Washing system and washing method of filling device

Abstract

To effectively wash a filling device.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a washing system of a filling device 2 comprising a storage tank 3 for storing a filling liquid and a filling unit 4 having a filling nozzle 4a. The system comprises: vapor supply means 11 for supplying a vapor; a supply passage 5 disposed between the storage tank 3 and the vapor supply means 11; chemical liquid supply means 13 connected to the supply passage 5 for supplying the chemical liquid; and mixing means 15 disposed in the supply passage 5 for generating a washing vapor made by mixing the vapor and the chemical liquid. The washing vapor is used to wash the filling device 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning system and a cleaning method for a filling device, and more particularly to a cleaning system and a cleaning method for a filling device that cleans a filling device that includes a storage tank and a filling nozzle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A filling device for filling a container with a filling liquid such as a beverage includes a storage tank for storing the filling liquid and a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle. In such filling devices, the storage tank and filling machine need to be cleaned when production ends or when the type of liquid is changed, and a cleaning system and method for filling devices is known that circulates a cleaning liquid consisting of a liquid mixed with a chemical solution through the storage tank and filling machine (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5239553 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, when cleaning the filling device using a cleaning liquid as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to circulate the cleaning liquid through a large number of filling nozzles provided in the filling machine, and a large amount of cleaning liquid is required. In Patent Document 1, the cleaning liquid is divided among a plurality of filling nozzles and circulated to clean a large number of filling nozzles, but there is a problem in that such a process takes a long time. In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a filling device cleaning system and cleaning method that can efficiently clean a filling device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] That is, the cleaning system for a filling device according to the invention of claim 1 is as follows: A cleaning system for a filling device including a storage tank for storing a filling liquid and a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, the cleaning system includes: a steam supply means for supplying steam; a steam pipe provided between a storage tank and the steam supply means; a chemical solution supply means connected to the steam pipe for supplying a chemical solution; and a mixing means provided in the steam pipe for generating cleaning steam by mixing the steam and the chemical solution, The filling device is cleaned with the cleaning steam. A method for cleaning a filling device according to the invention of claim 3 is a method for cleaning a filling device including a storage tank for storing a filling liquid and a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, This system is characterized by generating cleaning steam by mixing steam and a chemical solution, and cleaning the filling device with this cleaning steam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the above invention, cleaning steam is generated by mixing steam with a chemical solution and used to clean the filling device, so that cleaning steam can be circulated simultaneously to all filling nozzles that make up the filling machine, making it possible to complete cleaning of the filling device in a short period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a preparatory operation of the cleaning system of the filling device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the cleaning operation of the cleaning system of the filling device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating the sterilization operation of the cleaning system of the filling device according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The following describes the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3. 1 shows a cleaning and sterilization system equipped with a cleaning system for a filling device according to the present invention, which performs cleaning (CIP: Cleaning in Place) and sterilization (SIP: Sterilizing in Place) of 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 equipped with a plurality of filling nozzles 4a, a supply passage 5 for supplying liquid from the storage tank 3 to the filling machine 4, and a filling liquid supply means 6 for supplying the filling liquid to the storage tank 3. The cleaning and sterilization system 1 of the filling device 2 comprises a steam supply means 11 that supplies steam to the storage tank 3, a steam pipe 12 provided between the storage tank 3 and the steam supply means 11, a chemical liquid supply means 13 that supplies a chemical liquid to the steam pipe 12, a water supply means 14 that supplies water to the steam pipe 12, a mixing means 15 provided in the steam pipe 12 that mixes the chemical liquid and water with the steam to generate cleaning steam, and a steam recovery means 16 connected to the filling machine 4 and that recovers steam etc. that has circulated through the filling machine 4. The filling device 2 and the cleaning and sterilizing system 1 for the filling device 2 are controlled by a control means (not shown) such as a computer.

[0009] The filling device 2 is provided with a filling liquid pipe 6a between the filling liquid supply means 6 and the storage tank 3, and a part of the filling liquid pipe 6a is configured to be shared with the steam pipe 12. Here, the filling liquid pipe 6a will be described as being connected midway through the steam pipe 12. The filling liquid pipe 6a is provided with a first on-off valve V1 that is opened and closed by control means. The storage tank 3 is a sealed tank with a sealed structure that is isolated from the outside, and the supply passage 5 is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 3, and the steam pipe 12 (filled liquid pipe 6a) is connected to the side of the storage tank 3. 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] The steam pipe 12 disposed between the storage tank 3 and the steam supply means 11 is provided with, in this order from the steam supply means 11 side, a second on-off valve V2 controlled by control means, the mixing means 15, a conductivity meter 17, a thermometer 18, and a three-way valve 19 controlled by control means. Here, the filling liquid pipe 6a is connected between the mixing means 15 and the three-way valve 19. The steam supply means 11 is adapted to supply high-temperature, high-pressure steam, specifically steam heated to a temperature (130°C) suitable for sterilizing the storage tank 3, filling machine 4, and supply passage 5 that constitute the filling device 2, at a predetermined pressure (0.23 MPa). Therefore, when the steam supplied by the steam supply means 11 is used without adding a chemical liquid, the steam can be used as sterilizing steam that can be used to sterilize the filling device 2.

[0011] The chemical supply means 13 supplies, for example, an alkaline chemical stock solution, and a chemical pipe 13a connected to the chemical supply means 13 is connected to a position on the upstream side of the mixing means 15 in the steam pipe 12. Further, a third on-off valve V3 controlled by a control means is provided in the chemical pipe 13a. The water supply means 14 is used to adjust the concentration of the raw chemical solution supplied from the chemical supply means 13 to a predetermined concentration, and the water pipe 14a connected to the water supply means 14 is connected to the chemical supply means 13. As a result, an aqueous solution obtained by mixing the chemical liquid and water is supplied to a position in the steam pipe 12 upstream of the mixing means 15. In addition, a fourth on-off valve V4 controlled by the control means is provided in the water pipe 14a.

[0012] The mixing means 15 is configured by a conventionally known static mixer. By inserting the static mixer into the inside of the steam pipe 12, the chemical solution and water from the chemical solution pipe 13a are made to join the steam flowing through the steam pipe 12, and the chemical solution and water are mixed with the steam while passing through the static mixer, so that high-temperature, high-pressure cleaning steam containing the chemical solution is generated. The conductivity meter 17 measures the conductivity of the cleaning steam flowing through the steam piping 12, and the control means determines from the conductivity whether the concentration of the chemical liquid contained in the cleaning steam is suitable for cleaning the filling device 2. If the measured concentration is low, the control means controls the chemical supply means 13 to increase the amount of chemical supplied, or controls the water supply means 14 to decrease the amount of water supplied. If the concentration is high, the control means controls to decrease the amount of chemical supplied or increase the amount of water supplied. The thermometer 18 measures the temperature of the cleaning steam or sterilizing steam flowing through the steam pipe 12 and determines whether the temperature has reached a temperature suitable for cleaning or sterilizing the filling device 2.

[0013] The steam recovery means 16 comprises a discharge pipe 21 through which the steam discharged from the filling machine 4 flows, a cooling means 22 for cooling the steam flowing through the discharge pipe 21, and a drain pan 23 provided at the end of the discharge pipe 21, and a fifth opening / closing valve V5 controlled by a control means is provided at a position adjacent to the upstream side of the cooling means 22. The end of the discharge pipe 21 on the side of the filling machine 4 branches into a plurality of branches, and cups 21a to be attached to all of the filling nozzles 4a of the filling machine 4 are provided at the branched ends. With this configuration, when steam from the steam supply means 11 flows through the filling device 2 and is finally discharged from the filling nozzle 4a of the filling machine 4, the steam is discharged into the discharge piping 21 via the cup 21a, and then the steam is cooled by the cooling means 22 and condensed into a liquid before being collected in the drain pan 23. In addition, a bypass pipe 24 is connected between the steam pipe 12 and the exhaust pipe 21, and the upstream end of the bypass pipe 24 is connected to the three-way valve 19, and the downstream end is connected to a position adjacent to the upstream side of the fifth on-off valve V5 in the exhaust pipe 21.

[0014] The operation of the cleaning and sterilizing system 1 for the filling device 2 having the above-described configuration will be described below. Figure 1 shows the preparatory operation for preparing the cleaning steam. In the illustration, the open valves are shown in white and the closed valves are shown in black. First, filling of the filling liquid in the filling device 2 has been completed, the first on-off valve V1 of the filling liquid supply means 6 is closed, and the cup 21a of the discharge pipe 21 is attached to the filling nozzle 4a. In this state, the control means opens the second on-off valve V2 of the steam pipe 12, the third on-off valve V3 of the chemical pipe 13a, the fourth on-off valve V4 of the water pipe 14a, and the fifth on-off valve V5 of the discharge pipe 21, and further controls the three-way valve 19 of the steam pipe 12 to communicate with the bypass pipe 24. In this state, the steam supply means 11 starts supplying steam, the chemical supply means 13 starts supplying chemical, and the water supply means 14 starts supplying water. As an example, the supply amount of steam can be set to 12,000 L / h, and the total supply amount of chemical and water can be set to 12,000 L / h. As a result, the chemical liquid and water are mixed in the chemical liquid piping 13a, and then when the aqueous solution of the chemical liquid flows into the steam piping 12, it flows into the mixing means 15 together with the steam, and is mixed in the mixing means 15 to generate cleaning steam. However, immediately after the generation of the cleaning steam, the temperature of the steam has not risen sufficiently and the concentration of the chemical solution is insufficient, so when the cleaning steam passes through the conductivity meter 17 and the thermometer 18, the control means determines that the cleaning steam is unsuitable. Therefore, the cleaning steam immediately after being generated is discharged to the bypass pipe 24 by the three-way valve 19, and then the cleaning steam is cooled by the cooling means 22 in the discharge pipe 21 and then recovered in the drain pan 23.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the cleaning operation for cleaning the filling device 2 with the cleaning steam. When a predetermined time has elapsed from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the cleaning steam passing through the conductivity meter 17 and thermometer 18 reaches the required conductivity and temperature, the control means controls the three-way valve 19 to allow the cleaning steam to flow toward the storage tank 3. As a result, the cleaning steam flows into the storage tank 3 and then flows into the filling machine 4 via the supply passage 5, removing dirt and other contaminants that have adhered to the piping and connecting parts through which the filling liquid that constitutes the filling device 2 flows. In this case, even if the filling machine 4 is a filling machine 4 for gas-filled beverages that has a counter passage and a snift passage, these counter passages and snift passages can also be cleaned by using cleaning steam made of steam. The cleaning steam discharged from the tip of the filling nozzle 4a is collected by the cup 21a, then flows through the discharge pipe 21, is cooled by the cooling means 22, and is collected by the drain pan . In this embodiment, cleaning steam is used for cleaning, which can be diffused over a wider area than liquid cleaning liquid, making it possible to simultaneously circulate cleaning steam through all of the filling nozzles 4a that make up the filling machine 4 to clean them.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the sterilization operation of sterilizing the filling device 2 with the sterilizing steam. The state shown in Figure 2 is maintained for a predetermined time, and when the filling device 2 has been cleaned with cleaning steam, the control means closes the third on-off valve V3 of the chemical liquid piping 13a and the fourth on-off valve V4 of the water piping 14a while continuing to supply steam from the steam supply means 11. As a result, the supply of chemicals and water to the steam pipe 12 is stopped, and only high-temperature, high-pressure steam supplied from the steam supply means 11, i.e., sterilizing steam, flows through the steam pipe 12. The sterilizing steam flows through the filling device 2 via the same route as the cleaning steam, and flows from the storage tank 3 to the filling machine 4 via the supply passage 5, sterilizing the piping and connections through which the filling liquid flows that make up the filling device 2. If the filling machine 4 is equipped with a counter passage and a sniff passage, these can also be sterilized by the sterilizing steam. The sterilizing steam discharged from the tip of the filling nozzle 4a is collected by the cup 21a, then flows through the discharge pipe 21, is cooled by the cooling means 22, and is collected by the drain pan .

[0017] As described above, according to the cleaning and sterilization system 1 for the filling device 2 of this embodiment, cleaning steam, which is a mixture of high-temperature, high-pressure steam and a chemical solution, is used to clean the filling device 2, so that even a filling machine 4 equipped with a large number of filling nozzles 4a can be cleaned in a short time. In other words, when cleaning the filling device 2 using a liquid cleaning solution as in the conventional method, a large amount of cleaning solution is required, so the filling nozzle 4a cannot be cleaned all at once and must be cleaned in multiple steps.However, according to this embodiment, such a process is not necessary, making it possible to perform cleaning more efficiently. In addition, in this embodiment, after cleaning of the filling device 2 with cleaning steam is completed, the steam from the steam supply means 11 can be used as sterilizing steam simply by stopping the supply of chemical solution, making it possible to quickly move on to the sterilization work of the filling device 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0018] 1 Cleaning and sterilization system (cleaning system) 2 Filling equipment 3 Storage tank 4 Filling machine 5 Supply passage 6 Filling liquid supply means 11 Steam supply means 12 Steam piping 13 Chemical solution supply means 14 Water supply means 15 Mixing means

Claims

1. A cleaning system for a filling device including a storage tank for storing a filling liquid and a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, the cleaning system includes: a steam supply means for supplying steam; a steam pipe provided between a storage tank and the steam supply means; a chemical solution supply means connected to the steam pipe for supplying a chemical solution; and a mixing means provided in the steam pipe for generating cleaning steam by mixing the steam and the chemical solution, A cleaning system for a filling device, characterized in that the filling device is cleaned with the cleaning steam.

2. After cleaning the storage tank and the filling machine with the cleaning steam, A cleaning system for a filling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the supply of chemical liquid by the chemical liquid supply means is stopped and the supply of steam from the steam supply means is continued, thereby sterilizing the filling device with sterilizing steam that does not contain chemical liquid.

3. A method for cleaning a filling device including a storage tank for storing a filling liquid and a filling machine equipped with a filling nozzle, comprising: A method for cleaning a filling device, comprising generating cleaning steam by mixing steam and a chemical solution, and cleaning the filling device with the cleaning steam.

4. A method for cleaning a filling device as described in claim 3, characterized in that after cleaning the filling device with the cleaning steam, the mixing of the chemical solution is stopped and the filling device is sterilized with sterilizing steam that does not contain the chemical solution.

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