JP4529221B2 - Gas supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a gas supply device, and more particularly to a gas supply device that is installed in a chamber in which an internal space is maintained at a constant pressure and supplies gas into a container.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A production line for drinking water or the like may include a step of raising the temperature of the container by blowing a heated gas into the container for the purpose of drying or the like.
[0003]
When the production line is an aseptic filling line, the devices constituting each process are arranged in an aseptic chamber, and the supplied containers are processed while being conveyed by a conveyer arranged in the aseptic chamber. It has come to be.
[0004]
In this case, a gas supply device that blows heated gas (for example, hot air) into a container usually connects a nozzle to an air passage that introduces air into the chamber from the outside of the sterile chamber, and inserts the nozzle into the container. The air passage is opened and closed by a valve, and air is blown into the container.
[0005]
In the case of containers such as PET bottles, the valve is closed so that hot air is always blown for a certain period of time even when the container transport speed changes because the temperature rises excessively in the temperature raising step. It is necessary to be able to change the timing.
[0006]
In the temperature raising step, if the valve opening / closing timing is changed according to the change in the conveyance speed of the container, the number of nozzles that are simultaneously opened to blow out air differs, so the total amount of hot air blown from the nozzles is It changes and the pressure in the sterile chamber fluctuates.
[0007]
As described above, for example, in a drinking water production line, a container is sent to a rinser for cleaning, and then filling and capping of the inner solution is performed with a filler and a capper. In order to perform the treatment, the rinser and the filler are each accommodated in a chamber, and each chamber is maintained at a positive pressure in order to prevent bacteria and the like from entering from the outside. In addition, the pressure in each chamber is set, and if the pressure in one of the chambers fluctuates, the other chambers are affected. Therefore, it is necessary to always maintain a constant pressure in each chamber.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional configuration, the number of nozzles to be opened in the gas supply device changes, and the total amount of hot air blown out fluctuates, so the pressure inside the chamber fluctuates, and the pressure balance with other chambers There was a problem that collapsed.
[0009]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a gas supply device that prevents a change in pressure inside a chamber by constantly blowing a certain amount of gas into the chamber. It is intended to do.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The gas supply device according to the present invention is arranged in a space where the inside is maintained at a predetermined pressure, and supplies gas into the container, and in particular, discharges gas sent from the outside into the space. Rutotomoni includes a discharge port, a nozzle for introducing gas into the container, and a state to release directly into the space the gas from the outlet, and a switching means for switching to a state supplied into the vessel via a nozzle, The switching means has a moving mechanism for moving the gas inlet of the nozzle relative to the outlet, and the moving mechanism connects and releases the gas inlet of the nozzle with the gas inlet of the nozzle. It is.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the gas supply device. The gas supply device is disposed in a sterile chamber.
[0013]
The container 4 to which gas is supplied by this gas supply device is a resin container such as a plastic bottle, and a flange 4b is formed around the neck 4a as shown in FIG. The container 4 is supported or gripped by the container gripping means or the like, or the upper portion of the neck 4a above the flange 4b is gripped, and the neck is conveyed with reference to the height of the neck 4a. Is done.
[0014]
The configuration of the gas supply device will be described with reference to FIGS. A rotating body 46 having a first ring plate 42 and a second ring plate 44 is rotatably supported on the support column 40. Near the outer periphery of the rotating body 46, a plurality of hot air supply means (gas supply devices) 48 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
[0015]
The hot air supply means 48 includes an annular hot air chamber 50 fixed on the first ring plate 42 and a plurality of elevating stands that are arranged upright at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral side of the hot air chamber 50. 52 and container gripping means 56 provided on the upper part of the fixed cylinder 54 that forms the outside of each of the elevating stands 52. The container gripping means 56 is not shown in detail, but a pair of rotatable arms is pulled and closed by a pulling coil spring, and the neck 4a of the container 4 inserted between these arms is placed in the coil. It is gripped by the elasticity of the spring. The elastic container gripping means 56 grips the lower side of the flange 4 b of the container 4.
[0016]
The elevating stand 52 passes through the upper first ring plate 42 and the lower second ring plate 44 and is fixed to the fixed cylindrical body 54, and is fitted in the fixed cylindrical body 54 so as to be movable up and down. A combined rod 58 and an air cylinder 60 for raising and lowering the rod 58 are provided, and the rod 58 is raised and lowered by supplying and discharging air to and from the air cylinder 60 via an electromagnetic valve 62 for raising and lowering the stand.
[0017]
At the upper end of the rod 58 that is raised and lowered by the air cylinder 60, communication means 68 that blocks communication between the hot air chamber 50 and the inside of the container 4 held by the container holding means 56 by raising and lowering the rod 58. It is attached. The communication means 68 includes a cylindrical lift valve 72 supported upright on the inner peripheral side of a mounting plate 70 that is horizontally fixed to the upper end of the rod 58 in the radial direction, and the mounting plate 70. An air supply nozzle 74 which is fixed upright on the outer peripheral side of the gas and an arc-shaped communication pipe 76 which connects the lift valve 72 and the air supply nozzle 74.
[0018]
In the annular air chamber 50, hot air sent from the outside by a blower (not shown) is constantly supplied at a constant pressure and a constant flow rate via an air supply pipe 78 and a branch pipe 80. At a position corresponding to each lift valve 72 of the air chamber 50, an orifice-equipped packing 82 having an orifice passage 82a that communicates the inside of the air chamber 50 with the outside (inside a sterile chamber that houses the gas supply device 48) is fixed. ing. The upper opening (air discharge port) of the orifice passage 82a faces in an oblique direction so as not to face the lower opening of the lift valve 72 directly. Therefore, when the elevating valve 72 is raised by the rod 58 of the elevating stand 52, hot air blown out from the air chamber 50 through the orifice passage 82a does not enter the elevating valve 72.
[0019]
The rod 58 of the elevating stand 52 is configured such that the opening at the lower end of the elevating valve 72 moves up and down between the height shown in FIG. 2 and the height pressed against the upper surface of the orifice-equipped packing 82. Sometimes, the lower end surface of the elevating valve 72 is pressure-bonded to the upper surface of the packing 82 with the orifice, and the tip of the air supply nozzle 74 fixed to the other end of the horizontal mounting plate 70 is gripped by the container gripping means 56. The container 4 is inserted into the mouth of the container 4. The strokes of the elevating valve 72 and the air supply nozzle 74 are indicated by a symbol S in FIG.
The operation of the gas supply device according to the above configuration will be described. When the container 4 grasped by the container grasping means 56 reaches the start position of the temperature raising process, the air cylinder 60 of the hot air supply means 48 is operated to lower the rod 58 and the opening of the elevating valve 72 is opened in the hot air chamber 50. The tip of the air supply nozzle 74 is inserted into the container 4 while being pressed against the packing 82 with an orifice. A constant pressure and a constant flow of hot air is constantly sent into the hot air chamber 50 from an external blower (not shown). When the lift valve 72 is lowered, the hot air chamber 50 and the container 4 are connected. Hot air is blown into the container 4. The container 4 is heated by hot air being blown into the container 4.
[0021]
When the conveyance speed of the container 4 is normal, the lift valve 72 and the hot air chamber 50 are connected with the rod 78 lowered from the start position to a predetermined end position. The hot air is continuously blown into the container 4. Further, if the conveyance speed of the container 4 is slower than the normal speed, if the hot air is continuously blown over the same section, the container 4 may be heated and deformed. Control the blowing time to be constant. In other words, after hot air blowing starts, the hot air blowing time is measured by a timer or the like, and when the same time as the time required to pass through the air blowing section at normal speed has elapsed, the solenoid valve is controlled by a signal from the control means. 62 is operated, and the rod 58 is raised by the air cylinder 60, whereby the connection between the lift valve 72 and the hot air chamber 50 is released, and the temperature raising process by blowing hot air is completed.
[0022]
As described above, when the rod 58 is raised and the connection between the lift valve 72 and the hot air chamber 50 is released, the air fed into the hot air chamber 50 through the external blower is opened in the orifice passage 82a (air flow). It is discharged directly into the sterile chamber from the discharge port. Even if the conveyance speed of the container 4 changes, the number of nozzles blowing hot air changes if the time during which hot air is blown into the container 4 is made constant. Even when hot air is not blown, hot air is constantly discharged from the hot air chamber 50 into the aseptic chamber. Therefore, a certain amount of hot air is always released into the aseptic chamber and a certain amount of air is discharged. As a result, the pressure in the sterile chamber does not fluctuate.
[0023]
In the above-described embodiment, a state in which hot air introduced into the hot air chamber is supplied into the container and a state in which the hot air introduced into the chamber is directly supplied into the chamber by raising and lowering the lift valve and the hot air supply nozzle with the lift stand. However, it is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and a three-way valve or the like is used to always release the same amount of air into the chamber even when hot air is not supplied into the container. Also good.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention , in a gas supply device that is arranged in a space where the inside is maintained at a predetermined pressure and supplies gas into the container, the gas sent from the outside is released into the space. By providing a discharge port, a nozzle for introducing gas into the container, and a switching means for switching between a state in which the gas is directly discharged into the space from the discharge port and a state in which the gas is supplied into the container through the nozzle Even when the transport speed of the container changes, the pressure in the space can always be kept constant. Further, the switching means includes a moving mechanism for moving the gas inlet of the nozzle relative to the outlet, so that the moving mechanism connects and disconnects the outlet and the gas inlet of the nozzle. As a result, the pressure in the space can be kept constant without using an expensive valve such as an aseptic type three-way valve. And durability can be improved rather than the case where the said three-way valve is used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enlarged main part (hot air supply means) of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
4 Container 48 Gas supply device (hot air supply means)
52 Switching means (elevating stand)
60 switching means (air cylinder)
74 nozzles (hot air supply nozzles)
82a Release port (orifice passage)

Claims (1)

In the gas supply device which is arranged in a space where the inside is maintained at a predetermined pressure and supplies gas into the container,
A discharge port that discharges gas sent from the outside into the space, a nozzle that introduces gas into the container, a state in which the gas is discharged directly into the space from the discharge port, and supply into the container through the nozzle Rutotomoni a switching means for switching to the state of said switching means includes a moving mechanism for relatively moving the gas inlet of the nozzle to the outlet, outlet and gas inlet of the nozzle by the movement mechanism A gas supply device characterized in that the connection and release of the connection are performed .

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