Aseptic filling method and aseptic filling system

Abstract

This invention provides a sterile filling method and system that avoids or reduces the risk of disinfectant residue and achieves effective sterilization in a short time. One sterile filling method is a method for filling a sterilized container with contents, comprising: laser irradiation treatment, irradiating the container or container preform with a CO2 laser to sterilize the container surface; and filling treatment, filling the container with contents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method and system for aseptically filling sterilized containers with their contents. Background Technology

[0002] In the past, among the aseptic filling methods for filling contents into sterilized containers, there are known as aseptic filling methods that utilize sterilization treatment with bactericides such as hydrogen peroxide (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-202284 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in sterilization processes that utilize bactericides, there is a concern that bactericide residues may remain on the molded containers, thus requiring countermeasures to reduce the risk of residue.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention is an invention that solves these problems, and its object is to provide a sterile filling method and a sterile filling system that avoids or reduces the risk of residual bactericides with a simple structure and achieves effective sterilization in a short time.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] One aspect of the aseptic filling method of the present invention is an aseptic filling method for filling a sterilized container with contents, comprising: laser irradiation treatment, irradiating the container or container preform with a CO2 laser to sterilize the container surface; and filling treatment, filling the container with contents, thereby solving the aforementioned problem.

[0011] In addition, another aspect of the aseptic filling method of the present invention is an aseptic filling method for filling a sterilized container with contents, comprising: laser irradiation treatment, irradiating the container or container preform with a laser of an infrared wavelength to sterilize the surface of the container; and filling treatment, filling the container with contents, thereby solving the aforementioned problem.

[0012] Furthermore, one embodiment of the aseptic filling system of the present invention is an aseptic filling system for filling a sterilized container with contents, comprising: a laser irradiation unit for irradiating the container surface or container preform with a CO2 laser to sterilize the container surface; and a filling unit for filling the container with contents, thereby solving the aforementioned problem.

[0013] In addition, another aspect of the aseptic filling system of the present invention is an aseptic filling system for filling contents into a sterilized container, comprising: a laser irradiation unit for irradiating the container surface or container preform with a laser of an infrared wavelength to sterilize the container surface; and a filling unit for filling the container with contents, thereby solving the aforementioned problem.

[0014] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the laser irradiation treatment may be performed on the path between the inlet of the container or container preform of the aseptic filling equipment and the filling section where the filling treatment is performed.

[0015] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the laser irradiation process may also involve CO2 laser irradiation of the outer surface of the container or container preform and CO2 laser irradiation of the inner surface of the container or container preform.

[0016] In any of the above-described aseptic filling method or aseptic filling system, the process may further include: a container forming process, wherein a PET bottle serving as the container is formed by blow molding a preform serving as the container preform, and the laser irradiation process is performed on the preform.

[0017] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the process may further include: heat treatment, heating the preform to the molding temperature during the container molding process, wherein the laser irradiation treatment is performed on the preform after the heat treatment.

[0018] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, it is also possible that, in the laser irradiation process, the output of CO2 laser irradiation on the opening of the preform is higher and / or the irradiation time is longer compared with CO2 laser irradiation on the body of the preform.

[0019] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, it is also possible that, in the laser irradiation process, after CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the outer surface of the preform, CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the inner surface of the preform.

[0020] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, in the laser irradiation process, a conical diffused CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform by an irradiation section disposed outside the preform in a manner opposite to the opening of the preform.

[0021] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, CO2 laser may be irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while at least one of the preform or the irradiation part is moved relative to the preform in the axial direction of the preform.

[0022] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, CO2 laser may be irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while the diffusion angle of the CO2 laser irradiated through the irradiation section is changed during the laser irradiation process.

[0023] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the laser irradiation process may also involve setting an irradiation point by irradiating a portion of the inner surface of the preform with a CO2 laser irradiated by an irradiation portion disposed outside the preform in a manner opposite to the opening of the preform, and irradiating the inner surface of the preform with a CO2 laser while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation portion about the axis of the preform.

[0024] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the irradiation point may be set to include a portion of the circumferential range of the preform, from the center of the bottom of the preform to the top of the opening side of the preform.

[0025] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the irradiation point may be set to be elongated in the axial direction of the preform, where the longitudinal width is wider than the circumferential transverse width of the preform.

[0026] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the laser irradiation process may be configured such that CO2 laser is irradiated in one direction by an irradiation portion disposed within the preform, and CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation portions about the axis of the preform and moving the preform or at least one of the irradiation portions relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform.

[0027] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, a container forming process may be further included, wherein the container forming process is performed on a sheet material serving as the container preform to form a sheet container serving as the container, and the laser irradiation process is performed on the sheet material or the sheet container.

[0028] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the laser irradiation treatment may be performed on the sheet material before the container forming process.

[0029] In any of the above-described aseptic filling methods or aseptic filling systems, the CO2 laser irradiation point may be set to a transverse shape in which the transverse width of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is wider than the longitudinal width of the sheet in the conveying direction, and the sheet is irradiated with CO2 laser while being conveyed.

[0030] Invention Effects

[0031] In this invention, the risk of bactericide residue can be avoided or reduced with a simple structure, and effective sterilization can be achieved in a short time. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment of the aseptic filling system of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a CO2 laser irradiation scheme.

[0034] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a CO2 laser irradiation scheme.

[0035] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a test used to confirm the bactericidal effect of CO2 laser irradiation.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the absorbance of spores, molds, and PET resin relative to the wavelength of light. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Hereinafter, an aseptic filling system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "upstream" and "downstream" used in this specification refer to the upstream or downstream direction of the preform P or container in the conveying direction.

[0039] First, the aseptic filling system 10 is configured as a so-called in-line blow molding filling system for aseptically filling sterilized contents (especially liquid contents) into a sterilized container, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic filling system 10 includes: an aseptic forming device 20 for aseptically forming a container; and a filling device 60 for aseptically filling the container with contents.

[0040] The following description, based on the accompanying drawings, explains the constituent elements of the aseptic filling system 10.

[0041] First, the aseptic forming device 20 aseptically forms the sterilized containers that have undergone sterilization treatment, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the aseptic molding apparatus 20 includes: an inlet 21 for inserting a preform P, which serves as a container preform; a blow molding turntable 22; an oven mechanism 30 for heating the preform P in an oven area A1 located downstream of the inlet 21; a preform conveying mechanism 40 for conveying the preform P; and a container sterilization device 50 for sterilizing the preform P.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the inlet 21 is the part used to feed the preform P into the aseptic molding device 20 (aseptic filling system 10).

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the blow molding turntable 22 is located on the downstream side of the oven area A1 to perform aseptic blow molding on the preform P.

[0044] Specifically, the blow molding turntable 22 is configured as a turntable equipped with a blow molding machine (not shown), which performs biaxial stretch blow molding of containers such as PET bottles by blowing sterile air into a preform P heated to the molding temperature for sterile blow molding.

[0045] The molding area A3, equipped with a blow molding turntable 22, is covered by a chamber. Sterile air that passes through a HEPA filter is blown in from above by an FFU (Fan Filter Unit), thereby maintaining a sterile atmosphere and positive pressure.

[0046] In addition, the blow molding turntable 22, blow molding machine and other equipment located in the molding area A3 are sterilized to the end of the blow molding piping.

[0047] The preform P, which has been sterilized through sterilization treatment only in the preform stage, is transported to the forming area A3 for aseptic blow molding.

[0048] Therefore, aseptic blow molding is performed in the molding area A3 under sterile conditions. Thus, during the transport of the preform P and the blow-molded container in the molding area A3, it is not necessary to create a sterile air or sterilizing gas atmosphere in the vicinity of the transport path. Furthermore, it is not necessary to sterilize the blow-molded container.

[0049] The oven mechanism 30 performs a heating process to raise the temperature of the preform P (the main body P1) to the molding temperature during sterile blow molding in the blow molding turntable 22. The oven mechanism 30 has: an oven chamber 31 with an oven area A1 inside; and a plurality of heating heaters 32 configured as infrared heaters to raise the temperature of the preform P.

[0050] It should be noted that the oven mechanism 30 may also be equipped with a simple cover surrounding the oven instead of the oven chamber 31. Alternatively, the oven chamber 31 may not be provided.

[0051] It should be noted that the main body P1 of the preform P is the part that is placed inside the mold during aseptic blow molding and expands inside the mold, while the opening P2 of the preform P is the part that is placed outside the mold during aseptic blow molding and does not expand.

[0052] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, the transfer area A2 is the area downstream of the oven area A1 and upstream of the forming area A3. It is an area with a higher contamination level than the forming area A3 but a lower contamination level than the oven area A1.

[0053] The preform conveying mechanism 40 will transport the preform P fed from the inlet 21 to the blow molding turntable 22, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the preform conveying mechanism 40 includes: a conveyor 41, which mainly conveys the preform P in the oven area A1; and a plurality of turntables 42, which convey the preform P removed from the oven area A1 toward the blow molding turntable 22.

[0054] Turntables 42 transport preforms P in transfer areas A2 and forming areas A3. These turntables 42 have multiple grippers that hold the preforms P from the outer peripheral side. Ideally, the grippers are pre-sterilized by UV irradiation or a sterilizing agent.

[0055] It should be noted that the conveying posture of the preform conveying mechanism 40 for the preform P can be any posture, such as upright, inverted (i.e., the downward state in which the opening P2 side of the preform P faces downward), or lateral (i.e., the lateral state in which the opening P2 side of the preform P faces to the side).

[0056] The aseptic forming apparatus 20 is configured to perform sterilization treatment by means of the container sterilization apparatus 50, etc., when filling the contents in the filling apparatus 60, so that the container is in a commercially sterile state (i.e., a state in which all microorganisms that are harmful to public health and can develop in the beverage under normal non-refrigerated storage / distribution conditions are killed).

[0057] In this embodiment, the sterilization process performed by the sterilization device 50, etc., is configured to not perform sterilization after aseptic blow molding (sterilization at the container stage is not required), but to complete the sterilization of the container only by sterilizing the preform at the preform stage before forming the container using aseptic blow molding (more specifically, in this embodiment, sterilization is completed before the transfer area A2, and the sterilized preform P is moved into the forming area A3). In other words, the container can be made commercially sterile by sterilizing the preform at the preform stage only. In other words, the container can be sterilized by sterilizing the bacteria (bacteria that can proliferate in the contents filled in the container, such as mold, general bacteria, spores, etc.) that are the targets of sterilization by sterilizing the preform at the preform stage only (on the entire outer surface including the inner and outer surfaces of the preform P).

[0058] It should be noted that the sterilization effect (D) is expressed by the formula sterilization effect (D) = LOG((initial number of bacteria) / (number of surviving bacteria)). For example, when the number of bacteria is reduced from 100 to 10, LOG(100 / 10) = 1D.

[0059] The container sterilization device 50 is configured to sterilize the inner surface (inner surface of the main body P1 and outer surface of the opening P2) of the preform P in a region downstream of the oven region A1 and upstream of the blow molding turntable 22 (transfer region A2 in this embodiment). Figure 1 As shown, the container sterilization device 50 includes: a laser irradiator 51, which serves as a laser irradiation unit, irradiates the container surface of the container or preform P with CO2 laser; and a heating unit (in this embodiment, an oven mechanism 30), which is disposed upstream of the laser irradiator 51 or in the same location, to heat the sterilized area on the container surface.

[0060] CO2 lasers are a type of gas laser that uses a mixture of nitrogen and helium in a carbon dioxide gas atmosphere. The laser beam is extracted by passing a discharge current through this gas mixture.

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, the laser irradiator 51 irradiates the container surface of the preform P being transported by the turntable 42 with a CO2 laser in a region that is downstream of the oven region A1 and upstream of the blow molding turntable 22 (transfer region A2 in this embodiment). This sterilizes the container surface of the preform P.

[0062] The laser irradiator 51 includes a laser oscillator 51a and an irradiation section 51b for irradiating the CO2 laser oscillated by the laser oscillator 51a, and is composed of optical elements such as a lens, a reflector, a beam expander, and a beam shaper.

[0063] It should be noted that the laser irradiator 51 can also be placed inside the oven area A1 or upstream of the oven area A1. Alternatively, the laser irradiator 51 can be placed downstream of the blow molding turntable 22 to irradiate the molded containers with CO2 laser for sterilization.

[0064] The heating unit is implemented before or simultaneously with the laser irradiation treatment by the laser irradiator 51. During the laser irradiation treatment, the sterilized area is heated in such a way that it becomes the sterilized area on the surface of the container. In this embodiment, the oven mechanism 30 described above functions as the heating unit.

[0065] It should be noted that the specific design of the heating unit is not limited to the above. It can also consist of a heating heater, a supplier of warm water, steam, hot air, etc., which are separately arranged from the oven mechanism 30. In this case, the heating temperature of the sterilized area can be appropriately set to above 60°C, above 80°C, or above 100°C.

[0066] The filling device 60 is located downstream of the aseptic forming device 20, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the filling device 60 includes: a filling section 61, which serves as a filling unit for filling contents into a container; and a capping section 62, which is disposed downstream of the filling section 61 and has a sterilized cap attached to the opening of the container.

[0067] Each process in the filling device 60 is carried out in a sterile chamber inside it.

[0068] Furthermore, the container is kept sterile within the interval between the aseptic forming apparatus 20 and the filling apparatus 60. In other words, the container is kept sterile throughout the entire interval from the time the container is aseptically blow-formed by the blow forming turntable 22 until the contents are aseptically filled into the container in the filling section 61. In this embodiment, the sterility of the container is maintained within the entire interval by using a chamber to cover the above-mentioned interval.

[0069] Next, the aseptic filling method using the aseptic filling system 10 will be described.

[0070] First, the aseptic filling method of this embodiment includes: heat treatment, performed before or simultaneously with laser irradiation treatment; laser irradiation treatment, in which CO2 laser is irradiated onto the surface of the container; container forming treatment, in which the container is formed by forming a container preform (in this embodiment by blow molding turntable 22); and filling treatment, in which contents are filled into the container through filling part 61.

[0071] The laser irradiation treatment is a process in which CO2 laser is irradiated onto the container surface (in this embodiment, the entire surface including the inner and outer surfaces of the preform P) by a laser irradiator 51. This process is carried out on the path between the inlet 21 of the container or preform (container preform) P of the aseptic filling equipment and the filling section 61 where the filling treatment is performed.

[0072] In the laser irradiation process, CO2 laser irradiation is performed on the outer surface of the container or container preform (in this embodiment, the outer surface of the preform P) and CO2 laser irradiation is performed on the inner surface of the container or container preform (in this embodiment, the inner surface of the preform P).

[0073] Consider the following example of irradiating the inner surface of a preform P with a CO2 laser. It should be noted that... Figure 2 , 3 In the figure, the arrow indicated by the reference numeral Lc schematically represents a CO2 laser.

[0074] First, such as Figure 2 As shown in (a), it is possible to irradiate the inner surface of the preform P with a conical diffused CO2 laser by means of an irradiation part 51b disposed outside the preform P on the axis of the preform P in a manner opposite to the opening of the preform P.

[0075] With CO2 laser irradiation in this way, it is not necessary to irradiate the entire sterilized area on the inner surface of the preform P with CO2 laser while inserting the irradiation part 51b into the preform P, so irradiation can be completed in a short time.

[0076] It should be noted that, in Figure 2 In the example shown in (a), regarding the positional relationship between the irradiation part 51b and the preform P, CO2 laser irradiation can be performed without moving either the irradiation part 51b or the preform P, or CO2 laser irradiation can be performed while at least one of the preform P or the irradiation part 51b is moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform.

[0077] In addition, Figure 2In the example shown in (a), irradiation can be performed with the irradiation point S in a circular shape (full cone irradiation), or irradiation can be performed with the irradiation point S in a ring shape (hollow cone irradiation).

[0078] In addition, Figure 2 In the example shown in (a), CO2 laser irradiation can be performed while changing the diffusion angle θ of the CO2 laser in the irradiation section 51b. Alternatively, CO2 laser irradiation can be performed without changing the diffusion angle θ.

[0079] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown in (b), in laser irradiation processing, the irradiation point S can also be set by irradiating a portion of the inner surface of the preform P with a CO2 laser irradiated by an irradiation section 51b arranged opposite the opening of the preform P. During irradiation, at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b is rotated about the axis of the preform P. Figure 2 In the example shown in (b), CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform P while the irradiation part 51b is rotated.

[0080] With CO2 laser irradiation in this way, it is not necessary to irradiate the entire sterilized area on the inner surface of the preform P with CO2 laser while inserting the irradiation part 51b into the preform P, so irradiation can be completed in a short time.

[0081] It should be noted that, as Figure 2 As shown in (b), the irradiation point S can also be set to include a portion of the circumferential range of the preform P, from the center of the bottom of the preform P to the top of the opening side of the preform P.

[0082] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown in (b), the irradiation point S can also be set as a longitudinal shape in which the longitudinal width in the axial direction of the preform P is wider than the transverse width in the circumferential direction of the preform P.

[0083] Furthermore, the specific shape of the irradiation point S can be considered as a rectangle, a line, an ellipse, etc.

[0084] It should be noted that, in Figure 2In the example shown in (b), regarding the positional relationship between the irradiation section 51b and the preform P, CO2 laser irradiation can be performed without moving either the irradiation section 51b or the preform P along the axial direction of the preform P. Alternatively, during irradiation, at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b can be moved relative to each other along the axial direction of the preform P, and CO2 laser irradiation can be performed. In this case, the irradiation point S can also be set to include a portion from the bottom center of the preform P along the axial direction of the preform P to the top of the opening side of the preform P, and can be set to irradiate the entire area to be sterilized in multiple stages.

[0085] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown in (a), in laser irradiation processing, it can also be set so that the irradiation section 51b disposed in the preform P is directed in one direction (in Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), CO2 laser is irradiated in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the preform P. During irradiation, at least one of the preform P or the irradiation part 51b is rotated about the axis of the preform P. Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), the preform P is rotated without rotating the irradiation section 51b, and at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b is moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform P (in Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), the irradiation part 51b is moved without moving the preform P, while CO2 laser irradiation is performed on the inner surface of the preform P.

[0086] It should be noted that, in Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), it can also be set to face the bottom side of the preform P from the irradiation section 51b (in Figure 3 In the example shown, CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the lower side.

[0087] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown in (b), in laser irradiation processing, it can also be configured to irradiate the entire outer peripheral region of the top end of the irradiation section 51b disposed (inserted) in the preform P radially (in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the preform P) outward with CO2 laser. During irradiation, at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b is moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform P (in... Figure 3 In the example shown in (b), the irradiation part 51b is moved without moving the preform P, while the inner surface of the preform P is irradiated with CO2 laser.

[0088] It should be noted that, in Figure 3 In the example shown in (b), it can also be set to face the bottom side of the preform P from the irradiation section 51b (in Figure 3In the example shown, CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the lower side.

[0089] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown in (c), in laser irradiation processing, it can also be configured such that the CO2 laser diffuses from the top end of the irradiation section 51b disposed within the preform P (in all directions), and during irradiation, at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b is moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform P (in Figure 3 In the example shown in (c), the irradiation part 51b is moved without moving the preform P, while the inner surface of the preform P is irradiated with CO2 laser.

[0090] It should be noted that, in this Figure 3 In the example shown in (c), it can also be configured such that at least one of the preform P or the irradiation section 51b rotates about the axis of the preform P.

[0091] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown in (d), in the laser irradiation process, it can also be set to diffuse CO2 laser light from the entire outer periphery of the elongated irradiation section 51b, which is disposed in the preform P and extends along the axial direction of the preform P, to irradiate the inner surface of the preform P.

[0092] It should be noted that, in Figure 3 In the example shown in (d), regarding the positional relationship between the irradiation part 51b and the preform P, CO2 laser irradiation can be performed without moving either the irradiation part 51b or the preform P during irradiation, or CO2 laser irradiation can be performed while at least one of the preform P or the irradiation part 51b is moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform P during irradiation.

[0093] As for the specific scheme of irradiating the outer surface of the preform P with CO2 laser, it can be any scheme as long as the CO2 laser is irradiated on the outer surface of the preform P by an irradiation part arranged outside the preform P (an irradiation part that is separate from or the same as the irradiation part 51b used to irradiate the inner surface of the preform P with CO2 laser).

[0094] Furthermore, regarding the timing of irradiating the inner surface of the preform P with CO2 laser and the outer surface of the preform P with CO2 laser, the inner surface of the preform P can be irradiated with CO2 laser after the outer surface of the preform P is irradiated with CO2 laser. Conversely, the inner surface of the preform P can be irradiated with CO2 laser before the outer surface of the preform P is irradiated with CO2 laser. In addition, the outer surface of the preform P and the inner surface of the preform P can be irradiated with CO2 laser simultaneously.

[0095] Furthermore, in laser irradiation treatment, the output, irradiation time, and cumulative light intensity (mJ / cm²) of CO2 laser irradiation can be adjusted for different parts of the container surface of the preform P. 2 )change.

[0096] For example, (for both the inner and outer surfaces of the preform P, or only for the inner or outer surface of the preform P) the output of the CO2 laser irradiation of the opening P2 of the preform can be higher and / or the irradiation time longer compared to the CO2 laser irradiation of the main body P1 of the preform. Furthermore, the cumulative light intensity (mJ / cm²) of the CO2 laser irradiation of the opening P2 of the preform can also be increased. 2 The cumulative light intensity (mJ / cm²) of CO2 laser irradiation on the main body P1 of the preform is compared to that of the preform. 2 (It is) larger.

[0097] In laser irradiation treatment, it is preferable to irradiate with a CO2 laser with a wavelength of 9μm (center wavelength of 9.0 to 9.9μm).

[0098] Furthermore, in laser irradiation treatment, it is preferable to irradiate the CO2 laser for a duration of less than 1 second. This significantly reduces the sterilization time of the container. Here, irradiation time refers to the time the sterilized area receives the CO2 laser.

[0099] Furthermore, in laser irradiation treatment, to achieve a good sterilization effect and avoid damage to the container surface being irradiated, it is preferable to use a cumulative CO2 laser intensity of 1600 mJ / cm² in the sterilized area of ​​the container surface. 2 Above and 30000mJ / cm 2 The following methods are used to irradiate CO2 lasers.

[0100] In addition, CO2 lasers can be irradiated with either continuous wave or pulsed wave in laser irradiation.

[0101] The heat treatment is a process in which the sterilized area on the surface of the container, which is produced by laser irradiation, is heated by a heating unit. In this embodiment, the preform P is heated to the forming temperature during the container forming process by an oven mechanism 30, which serves as the heating unit.

[0102] It should be noted that the heat treatment is preferably set so that the temperature of the sterilized area on the surface of the container is above 120°C when the preform P after heat treatment is subjected to laser irradiation treatment.

[0103] Next, based on Figure 4The experiment conducted to confirm the sterilization effect achieved by CO2 laser irradiation is described.

[0104] In this experiment, a 1.7 × 10⁻⁶ ohmmeter diameter circular area was first attached to a plate-shaped substrate material made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). 3 CFU spores (Bacillus atrophaeus spores) and 1.2 × 10 3 After removing the mold (Aspergillus niger) conidia from CFU, the mold is dried in a clean room, thus preparing the substrate material for inoculation with spores and mold.

[0105] Then, in Figure 4 The prepared substrate material was irradiated with a CO2 laser under the conditions shown, and then the number of surviving bacteria on the substrate material was measured using the following conventional methods.

[0106] Method for determining the viable bacterial count: The above-mentioned matrix material, sterilized surfactant aqueous solution, and sterilized beads were added to a sterilized test tube. The test tube was then sealed with a sterilized cap. The viable bacteria in the surfactant aqueous solution were extracted by shaking and suspended in a sterile dilution solution. The bacterial count was determined at each dilution ratio on standard agar medium using membrane filtration. The viable bacterial count was determined by incubating the medium at 35°C for one week and counting the colonies that appeared according to the dilution ratio.

[0107] It should be noted that the diameter of the CO2 laser irradiation point on the substrate material surface is approximately 22 mm. Figure 4 The “Φ5 output (W)” shown is the value obtained by measuring the amount of output (W) of the laser oscillator during the experiment that irradiates a circular area with a diameter of 5 mm inoculated with bacteria.

[0108] Furthermore, for the matrix materials of A-9 to 12, when irradiated with CO2 laser, the irradiated area of ​​the matrix material was heated by a heater in such a way that the irradiated area of ​​the matrix material was 120°C.

[0109] Furthermore, the CO2 laser irradiated in A-1 to A-12 is a continuous wave, and the output is adjusted by PWM control (frequency 5kHz). The CO2 laser irradiated in B-1 to A-3 and C-1 to A-7 is a pulsed wave with a frequency of 1kHz.

[0110] In addition, the wavelength of the CO2 laser irradiated in A-1~12 and B-1~3 is 9μm (9.3μm), and the wavelength of the CO2 laser irradiated in C-1~7 is 10μm (10.6μm).

[0111] Furthermore, in this experiment, an optical system was constructed using a laser oscillator and an illumination lens as the illumination part. Additionally, the "Φ5 output (W)" was measured using a power meter (UP55N-300F-H12-D0) manufactured by Gentec.

[0112] The following can be learned from the results of the above experiment.

[0113] That is, it can be seen that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 1600 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.02 seconds to 0.05 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 3310 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0114] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 3310 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.05 seconds to 0.075 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 3820 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0115] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 3820 mJ / cm² within the range of irradiation time greater than 0.075 seconds and less than 0.1 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 6621mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0116] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the energy is 6621 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of greater than 0.1 seconds and less than 0.2 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 7130 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0117] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 7130 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of greater than 0.2 seconds and less than 0.5 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 7894 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0118] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 7894 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of greater than 0.5 seconds and less than 1.0 second. 2The above (more preferably 10186 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0119] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 10μm band, the concentration is 5093 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.05 seconds to 1.0 second. 2 The above (more preferably 10200 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0120] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band and the substrate material is heated, the efficiency is 400 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.005 seconds to 0.01 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 662mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0121] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band and the substrate material is heated, the efficiency is 662 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.01 seconds to 0.03 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 1986 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0122] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band and the substrate material is heated, the efficiency is 1986 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.03 seconds to 0.05 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 3310 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against mold.

[0123] Therefore, it can be seen that even if the irradiation time is set to less than 1 second (more than 0.025 seconds for heating without a substrate and more than 0.005 seconds for heating with a substrate), the mold can still be sterilized by appropriately setting the output of the CO2 laser.

[0124] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the concentration is 4966 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.05 seconds to 0.075 seconds. 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against Bacillus spores.

[0125] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the efficiency is 4966 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of greater than 0.075 seconds and less than 0.1 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 6621mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be obtained against Bacillus spores.

[0126] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 9μm band, the efficiency is 6621 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of greater than 0.1 seconds and less than 1.0 seconds. 2 The above (more preferably 10186 mJ / cm) 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be obtained against Bacillus spores.

[0127] Furthermore, it is known that when the wavelength of the CO2 laser is in the 10μm band, the concentration is 7639 mJ / cm² within the irradiation time range of 0.05 seconds to 1.0 second. 2 Under the above conditions, a good bactericidal effect can be achieved against Bacillus spores.

[0128] Therefore, it can be seen that even if the irradiation time is set to less than 1 second (more than 0.05 seconds), the CO2 laser output can be appropriately set to kill Bacillus spores.

[0129] Furthermore, a comparison between A-7 and A-9 shows that for spore-forming bacteria, heating the matrix material improves the sterilization effect.

[0130] Furthermore, it is known that neither continuous wave nor pulsed wave will have a significant impact on the sterilization effect.

[0131] Furthermore, it is known that the higher the output (Φ5 output) of the CO2 laser and the shorter the irradiation time, the smaller the cumulative light intensity can be used for sterilization.

[0132] It should be noted that, while the mechanism by which CO2 lasers achieve the excellent bactericidal effect described above may not be fully understood, it is based on... Figure 5 The absorbance of Bacillus atrophaeus, Aspergillus niger, and PET resin relative to the wavelength of light is shown. In the CO2 laser band, especially the 9μm band, Bacillus atrophaeus, Aspergillus niger, and PET resin all exhibit high absorbance. It can be assumed that the bacterial cells absorb CO2 laser light and are directly heated, damaging their DNA. Furthermore, the PET resin is also heated by the laser, indirectly heating the bacterial cells, thus resulting in excellent bactericidal effects. The absorbance was measured using a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT / IR6700, Nippon Spectrophotometer Co., Ltd.) via the KBR pellet method.

[0133] In this embodiment, a laser irradiation treatment is performed on the container surface by irradiating it with a CO2 laser, thereby enabling effective sterilization of the container surface in a short time.

[0134] Furthermore, by employing sterilization achieved through CO2 laser irradiation, sterilization can be performed without the need for disinfectants, or, even when sterilization is performed with disinfectants, the amount of disinfectant used can be reduced, thus lowering the risk of disinfectant residues remaining in the formed container.

[0135] In addition, it also has a heating treatment that is performed before or simultaneously with the laser irradiation treatment, in which the sterilization effect of the sterilized area on the container surface produced by the laser irradiation treatment can be further improved by heating the sterilized area on the container surface.

[0136] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims. In addition, the above embodiments and the modified examples described below can be arbitrarily combined to construct the aseptic filling method and the aseptic filling system 10.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, it is assumed that the aseptic filling method (aseptic filling system 10) is configured to sterilize the container surface of the preform P, which is a container preform, but the specific scheme of the aseptic filling method (aseptic filling system 10) is not limited to the above method, and it may also be configured to sterilize the container surface of the formed container.

[0138] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, it is assumed that the container preform is a preform P and the container is a PET bottle. However, the specific solutions for the container preform and the container are not limited to this. For example, the container can also be a resin-coated can, a coated can, etc. In addition, the container preform can also be a sheet (e.g., a sheet formed by coating the surface of a paper base material with synthetic resin, or a sheet formed into a resin film). The container can also be a sheet container (e.g., a paper bag, a small bag) obtained by molding the sheet.

[0139] In this case, the sheet material, which is a preform of the container, or the sheet container, which is a container, is also subjected to laser irradiation treatment.

[0140] In addition, in this case, the CO2 laser irradiation process can also be configured such that the irradiation point of the CO2 laser is set to be a transversely elongated shape in which the transverse width of the sheet, which is the preform of the container, is wider than the longitudinal width of the sheet in the conveying direction, and the sheet is irradiated with CO2 laser while being conveyed.

[0141] Furthermore, when the container surface is formed (or coated) with synthetic resins such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), or PE (polyethylene), to avoid damage to the container surface caused by CO2 laser, it is preferable to use a cumulative CO2 laser intensity of 30,000 mJ / cm² in the sterilized area of ​​the container surface. 2 The following methods are used to irradiate CO2 lasers.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the container sterilization device 50 was described assuming it includes a laser irradiator 51, etc. However, as a component of the container sterilization device 50, a sterilization processor other than the laser irradiator 51 may also be provided. Examples include sterilization processors that sterilize by supplying sterilization fluids such as hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution), peracetic acid (peracetic acid aqueous solution), or water (warm water, steam) to the container or container preform surface; sterilization processors that sterilize by irradiating the container surface with UV light or an electron beam; and dust collectors that remove dust adhering to the preform P. It should be noted that when using water (warm water, steam) as the sterilization fluid, the risk of sterilizing agent residue remaining in the formed container can be eliminated.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, it is assumed that CO2 laser with a wavelength of 9 μm (center wavelength of 9.3 μm to 9.6 μm, etc., with a center wavelength of 9.0 to 9.9 μm) is irradiated during laser irradiation. However, it is also possible to irradiate CO2 laser with other wavelengths, such as 10 μm (center wavelength of 10.2 μm, 10.6 μm, etc., with a center wavelength of 10.0 to 10.9 μm).

[0144] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, it is assumed that the entire surface of the container or container preform, including the inner and outer surfaces, is irradiated with CO2 laser during the laser irradiation process. However, it is also possible to irradiate only a portion of the container surface (e.g., only the inner surface, only the outer surface, only the inner surface of the opening, etc.) with CO2 laser.

[0145] Furthermore, while the above embodiments have described the sterilization of the container surface using CO2 laser irradiation, it is also possible to use infrared wavelength lasers (specifically, lasers with wavelengths from 0.78 μm to 1000 μm, including near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared wavelengths) instead of CO2 lasers to sterilize the container surface. Besides CO2 lasers, known lasers such as diode lasers, fiber lasers, YAG lasers, YVO4 lasers, and CO lasers can also be used.

[0146] Compared with known infrared lamps and heaters, infrared wavelength lasers have high directivity, which can concentrate the infrared rays on the target area for sterilization, resulting in high energy efficiency. In addition, due to the rapid rise in output at the start of irradiation, they have the advantage of being able to perform short-term on-off (ON-OF) control.

[0147] It should be noted that the specific scheme for the aseptic filling method / system using infrared wavelength laser is exactly the same as the aseptic filling method / system using CO2 laser described above, except that infrared wavelength laser is used instead of CO2 laser. Therefore, the specific description is omitted by replacing "CO2 laser" with "infrared wavelength laser" in the description of the aseptic filling method / system using CO2 laser described above.

[0148] In addition, the above-described aseptic filling method / system using infrared wavelength lasers may also be described as follows, but is not limited to the following.

[0149] (Note 1)

[0150] An aseptic filling method is a method for filling contents into a sterilized container, characterized by comprising:

[0151] Laser irradiation treatment involves irradiating the container or container preform with an infrared wavelength laser to sterilize the container surface; and

[0152] The filling process involves filling the container with contents.

[0153] (Note 2)

[0154] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 1 is characterized in that,

[0155] The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the path between the inlet of the container or container preform in the aseptic filling equipment and the filling section where the filling treatment is performed.

[0156] (Note 3)

[0157] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2 is characterized in that,

[0158] In the laser irradiation process, laser irradiation with infrared wavelengths is performed on the outer surface of the container or container preform and on the inner surface of the container or container preform.

[0159] (Note 4)

[0160] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 1 to 3 is characterized in that,

[0161] It also includes: container forming process, which involves blow molding a preform, which serves as the container preform, to form a PET bottle that is the container.

[0162] The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the preform.

[0163] (Note 5)

[0164] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 4 is characterized in that,

[0165] It also includes: heat treatment, heating the preform to the molding temperature used in the container molding process.

[0166] The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the preform after the heat treatment.

[0167] (Note 6)

[0168] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 4 or Appendix 5 is characterized in that,

[0169] In the laser irradiation process, the output of the laser irradiation of the opening of the preform is higher and / or the irradiation time is longer compared with the laser irradiation of the infrared wavelength of the main body of the preform.

[0170] (Note 7)

[0171] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 4 to 6 is characterized in that,

[0172] In the laser irradiation process, after the outer surface of the preform is irradiated with an infrared wavelength laser, the inner surface of the preform is irradiated with an infrared wavelength laser.

[0173] (Note 8)

[0174] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 4 to 7 is characterized in that,

[0175] In the laser irradiation process, an infrared wavelength laser that diffuses in a cone shape is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform by an irradiation part arranged opposite to the opening of the preform.

[0176] (Note 9)

[0177] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 8 is characterized in that,

[0178] In the laser irradiation process, at least one of the preform or the irradiation part is moved relative to the preform in the axial direction of the preform while irradiating the inner surface of the preform with a laser of infrared wavelength.

[0179] (Postscript 10)

[0180] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 8 or Appendix 9 is characterized in that,

[0181] In the laser irradiation process, the diffusion angle of the infrared wavelength laser irradiated by the irradiation part is changed while the infrared wavelength laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform.

[0182] (Postscript 11)

[0183] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 4 to 7 is characterized in that,

[0184] In the laser irradiation process, an irradiation point is set by irradiating a portion of the inner surface of the preform with an infrared wavelength laser irradiated by an irradiation part arranged opposite to the opening of the preform, and the inner surface of the preform is irradiated with an infrared wavelength laser while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation part about the axis of the preform.

[0185] (Postscript 12)

[0186] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 11 is characterized in that,

[0187] The irradiation point is set to include a portion of the circumferential area of ​​the preform, from the center of the bottom of the preform to the top of the opening side of the preform.

[0188] (Postscript 13)

[0189] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 11 or Appendix 12 is characterized in that,

[0190] The irradiation point is set to be elongated in the axial direction of the preform, where the longitudinal width is wider than the transverse width in the circumferential direction.

[0191] (Postscript 14)

[0192] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 4 to 7 is characterized in that,

[0193] In the laser irradiation process, it is configured that an infrared wavelength laser is irradiated in one direction by an irradiation part disposed in the preform, and while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation parts about the axis of the preform and moving the preform or at least one of the irradiation parts relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform, an infrared wavelength laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform.

[0194] (Postscript 15)

[0195] The aseptic filling method according to any one of Annexes 1 to 3 is characterized in that,

[0196] It also includes a container forming process, which forms a sheet container, which serves as the container preform, by forming the sheet material into the container.

[0197] The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the sheet or the sheet container.

[0198] (Postscript 16)

[0199] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 15 is characterized in that,

[0200] The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the sheet material prior to the container forming process.

[0201] (Postscript 17)

[0202] The aseptic filling method according to Appendix 16 is characterized in that,

[0203] In the laser irradiation process, the irradiation point of the infrared wavelength laser is set to be a transversely elongated shape in which the transverse width of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is wider than the longitudinal width of the sheet in the conveying direction, and the sheet is irradiated with the infrared wavelength laser while being conveyed.

[0204] (Postscript 18)

[0205] An aseptic filling system for filling contents into a sterilized container, characterized in that it comprises:

[0206] A laser irradiation unit irradiates the surface of the container or container preform with an infrared wavelength laser to sterilize the container surface; and

[0207] A filling unit is used to fill the container with contents.

[0208] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0209] 10: Aseptic filling system;

[0210] 20: Aseptic forming device;

[0211] 21: Entrance;

[0212] 22: Blow molding turntable;

[0213] 30: Oven mechanism;

[0214] 31: Oven chamber;

[0215] 32: Heating heater;

[0216] 40: Preform conveying mechanism;

[0217] 41: Conveyor;

[0218] 42: Turntable;

[0219] 50: Container sterilization device;

[0220] 51: Laser irradiator (laser irradiation unit);

[0221] 51a: Laser oscillator;

[0222] 51b: Irradiation section;

[0223] 60: Filling device;

[0224] 61: Filling section;

[0225] 62: Cover section;

[0226] P: Preform (Container Preform)

[0227] P1: The main body of the preform;

[0228] P2: The opening of the preform;

[0229] A1: Oven area;

[0230] A2: Transfer area;

[0231] A3: Molding area;

[0232] Lc: CO2 laser.

Claims

1. A sterile filling method, characterized in that, a sterile filling method for filling contents into a sterilized container, wherein... include: Laser irradiation treatment involves irradiating the container or container preform with CO2 laser to sterilize the container surface. as well as The filling process involves filling the container with contents.

2. The aseptic filling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the path between the inlet of the container or container preform in the aseptic filling equipment and the filling section where the filling treatment is performed.

3. The aseptic filling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, CO2 laser irradiation is performed on the outer surface of the container or container preform and on the inner surface of the container or container preform.

4. The aseptic filling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The container forming process involves blow molding a preform, which serves as the container preform, to form a PET bottle that becomes the container. The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the preform.

5. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes: heat treatment, heating the preform to the molding temperature used in the container molding process. The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the preform after the heat treatment.

6. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, the output of the CO2 laser irradiation of the opening of the preform is higher and / or the irradiation time is longer compared with the CO2 laser irradiation of the main body of the preform.

7. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, after CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the outer surface of the preform, CO2 laser irradiation is applied to the inner surface of the preform.

8. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, a conical CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform by an irradiation section disposed outside the preform in a manner opposite to the opening of the preform.

9. The aseptic filling method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while at least one of the preform or the irradiation part is moved relative to the preform in the axial direction of the preform.

10. The aseptic filling method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while the diffusion angle of the CO2 laser irradiated through the irradiation section is changed.

11. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, the irradiation point is set by irradiating a portion of the inner surface of the preform with a CO2 laser irradiated by an irradiation part arranged opposite to the opening of the preform, and the CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation part about the axis of the preform.

12. The aseptic filling method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The irradiation point is set to include a portion of the circumferential area of ​​the preform, from the center of the bottom of the preform to the top of the opening side of the preform.

13. The aseptic filling method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The irradiation point is set to be elongated in the axial direction of the preform, where the longitudinal width is wider than the transverse width in the circumferential direction.

14. The aseptic filling method according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, CO2 laser is irradiated in one direction by an irradiation part disposed in the preform, and CO2 laser is irradiated onto the inner surface of the preform while rotating the preform or at least one of the irradiation parts about the axis of the preform and moving the preform or at least one of the irradiation parts relative to each other in the axial direction of the preform.

15. The aseptic filling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a container forming process, which forms a sheet container, which serves as the container preform, by forming the sheet material into the container. The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the sheet or the sheet container.

16. The aseptic filling method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The laser irradiation treatment is performed on the sheet material prior to the container forming process.

17. The aseptic filling method according to claim 15, characterized in that, In the laser irradiation process, the irradiation point of the CO2 laser is set to be a transversely elongated shape in which the transverse width of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is wider than the longitudinal width of the sheet in the conveying direction, and the sheet is irradiated with CO2 laser while being conveyed.

18. A sterile filling system for filling contents into a sterilized container, characterized in that, include: The laser irradiation unit irradiates the container or container preform with CO2 laser to sterilize the container surface; as well as A filling unit is used to fill the container with contents.

19. A sterile filling method, characterized in that, include: Laser irradiation treatment involves irradiating the container or container preform with an infrared wavelength laser to sterilize the container surface. as well as The filling process involves filling the container with contents.

20. A sterile filling system for filling contents into a sterilized container, characterized in that, include: The laser irradiation unit irradiates the container or container preform with an infrared wavelength laser to sterilize the container surface. as well as A filling unit is used to fill the container with contents.

Images