Package making – Methods – Sterilizing cover only
Patent
1997-07-31
2000-06-20
Moon, Daniel B.
Package making
Methods
Sterilizing cover only
53425, 53453, B65B 5500
Patent
active
060763345
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and system for sterile packaging of beverages. More specifically, the invention relates to a beverage packaging system and method for filling sterile beverages in plastic containers while forming the container in a sterile environment.
At present, plastic containers such as PET bottles are widely used as the containers for packaging beverages such as coffee drinks, teas, colas or juices. When a beverage is filled in these plastic containers, such beverages are sterilized in accordance with a UHT (ultra high temperature) sterilization treatment or the like and then, are filled in the sterilized plastic container, and the containers are sealed with sterilized caps.
Hitherto, plastic containers have been produced in separate bottle manufacturing plants and beverages have been filled in plastic containers in separate filling plants (bottlers) different from the bottle manufacturing plant. Accordingly, plastic containers are usually exposed to the open air from the time when these containers have been produced in any bottle manufacturing plant until the time when they have been transported to any filling plant, where the beverages have been filled. Thus, it was necessary to treat the plastic containers for sterilization after container manufacture and prior to filling the beverage in the plastic container.
Known methods for sterilizing plastic containers utilize hydrogen peroxide or an aqueous mixture of hydrogen peroxide. In case of the sterilization with hydrogen peroxide it is necessary to minimize residual amounts of hydrogen peroxide in the plastic containers. This involves technical problems and long periods of time must be taken for washing after sterilization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage packaging system or method enabling one to omit any sterilization treatment of plastic containers at the time of filling beverages or to significantly curtail this sterilization treatment.
According to the present invention, the objects are fulfilled by providing a beverage packaging system comprising a resin supplier unit, a preform molding machine for molding a preform, a blow molding machine for molding a container by inflating the preform, a beverage supply source for supplying a sterilized beverage, a cap supplier unit, a cap sterilizer unit for sterilizing the cap supplied from the cap supplier unit, a filler unit for filling the sterilized beverage supplied from the beverage supply source in a plastic container molded by means of the blow molding machine and a cap clamping unit for sealing the plastic container filled with the beverage by means of the filler unit with the sterilized cap supplied from the cap sterilizer unit, said packaging system being characterized in that said blow molding machine, filler unit, cap sterilizer unit and cap clamping unit are arranged within a sterile chamber.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention and wherein:
The sole FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the preferred embodiment of the beverage sterilization and packaging system of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The beverage packaging system and method according to the present invention will be explained by referring to FIG. 1. In this working example, there is used
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Aoyagi Osamu
Kitahora Nobuya
Moon Daniel B.
The Coca-Cola Company
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