RU2269485C1 - Method for liquid bottling and capping and apparatus for performing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food-processing industry and other branches of industry where hot liquid is to be bottled into container made from material having softening point below temperature of bottled liquid.

SUBSTANCE: method involves cooling outer surface of bottle, made from material having softening point below temperature of liquid to be bottled, by providing circulation of coolant before, during and after bottling in heat-exchanger placed in closed hydraulic circuit having outlines coinciding with contour of horizontal single-level bottling and capping circuit for creating conditions of equalizing velocities of bottles to be filled and flow velocity of circulating coolant.

EFFECT: simplified bottling process, reduced costs and provision for keeping high biological purity of bottled beverage.

3 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the food industry, and can also be used in other areas where the task is to pour liquid into a container whose softening temperature is lower than the temperature of the liquid being poured.

Of current importance for the food industry, especially in the juice industry, is the development of technologies and equipment that contribute to increasing the shelf life of products, preserving their chemical and physical properties.

To comply with the microbiological purity of the spilled and sealed liquid, a high temperature of the liquid to be poured is required, at which the internal surface of the wall of the filled tank is heat treated due to the hot liquid supplied to the bottling at a temperature of 85-97 ° C, which ensures the destruction of bacteria and microorganisms while preserving drinks in for a long period of time.

Since glass is a classic type of packaging material, which has no taste or smell, as an inert material, and sensitive substances, such as vitamins, are stored in it for a longer time, and it has its important property - heat resistance, but its disadvantages are its large mass and fragility, and when using a glass container, the probability of a battle is significant, and the presence of cracks and chips adversely affects the quality of the contents of the product.

The most popular container based on conventional polyethylene terephth alate technology, obtained by biaxial stretching and blowing in a mold, having good technological and mechanical properties, the cost of manufacturing a container is 2-3 times less and it is 10 times lighter than glass containers , is optically transparent and is not inferior in this indicator to a glass container, moreover, the container made of polyethylene terephthalate has an excellent appearance, it does not contain additives, impurities, it is resistant to chemical reagents (t how the issue of slow crystallization of a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, which are formed at a temperature of + 11 ° C lower than the base polymer, was solved, thereby reducing the release of acetaldehyde, which affects the taste and aroma of the drink, (see Production of plastic bottles for drinks / / Plast. World, 1987, 45, No. 11, 39, 41, 43 (GB), has high strength and toughness, has low heat shrinkage and creep, it has no toxic impurities, it is operated at a temperature of from -40 ° to + 60 ° C.

Thus, when it comes to packaging liquid food products at temperatures up to + 50 ° C, the polyethylene terephthalate container, due to its unique mechanical and chemical properties, such as lightness, strength, transparency and inertness, increasingly replaces glass.

The ease of use of the polyethylene terephthalate technology was also possible for solving environmental aspects, since the issue of its disposal and processing was resolved, for the first time theoretically it was possible to achieve 100% sales of raw materials (see Brauindustrie, 2001, 86-N 2, pp.19-21, DE) .

However, containers made of polyethylene terephthalate are not suitable for hot spills, since the softening temperature of the material is lower than the temperature of the filled hot liquid, and there is a significant decrease in the strength characteristics of the container (thermal deformation), which deprives the contents of the container of commercial value.

A number of technical solutions are known for imparting increased polyethylene terephthalate capacity to mechanical indicators (providing directional orientation of the material) by fixing the container at high temperature.

A known method of heat treatment of plastic bottles (see US patent No. 5419866, IPC B 29 B 49/18, dated 05/30/95) to give them increased mechanical properties by directional orientation of materials, for example polyethylene terephthalate, based on transportation through a series of chambers in which maintain the temperature within 175-230 ° C, with a processing time of about 2-30 s, depending on the size and parameters of the material of the tank, by adjusting the length of the chambers and the speed of the conveyor belt.

Using the method of fixing the container at high temperature is considered the most effective way to increase the heat resistance of containers made of polyethylene terephthalate, which is very sensitive to high temperatures.

Fixation at high temperature significantly increases the heat resistance of containers made of polyethylene terephthalate, however, this operation increases the heat resistance of the tank at best to a temperature of about 60 ° C, but such a tank cannot withstand the temperature of the liquid content to be poured at a higher temperature, for example, about 97 ° C.

A known method of bottling drinks in a container of unmodified polyethylene terephthalate (see patent FR No. 2772365, IPC B 67 C 03/14, 06/18/99), based on pasteurization of the drink; cooling the pasteurized beverage to a temperature lower than the temperature at which the deformation of the containers occurs; sterilization of containers and container covers; filling containers with pasteurized chilled drink; clogging sterilized and filled containers and additional pasteurization of filled and clogged containers.

The known technical solution is quite difficult due to the multi-stage operation: pasteurization of the drink, cooling to a very low temperature, separate sterilization of bottles and corks, bottling at low temperature and repeated pasteurization at a temperature of 65 ° C, which is not always sufficient.

The closest in technical essence and the achieved result is a method of pouring hot liquid into a container (see application FR No. 2432991, IPC В 67 С 03/14, 03/07/80), the softening temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the filled liquid, which provides for external cooling the surface of the container during the filling process. The complexity of the implementation of this method is that the cooling means (annular crankcase or perforated head) must be associated with the tank.

Since the softening temperature of the material from which the filled container is made lies below the temperature of the filled hot liquid, and there is a significant decrease in the strength characteristics of the container, however, due to external cooling of the walls, the surfaces of the container are unevenly heated along the wall thickness, as well as the inner and outer surfaces of the walls respectively, they are heated to a temperature close to the temperature of the liquid being filled and the temperature determined by external cooling; therefore, at approved cooling mode: temperature and heat removal rate, the outer surface will have a temperature below the softening temperature of the material of the container and retains strength sufficient to maintain a given shape throughout the filling process and subsequent cooling of the liquid filled into the container.

In the known technical solution, the refrigerant is supplied to each tank individually, which is difficult during the organization and operation of the bottling process, in addition, the cooling of the tank when the refrigerant is drained along its outer surface does not occur uniformly in height, moreover, the bottom of the tank is not cooled, which leads to to the loss of its form stability and natural loss of commercial value of the filled capacity.

A device for filling bottles with liquid is known (see application GB No. 2178015, IPC В 67 С 03/02, НКИ В8Т, publication of 02/04/87) by pouring on a horizontal carousel with feed and discharge conveyors, feed and distributing stars, and feeding and removing bottles from a horizontal carousel.

A device for hot filling of a beverage is known (see Prep. Food, 1981, 150, No. 1, pp. 76-80, GB), which fills glass containers with hot liquid.

The use of glass with high heat resistance allows the liquid to be poured at a high temperature of about 85-97 ° C, which ensures complete heat treatment of the beverage in the container, and hot-sealed containers can be stored for a long time without compromising their quality, however, the known technical device is uneconomical when using glass containers, which, of course, increases the cost of this filling process, in addition, safer packaging is required, as consumer qualities glass containers have a number of restrictions on the use, for example, in schools, at sports events.

Known equipment for filling a high-performance line (see Food Process. Ind., 1979, 48, No. 557, pp. 51-59, GB), comprising a washer, a filling machine such as Veloce, a capping machine and a cooler in the form of a single-stream tunnel cooler type Semonazzi Vesubio IT, Semonazzi.

Filling is based on washing containers and feeding on a modular conveyor to a filling machine, where hot filling with a liquid product (drink) is carried out in a glass container, then the container is sealed and cooled in a tunnel.

The problem to which the invention is directed, is to create a system for pouring hot liquid into a container made of unmodified polyethylene terephthalate, the softening temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the liquid being filled, with the exclusion of thermal deformation and maintaining the commercial value of the filled tank.

The technical result of the invention obtained by carrying out the invention is to simplify and reduce the cost of the process of bottling liquids, reducing the risk of loss of form stability due to more uniform cooling with the required high biological purity of the bottled beverage.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that in the method of filling and capping a liquid into a container whose material softening temperature is lower than the temperature of the liquid being filled, which involves cooling the outer surface of the container with refrigerant, the container held by its neck is moved before, during and after filling and capping in the refrigerant stream a heat exchanger repeating the outline of the bottling and capping circuits made according to a horizontal single-level scheme, while the tank is immersed in the refrigerant above its filling level liquid, and the flow rate of the refrigerant is set equal to the speed of movement of the tank.

The specified technical result is achieved due to the fact that in the device for filling and capping liquid into a container, the softening temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the filled liquid containing the conveyor for containers, a washing machine, filling and capping machines made according to a horizontal single-level scheme, and a cooling system for containers in the form of a closed hydraulic circuit with forced circulation of the refrigerant through the pump, cooler, supply and exhaust pipelines and a heat exchanger filled with refrigerant the element along which the containers move, while the heat exchanger repeats the outline of the filling and capping circuits.

The heat exchanger can be made in the form of an open horizontal rectangular tank with an overflowing refrigerant, along which the refrigerant and the tank move along which the refrigerant and the tank move with equal speeds.

The supply pipe is connected through guide pipes arranged vertically and in length with a predetermined pitch at a certain angle on both sides of the side surfaces of an open horizontal rectangular container.

The tray for receiving the drain refrigerant of the heat exchanger is connected by a drain pipe through a heated liquid tank to a circulation pump.

The proposed bottling of hot liquid in unmodified polyethylene terephthalate preserves the entire procedure of the technological process of hot filling into glass containers, possessing its advantages when using a horizontal single-level filling and capping scheme.

The classical method of filling containers made of polyethylene terephthalate is carried out by using a flange on the surface of the neck of the tank, which allows you to hold the tank when pouring liquid and allows you to reconfigure the equipment for various formats of the tank, practically without changing spare parts on washing, filling and capping machines, since the upper part of the tank the area of the neck flange is standard and the capacity is held by the neck flange, as if hanging in the air (in limbo).

Liquid filling is carried out on the classic line as follows: the container is fed into the washer, where it is captured by the special star with the counterpart of the pattern by the neck under the flange, then the container is caught by the cam in the region of the flange and rinsed, after which the tank falls back on the stars and patterns that hold it is flanged and fed to the filling, during filling and capping, the container is held by the flange in the filling valve or special stars, and after capping, the container is installed on a conveyor belt.

The high temperature of the liquid being poured into the tank leads to thermal deformation of the tank, therefore, to maintain its commercial value, continuous cooling in a given temperature range is carried out before, during and after the filling process, with appropriate observance of the pressure parameters and the temperature of the cooling refrigerant sufficient to effectively cool the tank, as by immersing the tank in the refrigerant (the preferred embodiment of the cooling refrigerant is water), and removing heat from the tank they are carried in the heat exchanger due to the movement of the heated refrigerant up against the movement of the filled fluid and overflowing through the upper edges of the heat exchanger through the drip tray to the drain manifold, during continuous movement of the filling machine with the filled hot fluid and the forced flow of the cooling refrigerant created by the circulation pump, ensuring simultaneous movement of the refrigerant and the tank held by the fitting by the neck flange.

The essence of the proposed technical solution will be clear from the following description and the attached graphic material.

Comparison of the proposed solution with well-known technical solutions shows that it has a new set of essential features that can successfully achieve the goal.

The invention is illustrated by drawings, where in Fig.1 is a view illustrating a diagram of a device that implements the proposed method. Figure 2 shows a diagram of the supply of refrigerant to the heat exchanger. Figure 3 shows the position of the tank in the heat exchanger, the elements holding the tank, an intermediate star and a pattern, as well as a tray for collecting refrigerant and a discharge pipe. Figure 4 shows a cooling system and a distribution of refrigerant. Figure 5 shows a diagram of the control of the flow of refrigerant depending on the speed of movement of the filling machine.

The device comprises a conveyor for supplying empty containers 1, intermediate stars 2, a washer 3, a filling machine 4, a capping machine 5, a heat exchanger 6, a container 7, patterns 8, a supply manifold of a refrigerant 9, guide pipes 10, a tray 11, a discharge pipe of a heated refrigerant 12 , supply pipelines 13, 14, a discharge pipe of the heated refrigerant 15, a tank 16, a refrigerant cooler 17, a controller for controlling the filling machine 18, a circulation pump 19, connecting pipes 20, 21, a flange 22.

The operation of the device is as follows.

Empty containers 7 enter the washer 3 through the conveyor 1 through the intermediate star 2, after passing through which the containers 7 enter the heat exchanger 6, the shape of which repeats the trajectory of the container 7, when the latter rotates from a horizontal position to a vertical position, bottom down. The shape of the heat exchanger 6 in the initial section ensures that any point in the inlet section of the heat exchanger 6 exceeds the level of the upper edge of the heat exchanger 6 further as the filling process advances.

During the movement of the container 7 through the heat exchanger 6 filled with cooled refrigerant, the containers are held by the flange 22 of the neck of the container 7. This retention is carried out at all stages: filling, intermediate transmission through stars 2, capping 5, transportation to the cooling tunnel.

Throughout the process, the tank moves immersed in the cooled refrigerant 10 mm above the filling level of a hot fluid of 92-97 ° C. The immersion level of the tank 7 in the cooled refrigerant is determined by the ratio of the vertical elevation of the upper edge of the heat exchanger 6 and the patterns 8 with the intermediate stars 2 (Fig.3).

Cooled to a temperature of + 5 ° C, the refrigerant is supplied to the heat exchanger 6 by means of guide pipes 10 (Fig. 2), which are located at a certain angle from both sides of the heat exchanger 6 to form a fluid movement in the heat exchanger 6 in the direction of movement of the containers 7 (Fig. 2) ) The refrigerant entering the heat exchanger 6 is poured through the upper edge of the heat exchanger 6 and collected in a tray 11, after which it enters the tank 16 through the discharge pipes 12 and 15 (Fig. 3). From the tank 16, under the action of the circulation pump 19, which enters the refrigeration unit, the refrigerant passes through the cooler 17, where it is cooled to a temperature of + 5 ° C, then through the supply pipes 14, 13 it again enters the heat exchanger 6.

To ensure stable operation of the device when changing the rotation speed of the filling machine 4, a change in the flow rate of the refrigerant depending on the speed of the filling machine is used. A functional diagram of refrigerant flow control is shown in FIG. Depending on the rotation speed of the filling machine 4 from the control controller of the filling machine 18, the control signal is supplied to set the rotation speed of the circulation pump 19. Changing the rotation speed of the circulation pump 19 allows maintaining the flow rate of the cooling refrigerant in the heat exchanger 6 equal to the speed of the containers. The coincidence of the speeds of movement of the refrigerant and the tanks allows you to avoid distortions of the tanks and additional mechanical forces acting on the tank.

The technical and economic effect when using the invention is the implementation of the classic line for hot liquid bottling when using a cooling system without moving parts, which significantly reduces the cost and simplifies the process of filling hot liquid with the required high biological purity of the liquid being dispensed with the exception of thermal deformation and maintaining the commercial value of the filled tank.

It is assumed that all these variations and modifications are included in the scope of the present invention, the essence of which should be determined by the previous description and the attached claims.

Claims (2)

1. A method of filling and capping a liquid into a container whose material softening temperature is lower than the temperature of the liquid being filled, which involves cooling the external surface of the container with refrigerant, characterized in that the container held by its neck is moved before, during and after filling and capping in the refrigerant stream through a heat exchanger repeating the outline of the bottling and capping circuits made according to a horizontal single-level scheme, while the tank is immersed in the refrigerant above the level of filling it with liquid, and the speed otok refrigerant is set equal to the speed of movement capacity. 2. A device for filling and capping a liquid into a container whose material softening temperature is lower than the temperature of the filled liquid, containing a conveyor for the container, a washing machine, filling and capping machines made according to a horizontal single-level scheme, and a tank cooling system in the form of a closed hydraulic circuit with forced circulation refrigerant through the pump, cooler, supply and exhaust pipelines and a heat exchanger filled with refrigerant, along which the tanks move, while the heat exchanger repeats the outline of the filling and capping circuits.

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