Installation and method for treating containers

Abstract

Plant (1) and method for treating containers, preferably cans, the plant (1) comprising: a rinser (10) configured to clean the containers with a cleaning agent, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2; a filling device (20) configured to fill the containers cleaned in the rinser (10) with a filling product, preferably a beverage; and a closing device (30) configured to close each of the containers filled with the filling product in the filling device (20) with a container closure;characterized by a housing (40) in which the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged, and a protective gas system (50) which is arranged to supply the housing (40) with a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, so that the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged in a common atmosphere of protective gas.;

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant and a method for treating containers, in particular cans, in a beverage filling plant, the plant comprising a rinser, a filling device and a closing device. State of the art

[0002] In the field of beverage filling systems, it is known to clean containers such as bottles or cans before filling them with a filling product. The containers are rinsed in a rinser, which is located upstream of the actual filling device, to remove foreign particles such as dust, contaminants, residues, etc. A rinser for cleaning containers is disclosed, for example, in EP 2 676 743 A1.

[0003] The containers, cleaned and, if necessary, disinfected in the rinser, are transported by a conveyor to the filling device, which fills them with the filling product. The filled containers are then sealed with a container closure in a closing device.

[0004] The aforementioned components (rinser, transport device, filling device, and closing device) that treat the containers are usually individually designed and optimized. For example, previously cleaned containers can become contaminated again before entering the filling device due to open transport. It is therefore common practice to rinse the containers in the filling device before filling, for example with CO2. Furthermore, particularly in the case of oxygen-sensitive filling products, it is common practice to flush the filled containers with CO2 before closing them to limit oxygen uptake. This results in high CO2 consumption at the filling and closing devices. Description of the invention

[0005] An object of the invention is to provide an improved system and an improved method for treating containers, comprising rinsing, filling and closing the containers, in particular to reduce the consumption of resources and / or to increase the level of hygiene.

[0006] This object is achieved by a system having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of the subordinate method claim. Advantageous further developments follow from the subclaims, the following description of the invention, and the description of preferred embodiments.

[0007] The system according to the invention is used for treating containers, particularly including filling the containers with a filling product. The system is particularly preferably used in a beverage filling plant, for example, for filling water (still or carbonated), beer, juice, soft drinks, smoothies, dairy products, and the like.

[0008] The containers to be treated typically have a container opening or container mouth through which the containers are filled. The containers treated here are particularly preferably cans, in particular with a metallic portion. The treated cans can be made entirely of metal.

[0009] The system comprises: a rinser configured to clean the containers with a cleaning agent, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2; a filling device configured to fill the containers cleaned in the rinser with a filling product, preferably a beverage; and a closing device configured to close each of the containers filled with the filling product in the filling device with a container closure.

[0010] According to the invention, the system further comprises a housing in which the rinser, the filling device and the closing device are arranged, and a protective gas system which is designed to supply the housing with a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO 2 , so that the rinser, the filling device and the closing device are arranged in a common atmosphere of protective gas.

[0011] By integrating the various stations—rinser, filler, and capper—into a common protective gas atmosphere, the containers being treated remain protected throughout the entire process. Contamination risks, which can occur particularly between the individual treatment stations, are eliminated. Due to the protective gas, which essentially contacts all relevant surfaces in the enclosure, the growth of germs is prevented or at least significantly reduced, thus achieving a significantly higher level of hygiene for the system as a whole.

[0012] The shared enclosure concept also enables synergistic use of the protective gas at multiple locations, thus resulting in significant resource savings. These savings are particularly evident in the filling and closing devices, as separate purging of the containers and / or container closures in these devices is eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

[0013] The protective gas is preferably an acidic protective atmosphere, which further improves hygienic stability.

[0014] During treatment, the containers are preferably transported from station to station along a trajectory in a conveying direction by means of a transport device. In addition to the rinser, the filling device, and the closing device, the transport device is also installed, at least partially, in the common housing.

[0015] Preferably, the rinser is configured to carry out the cleaning of the containers at least partially with protective gas from the protective gas system, i.e. to apply protective gas from the protective gas system to the inside and / or outside of the containers, thereby realizing a synergistic use of the protective gas and thus a further reduction in resource consumption.

[0016] Preferably, the protective gas system is configured to provide the protective gas in the enclosure at a pressure that is above the atmospheric pressure in the external environment. In this case, in the event of a leak or the use of locks in the enclosure, it is ensured that the gas flows from the inside to the outside, thus protecting the protective gas atmosphere in the enclosure from any external contamination.

[0017] Preferably, the shielding gas system has a shielding gas inlet configured to introduce the shielding gas into the enclosure. The shielding gas inlet is arranged, in particular, in the lower region and / or at the bottom of the enclosure, whereby the shielding gas, in the case of a higher density relative to the air, displaces the air out of the enclosure against the direction of gravity. This ensures a particularly high purity of the shielding gas throughout the enclosure.

[0018] The shielding gas system preferably comprises an extraction system and / or an overflow, as well as a piping system connecting the extraction system or the overflow and the shielding gas inlet. The shielding gas system is configured to at least partially circulate the shielding gas (via the piping system and the enclosure), thereby enabling an exchange of the shielding gas within the enclosure. The shielding gas contained within the enclosure can thus be circulated and, if necessary, freed of foreign substances or particles using a filter or a shielding gas treatment system.

[0019] Preferably, the shielding gas system comprises a shielding gas conditioning system for treating and at least partially reusing the shielding gas, thereby further reducing resource consumption. Alternatively or additionally, the shielding gas system can include a buffer tank for temporarily storing the shielding gas.

[0020] The filling device preferably has a relief system that is designed to divert the protective gas displaced from the containers during filling and / or protective gas from a head space of the containers into the protective gas system. As the treatment of the containers takes place continuously in a common protective gas atmosphere, the containers are filled with protective gas before filling. The protective gas displaced from the containers during filling either enters the housing directly or, alternatively, the displaced protective gas is specifically transported into the protective gas system via the relief system, thereby realizing synergistic reuse of the displaced protective gas and thus a further reduction in resource consumption. This can be achieved analogously for protective gas that is present in the head space of the containers after they have been filled and is usually under the filling pressure.

[0021] It is possible to treat the interior and / or exterior of the containers in the rinser with a sterilization medium, followed by the removal of any residues. Such sterilization medium residues can be removed in a rinsing process in the filling device. The rinser is thus preferably configured to sterilize the containers with a sterilization medium in addition to cleaning with the cleaning agent. In this case, the filling device is preferably configured to remove any sterilization medium residues by means of a rinsing process, preferably using a protective gas.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the removal of sterilization medium residues can be performed on the rinser or in a suitable downstream unit between the rinser and the filler. This would eliminate the need for a rinsing process in the filler.

[0023] The above-mentioned object is further achieved by a method for treating containers, preferably cans, which method comprises: cleaning the containers with a cleaning agent, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, by means of a rinser; filling the containers cleaned in the rinser with a filling product, preferably a beverage, by means of a filling device; and closing the containers filled with the filling product in the filling device, each with a container closure by means of a closing device. According to the invention, the rinser, the filling device and the closing device are arranged in a housing, wherein the housing is supplied with a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, by a protective gas system, so that the rinser, the filling device and the closing device are arranged and operated in a common atmosphere of protective gas.

[0024] The features, technical effects, advantages and embodiments described with regard to the system apply analogously to the process.

[0025] For the reasons mentioned above, the cleaning of the containers in the rinser is preferably carried out at least partially with protective gas from the protective gas system.

[0026] Preferably, the shielding gas system provides the shielding gas in the enclosure at a pressure that is above the atmospheric pressure in the external environment for the reasons stated above.

[0027] For the reasons mentioned above, the shielding gas is preferably at least partially circulated by means of a piping system of the shielding gas system.

[0028] For the reasons mentioned above, the shielding gas is preferably treated in a shielding gas treatment unit of the shielding gas system and at least partially reused and / or temporarily stored in a buffer tank of the shielding gas system.

[0029] For the reasons stated above, protective gas displaced from the containers during filling in the filling device and / or protective gas from a container headspace is preferably discharged into the protective gas system via a relief system of the filling device. Preferably, the containers are sterilized with a sterilization medium in the rinser in addition to cleaning with the cleaning agent, with any residues of sterilization medium being removed by means of a rinsing process in the filling device, preferably using protective gas from the protective gas system.

[0030] Alternatively, the rinsing process to remove residues of the sterilization medium can be performed on the rinser or in a suitable downstream unit between the rinser and the filler. This would eliminate the need for a rinsing process in the filler.

[0031] Spatial designations such as "top," "bottom," etc., refer to the direction of gravity during the intended use and installation of the system. Designations such as "in front of," "behind," "upstream," "downstream," "between," etc., refer to the direction of conveyance of the containers through the conveyor system.

[0032] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments. The features described therein can be implemented alone or in combination with one or more of the features presented above, provided the features do not contradict each other. The following description of preferred embodiments is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Short description of the figure

[0033] Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figure. It shows: Figure 1 schematically shows a plan view of a plant for treating containers, comprising a rinser, a filling device and a closing device. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0034] In the following, preferred embodiments are described with reference to Figure 1 which schematically shows a plan view of a plant 1 for treating containers (not shown in the figure).

[0035] The system 1 is used particularly in food processing; it is or preferably forms part of a beverage filling system, for example for filling water (still or carbonated), soft drinks, juice, beer, mixed drinks, and the like. For this purpose, the device 1 comprises a filling device 20, which fills the containers with a filling product, preferably a beverage.

[0036] The containers discussed herein are particularly preferably cans, in particular with a metallic portion.

[0037] The system 1 comprises a rinser 10, which is configured to rinse the empty, open containers to be filled with a cleaning agent, in particular a gas, to remove foreign particles such as dust, contaminants, residues, etc. The cleaned containers are fed via a filler inlet 25 to the filling device 20, which is configured to fill the cleaned containers with the filling product. The filled containers are transported out of the filling device 20 via a filler outlet 26 and fed to a closing device 30, which is configured to close each filled container with a container closure.

[0038] During treatment, the containers are transported from station to station along a trajectory in a conveying direction F by means of a transport device 60. The trajectory along which the containers are transported can comprise linear and curved sections (in particular, circular sections defined by treatment carousels and / or transfer stars). The transport device 60 can comprise conveyor belts, transport stars, treatment carousels, and / or other suitable means for transporting the containers along the conveying direction F.

[0039] According to the present embodiment, the filling device 20 is designed as a rotary conveyor, in which the containers to be filled are fed to a filling carousel 21 having a plurality of filling elements 22 and are filled with the filling product during transport along a partial circle. The filling elements 22 are installed at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the filling carousel 21 (in the Figure 1 only a part of the filling elements is shown). For filling, the containers are arranged and held below the filling elements 22 in such a way that the filling elements can each introduce the filling product into a corresponding container.

[0040] According to the present embodiment, the closing device 30 is also designed in a rotary design, in which the filled containers to be closed are fed to a closing carousel 31 with a plurality of closing elements (not shown) and are closed during transport along a partial circle with a container closure, preferably a can lid.

[0041] The rinser 10, the filling device 20, and the closing device 30 (as well as the transport device 60, at least in part) are installed in a common housing 40 in which a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, is present. The protective gas is preferably an acidic protective atmosphere, which improves hygienic stability. The protective atmosphere is provided via a protective gas system 50.

[0042] The shielding gas system 50 comprises a shielding gas inlet 51 which is designed to introduce the shielding gas into the housing 40. The shielding gas inlet 51, comprising one or more openings or nozzles for this purpose, is preferably arranged at the bottom of the housing 40, whereby the shielding gas, in the case of a higher density relative to the air, forces the air against the direction of gravity (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of the Figure 1 ) from the enclosure 40.

[0043] The shielding gas system 50 further comprises an extraction 52 or an overflow at the upper region of the housing 40. Via a line system 53, which connects the extraction 52 and the shielding gas inlet 51, the shielding gas can be circulated and exchanged accordingly in the housing.

[0044] The shielding gas system 50 may have a shielding gas conditioning unit 54 that conditions the shielding gas, for example, cleans it, partially renews it, etc. Furthermore, a buffer tank 55 is preferably installed in the line system 53 to temporarily store the shielding gas.

[0045] The protective gas pressure inside the housing 40 is preferably above the external atmospheric pressure, whereby in the event of a leak, an overflow from the inside to the outside occurs and the protective gas atmosphere in the housing 40 is protected from possible contamination from the outside.

[0046] The rinser 10 is configured to apply a gaseous and / or liquid cleaning agent to the containers from the outside and / or inside in order to clean and, if necessary, disinfect the containers. The treatment of the containers by the rinser 10 can be carried out at least partially with the protective gas from the protective gas system 50. Preferably, the containers are rinsed by the rinser 10 with the protective gas, preferably CO 2 and / or N 2 , and then disinfected or sterilized with a sterilization medium.

[0047] If the containers are sterilized, the treated containers can be cleaned of any sterilization media residues with air, N2, or CO2. This can be done in the rinser 10, between the rinser 10 and the filling device 20, or in the filling device 20 by the filling elements 22.

[0048] By treating the containers with protective gas in the rinser 10, the protective atmosphere is completely or at least partially created in the housing 40. If necessary, a separate protective gas inlet 51 can be omitted in this case.

[0049] Flushing of the containers by the filling elements 22 in the filling device 20 before filling can be completely dispensed with if necessary, in particular in the case of filling products that are not very sensitive to oxygen, due to the continuous protective atmosphere in the housing 40. In the case of oxygen-sensitive products, such flushing, for example with N 2 or CO 2 , can at least be significantly reduced, because the containers enter the filling device 20 due to the upstream flushing process in the rinser 10 with protective gas with a greatly reduced oxygen content.

[0050] The protective gas displaced from the containers during filling either enters the housing 40 directly, or alternatively the displaced protective gas is specifically removed via a relief system 23.

[0051] In the present exemplary embodiment, the relief system 23 comprises relief lines 23a, which are assigned to the filling elements 22 or are part thereof, and a gas discharge line 23b connected to the relief lines 23a, which is configured to discharge the displaced shielding gas from the housing 40, preferably into the shielding gas system 50. The gas discharge line 23b can, for example, be connected to a cleaning unit and / or a filter and / or the shielding gas conditioning unit 54 and / or a separator in order to appropriately condition the displaced shielding gas, for example, for possible reuse. The thus prepared shielding gas can be mixed with the same gas or other gases as required.

[0052] After the containers have been filled with the filling product, the headspace of the containers is filled with protective gas, which is typically at the filling pressure. Analogous to the protective gas displaced during filling, the protective gas in the headspace of the containers can be released directly into the housing 40 or selectively discharged via the relief system 23. Preferably, this gas is not released into the environment via valve nodes. The gas thus released can be channeled through an additional valve into the housing 40 upstream of any drainage valve and then routed via an outlet transport line using a suitable distribution system.

[0053] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the protective gas from the headspace relief is preferably used in the housing 40. It can also or alternatively be used to gass the containers.

[0054] After the containers have been filled with the filling product, the not yet sealed containers are moved via the filler outlet 26 and the transport device to the closing device 30. Recontamination of the product with oxygen is not possible here, since the containers remain in the housing 40 filled with the protective gas.

[0055] For the same reason, closure cleaning, in particular under-gassing of the can lid, and headspace gassing with CO2 can be omitted before closing the containers, which enables considerable savings of CO2 and / or other operating resources.

[0056] The containers leave the enclosure through a suitable lock (in the Figure 1not shown). In the event that more protective gas is withdrawn from the enclosure 40 at the lock or any extraction system than is supplied by the filling device 20 or in some other way, the difference can be made up with N 2 or other gases that do not damage the atmosphere.

[0057] Thanks to the shared housing 40, the rinser 10, the filling device 20, and the closing device 30 can be cleaned with the same cleaning medium, for example, as part of a CIP cleaning process. The cleaning medium can be collected below the system 1, allowing the use of more highly concentrated alkalis and / or acids. The cleaning medium can be recycled and at least partially reused if necessary.

[0058] The concept of the shared enclosure 40 enables synergistic use of the protective gas at multiple stations or locations in system 1, thus resulting in significant resource savings, particularly of CO2. The savings are realized particularly at the filling device 20 and the closing device 30, since separate purging of the containers and / or the container closures in the respective devices is eliminated or at least significantly reduced. Furthermore, contamination risks in the overall process are eliminated. Reuse of the relief gas from the containers to be filled and the filled containers is feasible.

[0059] It is possible to treat the containers internally and externally with a sterilization medium in the rinser 10, followed by the removal of any residues of the sterilization medium. Such residues can be removed in a rinsing process in the filling device 20.

[0060] A fan for a positive pressure gradient between the interior of the enclosure 40 and the outside environment is not absolutely necessary. A gravity atmosphere lock at the outlet can be used to create a trough or air lock.

[0061] Due to the property of the protective gas, which essentially touches all relevant surfaces in the enclosure 40, the growth of germs is prevented or at least significantly reduced, whereby the system 1 as a whole achieves a significantly higher level of hygiene.

[0062] The protective gas contained in the housing 40 can be circulated and freed from foreign substances or particles using a filter or the protective gas treatment 54.

[0063] System 1 enables a uniform / comprehensive cleaning concept for the entire isolator, from the inlet of the rinser 10 to the outlet of the closing device 30, for example, using acid and / or alkali and / or hot water instead of any alkaline cold foam cleaning. This results in alternative line concepts at the system level, for example, with reduced thermal product treatment.

[0064] Where applicable, all individual features shown in the embodiments may be combined and / or exchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the invention. List of reference symbols

[0065] 1Container Treatment System 10Rinser 20Filling Device 21Filler Carousel 22Filling Device 23Relief System 23aRelief Line 23bGas Discharge 25Filler Inlet 26Filler Outlet 30Capping Device 31Capping Carousel 40Enclosure 50Protective Gas System 51Protective Gas Inlet 52Extraction 53Pipe System 54Protective Gas Preparation 55Buffer Tank 60Transport Device FConveying direction

Claims

1. A system (1) for treating containers, preferably cans, the system (1) comprising: a rinser (10) configured to clean the containers with a cleaning agent, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2; a filling device (20) configured to fill the containers cleaned in the rinser (10) with a filling product, preferably a beverage; and a closing device (30) configured to close each of the containers filled with the filling product in the filling device (20) with a container closure; characterized bya housing (40) in which the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged, and a protective gas system (50) which is arranged to supply the housing (40) with a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, so that the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged in a common atmosphere of protective gas.

2. Plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rinser (10) is designed to carry out the cleaning of the containers at least partially with protective gas from the protective gas system (50).

3. Plant (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protective gas system (50) is arranged to provide the protective gas in the housing (40) at a pressure which is above the atmospheric pressure in the external environment.

4. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe protective gas system (50) has a protective gas inlet (51) which is designed to introduce the protective gas into the housing (40), wherein the protective gas inlet (51) is preferably arranged in the lower region and / or at the bottom of the housing (40).

5. Plant (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the protective gas system (50) has an extraction (52) and / or an overflow and a line system (53) which connects the extraction (52) or the overflow and the protective gas inlet (51), wherein the protective gas system (50) is designed to at least partially circulate the protective gas.

6. Plant (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the protective gas system (50) has a protective gas conditioning unit (54) for conditioning and at least partially reusing the protective gas and / or a buffer tank (55) for temporarily storing protective gas.

7. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe filling device (20) has a relief system (23) which is designed to discharge the protective gas displaced from the containers during filling and / or protective gas from a head space of the containers into the protective gas system (50).

8. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rinser (10) is configured to sterilize the containers with a sterilizing medium in addition to cleaning with the cleaning agent, wherein the filling device (20) is preferably configured to remove any residues of sterilizing medium by means of a rinsing process, preferably using protective gas.

9. A method for treating containers, preferably cans, the method comprising: cleaning the containers with a cleaning agent, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, by means of a rinser (10); filling the containers cleaned in the rinser (10) with a filling product, preferably a beverage, by means of a filling device (20); and closing the containers filled with the filling product in the filling device (20) with a container closure by means of a closing device (30); characterized in that the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged in a housing (40), wherein the housing (40) is supplied with a protective gas, preferably consisting of or comprising CO2, by a protective gas system (50), so that the rinser (10), the filling device (20) and the closing device (30) are arranged in a common atmosphere of protective gas.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in thatthe cleaning of the containers in the rinser (10) is carried out at least partially with protective gas from the protective gas system (50).

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the protective gas system (50) provides the protective gas in the housing (40) at a pressure that is above the atmospheric pressure in the external environment.

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the protective gas is at least partially circulated by means of a line system (53) of the protective gas system (50).

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the protective gas is processed in a protective gas processing unit (54) of the protective gas system (50) and at least partially reused and / or temporarily stored in a buffer tank (55) of the protective gas system (50).

14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in thatProtective gas which is displaced from the containers during filling in the filling device (20), and / or protective gas is discharged from a head space of the containers into the protective gas system (50) via a relief system (23) of the filling device (20).

15. Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that the containers are sterilized in the rinser (10) with a sterilizing medium in addition to cleaning with the cleaning agent, wherein any residues of sterilizing medium are removed by means of a rinsing process, preferably using protective gas, in the filling device (20).

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