Method and device for capping containers with container caps

Abstract

A device for capping a container with a container cap, for example in a beverage filling plant, includes an isolator for providing a defined atmosphere in the interior thereof; a capper for capping a container with a container cap, which capper is arranged in the isolator; and a cap production device for producing container caps from a hot melt, for example a plastics melt. The cap production device is arranged outside the isolator, and is interconnected with the isolator or is connected to the isolator via a cap transport tunnel in order to feed produced container caps to the capper.

Claims

1. A device for capping a container with a container cap comprising: an isolator configured to provide a controlled atmosphere in an interior of the isolator; a capper disposed in the isolator and configured to cap the container with the container cap; a cap production device: disposed outside of the isolator, interconnected with the isolator or connected to the isolator via a cap transport tunnel; and configured to produce container caps from a melt and to feed produced container caps to the capper; and a device configured to sterilize the cap production device with a sterilizing gas comprising one or more nozzles configured to direct a gas stream of the sterilizing gas to at least a section of the cap production device, and further configured to contact the cap production device with the sterilizing gas during production of the container caps.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device configured to sterilize the cap production device is further configured to provide hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2) at a concentration of from 100 ppm to 200 ppm.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a filler disposed in the isolator and configured to fill the container with a filling product.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the cap production device comprises a carousel-type machine.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least a section of the cap production device comprises a cap shaping unit.

6. A beverage bottling plant comprising: a filler configured to fill containers with a beverage; and the device of claim 1.

7. The beverage bottling plant of claim 6, wherein the filler is disposed in the isolator.

8. The beverage bottling plant of claim 6, wherein a pitch of the cap production device corresponds to a pitch of the capper.

9. A method for capping a container with a container cap, comprising: generating a controlled atmosphere in an interior of an isolator; producing, in a cap production device, container caps from a melt, wherein the cap production device is disposed outside the isolator, and is interconnected with the isolator or connected to the isolator via a cap transport tunnel; sterilizing the cap production device, via one or more nozzles configured to direct a gas stream of a sterilizing gas to at least a section of the cap production device, by contacting at least one part of the cap production device with the sterilizing gas, wherein the at least one part of the cap production device is contacted with the sterilizing gas during production of the container caps; and transporting the container caps to a capper disposed in the isolator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sterilizing gas comprises hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the H.sub.2O.sub.2 at a concentration of 100 ppm to 200 ppm.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the produced container caps are transported to the capper without passing through a sorting system and/or a device configured to sterilize the produced container caps.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one part of the cap production device comprises a cap shaping unit.

14. A method for capping a container with a container cap, comprising: generating a controlled atmosphere in an interior of an isolator; producing, in a cap production device, container caps from a melt, wherein the cap production device is disposed outside the isolator, and is connected to the isolator via a cap transport tunnel; sterilizing the cap production device, via one or more nozzles configured to direct a gas stream of a sterilizing gas to at least a section of the cap production device, by contacting at least one part of the cap production device with the sterilizing gas, wherein the at least one part of the cap production device is contacted with the sterilizing gas during production of the container caps; transporting the container caps to a capper disposed in the isolator; and applying the sterilizing gas to the cap transport tunnel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sterilizing gas comprises hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the produced container caps are transported to the capper without passing through a sorting system and/or a device configured to sterilize the produced container caps.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one part of the cap production device comprises a cap shaping unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further embodiments of the invention are more particularly elucidated by the following description of the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a plant for producing, filling and capping containers;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a plant for producing, filling and capping containers according to a further exemplary embodiment; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a plant for producing, filling and capping containers according to a further exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Exemplary embodiments are described below on the basis of the figures. In said figures, elements which are the same, are similar or act in the same way are provided with identical reference signs, and a repeated description of said elements is partially dispensed with in order to avoid redundancies.

(6) FIGS. 1 to 3 are schematic representations of a beverage bottling plant 1, especially a plant for producing, filling and capping containers, according to various exemplary embodiments.

(7) The beverage bottling plant 1 includes: a device 10 for producing containers, also referred to herein as “container production device”; a device 20 for filling the containers, also referred to herein as “filler”; a device 30 for capping containers with container caps, also referred to herein as “capper”; and a device 40 for producing container caps, also referred to herein as “cap production device”.

(8) The beverage bottling plant 1 thus includes multiple stations which are passed through successively from the production of the containers, via the filling of same, up to the capping of same. For this purpose, the containers or the preforms thereof (a preliminary stage of the containers before blow molding or stretch blow molding) are transported along a conveyance path F by being transported by transport star wheels and accordingly transferred from one transport star wheel to the next. Preforms, containers, container caps and holders/clamps provided for this purpose on the transport star wheels are not depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3 for the sake of clarity. The transport star wheels can serve solely for conveyance or can be equipped with handling units in accordance with the stations.

(9) It should be pointed out that the stations shown herein are only exemplary. For instance, the beverage bottling plant 1 can be equipped with further or alternative processing stations, such as, for instance, a labeling device, a cleaning device, etc. Similarly, it is possible to omit stations, such as, for instance, the container production device 10 if the containers are already delivered in the final form to be filled.

(10) The container production device 10 includes a unit 11 for preparing and preheating the preforms. The preforms thus prepared are transferred to a blowing unit 12, in which the heated preforms are expanded by blowing or stretch blowing to form the containers to be filled. For this purpose, the preforms are contacted with a gas under pressure in blow molds, the cavity contour of which corresponds to the intended outer container shape, and also stretched with a stretch rod in the case of stretch blowing in order to inflate the preforms to form containers.

(11) A sterilization unit 13 which is configured for sterilizing the preforms can be situated between the unit 11 and the blowing unit 12. The sterilization unit 13 can, for example, use electron radiation, UV radiation and/or a sterilizing gas for this purpose. It should be pointed out that the sterilization unit 13 can also be arranged after the blowing unit 12 in conveyance direction F or else can be completely omitted if the preforms are already sufficiently sterile owing to the heat required for producing the containers and also remain this way on the path to further handling.

(12) Following the blowing unit 12, the containers enter an isolator 50, in which a controlled atmosphere is present and which is, for example, configured as a cleanroom including sterile air so that the following operational steps can be carried out in a clean, germ-free or at least low-germ atmosphere. The isolator 50 can include an airlock 51, through which the containers to be filled enter the isolator 50, and an internal pressure which is increased compared to the external environment in order to ensure, by means of an outwardly directed gas or air stream, that no contamination can infiltrate the isolator 50 from the outside.

(13) In the exemplary embodiments shown here, the filler 20 and the capper 30 are situated in the isolator 50. However, it is, for example, also possible to arrange one or more units of the container production device 10 in the isolator 50.

(14) Following blow molding and after entry into the isolator 50, the containers are filled with a filling product, for example a beverage, by means of the filler 20. Here, the filling product is similarly generally sterile. Accordingly, what takes place is an aseptic filling of the containers to be filled.

(15) Thereafter, the containers are capped in the capper 30. For this purpose, the filled containers are transported to the capper 30 via one or more transport star wheels within the isolator 50.

(16) At the same time, in an operational track independent thereof, container caps are produced in the cap production device 40 and transported to the capper 30.

(17) The cap production device 40 produces container caps from, for example, a hot plastics melt. What can be provided for this purpose is a cap shaping unit 41, in which container caps are produced from the hot plastics melt by, for example, injection molding. The cap shaping unit 41 is generally designed as a carousel-type machine which can demold container caps as they are required by the capper 30 in an identical cycle or with the same pitch.

(18) The cap shaping unit 41 obtains the raw material from a plastics reservoir 42, which can be part of the cap production device 40, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, or a separate unit. The raw material is, for example, heated in an extruder to form a melt, with use of temperatures which do not require an additional sterilization of the raw material and of the container caps produced therefrom.

(19) In some embodiments, the cap production device 40 is directly interconnected with the capper 30, i.e., directly connected thereto, as shown in FIG. 1, with the result that the container caps can be transferred to the capper 30 without a substantial transport path.

(20) Alternatively, the shaped container caps are transported to the capper 30 through a cap transport tunnel 43, as shown in FIG. 2. In several embodiments, a controlled atmosphere is likewise provided in the cap transport tunnel 43. The controlled atmosphere, for example a sterile atmosphere, in the interior of the cap transport tunnel 43 can be achieved by said interior being in contact with the isolator 50 or else being part of the isolator 50, with the result that the controlled atmosphere of the isolator 50 also extends to the cap transport tunnel 43.

(21) The melt for producing the container caps is hot to the extent that essentially no microbiological germs (e.g., spores or vegetative germs) can survive this process, with the result that the container caps are essentially sterile after shaping in the cap shaping unit 41.

(22) The container caps thus synergetically sterilized by the production thereof continue to remain sterile as a result of the direct transfer into the controlled atmosphere of the isolator 50. In other words, as a result of the interconnection or connection via the cap transport tunnel 43, there is no contacting of the sterile-produced container caps with germs or other contamination and pollution. On the contrary, the produced container caps can be directly applied to the containers to be capped.

(23) Further securing of the sterility of the container caps can be achieved by completely or at least partially contacting the cap production device 40, but especially the cap shaping unit 41, with a sterilizing gas (e.g., H.sub.2O.sub.2 in a concentration of about 150 ppm). A sterilizing gas within the range of such concentrations is noncorrosive and can be discharged onto the cap production device 40 in an ongoing manner.

(24) For this purpose, the beverage bottling plant 1 as per the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a device 60 for sterilizing the cap production device, which is also referred to herein as “cap-production sterilization device.” The cap-production sterilization device 60 includes a sterile gas applicator which is supplied with sterilizing gas and includes one or more nozzles, and which is directed to the cap production device 40 and especially the cap shaping unit 41 such that the sterility of the container caps, generated by the production thereof, is maintained.

(25) Any germs which infiltrate the cap production device 40 from the outside are killed as a result, and the sterile container caps are not contaminated.

(26) The transport route of the container caps from the cap shaping unit 41 to the capper 30 can also be contacted with sterilizing gas from the cap-production sterilization device 60. As a result, said transport route can also be kept sterile and any germs which infiltrate said transport route can be killed.

(27) According to this exemplary embodiment, the contacting of the cap production device 40, which takes place continuously for example, is done during the production of the container caps, especially during the regular operation of the beverage bottling plant 1. Alternatively, contacting of the cap production device 40 and the transport route with the sterilizing gas can also take place before the regular operation of the beverage bottling plant 1 and/or in operational breaks.

(28) The group of structures that include the cap production device 40 and the cap-production sterilization device 60 is referred to herein as “device for producing and sterilizing container caps” and provided with reference sign 2.

(29) According to a further exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the cap production device 40, especially the cap shaping unit 41, is sterilized prior to production, i.e., before start-up, and subsequently overlaid with sterile air from an isolator during the regular operation of the beverage bottling plant 1. For this purpose, the cap production device 40 can be situated in the isolator 50 (cf. FIG. 3) or in a separate isolator interconnected therewith.

(30) The sterilization of the cap production device 40 outside, in terms of time, regular operation is done by means of a cap-production sterilization device 60′, which is, for example, arranged in the isolator 50. However, in this case, the cap production device 40 and the cap-production sterilization device 60′ are situated in one housing in order to prevent the sterilizing gas from reaching the container caps or getting into the containers still open.

(31) If the cap-production sterilization device is arranged in an isolator, this is referred to herein as “internal cap-production sterilization device” 60′, otherwise it is referred to as “external cap-production sterilization device” 60.

(32) In contrast to the embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is thus no need, in the embodiment in FIG. 3, for specific contacting of the cap production device 40 with a sterilizing gas during the regular operation of the beverage bottling plant 1. On the contrary, the sterilization is brought forward, i.e., before start-up, or carried out during an interruption of regular operation and maintained during operation by the atmosphere in the isolator 50.

(33) Because the container caps are synergetically sterilized by the production process and this sterile state is maintained until the application of same to the containers to be capped, with support by for example the cap-production sterilization device 60, 60′, it is not necessary to sterilize the container caps again before the application by the capper 30. The container caps are always clean and germ-free. Moreover, they do not have to be stored, and any transport means, such as, for instance, transport boxes, and the handling thereof are omitted as a result.

(34) Since the container caps are shaped individually, they can already be spaced during production, especially in a carousel-type machine, and immediately transported to the capper 30. As a result, the container caps do not have to be singularized and/or sorted again, the result being that the machine-construction complexity of the beverage bottling plant 1 is reduced. It is thus possible to omit means for conveying caps, sorting system(s), sensors, such as, for instance, cameras, etc. A possible cap inspection unit for detecting production defects, contamination, etc., is easily integrable in the cap production device 40, especially a carousel-type machine.

(35) If the container caps are transferred to the capper 30, the pitch of the capper generally corresponds to the pitch of the cap production device 40. In other words, the cycle rates generally match such that the individual container caps can be assigned to a corresponding container and applied thereto without any problems. Similarly, the orientation, i.e., alignment, of the container caps is typically maintained from production up to application.

(36) Where applicable, all the individual features described in the exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another and/or replaced by one another without departing from the scope of the invention.