Steam sterilization, forming and sterile filling and sealing system and method for plastic packing material

Abstract

The invention discloses a steam sterilization, forming and sterile filling and sealing system and method for a plastic packing material. The system comprises a bottom film steam sterilization device, a sterile filling and sealing device, a cover film steam sterilization device and a cutting machine, the bottom film steam sterilization device is used for performing steam sterilization treatment on a bottom film material; the cover film steam sterilization device is used for performing steam sterilization treatment on a cover film material; the sterile filling and sealing device is used for forming a sterile bottom film into a packaging box, filling sterile food into the packaging box, and carrying out airtight thermal sealing on the packaging box by adopting a sterile cover film to obtain a connected packaging piece; and the cutting machine is used for cutting the sealed connected packaging piece to obtain a plurality of single packaging finished products. No manual intervention in the whole packaging process and no environmental bacterial pollution can be achieved, and the purpose of prolonging the shelf life of food is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of packaging technology, and in particular to a system and method for steam sterilization, molding, aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials. Background Art

[0002] At present, the fresh-keeping foods on the market can generally only be stored for about 7 days. Fresh-keeping foods are all packaged in clean rooms, and the packaging process involves human intervention, which increases the chance of fresh-keeping foods being contaminated by bacteria. Plastic bag vacuum-packed foods on the market that can be stored at room temperature for a long time can be stored at room temperature for a long time, but because of the atmospheric pressure, the contents of vacuum-packed foods are pressed very firmly, and the taste is relatively "woody", which gradually cannot meet the needs of consumers.

[0003] In addition, some people use ultraviolet rays to sterilize packaging materials, but the weakness of ultraviolet rays is that they cannot kill fungal spores, and ultraviolet rays cannot effectively kill bacteria on objects that are blocked, so the machine parts in the sterile chamber cannot be effectively sterilized. As a result, a small number (3%) of packaged foods still become corrupt and returned. It cannot achieve true commercial sterility. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system for plastic packaging materials. The steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system for plastic packaging materials of the present invention can realize aseptic packaging of sterilized food without human intervention and external environmental pollution, extend the shelf life of fresh-keeping food, and fill the packaging box with sterile nitrogen without vacuum, so as to avoid the taste of the food contents becoming "woody" after vacuum packaging.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system.

[0006] A plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system, comprising a bottom film steam sterilization device, an aseptic filling and sealing device, a cover film steam sterilization device and a splitter;

[0007] The bottom film steam sterilization device is used to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material;

[0008] The aseptic filling and sealing device is used to form a sterile bottom film into a packaging box, and is connected to the food sterilization and cooling system through an aseptic channel, obtains the sterile food that has been sterilized by steam and fills the food material into the packaging box in a sterile environment, and uses a sterile cover film to perform airtight heat sealing on the packaging box;

[0009] The aseptic filling and sealing device comprises a filling and sealing cavity, a clamping conveying chain arranged in the filling and sealing cavity, and a packaging box former, a food material filler, and a sealing machine which are sequentially distributed along the conveying direction, wherein the clamping conveying chain is used to convey the bottom film material after steam sterilization, the packaging box former is installed above the clamping conveying chain to be used to shape the bottom film material to obtain a packaging box, the food material filler is installed above the clamping conveying chain to be used to fill the food material into the packaging box, and the sealing machine is installed above the clamping conveying chain to use the sterilized cover film material to seal the filled packaging box to obtain a conjoined package; the filling and sealing cavity is provided with a steam inlet, an exhaust port, and a sterile nitrogen inlet, the steam inlet and the sterile exhaust port are used to perform a comprehensive aseptic treatment on the inner wall of the cavity and the equipment parts in the cavity by steam sterilization before the filling and sealing cavity is activated, and the sterile nitrogen inlet continuously maintains the supply of sterile nitrogen and maintains a slight positive pressure during the filling and sealing process;

[0010] The cover film steam sterilization device is used to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material;

[0011] The splitting machine is used to split the sealed connected packaging pieces to obtain a plurality of single packaged finished products.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bottom film steam sterilization device includes a first uncoiler, a feed channel, a bottom film sterilization cavity, and a discharge channel. The first uncoiler is connected to the bottom film sterilization cavity through the feed channel, and the bottom film sterilization cavity is connected to the aseptic filling and sealing device through the discharge channel. The bottom film sterilization cavity is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve, a steam release valve and a nitrogen valve.

[0013] In some embodiments, the bottom film steam sterilization device further comprises a first connector, which is arranged between the first unwinder and the feed channel and is used for connecting the new and old rolls when changing rolls.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bottom film steam sterilization device also includes a first buffer, which is arranged between the first uncoiler and the feed channel, and the first buffer includes a plurality of first buffer rods that are staggered and used for winding the bottom film material, and the first buffer is used for buffering the bottom film material during roll changing and connection.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bottom film steam sterilization device also includes a first slide roller group, and the number of the first slide roller groups is multiple, and the multiple first slide roller groups are arranged in the bottom film sterilization cavity. The multiple first slide roller groups are arranged in two opposite rows in the bottom film sterilization cavity, and each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced first slide roller groups. The multiple first slide roller groups are used for the bottom film material to be wound around, so that the forward path of the bottom film material is tortuous, so as to meet the sterilization time requirement.

[0016] In some of the embodiments, the filling and sealing cavity is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve, a steam release valve and a nitrogen valve. The filling and sealing cavity is used for comprehensive high-temperature steam sterilization of the packaging cavity before startup. The comprehensive high-temperature steam sterilization includes all-round sterilization of the inner wall of the cavity and all mechanical structures in the cavity without dead ends. The nitrogen valve provides constant pressure sterile nitrogen during the entire packaging process.

[0017] In some embodiments, the aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises a first roll drive, which is connected to the bottom film steam sterilization device, and is used to convey the bottom film material from the bottom film steam sterilization device to the clamping conveying chain.

[0018] In some embodiments, the aseptic filling and sealing device further includes a second buffer, which is arranged between the first coil drive and the clamping conveyor chain, and includes a plurality of second buffer rods which are staggered and used for winding the bottom film material, and the second buffer is used for buffering the bottom film material to assist the intermittent movement of the forming, filling and sealing devices.

[0019] In some embodiments, the aseptic filling and sealing device also includes a third buffer, which is arranged in the filling and sealing cavity. The third buffer includes a plurality of third buffer rods that are staggered and used for winding the covering film material. The second buffer is used to buffer the sterilized covering film material.

[0020] In some embodiments, the aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises an air-blocking tunnel, and the filling and sealing cavity is connected to the dividing machine via the air-blocking tunnel.

[0021] In some embodiments, the cover film steam sterilization device includes a cover film sterilization chamber and a second uncoiler, the cover film sterilization chamber is connected to the filling and sealing chamber, the second uncoiler is connected to the cover film sterilization chamber, and the cover film sterilization chamber is used to steam sterilize the cover film material after being unwound by the second uncoiler.

[0022] In some embodiments, the cover film steam sterilization device further includes a second coil drive, and the second coil drive is connected between the second unwinder and the cover film sterilization chamber.

[0023] In some embodiments, the film-covering steam sterilization device further comprises a connecting pipe, wherein the connecting pipe is used to connect the film-covering sterilization cavity and the filling and sealing cavity, and a steam sealer is provided on the connecting pipe.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cover film steam sterilization device also includes a second slide roller group, and the number of the second slide roller groups is multiple, and the multiple second slide roller groups are arranged in the cover film sterilization cavity. The multiple second slide roller groups are arranged in two opposite rows in the cover film sterilization cavity, and each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced second slide roller groups. The multiple second slide roller groups are used for the cover film material to be wound around, so that the forward path of the cover film material is tortuous.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cover film steam sterilization device further includes a second connector, and the second connector is disposed between the cover film sterilization chamber and the second unwinder.

[0026] In some embodiments, the cover film steam sterilization device also includes a fourth buffer, which is arranged between the cover film sterilization chamber and the second unwinder, and the fourth buffer includes a plurality of staggered fourth buffer rods used for winding the cover film material, and the fourth buffer is used to buffer the cover film material after unwinding.

[0027] In some embodiments, the film-covered sterilization chamber is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve and a steam release valve.

[0028] In some embodiments, the splitter includes a slitting head, a finished product conveyor belt and a waste collector. The finished product conveyor belt is connected to the clamping conveyor chain. The slitting head is installed above the finished product conveyor belt to split the positions between adjacent packages on the connected package to obtain multiple single-packaged products. The waste collector is used to collect waste covering film materials after sealing.

[0029] An embodiment of the present application also provides a method for steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials.

[0030] A method for steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials, using a plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing system of any one of the above embodiments, comprises the following steps:

[0031] Controlling the bottom film steam sterilization device to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material; controlling the cover film steam sterilization device to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material;

[0032] Control the steam sterilization of the filling and sealing cavity and continuously supply sterile nitrogen during the filling and sealing process;

[0033] Control the bottom film material after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity of the aseptic filling and sealing device, control the clamping conveyor chain to convey the bottom film material after steam sterilization, control the packaging box former to shape the bottom film material on the clamping conveyor chain to obtain a packaging box, and control the food material filler to fill the food material into the packaging box; control the cover film material after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity and cover the filled packaging box;

[0034] Controlling the sealing machine to seal the filled packaging box with the sterilized cover film material to obtain a conjoined package;

[0035] and controlling the splitting machine to split the sealed connected packages to obtain a plurality of single packaged products;

[0036] When used to package low-acid foods stored at room temperature, the steam sterilization temperature is controlled to be 120℃~130℃, and the sterilization time is 1min~3min; the filling and sealing cavity, the bottom film sterilization cavity, and the cover film sterilization cavity are designed as cylindrical pressure vessels;

[0037] When used for packaging fresh-keeping food for refrigerated storage, the sterilization temperature is controlled at 95℃~100℃ and the sterilization time is 2min~3min during steam sterilization treatment; the filling and sealing cavity, bottom film sterilization cavity and cover film sterilization cavity adopt a square non-pressure container design.

[0038] The above-mentioned plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system can extend the shelf life of fresh-keeping food. The packaging box is filled with sterile nitrogen, and no vacuum is required, so as to avoid the food content becoming "woody" after vacuum packaging. The present invention proposes a new packaging material aseptic treatment and aseptic filling and sealing system suitable for aseptic packaging purposes, which can provide highly sterile aseptic packaging materials and highly sterile filling and sealing environment. It does not require vacuum packaging, manual intervention, and is highly automated, achieving the following effects: (1) The shelf life of refrigerated fresh-keeping food currently on the market can be extended from 7 days to 60 days. Depending on the different sterilization strengths of the food, it can even be extended to 6 months. (2) If the food sterilization strength reaches commercial sterilization, the shelf life can be extended to 1 year. It can also solve the problem of commercial sterile vacuum-packed products stored at room temperature being compacted and becoming "woody", and the product qualification rate is increased from 97% of the ultraviolet sterilization method to 99.7% of the present method. That is, the scrap rate is reduced from 3% to 3%. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative work.

[0040] In order to more completely understand the present application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0041] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Description of Reference Numerals

[0043] 10. Steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system for plastic packaging materials;

[0044] 100, bottom film steam sterilization device; 101, first unwinder; 102, first connector; 103, first buffer; 104, feed channel; 105, bottom film sterilization chamber; 106, first slide roller group; 107, discharge channel;

[0045] 200, aseptic filling and sealing device; 201, first coil drive; 202, second buffer; 203, clamping conveyor chain; 204, packaging box former; 205, food material filler; 206, third buffer; 207, sealing machine; 208, air blocking tunnel; 209, filling and sealing cavity;

[0046] 300, film capping steam sterilization device; 301, second coil drive; 302, steam sealer; 303, film capping sterilization chamber; 304, second slide roller group; 305, connecting channel; 306, fourth buffer; 307, second connector; 308, second unwinder; 309, connecting pipeline;

[0047] 400, splitting machine; 401, slitting head; 402, finished product conveyor belt; 403, waste collector;

[0048] 501, steam inlet valve; 502, exhaust valve; 503, steam relief valve;

[0049] 600, base film material;

[0050] 700, covering film material;

[0051] 800. Packaging of finished products. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0054] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0056] In the description of the present invention, "several" means more than one, "many" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed", etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0057] In this article, "optionally", "optional", "optional" means optional, that is, it means to be selected from any of the two parallel solutions of "yes" or "no". If there are multiple "optional" in a technical solution, unless otherwise specified and there is no contradiction or mutual restriction, each "optional" is independent. In this application, the descriptions such as "optionally contain" and "optionally include" mean "contain or not contain".

[0058] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0059] In the application, unless otherwise specified, each reaction step may be carried out in the order in which it is presented, or may not be carried out in the order in which it is presented. For example, other steps may be included between each reaction step, and the order of the reaction steps may be appropriately swapped. This can be determined by the skilled person based on common knowledge and experience. Preferably, the reaction method herein is carried out sequentially.

[0060] In the present application, when it comes to a numerical interval (i.e., a numerical range), unless otherwise specified, the distribution of the optional numerical values ​​in the numerical interval is considered to be continuous, and includes the two numerical endpoints (i.e., the minimum and maximum values) of the numerical interval, and each numerical value between the two numerical endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, when the numerical interval only refers to an integer in the numerical interval, it includes the two endpoint integers of the numerical range, and each integer between the two endpoints, which is equivalent to directly listing each integer. When multiple numerical ranges are provided to describe features or characteristics, these numerical ranges can be combined. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range disclosed in the present application should be understood to include any and all sub-ranges included therein. The "numerical value" in the numerical interval can be any quantitative value, such as a number, a percentage, a ratio, etc. "Numerical interval" allows for a broad range of quantitative intervals such as percentage intervals, ratio intervals, and ratio intervals.

[0061] The embodiment of the present application provides a plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system to solve the problem that the packaging process of the prior art involves manual intervention, which increases the problem of bacterial contamination of fresh-keeping food; and the problem that the contents of vacuum-packed food in plastic bags on the market are pressed very tightly, and the taste is relatively "woody", which gradually cannot meet the needs of consumers. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system provided in the embodiments of the present application is exemplary, please refer to Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system provided in the embodiment of the present application. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system of the present application has two uses: (1) packaging of fresh-keeping refrigerated food. (2) packaging of commercial sterile food stored at room temperature for a long time.

[0063] In order to more clearly illustrate the structure of the plastic packaging material sterilization molding and aseptic filling and sealing system, the plastic packaging material sterilization molding and aseptic filling and sealing system will be introduced below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0064] For example, see Figure 1 As shown, a plastic packaging material sterilization molding and aseptic filling and sealing system 10 includes a bottom film steam sterilization device 100, an aseptic filling and sealing device 200, a cover film steam sterilization device 300 and a divider 400.

[0065] The bottom film steam sterilization device 100 is used to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material 600 .

[0066] The aseptic filling and sealing device 200 is used to form a sterile base film into a packaging box, and is connected to the food sterilization and cooling system through an aseptic channel, obtains sterile food that has been steam sterilized and fills the food material into the packaging box in a sterile environment, and uses a sterile cover film to perform airtight thermal sealing on the packaging box.

[0067] The aseptic filling and sealing device 200 includes a filling and sealing cavity 209, a clamping conveying chain 203 arranged in the filling and sealing cavity 209, and a packaging box former 204, a food material filler 205, and a sealing machine 207 which are sequentially distributed along the conveying direction. The clamping conveying chain 203 is used to convey the bottom film material 600 after steam sterilization. The packaging box former 204 is installed above the clamping conveying chain 203 to form the sterile bottom film material 600 to obtain a packaging box. The food material filler 205 is linked to another food sterilization and cooling system through an aseptic channel, and is installed above the clamping conveying chain 203 to fill the food material into the packaging box. The sealing machine 207 is installed above the clamping conveying chain 203 to use the sterilized cover film material 700 to seal the filled packaging box to obtain a conjoined package. The cover film steam sterilization device 300 is used to steam sterilize the cover film material 700. The filling and sealing cavity 209 is provided with a steam inlet, an exhaust port and a sterile nitrogen inlet. The steam inlet and the sterile exhaust port are used to perform a comprehensive sterilization treatment on the inner wall of the cavity and the equipment components in the cavity by steam sterilization before the filling and sealing cavity is activated. The sterile nitrogen inlet continuously maintains the supply of sterile nitrogen and maintains a slight positive pressure during the filling and sealing process.

[0068] The splitter 400 is used to split the sealed connected packages into multiple single packaged products.

[0069] Before entering the food packaging operation, the aseptic filling and sealing device is fully sterilized with steam, including the mechanical structure and inner wall of the cavity, all of which are sterilized. Then sterile nitrogen or other inert gases are introduced and a slight positive pressure is maintained.

[0070] In some embodiments, a sterilized protective gas inlet is provided on the filling and sealing cavity 209. The protective gas inlet can be closed and opened. The protective gas inlet is connected to the inner cavity of the filling and sealing cavity 209, and the protective gas inlet can be connected to an external nitrogen source or other inert gas source. The protective gas inlet is used to input nitrogen or other inert gas into the filling and sealing cavity 209 to achieve a protective environment for filling and sealing. It is not difficult to understand that

[0071] In some of these examples, see Figure 1As shown, the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 includes a first unwinder 101, a feed channel 104, a bottom film sterilization cavity 105, and a discharge channel 107. The unwinding bottom film continuously enters the bottom film sterilization cavity 105 through the feed channel 104, is sterilized by being surrounded by steam in the cavity, and then enters the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 through the discharge channel 107. The bottom film sterilization cavity 105 is provided with a steam inlet valve 501, an exhaust valve 502, a steam relief valve 503, and a nitrogen valve.

[0072] In some embodiments, the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 further includes a first connector 102. The first connector 102 is disposed between the first unwinder 101 and the feed channel 104. The connector is used to connect a new film when changing the roll.

[0073] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 also includes a first buffer 103. The first buffer 103 is arranged between the first unwinder 101 and the feed channel 104. A floating roller shaft is arranged on the upper part of the first buffer 103 for delay buffering when the bottom film material 600 is welded at the head and tail.

[0074] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 also includes a first slide stick group 106. The number of the first slide stick group 106 is multiple, and the multiple first slide stick groups 106 are arranged in the bottom film sterilization cavity 105. The multiple first slide stick groups 106 are arranged in two opposite rows in the bottom film sterilization cavity 105, and each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced first slide stick groups 106. The multiple first slide stick groups 106 are used for the bottom film material 600 to be wound around, so that the forward path of the bottom film material 600 is tortuous. The unrolled bottom film continuously enters the bottom film sterilization cavity 105 through the feed channel 104, passes through the first slide stick group 106, is surrounded by the steam in the cavity and sterilized, and then enters the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 through the discharge channel 107.

[0075] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the first uncoiler 101, the first connector 102, the first buffer 103 and the feed channel 104 are arranged in sequence.

[0076] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the filling and sealing cavity 209 is provided with a steam inlet valve 501, an exhaust valve 502, a steam relief valve 503 and a nitrogen valve. The filling and sealing cavity 209 is used for comprehensive high-temperature steam sterilization of the packaging cavity before startup. The high-temperature steam sterilization includes all-round sterilization of the inner wall of the cavity and all mechanical structures in the cavity without dead ends. The nitrogen valve provides constant pressure sterile nitrogen during the entire packaging process.

[0077] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 further includes a first roll drive 201 , which is connected to the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 . The first roll drive 201 is used to convey the bottom film material 600 from the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 to the clamping conveying chain 203 .

[0078] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 further includes a second buffer 202. The second buffer 202 is disposed between the first coil drive 201 and the clamping conveyor chain 203. The second buffer 202 includes a plurality of second buffer rods that are staggered and used for winding the bottom film material 600. The second buffer 202 is used to buffer the bottom film material 600 so that the forming and sealing can be performed intermittently in a step-by-step manner.

[0079] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 further includes a third buffer 206. The third buffer is disposed in the filling and sealing cavity 209. The third buffer includes a plurality of third buffer rods that are staggered and used for winding the cover film material 700. The third buffer 206 is used to buffer the sterilized cover film material 700 so as to adapt to the intermittent forward sealing operation.

[0080] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic filling and sealing device 200 further includes an air blocking tunnel 208. The filling and sealing cavity 209 is connected to the dividing machine 400 through the air blocking tunnel 208. The cross-sectional size of the tunnel matches the shape of the packaging box, so that the airflow is damped and a slight positive pressure is maintained in the cavity.

[0081] In some of the embodiments, preferably, the first coil driver 201, the second buffer 202, and the clamping conveyor chain 203 are sequentially distributed along the advancing direction.

[0082] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the cover film steam sterilization device 300 includes a cover film sterilization chamber 303 and a second unwinder 308. The cover film sterilization chamber 303 is connected to the filling and sealing chamber 209, and the second unwinder 308 is connected to the cover film sterilization chamber 303. The cover film sterilization chamber 303 is used to steam sterilize the cover film material 700 unwinded by the second unwinder 308.

[0083] In some of these examples, see Figure 1As shown, the cover film steam sterilization device 300 further includes a second coil drive 301. The second coil drive 301 is connected between the second unwinder 308 and the cover film sterilization chamber 303.

[0084] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the film-covering steam sterilization device 300 further includes a connecting pipe 309. The connecting pipe 309 is used to connect the film-covering sterilization cavity 303 and the filling and sealing cavity 209. The connecting pipe 309 is provided with a steam sealer 302.

[0085] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the film-covering steam sterilization device 300 also includes a second slide roller group 304. The number of the second slide roller groups 304 is multiple. The multiple second slide roller groups 304 are arranged in the film-covering sterilization cavity 303. The multiple second slide roller groups 304 are arranged in two opposite rows in the film-covering sterilization cavity 303. Each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced second slide roller groups 304. The multiple second slide roller groups 304 are used for the film-covering material 700 to be wound around, so that the forward path of the film-covering material 700 is tortuous.

[0086] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the cover film steam sterilization device 300 further includes a second connector 307. The second connector 307 is disposed between the cover film sterilization chamber 303 and the second unwinder 308, and is used for connecting a new film.

[0087] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the film steam sterilization device 300 further includes a fourth buffer 306. The fourth buffer 306 is disposed between the film sterilization chamber 303 and the second unwinder 308. A floating roller shaft is disposed above the fourth buffer 306 for delay buffering when the film material 700 is connected to a new film.

[0088] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the film-covering steam sterilization device 300 further includes a connecting channel 305 . The connecting channel 305 is disposed between the film-covering sterilization chamber 303 and the fourth buffer 306 , and is used to assist the film-covering from the second connector 307 and the fourth buffer 306 to enter the film-covering sterilization chamber 303 .

[0089] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the second uncoiler 308, the second connector 307, the fourth buffer 306 and the cover film sterilization chamber 303 are sequentially distributed along the feeding direction.

[0090] In some of these examples, see Figure 1As shown, the film-covered sterilization chamber 303 is provided with a steam inlet valve 501 , an exhaust valve 502 and a steam release valve 503 .

[0091] In some of these examples, see Figure 1 As shown, the splitting machine 400 includes a slitting head 401, a finished product conveyor belt 402, and a waste collector 403. The finished product conveyor belt 402 is connected to the clamping conveyor chain 203, and the slitting head 401 is installed above the finished product conveyor belt 402 to split the positions between adjacent packaged finished products on the conjoined package to obtain multiple single packaged finished products. The waste collector 403 is used to collect the waste cover film material 700 after sealing.

[0092] In some embodiments, the plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system 10 further includes a control mechanism. The bottom film steam sterilization device 100, the aseptic filling and sealing device 200, the cover film steam sterilization device 300 and the splitter 400 are electrically connected to the control mechanism respectively. The control mechanism can be a PLC programmable logic controller.

[0093] An embodiment of the present application also provides a method for steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials.

[0094] A method for steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials, using a system 10 for steam sterilization, molding, and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials according to any of the above embodiments, comprises the following steps:

[0095] See also Figure 1 As shown, the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 is controlled to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material 600 ; and the cover film steam sterilization device 300 is controlled to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material 700 .

[0096] The filling and sealing cavity 209 is controlled to perform steam sterilization and continuously supply sterile nitrogen during the filling and sealing process.

[0097] Control the base film material 600 after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity 209 of the aseptic filling and sealing device 200, control the clamping conveying chain 203 to convey the base film material 600 after steam sterilization, control the packaging box former 204 to form the base film material 600 on the clamping conveying chain 203 to obtain a packaging box, control the food material filler 205 to fill food materials into the packaging box; control the covering film material 700 after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity 209 and cover the filled packaging box.

[0098] The sealing machine 207 is controlled to use the sterilized cover film material 700 to seal the filled packaging box to obtain a conjoined package.

[0099] Furthermore, the dividing machine 400 is controlled to divide the sealed connected packages into a plurality of single packaged products.

[0100] This system is operated continuously. After the film is put on, steam is passed into all cavities before starting the machine. All exhaust valves and steam relief valve 503 are opened to exhaust the air in the system. After the temperature reaches the set value, the exhaust valves of each cavity are closed, and the steam relief valve 503 remains open. The whole system is sterilized for a certain period of time, and then the steam inlet valves of the sterilization bottom film sterilization cavity and the cover film sterilization cavity are kept open, while the steam inlet valve of the filling and sealing cavity is closed, the nitrogen valve is opened, and sterile nitrogen is filled and maintained at a slightly positive pressure. The formal filling and sealing operation can then begin. The bottom film and the cover film move forward continuously and are sterilized, and the bottom film is continuously and intermittently formed. The sterile food from another food sterilization system is transported to the filling station, filled into the formed packaging box, and further thermally welded and sealed, and then output from the air blocking tunnel and enter the slitting machine to be cut into single-packaged, tightly sealed products.

[0101] Among them, when used to package low-acid food stored at room temperature, the sterilization temperature during steam sterilization is controlled at 120℃~130℃, and the sterilization time is 1min~3min; the filling and sealing mouth, bottom film sterilization cavity, and cover film sterilization cavity are designed as cylindrical pressure vessels; when used to package fresh-keeping food stored in a refrigerator, the sterilization temperature during steam sterilization is controlled at 95℃~100℃, and the sterilization time is 2min~3min; the filling and sealing mouth, bottom film sterilization cavity, and cover film sterilization cavity are designed as square non-pressure containers.

[0102] In some embodiments, when the bottom film steam sterilization device 100 is controlled to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material 600, the bottom film is unwound by the first unwinder 101, conveyed by the first connector 102, and buffered by the first buffer 103, and then enters the feed channel 104 and the first slide roller group 106. The plurality of first slide roller groups 106 are provided for the bottom film material 600 to wind around so that the forward path of the bottom film material 600 is tortuous, and the temperature of the steam entering the bottom film sterilization cavity 105 is controlled to achieve steam sterilization of the bottom film material 600. The function of the connector is that when a roll of film is used up to the end, the head of a new roll of film is connected to the tail of the film that is about to be finished by heating and connecting. When performing this operation, the wheels of the buffer move downward for buffering. In some embodiments, when the cover film steam sterilization device 300 is controlled to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material 700, the cover film is sequentially unwound by the second unwinder 308, conveyed by the second connector 307, and buffered by the fourth buffer 306 before entering the cover film sterilization chamber 303, and the temperature of the steam entering the cover film sterilization chamber 303 is controlled to achieve steam sterilization of the cover film material 700. The function of the connector is that when a roll of film is used up to the end, the head of a new roll of film is connected to the end of the film by heating and connecting. When this operation is performed, the wheel of the buffer moves downward.

[0103] In summary, the above-mentioned plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system 10 can extend the shelf life of refrigerated fresh-keeping food to 60 days or longer. For commercial aseptic food stored at room temperature, the shelf life can be 1 year. The qualified rate of finished products can reach more than 99.7%. The packaging box is filled with sterile nitrogen, and no vacuum is required to avoid the taste of the contents of the food becoming "woody" after vacuum packaging. The present invention proposes a new system for aseptic treatment of packaging materials suitable for aseptic packaging purposes, aseptic filling and sealing, which can provide highly sterile aseptic packaging materials and highly sterile filling and sealing environments, without vacuum packaging, without manual intervention, and highly automated, so that the shelf life of refrigerated fresh-keeping food is extended from 7 days to 60 days, and can even be extended to 8-12 months according to the increase in sterilization intensity. In addition, the problem of commercial aseptic vacuum-packed products stored at room temperature being compacted and becoming "woody" can be solved. In the present application, since high-pressure steam can kill bacteria and their spores in all directions without dead angles on the plastic surface, the inner wall of the cavity, and all mechanical structures in the cavity, it can achieve commercial sterilization, which has obvious advantages over ultraviolet sterilization.

[0104] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0105] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0106] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system, characterized in that: It includes a bottom film steam sterilization device, an aseptic filling and sealing device, a cover film steam sterilization device and a splitter; The bottom film steam sterilization device is used to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material; The aseptic filling and sealing device is used to form a sterile bottom film into a packaging box, and is connected to the food sterilization and cooling system through an aseptic channel, obtains the sterile food that has been sterilized by steam and fills the food material into the packaging box in a sterile environment, and uses a sterile cover film to perform airtight heat sealing on the packaging box; The aseptic filling and sealing device comprises: a filling and sealing cavity, a clamping conveying chain arranged in the filling and sealing cavity, and a packaging box former, a food material filler, and a sealing machine sequentially distributed along the conveying direction, wherein the clamping conveying chain is used to convey the bottom film material after steam sterilization, the packaging box former is installed above the clamping conveying chain to be used to shape the bottom film material to obtain a packaging box, the food material filler is installed above the clamping conveying chain to be used to fill the food material into the packaging box, and the sealing machine is installed above the clamping conveying chain to use the sterilized cover film material to seal the filled packaging box to obtain a conjoined package; the filling and sealing cavity is provided with a steam inlet, an exhaust port, and a sterile nitrogen inlet, the steam inlet and the sterile exhaust port are used to perform a comprehensive aseptic treatment on the inner wall of the cavity and the equipment parts in the cavity by steam sterilization before the filling and sealing cavity is activated, and the sterile nitrogen inlet continuously maintains the supply of sterile nitrogen and maintains a slight positive pressure during the filling and sealing process; The cover film steam sterilization device is used to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material; The splitting machine is used to split the sealed connected packaging pieces to obtain a plurality of single packaged finished products.

2. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom film steam sterilization device includes a first uncoiler, a feed channel, a bottom film sterilization cavity, and a discharge channel. The first uncoiler is connected to the bottom film sterilization cavity through the feed channel, and the bottom film sterilization cavity is connected to the aseptic filling and sealing device through the discharge channel. The bottom film sterilization cavity is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve, and a steam release valve.

3. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom film steam sterilization device further comprises a first connector, which is arranged between the first unwinder and the feed channel; And / or, the bottom film steam sterilization device also includes a first buffer, which is arranged between the first uncoiler and the feed channel, and the first buffer includes a plurality of first buffer rods that are staggered and used for winding the bottom film material, and the first buffer is used to buffer the bottom film material.

4. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom film steam sterilization device also includes a first slide roller group, and the number of the first slide roller groups is multiple, and the multiple first slide roller groups are arranged in the bottom film sterilization cavity. The multiple first slide roller groups are arranged in two opposite rows in the bottom film sterilization cavity, and each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced first slide roller groups. The multiple first slide roller groups are used for the bottom film material to be wound around, so that the forward path of the bottom film material is tortuous.

5. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The filling and sealing cavity is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve, a steam relief valve and a nitrogen valve. The filling and sealing cavity is used for comprehensive high-temperature steam sterilization of the packaging cavity before starting. The comprehensive high-temperature steam sterilization includes all-round sterilization of the inner wall of the cavity and all mechanical structures in the cavity. The nitrogen valve provides constant pressure sterile nitrogen during the whole packaging process. And / or, the aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises a first roll drive, wherein the first roll drive is connected to the bottom film steam sterilization device, and the first roll drive is used for conveying the bottom film material from the bottom film steam sterilization device to the clamping conveying chain.

6. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises a second buffer, which is arranged between the first coil drive and the clamping conveying chain, and comprises a plurality of second buffer rods which are staggered and used for winding the bottom film material, and the second buffer is used for buffering the bottom film material; And / or, the aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises a third buffer, the third buffer is arranged in the filling and sealing cavity, the third buffer comprises a plurality of third buffer rods which are staggered and used for winding the covering film material, and the second buffer is used for buffering the sterilized covering film material; And / or, the aseptic filling and sealing device further comprises an air-blocking tunnel, and the filling and sealing cavity is connected to the dividing machine via the air-blocking tunnel.

7. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6, characterized in that: The cover film steam sterilization device includes a cover film sterilization cavity and a second uncoiler, the cover film sterilization cavity is connected to the filling and sealing cavity, the second uncoiler is connected to the cover film sterilization cavity, and the cover film sterilization cavity is used to steam sterilize the cover film material unwound by the second uncoiler.

8. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cover film steam sterilization device further comprises a second coil drive, wherein the second coil drive is connected between the second unwinder and the cover film sterilization chamber; And / or, the film-covering steam sterilization device further comprises a connecting pipe, the connecting pipe is used to connect the film-covering sterilization cavity and the filling and sealing cavity, and a steam sealer is provided on the connecting pipe; And / or, the film-covering steam sterilization device further comprises a second slide roller group, the number of the second slide roller groups is multiple, the multiple second slide roller groups are arranged in the film-covering sterilization cavity, the multiple second slide roller groups are arranged in two opposite rows in the film-covering sterilization cavity, each row is respectively provided with multiple spaced second slide roller groups, and the multiple second slide roller groups are used for the film-covering material to be wound around, so that the forward path of the film-covering material is tortuous; And / or, the cover film steam sterilization device further comprises a second connector, and the second connector is arranged between the cover film sterilization chamber and the second unwinder; And / or, the cover film steam sterilization device further comprises a fourth buffer, the fourth buffer is arranged between the cover film sterilization chamber and the second unwinder, the fourth buffer comprises a plurality of fourth buffer rods which are staggered and used for winding the cover film material, and the fourth buffer is used for buffering the cover film material after unwinding; And / or, the film-covered sterilization cavity is provided with a steam inlet valve, an exhaust valve and a steam release valve.

9. The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 6 and 8, characterized in that: The splitting machine includes a slitting head, a finished product conveyor belt and a waste collector. The finished product conveyor belt is connected to the clamping conveyor chain. The slitting head is installed above the finished product conveyor belt to split the positions between adjacent packages on the connected package to obtain multiple single-packaged products. The waste collector is used to collect waste covering film materials after sealing.

10. A method for steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing of plastic packaging materials, characterized in that: The plastic packaging material steam sterilization, molding and aseptic filling and sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprises the following steps: Controlling the bottom film steam sterilization device to perform steam sterilization on the bottom film material; controlling the cover film steam sterilization device to perform steam sterilization on the cover film material; Control the steam sterilization of the filling and sealing cavity and continuously supply sterile nitrogen during the filling and sealing process; Control the bottom film material after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity of the aseptic filling and sealing device, control the clamping conveyor chain to convey the bottom film material after steam sterilization, control the packaging box former to shape the bottom film material on the clamping conveyor chain to obtain a packaging box, and control the food material filler to fill the food material into the packaging box; control the cover film material after steam sterilization to enter the filling and sealing cavity and cover the filled packaging box; Controlling the sealing machine to seal the filled packaging box with the sterilized cover film material to obtain a conjoined package; and controlling the splitting machine to split the sealed connected packages to obtain a plurality of single packaged products; When used for packaging low-acid food stored at room temperature, the sterilization temperature is controlled to be 120°C to 130°C during steam sterilization, and the sterilization time is 1min to 3min. The filling and sealing cavity, the bottom film sterilization cavity and the cover film sterilization cavity are designed as cylindrical pressure vessels; When used for packaging fresh-keeping food for refrigeration, the sterilization temperature is controlled at 95°C~100°C during steam sterilization, and the sterilization time is 2min~3min. The filling and sealing cavity, the bottom film sterilization cavity and the cover film sterilization cavity adopt a square non-pressure container design.

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