic chamber 100, and the evacuation pipe 174 is connected to the venting pipe 173 by means of a Y-connection 176. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the Y-connection 176 is provided relatively close to the compressor 172, preferably the distance between the compressor 172 and the Y-connector 176 is less than the length of the evacuation pipe 174.

[0039] The central connection of the evacuation pipe 174 to the entry section 110 is particular advantageous for webs of packaging material 20 where the pre-applied opening device 26 is arranged centrally. In such embodiment the evacuation port is aligned with the pre-applied opening 26.

[0040] In FIGS. 4a-c the entry section 110 is shown in cross-section together with a web of packaging material 20. In these figures the web of packaging material 20 is provided with pre-applied opening devices 26 in the form of threaded spouts extending away from the otherwise planar surface of the web of packaging material 20. The web of packaging material 20 is oriented such that the threaded spout 26 is directed downwards.

[0041] For the sake of clarity it should be noted that the threaded spout 26 is typically provided with a cap or closure before filling. Optionally, the threaded spout 26 extends from a sealed membrane of the web of packaging material 20 such that the cap or closure can be added after filling.

[0042] Starting in FIG. 4a, the web of packaging material 20 is positioned relative the entry section 110 such that the threaded spout 26 has passed the slit 112. Immediately inside the slit 112 an infeed gasket 120 is provided. The infeed gasket 120, which typically is provided as a pair of vertically aligned infeed gaskets 120a-b (see FIG. 4b), is in FIG. 4a partly deflected inwards due to the web of packaging material 20, and especially the threaded spout 26, pushing the infeed gasket 120 in the direction of the movement of the web of packaging material 20.

[0043] The infeed gasket 120 forms an upstream boundary for an entry chamber 125. The entry chamber 125 is sealed downstream by an inner gasket 130. The inner gasket 130 is also preferably formed as a pair of vertically aligned inner gaskets 130a-b. The presence of the web of packaging material 20 causes a small separation between the pair of inner gaskets 130a-b, which separation will increase as the pre-applied opening device 26 comes into contact with the inner gasket 130 and is forced through the gasket 130.

[0044] While the inner gasket 130 forms a downstream boundary for the entry chamber 125, the inner gasket 130 also forms an upstream boundary for an exit chamber 135. The exit chamber 135 extends in the machine direction between the inner gasket 130 and an exit gasket 140. The exit gasket 140 is preferably identical to the inner gasket 130 and/or the infeed gasket 120, i.e. formed as a pair of vertically aligned exit gaskets 140a-b.

[0045] Hence, when the web of packaging material 20 is running through the package producing machine 10, it will enter the entry section 110 and pass through the entry chamber 125 and the exit chamber 135 before it proceeds further into the aseptic chamber 100.

[0046] In FIG. 4b, the web of packaging material 20 has moved such that the opening device 26 is positioned at the downstream end of the entry chamber 125, immediately before reaching the inner gasket 130. At this position both the infeed gasket 120 and the inner gasket 130 are closed, sealing the entry chamber 125. As the evacuation pipe 174 is constantly providing suction of air from the entry chamber 125 any emissions carried by the opening device 26 and the adjacent web of packaging material 20 will be effectively removed before the opening device 26 reaches the interior of the aseptic chamber 100.

[0047] In FIG. 4c a further downstream position of the opening device 26 is shown, as it moves towards the interior of the aseptic chamber 100. A this position the opening device 26 has reached the inner gasket 130, forcing it to open in order to allow the opening device 26 to pass and enter the exit chamber 135, While the inner gasket 130 is partly open, as indicated in FIG. 4c, emissions from the interior of the aseptic chamber 100 are prevented to leak out due to the provision of the exit gasket 140. The exit gasket 140 is fully closed, sealing the boundary between the interior of the aseptic chamber 100 from the environment outside the entry section 110.

[0048] The distance between the inner gasket 130 and the exit gasket 140 is, as indicated in FIGS. 4a-c, greater than the width of the opening device 26. This means that the opening device 26 will only cause one of the inner gasket 130 and the exit gasket 140 to open, while the other is closed. Hence, from the situation shown in FIG. 4c the inner gasket 130 will be allowed to close completely before the opening device 26 reaches the exit gasket 140, thereby forcing it to open.

[0049] The provision of the entry chamber 125 and the exit chamber 135, as well as the infeed sealing 120, the inner sealing 130, and the exit sealing 140 achieves a very well controlled environment for the opening device 26 as it passes through the entry section 110. The entry chamber 125 allows for evacuation of any emissions brought into the entry section 110 by the opening device 26, while the exit chamber 135 prevents those emissions to be transported further into the aseptic chamber. At the same time the exit chamber 135 will prevent any emissions from inside the aseptic chamber 100 to reach the outer environment.

[0050] The entry section 110 is further shown in FIG. 4d. The evacuation pipe 174 terminates at an evacuation port 178 of the entry chamber 125. The evacuation port 178 is arranged on the same side of the web of packaging material 20 as the opening device 26. However, the width of the entry chamber 125, as well as the width of the exit chamber 135, is preferably greater than the width of the web of packaging material 20 such that air is evacuated from the entire entry chamber 125 and exit chamber 135, respectively. As is further indicated in FIG. 4d, each gasket 120, 130, 140 is provided with a cut-out 122, 132, 142 for permitting pre-applied opening 26 passage and thereby avoiding the risk of mechanical impact and damage. While the necessity of having this cut-out 122, 132, 142 increases machine emissions during different phases of machine run, the provision of the entry chamber 125, the exit chamber 135, and the evacuation pipe 174 reduces such emissions drastically.

[0051] The entry section 110 provides for an improved solution related to the web of packaging material 20 entering the aseptic chamber 100. The concept of the entry section 110 described above has proven to reduce emissions by about 50% Particular advantages are due to the Y-connection 176 of the evacuation pipe 174 to the compressor 172 in order to increase evacuation inside the entry chamber 125. Further, by allowing the evacuation pipe 174 to connect to the entry chamber 125 using a funnel shape will intercept air flow produced by the cut-out 122 of the infeed gasket 120. Yet further, the presence of three gaskets 120, 130, 140 inside the entry section 110 with a total distance being smaller than the package repeat length will obstruct opening of the gaskets 120, 130, 140 for three times during the production of each package.

[0052] Now turning to FIG. 5, a method 200 for a package producing machine is schematically shown. The method 200 comprises a step 202 of feeding a web of packaging material 20 towards an aseptic chamber 100, and a step 204 of allowing the web of packaging material 20 to enter an entry section 110 of the aseptic chamber 100 by passing an entry chamber 125 arranged between an infeed gasket 120 and a downstream inner gasket 130. The method 200 further comprises a step 206 of evacuating the entry chamber 125.

[0053] Optionally, the method 200 may further comprise a step 208 of transporting the web of packaging material 20 through an exit chamber 135 arranged downstream the entry chamber 125, before reaching the interior of the aseptic chamber 100.

[0054] From the description above follows that, although various embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, the invention is not restricted thereto, but may also be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject-matter defined in the following claims.