A sterilization container

Abstract

This invention employs dual-color precision mold technology, adhesive technology, and ultrasonic technology to set a planar or three-dimensional elastic component on the lid or bottom of metal, glass, ceramic, or other non-metallic containers. This allows the containers to be filled and sealed directly at room temperature or low temperature before sterilization, eliminating the need for high-temperature exhaust and subsequent sealing and sterilization. This significantly reduces the investment required by factories in large filling and sterilization equipment and workshops, lowers the production threshold, and enables rapid profitability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a novel sterilization container, the body of which is made of glass, metal or non-metal, and is used in industries such as cosmetics, food, health products, pharmaceuticals, home decoration, personal care, automobiles, dyes, and chemicals. Background Technology

[0002] 1. Traditional production of food, cosmetics, health products, and pharmaceuticals requires large production workshops and large-scale equipment for sterilization, such as pasteurization machines, UTC instant sterilizers, and ultra-high pressure sterilization devices. These large-scale equipment and facilities represent a huge expense for manufacturers. 2. Traditional bottles and jars are generally disposable sealed containers, and are mostly made of plastic, cardboard or metal boxes with PE film inside, such as milk cartons, juice cartons, beer cans, etc. The inner plastic film is very harmful to human health. Moreover, such bottles cannot be sealed at room temperature and then sterilized, because high temperature will cause the residual gas inside such containers to expand and explode. They cannot be used for small factory processing. 3. Traditional bottle caps are generally made of non-rigid plastics such as ABS, PET, PE, or thin metal materials, such as canned pear lids and eight-treasure porridge lids. Even small stresses can cause them to deform. Even with gaskets at the bottle opening, the gaskets and the bottle cap body are easily deformed by the increased internal pressure and stress after heating to a certain temperature (see attached). Figure 8 (b), thus creating gaps at the bottle neck, buckle, or threads (as shown in the attached image). Figure 8 b, ③), leading to air or liquid leakage (as shown in the attached document). Figure 8 (as shown in ⑤ of c) For example, in the production of canned pears or eight-treasure porridge, the process generally involves boiling at around 90 degrees Celsius to create bubbles. After some of the foam dissipates, the gas in the liquid and the residual air in the bottle are vented before the bottle is tightly sealed. Then, the temperature is raised to 100 degrees Celsius for sterilization, and finally, the bottle is cooled and stored. This process ensures that there is only a very small amount of residual air in the bottle and the liquid. The purpose of this is to prevent the pressure inside the bottle from increasing, which could cause the bottle cap to deform and lead to air or liquid leakage. If canned pears are packaged at room temperature or low temperature and some residual air is left inside before sealing, and then directly sterilized at 100 degrees Celsius after sealing, the internal pressure could cause the bottle cap to deform severely or even become unable to return to its original shape, or leak liquid or gas, and may even lead to an explosion. 4. Traditional food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical product production and filling either involves sterilizing the materials before filling or high-temperature degassing and sealing before sterilization (such as canned goods). This places high demands on the production environment, and some require a sterile production environment, which is a huge expense for factory construction. 5. Traditional food deoxidizers are usually mixed into the raw materials. For example, sodium sulfite, BHT, and tert-butylhydroquinone are all chemical additives that are harmful to the human body. Some deoxidizers are directly made into the bottle raw materials, so they are included in the injection molding process. For example, some NFC juices with a shelf life of more than 3 months usually have deoxidizers mixed into the bottles. These chemical deoxidizers will obviously contaminate the food and do not solve the human health problem at all. 6. Traditional food, beverage, and cosmetic products generally use high-temperature sterilization. Low-temperature or room-temperature sterilization either has excessively high equipment costs (such as ultra-high-pressure sterilization). γ (Radiation sterilization), or poor sterilization effect (ultraviolet, ozone sterilization). Generally, the ultraviolet lamp for sterilization is relatively far away from the product. The closer the product is, the better the sterilization effect will be, while the farther away the product is, the worse the sterilization effect will be. This will lead to inconsistent product quality. Some products in the same batch have a shelf life of 2 years, while others only have a shelf life of 1 year. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To simplify the production process and reduce the investment of manufacturers, this invention features an innovative elastic bottle cap design for high-temperature sterilization. This design releases internal pressure within the container, allowing for simple production. During production, materials are first filled into the container at room temperature or low temperature, the cap is tightened, and the container is then placed in a sterilization chamber (high or ultra-high temperature) for sterilization. This achieves the effect of producing sterilized milk in a single-person factory. Simply place the container directly into the cow's udder to express milk, tighten the cap, and the sterilization process can be quickly implemented and the milk shipped. This prevents secondary or multiple contaminations from the transfer of milk raw materials or collection by multiple farmers, which could affect taste and quality. This method is also suitable for the rapid production and sales of fresh juice, milk tea, soy milk, beverages, skincare products, pharmaceuticals, coatings, dyes, chemicals, and other industries.

[0004] Technical solution: Using precision two-color molding technology, adhesive technology, or ultrasonic bonding technology, one or more holes are cut out at any location on the top of the container lid, the container body, or the bottom of the container. These holes are filled with a sheet-like, high-temperature resistant, elastic component, such as silicone (as shown in the attached image). Figure 1 ④ and appendix Figure 3 As shown in ②), this allows the elastic component and the perforated wall of the container lid to be tightly integrated. During high-temperature sterilization, the residual air inside the container will expand, causing the elastic component to bulge outwards from the container (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 1 ⑤ and appendix Figure 3 As shown in ③), the pressure inside the bottle is transferred to the elastic high-temperature resistant component, and the bottle cap body is hardly affected by the pressure, thus the bottle cap body does not deform (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 1 (b) ensures a smooth sterilization process and prevents container explosion. After sterilization, the temperature naturally decreases, the elastic components contract, and return to their original positions (as shown in the attached document). Figure 1 ④ and appendix Figure 3As shown in ②), this scheme adopts the method of filling the material first and then sterilizing the whole bottle directly, which greatly solves the problem of huge equipment investment. It can smoothly complete product production without huge workshops and complex sterilization equipment, which has a profound impact on industries such as milk, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Specific implementation methods: 1. Container lid design and implementation: One or more holes are cut out at the top of the container lid, and the holes (as shown in the attached image)... Figure 6 (4) Fill sheet-like elastic high-temperature resistant components (such as high-temperature resistant silicone, as shown in the attached image) using two-color molding, ultrasonic, or adhesive processes. Figure 7 (⑥) Or a three-dimensional cartoon shape filled with a hollow structure or filled with a hollow interior (as shown in the attached image). Figure 7 As shown in ③), this ensures a tight seal around the hole and at the bottle opening, preventing air leakage even when heated. The thickness of this sheet-like elastic component does not exceed three times the thickness of the container wall. The shape of the perforated hole can be arbitrary, including circles, ellipses, rectangles, triangles, and any polygon (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 4 As shown in a), it can also be irregular (as shown in the attached figure). Figure 4 (as shown in b) or cartoon character shapes (as shown in the attached) Figure 4 c and appendix Figure 7 (As shown in ③); the top of the container lid can be any shape, such as square, round, squarish-round, polygonal, irregular, or cartoon character shape (as shown in the attached image). Figure 4 (As shown in a, 4b, and 4c); the cross-sectional shape of the container lid can be the same as the shape of the perforated holes (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 2 (as shown in d) can also be different (as shown in the appendix) Figure 4 (As shown in b); the inner wall of the container lid has threaded or threaded fasteners to secure the container opening. The main body of the container lid is made of a high-temperature resistant (100-125 degrees Celsius) non-deformable hard material such as PP, PC, hard silicone, Tritan copolyester, PEEK, PTFE, etc., or glass, ceramic, crystal, metal, etc. A high-temperature resistant sealing gasket (such as high-temperature resistant silicone) is also provided between the container lid and the container opening for sealing the container. This sealing gasket and the filling material inside the perforated hole of the bottle cap are made of the same material and are integrated into one piece (as shown in the attached figure). Figure 2 c) ④) That is, the perforated bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material inside the hole are a single unit, manufactured by two-color injection molding, ultrasonic bonding, or adhesive bonding technology. The bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material inside the hole are a single, inseparable component. Alternatively, the perforated bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material inside the hole may not be a single unit; the perforated bottle cap is a separate component, while the sealing gasket and filling material inside the hole are a single unit. The outer edge of the sealing gasket has a threaded opening that can be inserted into the inner side wall of the bottle cap (as shown in the attached image). Figure 2 (As shown in ⑤); a mesh layer with holes is provided below the sealing gasket (as shown in the attached image). Figure 1 (⑥) A deoxidizer (such as an attached) can be placed on the grid layer. Figure 1⑦) Desiccant or any other preparation used to protect the cargo from damage, discoloration, or odor change, thus extending the shelf life; for cargo that is not suitable for high-temperature sterilization and is sterilized at room temperature or low temperature, ultraviolet sterilization lamps, ozone generators, or ultrasonic sterilization components can be placed on the grid layer mentioned above; that is, any one or any combination of deoxidizers, desiccant, ultraviolet sterilization lamps, ozone generators, ultrasonic generators, and other equipment can be placed on the grid layer as needed for sterilization or to protect the cargo from damage, discoloration, or odor change. For products with low shelf life requirements, no items may be placed on the grid layer or the grid layer may not be needed at all. 2. Container Design and Implementation: As attached Figure 3 As shown, the container includes the container opening (the threaded or screw-connected part is the container opening, as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 3 (⑧) and the container body (the area below the container opening is called the container body, as shown in the attached figure). Figure 3 (9) A cutout can be made at any point on the container body (attached) Figure 3 (② or ⑦) or multiple holes (attached) Figure 5 (②) The hole is filled with a sheet-like elastic high-temperature resistant component (such as high-temperature resistant silicone) through a two-color molding, ultrasonic, or adhesive process to ensure a sealed environment around the hole and prevent air leakage when heated. The thickness of this sheet-like elastic component does not exceed three times the thickness of the container wall. The shape of the hole can be arbitrary, such as circular, elliptical, rectangular, triangular, or any polygon (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 4 As shown in a), it can also be irregular (as shown in the attached figure). Figure 4 (as shown in b) or a porous cartoon character shape (as shown in the attached image) Figure 4 (as shown in c)

[0005] The container can be either a lid or a body, or both can be perforated. The perforated holes can be circular, oval, square, any polygonal shape, or cartoon-like irregular shapes. The holes are filled with sheet-like elastic components (such as silicone). If neither the lid nor the body is perforated, the body and opening are made of a high-temperature resistant micro-elastic material (40A < hardness < 70A Shore hardness). The opening wall thickness is 1.2-5 times the body wall thickness to prevent deformation under heat and maintain a tight seal between the lid and opening at high temperatures. The sheet-like elastic component thickness does not exceed 3 times the body wall thickness. When the container is heated, the elastic component inside the hole expands outwards, reducing temperature... After the temperature decreases, the elastic component (such as silicone) shrinks and returns to its original position. The elastic component is tightly connected and sealed to the perforated wall of the container lid or container bottom through two-color molding technology, adhesive technology, ultrasonic technology, etc., ensuring no air leakage when heated. This container achieves a process of filling and sealing at room temperature or low temperature, followed by heat sterilization, without the need for preheating to exhaust air before sealing. The elastic component material can also be one of the following: spandex, rubber, latex, and any elastic material that is non-toxic to the human body. The elastic component expands outward when heated after the container is closed. The container described above adopts a production process of filling and sealing at room temperature or low temperature, followed by heat sterilization, without the need for preheating to exhaust air, sealing, and sterilization.

[0006] The above invention can also be equipped with a temperature-controlled timed heating device at the bottom of the container to precisely sterilize each bottle of material at high temperature. In this way, each bottle is an individual sterilization chamber, eliminating the need to put a bunch of bottles filled with material into a large sterilization chamber for unified sterilization, further reducing the investment in factory equipment. The sterilization temperature of each bottle can be freely controlled, such as boiling at 100 degrees for 10 minutes, boiling at 68 degrees for 30 minutes, etc. (see attached). Figure 7 As shown in ⑦, intelligent control can be added to achieve more functions, such as cooking rice, porridge, soup, and desserts.

[0007] Beneficial effects: This invention employs dual-color precision mold technology, adhesive technology, and ultrasonic technology to set a planar or three-dimensional elastic component on the lid or bottom of metal, glass, ceramic, or other non-metallic containers. This allows the containers to be filled and sealed directly at room temperature or low temperature before sterilization, eliminating the need for high-temperature exhaust and subsequent sealing and sterilization. This significantly reduces the investment required by factories in large filling and sterilization equipment and workshops, lowers the production threshold, and enables rapid profitability. Attached Figure Description

[0008] In the accompanying drawings of this invention, it is noted that... Figure 1'a' represents the container lid before heating and sterilization, 'b' represents the container lid after heating, '①' represents the lid body, '②' represents the container opening, '③' represents the snap or thread, '④' represents the silicone (unexpanded) before heating, '⑤' represents the silicone that has expanded after heating, '⑥' represents the perforated mesh layer, and '⑦' represents any one or more combinations of oxygen absorber, dehumidifier, ultraviolet sterilization lamp, ozone generator, and ultrasonic generator. Appendix Figure 2 The lid structure of the present invention includes: ① lid body, ② container opening, ③ snap fastener or thread, ④ elastic material layer (such as silicone), ⑤ snap fastener on the outer edge of the gasket, ⑥ perforated mesh layer, and ⑦ any one or more combinations of deoxidizer, dehumidifier, ultraviolet sterilization lamp, ozone generator, and ultrasonic generator. Appendix Figure 3 'a' is a schematic diagram of the silicone pattern at the bottom of the container, 'b' is a schematic diagram of the container after it is inverted and heated, '①' is the lid, '②' is the silicone before heating (unexpanded), '③' is the silicone after heating and expansion, '④' is the material loaded in the container, '⑤' is a small amount of residual air in the container, '⑥' is the container wall, '⑦' is the silicone before heating (unexpanded), '⑧' is the container opening, and '⑨' is the container body. Appendix Figure 4 The diagram shows various structures of the lid and silicone of the present invention. a is a polygonal lid and a polygonal silicone structure (polygonal hollowing), b is an irregularly shaped lid and an irregularly shaped silicone structure (irregularly shaped hollowing), and c is a cartoon-shaped hollowed-out lid structure. Among them, ① is polygonal silicone, ② is polygonal lid, and ③ is the hollowing-out style of the lid. Appendix Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the container of the present invention. a is a diagram of the container before heating, b is a diagram of the silicone expanding outward after heating, wherein ① is the lid body, ② is the silicone before heating, ③ is the silicone that has arched outward after heating, ④ is the material loaded in the container, ⑤ is a small amount of residual air in the container, and ⑥ is the container wall. Appendix Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the container lid of the present invention. a and c are the container lid before heating, and b and d are the silicone expanding outward after heating. ① is the lid body, ② is the container opening, ③ is the thread or screw thread, ④ is the silicone before heating, ⑤ is the silicone that expands and arches after heating, ⑥ is the perforated mesh layer, and ⑦ is the silicone gasket between the container opening and the container lid. Appendix Figure 7 a is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional hollow silicone structure of the present invention, b is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional cartoon character hollow silicone structure, wherein ① is the lid body, ② is hollow silicone, ③ is the hollow cartoon shape, ④ is the material loaded in the container, ⑤ is a small amount of residual air in the container, ⑥ is the whole layer of silicone between the inner wall of the container top cover and the bottle mouth, and ⑦ is the heating and temperature control base, which can be heated at time or intelligently controlled. Appendix Figure 8The image shows the existing bottle cap structure, where a represents the unheated state, b represents the deformed state after heating due to the influence of internal air pressure, c is a magnified view of b, ① represents the cap body, ② represents the container opening, ③ represents the snap or thread, ④ represents the gasket, and ⑤ represents the leaked air or liquid.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a sterilization container, characterized in that: The container lid is designed with one or more holes cut out at the top. These holes are filled with sheet-like, elastic, high-temperature resistant components (such as high-temperature resistant silicone) or hollow cartoon shapes using two-color molding, ultrasonic, or adhesive techniques. This seals the area around the holes, preventing air leakage when heated. The shape of the holes can be arbitrary, including circles, ovals, rectangles, triangles, any polygon, irregular shapes, or cartoon character shapes. The top of the lid can also be arbitrary, including squares, circles, square-round shapes, polygons, irregular shapes, or cartoon character shapes. The cross-sectional shape of the lid can be the same as or different from the shape of the holes. The inner wall of the lid has threaded fasteners or threads to secure the container opening. The main body of the lid is made of a high-temperature resistant (100-125 degrees Celsius) material that is not easily deformed, such as PP, PC, rigid silicone, Tritan copolyester, PEEK, PTFE, or other plastics, or glass, ceramics, crystal, or metal. Between the container cap and the container opening, there is a high-temperature resistant gasket (such as high-temperature resistant silicone) for sealing the container. This sealing gasket and the filling material inside the perforated hole of the bottle cap are made of the same material and are integrated with the bottle cap. That is, the bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material are a single unit, bonded together using two-color injection molding, ultrasonic bonding, or adhesive technology. The bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material are a single unit and cannot be separated. Alternatively, the perforated bottle cap, sealing gasket, and filling material can also be separate components; the perforated bottle cap is a separate component, while the sealing gasket and filling material are a single unit. The outer edge of the sealing gasket has a threaded opening that can be inserted into the inner side wall of the bottle cap. The container includes a container opening (the threaded or screwed portion is the container opening) and a container body (the portion below the container opening is called the container body). One or more holes are perforated at any location on the container body, and the holes are filled using two-color molding, ultrasonic technology, or adhesive bonding. The technology fills the holes with sheet-like elastic high-temperature resistant components (such as high-temperature resistant silicone) to ensure a tight seal around the holes, preventing air leakage when heated. The shape of the holes can be arbitrary, including circles, ovals, rectangles, triangles, any polygons, or irregular shapes, such as cartoon characters. Either the container lid or the container body can be hollowed out, or both can be hollowed out. The hollowed-out holes can be circular, ovals, squares, any polygons, or irregular shapes like cartoon characters, and are filled with sheet-like elastic components (such as silicone). If neither the container lid nor the container body is hollowed out, the container body and opening are formed using a high-temperature resistant micro-elastic material (40A < hardness < 70A Shore hardness). The wall thickness of the container opening is 1.2-5 times that of the container body wall thickness to prevent deformation when heated, maintaining a tight seal between the container lid and the opening at high temperatures. The sheet-like elastic components expand outwards when heated after the container is closed.

2. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the aforementioned sheet-like elastic component shall not exceed three times the thickness of the container wall.

3. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The elastic component materials mentioned above can also be the following: spandex, rubber, latex, and any elastic material that is non-toxic to the human body.

4. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: A mesh layer with openings is provided below the sealing gasket inside the container lid. Oxygen absorbers, dehumidifiers, or other agents used to protect the contents from damage, discoloration, or odor changes can be placed on this mesh layer, extending shelf life. For contents not suitable for high-temperature sterilization but sterilized at room temperature or low temperature, ultraviolet sterilization lamps, ozone generators, or ultrasonic sterilization components can be placed on the mesh layer. In other words, any one or any combination of oxygen absorbers, dehumidifiers, ultraviolet sterilization lamps, ozone generators, ultrasonic generators, and other sterilization components can be placed on the mesh layer as needed for sterilization or to protect the contents from damage, discoloration, or odor changes. For products with low shelf-life requirements, no items may be placed on the mesh layer, or the mesh layer may not be necessary.

5. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The container described above enables a production process where the container is filled and sealed at room temperature or low temperature, and then heated for sterilization, eliminating the need for high-temperature venting, sealing, and sterilization.

6. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: It is used in cosmetics, food, health products, pharmaceuticals, home decoration, personal care, automobiles, dyes, chemicals and other industries.

7. A method of achieving a sterilization container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: A temperature-controlled timed heating device can be installed at the bottom of the container to precisely sterilize each bottle of material at high temperature, such as heating at 100 degrees for 10 minutes or at 68 degrees for 30 minutes. Intelligent control can also be added to achieve more functions, such as cooking rice, porridge, soup, and desserts.

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