Cleaning / sterilization system of filling device

Abstract

To prevent breakage of a filling device even when a pressure fluctuation occurs in a circulation path.SOLUTION: A circulation path C is formed between a filling unit 4 and a storage tank 3, and a heated cleaning liquid is circulated in the circulation path C for a prescribed amount of time for cleaning and sterilizing the storage tank 3 and the filling unit 4 on the circulation path C. The system comprises: an open tank 14 opened to the atmosphere; a release passage 22 provided between the open tank 14 and the circulation path C; a second check valve 22 provided in the release passage 22, which prevents a backflow from the open tank 14 to the circulation path C; and a liquid feed pump 18 (liquid feeding means) that feeds the liquid in the release passage 22 towards the second check valve 22. A liquid feed pressure P3 by the liquid feed pump 18 is set higher than a cleaning liquid pressure P1 flowing in the circulation path C, and when the cleaning liquid pressure rises, the pressure is released from the open tank 14 via the second check valve 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling machine, and more particularly to a cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling machine that cleans and sterilizes the filling machine by circulating a heated cleaning liquid through a circulation path that includes the filling machine. [Background technology]

[0002] A filling device for filling a container with a filling liquid such as a beverage includes a sealed storage tank for storing the filling liquid, a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, and a supply passage for supplying the liquid from the storage tank to the filling machine. In such filling devices, the filling machine, storage tank, and supply passage must be cleaned and sterilized when production ends or the type of liquid is changed.A known cleaning and sterilization system for such filling devices is one that provides a circulation passage for circulating cleaning liquid from the filling machine to the storage tank, thereby forming a circulation path for circulating cleaning liquid between the filling machine and the storage tank (Patent Document 1). On the other hand, a known cleaning and sterilization system for the above-mentioned filling equipment sequentially performs cleaning (CIP: Cleaning in Place), which circulates a cleaning liquid containing alkaline or acidic chemicals through the circulation path, and sterilization (SIP: Sterilizing in Place), which circulates high-temperature steam through the circulation path. However, since sequentially performing cleaning with the above-mentioned cleaning liquid and sterilization with high-temperature steam takes a considerable amount of time, Patent Document 1 heats the cleaning liquid to a temperature suitable for sterilization and circulates the heated cleaning liquid through the above-mentioned circulation path, thereby performing cleaning and sterilization in a short period of time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6617758 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when circulating a high-temperature sterilizing liquid through a circulation path as in Patent Document 1, if the circulation path is closed, the pressure of the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path may suddenly increase due to the occurrence of water hammer, etc., and there is a risk that the pressure fluctuation may damage the filling machine, piping, etc. that make up the filling device. In view of such problems, the present invention provides a cleaning and sterilization system for filling machines that can prevent damage to the filling device even if a pressure rise occurs in the circulation path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] That is, the cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling device according to the invention of claim 1 is a cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling device comprising a sealed storage tank for storing a filling liquid, a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, and a supply passage for supplying the filling liquid from the storage tank to the filling machine, a circulation passage for circulating the cleaning liquid from the filling machine to the storage tank to form a circulation path for the cleaning liquid between the filling machine and the storage tank, a circulation means for circulating the cleaning liquid in the circulation path, and a heating means for heating the cleaning liquid in the circulation path, In a cleaning and sterilization system for a filling device, a heated cleaning liquid is circulated through a circulation path to clean and sterilize the storage tank and the filling machine, The system comprises an open tank that stores liquid and is open to the atmosphere, a relief passage provided between the open tank and the circulation path, a liquid sending means that sends the liquid in the relief passage toward the circulation path, and a check valve that is provided in the relief passage and prevents the liquid from flowing from the open tank toward the circulation path, The pressure of the liquid delivered by the liquid delivery means is set higher than the pressure of the cleaning liquid circulating in the circulation path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, a relief passage equipped with a check valve is provided in the circulation path, and when liquid is sent from the open tank toward the check valve by a liquid sending means, the liquid from the open tank is blocked by the check valve and prevented from flowing into the circulation path. On the other hand, when there is no sudden increase in pressure in the circulation path, the liquid delivery pressure of the liquid delivery means is set higher than the cleaning liquid pressure in the circulation path, so the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path does not flow beyond the check valve due to the differential pressure. When a sudden pressure rise occurs in the circulation path and the cleaning liquid pressure in the circulation path exceeds the liquid delivery pressure of the liquid delivery means, the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path flows beyond the check valve due to the pressure difference, and the pressure is released in the open tank. In this way, when a pressure rise occurs in the circulation path, the pressure can be released through the relief passage, making it possible to prevent damage to the filling device that constitutes the circulation path. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the cleaning liquid supply operation of the cleaning and sterilization system for the filling device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating the cleaning and sterilizing operation of the cleaning and sterilizing system for the filling device according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 will now be described. 1 indicates a cleaning and sterilization system for a filling device, which cleans and sterilizes a filling device 2 that fills containers with a filling liquid such as a beverage. The filling device 2 includes a storage tank 3 for storing the filling liquid, a filling machine 4 having a plurality of filling nozzles 4a, and a supply passage 5 for supplying the liquid from the storage tank 3 to the filling machine 4. The cleaning and sterilization system 1 for the filling device comprises a circulation passage 6 arranged between the filling machine 4 and the storage tank 3, a cleaning liquid supply means 7 for supplying cleaning liquid to the circulation passage 6, a circulation pump 8 provided in the circulation passage 6 as a circulation means for circulating the cleaning liquid, and a heat exchanger 9 provided in the circulation passage 6 as a heating means for heating the cleaning liquid. The filling device 2 and the cleaning and sterilizing system 1 for filling devices are controlled by a control means (not shown) such as a computer.

[0009] Regarding the filling device 2, the supply passage 5 is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 3, and a filling liquid supply means 11 for supplying filling liquid is connected to the side of the storage tank 3 via a filling liquid passage 12. A first on-off valve V1 is provided in the filling liquid passage 12. The storage tank 3 is a sealed tank with a sealed structure that is isolated from the outside, so that the stored filling liquid does not come into contact with the atmosphere. On the other hand, the top of the storage tank 3 is provided with a conventionally known rupture disk 13a and safety valve 13b as an atmosphere venting means 13. The rupture disk 13a is made of a thin metal plate installed midway along the pipe 13c that connects the safety valve 13b and the storage tank 3, and when the pressure inside the storage tank 3 exceeds a predetermined release pressure, it bursts, discharging the liquid present in the storage tank 3 to the outside via the safety valve 13b and opening the storage tank 3 to the atmosphere. The filling machine 4 has a plurality of filling nozzles 4a on the outer periphery of a rotary table 4b, and the supply passage 5 is connected to the center of the rotary table 4b via a rotary joint (not shown), so that the liquid in the supply passage 5 is distributed to each filling nozzle 4a. Since such a filling device 2 itself is conventionally known, further detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] Regarding the cleaning and sterilization system 1 for the filling device, the circulation passage 6 arranged between the filling machine 4 and the storage tank 3 branches into multiple parts at the end on the filling machine 4 side, and cups 6a that can be attached to all filling nozzles 4a of the filling machine 4 are provided at the branched ends. The downstream end of the circulation passage 6 is connected to the filler liquid passage 12 downstream of the first on-off valve V1, and communicates with the storage tank 3 via the filler liquid passage 12. That is, in this embodiment, a part of the circulation passage 6 is shared with the filler liquid passage 12. The circulation pump 8 is configured to pump the cleaning liquid supplied to the circulation passage 6, and the heat exchanger 9 is configured to heat the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation passage 6 to a temperature suitable for sterilizing the storage tank 3, filling machine 4, and supply passage 5 that make up the filling device 2. With this configuration, when the circulation pump 8 sends the cleaning liquid through the circulation passage 6, the cleaning liquid flows into the storage tank 3, then flows through the supply passage 5, and then flows into the filling machine 4. The cleaning liquid that has flowed through the filling machine 4 is discharged from each filling nozzle 4a into the cup 6a, and is circulated back into the circulation passage 6. In this way, by connecting the circulation passage 6 to the filling machine 4, the supply passage 5 and the circulation passage 6 form a circulation path C that circulates the cleaning liquid between the filling machine 4 and the storage tank 3, and this circulation path C has an airtight structure that is isolated from the outside.

[0011] The cleaning liquid supply means 7 includes an open tank 14 open to the atmosphere, a water supply means 15 for supplying water to the open tank 14, a cleaning liquid passage 16 provided between the open tank 14 and the circulation passage 6, a raw liquid supply means 17 provided midway along the cleaning liquid passage 16 for supplying raw cleaning liquid, and a liquid delivery pump 18 provided in the cleaning liquid passage 16 as a liquid delivery means for delivering the liquid from the open tank 14. The open tank 14 is a container with an opening formed at the top, and at the top is located the end of a water passage 19 connected to the water supply means 15, and a second opening / closing valve V2 is provided in the water passage 19. The upstream end of the cleaning liquid passage 16 is connected to the lower part of the open tank 14, and the downstream end is connected to the circulation passage 6. The cleaning liquid passage 16 is also provided with a first check valve 20 and a third on-off valve V3 that are used when supplying the cleaning liquid. The first check valve 20 allows the cleaning liquid to flow from the open tank 14 to the circulation passage 6, but blocks the cleaning liquid from flowing from the circulation passage 6 to the open tank 14. The above-mentioned raw liquid supply means 17 is adapted to supply, for example, a concentrated alkaline chemical as a raw liquid for the cleaning liquid, and a raw liquid passage 21 is arranged between the above-mentioned cleaning liquid passage 16, and a fourth opening / closing valve V4 is provided in the raw liquid passage 21. The liquid sending pump 18 sends the water stored in the open tank 14 toward the circulation passage 6 at a predetermined pressure.

[0012] In addition, the cleaning and sterilization system 1 for the filling device in this embodiment is capable of releasing the pressure when the pressure of the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path C becomes higher than a predetermined pressure in order to prevent damage to the filling device 2. A relief passage 22 is arranged in the cleaning liquid passage 16 so as to bypass the first check valve 20 and the third on-off valve V3, and the relief passage 22 is provided with a second check valve 23 and a fifth on-off valve V5. The relief passage 22 shares a part of the cleaning liquid passage 16 and provides communication between the open tank 14 and the circulation passage 6. In other words, the relief passage 22 is capable of sending water from the open tank 14 toward the circulation passage 6 by the liquid sending pump 18. The second check valve 23 allows the liquid to flow from the circulation passage 6 toward the open tank 14, and blocks the liquid from flowing from the open tank 14 toward the circulation passage 6 in the opposite direction.

[0013] The operation of the cleaning and sterilizing system 1 for a filling device having the above-described configuration will be explained. FIG. 1 shows the operation of supplying the cleaning liquid to the circulation path C by the cleaning liquid supply means 7. In the filling device 2, filling of the filling liquid has been completed, and the first on-off valve V1 of the filling liquid passage 12 is closed. Although not shown, water is supplied to the storage tank 3 to rinse the storage tank 3, the supply passage 5, and the filling machine 4 with water. Once this rinsing operation is completed, the cup 6a of the circulation passage 6 is attached to the filling nozzle 4a, and the second on-off valve V2 of the water passage 19, the fourth on-off valve V4 of the concentrate passage 21, and the third on-off valve V3 of the cleaning liquid passage 16 are opened, and conversely, the fifth on-off valve V5 of the relief passage 22 is closed. In this state, when the liquid supply pump 18 starts to supply liquid, the water supplied from the water supply means 15 to the open tank 14 and the raw liquid supplied from the raw liquid supply means 17 are mixed in the cleaning liquid passage 16, pass through the first check valve 20 and the third opening / closing valve V3, and flow into the circulation passage 6 that constitutes the circulation path C. The circulation pump 8 is operating in the circulation passage 6, which causes the cleaning liquid to flow through the circulation passage 6 and the storage tank 3, supply passage 5, and filling machine 4 that make up the filling device 2, and the cleaning liquid circulates through the circulation path C. By operating the filling liquid supply means 11 and the circulation pump 8 for a predetermined time, the circulation path C is filled with the cleaning liquid, and the storage tank 3 is filled to its full capacity with the cleaning liquid.

[0014] After the circulation path C is filled with the cleaning liquid in this way, the circulation path C is cleaned and sterilized as shown in FIG. 1, the second on-off valve V2 of the water passage 19, the fourth on-off valve V4 of the raw liquid passage 21, and the third on-off valve V3 of the cleaning liquid passage 16 are closed, and the fifth on-off valve V5 of the relief passage 22 is opened. Note that this operation may be performed with the third on-off valve V3 open. Further, the heat exchanger 9 in the circulation passage 6 is operated to start heating the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path C by the circulation pump 8 . As a result, the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path C cleans the filling device 2, which is composed of the storage tank 3, the supply passage 5, and the filling machine 4, and the filling device 2 is sterilized by heating the cleaning liquid to a temperature suitable for sterilization (e.g., 130°C). The heated cleaning liquid is then circulated through the circulation path C for a predetermined time, and once the cleaning and sterilization of the filling device 2 is completed, the heating by the heat exchanger 9 is stopped to cool the cleaning liquid, and the cup 6a is removed from the filling nozzle 4a of the filling machine 4, thereby discharging the cleaning liquid to the outside through the circulation path C and completing the cleaning and sterilization work.

[0015] Here, the liquid sending pump 18 that supplies the cleaning liquid to the circulation path C shown in FIG. 1 sends the cleaning liquid at a predetermined cleaning liquid pressure P1 (for example, 0.23 MPa). Since the storage tank 3 is a sealed tank, the circulation path C is partitioned in an airtight state from the outside, and as a result, the cleaning liquid supplied to the inside of the circulation path C by the liquid supply pump 18 until it is filled up is maintained at a cleaning liquid pressure P1 and is circulated by the circulation pump 8 in that state. However, if a water hammer phenomenon or the like occurs during liquid transfer and the pressure in the circulation path C rises suddenly, there is a risk that the supply path 5, circulation path 6, filling machine 4, and the like that constitute the circulation path C may be damaged. Therefore, the storage tank 3 is provided with an atmospheric release means 13 equipped with the rupture disk 13a and safety valve 13b, and when the pressure inside the storage tank 3 exceeds a predetermined release pressure P2 (for example, 0.30 MPa), the rupture disk 13a is broken and the safety valve 13b is opened, causing the cleaning liquid inside the storage tank 3 to be discharged to the outside and releasing the pressure inside the circulation path C to the outside. That is, when the cleaning liquid pressure P1 in the circulation path C exceeds the release pressure P2, the circulation path C is opened to the atmosphere by the atmosphere release means 13, thereby preventing damage to the filling device 2.

[0016] However, when the rupture disk 13a bursts, the inside of the storage tank 3 is connected to the atmosphere, in other words, the circulation path C is connected to the atmosphere. When the storage tank 3 is opened to the atmosphere, foreign matter may enter the storage tank 3, and therefore, when the atmosphere opening means 13 is opened to the atmosphere, it becomes necessary to clean and sterilize the circulation path C again.

[0017] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second check valve 23 is provided in the relief passage 22, and the pressure generated by the liquid supply pump 18 is set to a liquid supply pressure P3 (e.g., 0.26 MPa) that is higher than the cleaning liquid pressure P1 flowing through the circulation path C and lower than the opening pressure P2 at which the rupture disk 13a bursts and the safety valve 13b is released. Since the second check valve 23 is provided in the relief passage 22, even if the liquid supply pump 18 sends water from the open tank 14 toward the circulation path C, the second check valve 23 prevents the water from flowing into the circulation path C. Meanwhile, the cleaning liquid flowing through the circulation path C attempts to pass through the second check valve 23 of the relief passage 22 and head toward the open tank 14, but because the cleaning liquid pressure P1 (0.23 MPa) in the circulation path C is lower than the liquid delivery pressure P3 (0.26 MPa) of the liquid delivery pump 18, the pressure difference prevents the liquid from flowing beyond the second check valve 23. That is, while there is no increase in the pressure P1 of the cleaning liquid circulating through the circulation path C, the cleaning liquid is not discharged from the circulation path C to the outside.

[0018] On the other hand, if the cleaning liquid pressure P1 in the circulation path C rises for some reason and exceeds the liquid supply pressure P3, the pressure level is reversed in the second check valve 23, so that the cleaning liquid from the circulation path C passes through the second check valve 23 and flows through the relief passage 22, and the pressure is released via the open tank 14, which is open to the atmosphere. On the other hand, since the liquid supply pressure P3 of the liquid supply pump 18 is set lower than the opening pressure P2 of the rupture disk 13a and the safety valve 13b, even if the cleaning liquid pressure in the circulation path C rises, the pressure is released from the relief passage 22 and does not exceed the opening pressure P2 of the rupture disk 13a and the safety valve 13b. Thus, according to the cleaning and sterilization system 1 for a filling device of this embodiment, even if the pressure of the cleaning liquid increases in the circulation path C, the pressure can be released through the relief passage 22 to prevent damage to the filling device 2, and the rupture disk 13a can be prevented from bursting, thereby preventing the need to repeat the cleaning and sterilization process.

[0019] In the above embodiment, the relief passage 22 equipped with the second check valve 23 and the fifth opening / closing valve V5 is provided in a part of the cleaning liquid passage 16 and is shared, but the relief passage 22 and the cleaning liquid passage 16 may be provided separately. In this case, the cleaning liquid passage 16 and the relief passage 22 may each be provided with a liquid feed pump 18, or an open tank 14 may be provided for each of the cleaning liquid passage 16 and the relief passage 22, which are separately provided. In the above embodiment, the circulation passage 6 is provided with the cleaning liquid passage 16 and the relief passage 22, but it is also possible to connect them to the supply passage 5 in order to prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing back from the circulation path C. In this embodiment, the rupture disk 13a and the safety valve 13b are provided as the atmosphere release means 13, but it is also possible to provide only the rupture disk 13a or only the safety valve 13b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0020] 1. Cleaning and sterilization system for filling equipment 2. Filling equipment 3 Storage tank 4 Filling machine 5 Supply passage 6 Circulation passage 7 Cleaning liquid supply means 8 Circulation pump (circulation means) 9 Heat exchanger (heating means) 13 Atmospheric release means 13a Rupture disk 13b Safety valve 14 Open tank 16 Cleaning fluid passage 18 Liquid sending pump (liquid sending means) 22 Relief passage 23 Second check valve C Circulation path

Claims

1. A cleaning and sterilization system for a filling device comprising: a sealed storage tank for storing a filling liquid; a filling machine having a filling nozzle; and a supply passage for supplying the filling liquid from the storage tank to the filling machine, a circulation passage for circulating the cleaning liquid from the filling machine to the storage tank to form a circulation path for the cleaning liquid between the filling machine and the storage tank, a circulation means for circulating the cleaning liquid in the circulation path, and a heating means for heating the cleaning liquid in the circulation path, In a cleaning and sterilization system for a filling device, a heated cleaning liquid is circulated through a circulation path to clean and sterilize the storage tank and the filling machine, The system comprises an open tank that stores liquid and is open to the atmosphere, a relief passage provided between the open tank and the circulation path, a liquid sending means that sends the liquid in the relief passage toward the circulation path, and a check valve that is provided in the relief passage and prevents the liquid from flowing from the open tank toward the circulation path, A cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling device, characterized in that the liquid sending pressure by the liquid sending means is set higher than the pressure of the cleaning liquid circulating in the circulation path.

2. an atmosphere release means for releasing the circulation path to the atmosphere when the pressure of the cleaning liquid in the circulation path exceeds a predetermined release pressure; 2. The cleaning and sterilizing system for a filling machine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid sending pressure of said liquid sending means is set lower than the release pressure of said atmosphere release means.

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