JPH1016925A - Clean air supplier into aseptic chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily sterilize a filter of a filter unit. SOLUTION: A clean air supplier comprises a filter unit 17 for filtering air for cleaning and a blower 18 for feeding air to the filter unit 17. A tank 22 is provided between the filter unit 17 and an aseptic chamber 1. The tank 22 includes a hydrogen peroxide spray nozzle 21 provided to be exhibited inward the tank 22 and a heater 19 provided inside the tank 22 for heating clean air obtained by the filter unit 17. A filter unit sterilizing tank 25 is provided between the blower 18 and the filter unit 17. The tank 25 includes a hydrogen peroxide spray nozzle 24 provided to be exhibited inward the tank 25 and a heater 23 provided inside the tank 25 for heating air before being fed to the filter unit 17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying clean air into a sterile chamber, and more particularly, to a packaging machine having a sterile chamber for shutting off a packaging work space from outside air. It relates to a device for supplying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for supplying clean air to a sterile chamber as described above, a filter unit for filtering and cleaning air supplied to a sterile chamber, and a filter unit And a heater provided between the filter unit and the aseptic chamber and for heating the clean air obtained by the filter unit, and a heater provided between the heater and the aseptic chamber and obtained by the filter unit. A device provided with a hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzle for spraying hydrogen peroxide solution on clean air is known (see JP-A-63-44428).

[0003] However, in the conventional clean air supply device, there is no means for sterilizing a new filter after the filter of the filter unit is exchanged, and therefore, there is no assurance of sterility downstream of the filter unit.

[0004] In order to solve such a problem, the present applicant has firstly provided a filter unit for filtering and purifying air supplied to an aseptic chamber, and an air source for supplying air to the filter unit. A heater provided between the filter unit and the aseptic chamber and heating the clean air obtained by the filter unit; and a hydrogen peroxide provided between the heater and the aseptic chamber and obtained by the filter unit. There has been proposed a device provided with a hydrogen peroxide solution dropping nozzle for dropping water and a gasification tank having a built-in heater for heating the hydrogen peroxide solution dropped from the nozzle (see JP-A-5-15575).

In the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-15575, while the supply of air from an air source is stopped, hydrogen peroxide water is dropped from a nozzle into a gasification tank, The hydrogen oxide water is heated and gasified by the heater, and as a result, the expanded gas naturally diffuses toward the filter unit, whereby the filter of the filter unit is sterilized.

[0006] However, sterilization of the filter of the filter unit in the device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-15575 is performed by backflow into the filter unit by natural diffusion of the heat-expanded gaseous hydrogen peroxide solution. There is a problem that the time required for sterilization is long. Moreover, the filter of the filter unit may not be sterilized reliably.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a clean air supply device capable of sterilizing a filter of a filter unit in a short time and reliably.

[0008]

A clean air supply apparatus according to the present invention includes a filter unit for filtering and purifying air supplied to a sterile chamber, a blower for feeding air to the filter unit, a filter unit and a sterile chamber. And a sterilizing liquid spray nozzle that sprays a sterilizing liquid onto the clean air obtained by the filter unit, and also heats the clean air that is provided between the filter unit and the aseptic chamber and obtained by the filter unit. A sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing solution onto air before being sent to the filter unit, between the blower and the filter unit, and a filter unit. And a heater for heating the air before being sent.

According to the clean air supply apparatus of the present invention, between the blower and the filter unit, a sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying the sterilizing solution into the air before being sent to the filter unit, and also before the air is sent to the filter unit. After the filter is replaced, the sterilizing liquid is sprayed from the sterilizing liquid spray nozzle onto the air before being sent to the filter unit, and the sprayed sterilizing liquid is heated by the heater. The filter can be sterilized by heating into a gaseous state and sending it to the filter unit by air sent from the blower.

In the above-mentioned clean air supply apparatus, a tank is provided between the filter unit and the aseptic chamber, and a sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing solution onto the clean air obtained by the filter unit is provided so as to face the inside of the tank. In some cases, a heater for heating the clean air obtained by the filter unit is provided inside the tank.

In the above-mentioned clean air supply device, a filter unit sterilizing tank is provided between the blower and the filter unit, and a sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing solution onto air before being sent into the filter unit is provided. In some cases, a heater that is provided so as to face the inside of the tank for sterilization and that heats the air before being sent into the filter unit is provided inside the tank for sterilizing the filter unit.

Further, in the above clean air supply device,
The sterilizing solution may be a hydrogen peroxide solution. The germicidal solution is not limited to the hydrogen peroxide solution, and can be appropriately changed. For example, peracetic acid can be used.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a part of the entire process performed by the packaging machine in which the web (W) is formed into a tube (T), and the contents are filled into the tube (T) to form a pillow container (C). This part includes a sterile chamber (1), a container forming device (2) disposed below the sterile chamber (1), and a sterile chamber (1).
And a clean air supply device (3).

An inlet (4) for sterile fluid and clean air is provided above the sterile chamber (1). Aseptic chamber
Inside the (1), a squeeze roller (5) (a sterilizing liquid scraping roller), an air knife (6) (a hot air nozzle for blowing out the sterilizing liquid), and a web (W) are guided by various rollers to aseptic chamber (1). Web guide means (7) passing through the
Web (W) moving from top to bottom in sterile chamber (1)
A tube forming device (8) for forming a tube into a tube (T) by sealing a part of the tube to form a tube (T), and a filling device (Fig. Abbreviated).

[0016] The container molding device (2) includes a content filling tube.
(T) is drawn downward from the aseptic chamber (1), and the drawn content filling tube (T) is sent downward by a length corresponding to one container, and is cut into a transverse seal to form a pillow container.
(C).

The tube forming device (8) is a sealing device (10) comprising a vertically long hot air blowing nozzle (9) for heating the overlapping portion of both edges of the web (W) and a plurality of rollers disposed below the nozzle. ). Hot air blowing nozzle (9)
An air heating chamber (13) containing a heater (12) is connected to the hot air inlet (11).

The clean air supply device (3) includes an inlet-side filter
(14), intermediate HEPA filter (15) and outlet HEPA
A filter unit (17) having a built-in filter (16) and filtering and purifying air supplied to the aseptic chamber (1);
A blower (18) (blower) for feeding air to the filter unit (17) through the air supply pipe (40);
Clean air supply pipe (41) connecting the sterile chamber (1) to the sterile chamber
The tank for clean air heating and aseptic chamber sterilization provided in the middle of (22), and the filter unit sterilization provided in the middle of the air supply pipe (40) connecting the blower (18) and the filter unit (17) It consists of a tank (25). The tank (22) for clean air heating and aseptic chamber sterilization is equipped with a hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzle (21) (germicide spray nozzle) provided to face the inside of the tank (22), and a tank (22) inside. The provided heater (1
9). Tank for filter unit sterilization (25)
Is a hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzle (24) (germicidal solution spray nozzle) provided to face the inside of the tank (25), and a tank (25)
A heater (23) provided therein. The clean air supply (3) is a sterile chamber for starting packaging.
(1) The sterilization inside can be performed.

A filter (26) is attached to the suction port of the blower (18). The filter unit (17) has an inlet (27) at the upper end and an outlet (28) at the lower end.
The filter unit (17) is an intermediate HEPA filter.
It has a differential pressure gauge (29) for measuring the differential pressure between the upstream side of (15) and the downstream side of the HEPA filter (16) on the outlet side. Differential pressure gauge (2
A sterilization fluid discharge pipe (31) is provided branching from the pipe of (9). The sterilization fluid discharge pipe (31) is provided with an on-off valve (32). Both tanks (22) and (25) are provided with inlets (33) and (34) at the lower end of the peripheral wall and outlets (35) and (36) at the upper end. The outlet of the blower (18) is connected to the inlet (34) of the filter unit sterilization tank (25), and the filter unit sterilization tank (2
The outlet (36) of the filter unit (17) is connected to the inlet (27) of the filter unit (17), and the outlet (28) of the filter unit (17) is connected to the inlet (33) of the tank (22) for clean air heating and aseptic chamber sterilization. The outlet (35) of the tank (22) for heating and sterilizing the clean air and the sterile chamber (22) is connected to the inlet (4) of the sterile chamber (1).
On the downstream side of the tank (22), the clean air supply pipe (41)
Is branched, and the tip of the branch (42) is connected to the heating chamber (13).
It is connected to the. Hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzles (21) and (24) of both tanks (22) and (25) are installed upward at the lower ends of both tanks (22) and (25), respectively. )
It is connected to the.

Before starting the packaging operation, both tanks must be
While stopping the heaters (19) and (23) of (22) and (25),
The hydrogen peroxide spray nozzle (24) of the filter unit sterilization tank (25) is stopped. The filter unit (1
7) Close the valve (32). In addition, the outlet (35) of the tank (22) for clean air heating and aseptic chamber sterilization, and the heating chamber
The connection with (13) is cut off.

In this state, first, air is sent into the filter unit (17) through the filter unit sterilizing tank (25) by the blower (18), and the filters (14), (15), (16) are further filtered by the filter unit (17). The foreign matter is filtered out and cleaned according to), and then sent into a tank (22) for heating with clean air and aseptic chamber sterilization. At the same time, hydrogen peroxide water is sprayed from the hydrogen peroxide spray nozzle (21) of the tank (22). The sprayed hydrogen peroxide solution is sent out from the outlet (35) together with the clean air, is sent into the sterile chamber (1) from the inlet (4), and is supplied to the inner surface of the sterile chamber (1) and the inside of the sterile chamber (1). Is fixed on the surface of various devices arranged in the apparatus. Then, after stopping the nozzle (21), the heater (19) was activated,
The clean air sent into the tank (22) is heated, and the high-temperature clean air is blown into the aseptic chamber (1) from the inlet (4) to evaporate the hydrogen peroxide solution, thereby causing the aseptic chamber (1) to evaporate. ) Sterilize the equipment inside and in the sterile chamber (1).

During the packaging operation, both nozzles (21) and (24) are stopped, and the tank (22) for heating the clean air and sterilizing the aseptic chamber via the tank (25) and the filter unit (17) for sterilizing the filter unit. Clean air sent to the heater
Heated by (19), only high temperature clean air is aseptic chamber
(1), so that the inside of the aseptic chamber (1) is kept at a positive pressure to prevent outside air from entering. At the same time,
High-temperature clean air is sent into the heating chamber (13), where it is further heated by the heater (12) and supplied to the hot-air blowing nozzle (9).

When the differential pressure detected by the differential pressure gauge (29) becomes twice the initial differential pressure, or when the operation time exceeds a predetermined time, for example, 2000 hours, the operation of the packaging machine is stopped and the filter unit is stopped. Replace the filters (14), (15) and (16) in (17). In addition, the inlet side filter (14) is
5) Since the filter is more susceptible to contamination than (16), only the filter (14) needs to be frequently replaced according to other appropriate conditions even before the above conditions are satisfied. Filter (14)
(15) After replacing (16), filter unit sterilization tank
(25) Spray the hydrogen peroxide water from the hydrogen peroxide water nozzle (24) into the inside, and spray the sprayed hydrogen peroxide water into the heater (23).
Into a gaseous state, and this is blown from the blower (18) into the tank (25) by the air blown into the filter unit (17).
, New filters (14) (15) (16)
Sterilize. During this work, the filter unit
(17) tank for clean air heating and sterile chamber sterilization (22)
The flow of the fluid into the inside is stopped and the valve (32) is opened so that the air containing the hydrogen peroxide solution and the high-temperature air are discharged from the discharge pipe (31).

In the above-described embodiment, the sterile chamber is used to shield the packaging work space from the outside air in the packaging machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sterile chamber includes a so-called clean room.

[0025]

According to the clean air supply device of the present invention,
As described above, after replacing the filter, the sterilizing liquid is sprayed from the sterilizing liquid spray nozzle to the air before being sent to the filter unit, and the sprayed sterilizing liquid is heated to a gas by a heater. Is sent to the filter unit by the air sent from the blower, the filter can be sterilized. Therefore, a new filter replaced in the filter unit can be sterilized quickly and reliably. Therefore, sterility downstream of the filter unit is guaranteed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a process of forming a container by forming a web into a tube, filling the content into the tube, and forming a container in all processes by the packaging machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

(1) Sterile chamber (3) Clean air supply device (17) Filter unit (18) Blower (blower) (19) Heater (21) Hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzle (sterilizing solution spray nozzle) (23) Heater (24) Hydrogen peroxide water spray nozzle (sterilizing liquid spray nozzle)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A filter unit for filtering and cleaning air supplied to a sterile chamber, a blower for feeding air to the filter unit, and a filter unit provided between the filter unit and the sterile chamber and obtained by the filter unit. Clean air into a sterile chamber having a sterilizing liquid spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing liquid onto the clean air, and a heater provided between the filter unit and the sterile chamber and for heating the clean air obtained by the filter unit. In the supply device, a sterilizing liquid spray nozzle that sprays a sterilizing liquid onto air before being sent to the filter unit, and a heater that heats air before being sent to the filter unit are provided between the blower and the filter unit. Clean air supply into the sterile chamber. 2. A tank is provided between the filter unit and the aseptic chamber, and a sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing solution onto clean air obtained by the filter unit is provided so as to face the inside of the tank. The apparatus for supplying clean air to a sterile chamber according to claim 1, wherein a heater for heating the clean air obtained in (1) is provided inside the tank. 3. A filter unit sterilizing tank is provided between the blower and the filter unit, and a sterilizing solution spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing solution onto air before being sent into the filter unit faces the filter unit sterilizing tank. 3. The apparatus for supplying clean air into a sterile chamber according to claim 1, wherein a heater for heating air before being sent into the filter unit is provided inside the tank for sterilizing the filter unit. 4. The germicidal solution is a hydrogen peroxide solution.
4. The apparatus for supplying clean air into a sterile chamber according to any one of the above items 3.