Unit for sterilizing web-fed material on a machine for packaging pourable food products

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(11)

EP 1 334 912 A8

(12)	CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(48)	Corrigendum issued on:
	28.01.2004 Bulletin 2004/05

(43)	Date of publication:
	13.08.2003 Bulletin 2003/33

(21)	Application number: 02425064.9

(22)	Date of filing: 08.02.2002

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: B65B 55/10

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(71)	Applicant: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
	1009 Pully (CH)

(72)	Inventors:
	Andersson, Jan 271 00 Ystad (SE) Sörensen, Karsten 64347 Griesheim (DE) Elias, Detlef 41043 Formigine (IT) Ferrarini, Filippo 41100 Modena (IT) Ricci, Ermanno 41043 Formigine (IT) Vellani, Fabio 41100 Modena (IT)

(74)	Representative: Franzolin, Luigi et al
	STUDIO TORTA S.r.l., Via Viotti, 9 10121 Torino 10121 Torino (IT)

(54)	Unit for sterilizing web-fed material on a machine for packaging pourable food products

(57) A unit for sterilizing a web (2) of packaging material on a machine (1) for packaging pourable food products, the unit having a bath (7) containing a sterilizing agent, in which the web (2) is fed continuously; a process chamber (8) connected to an outlet (12) of the bath (7), and which houses wringing rollers (18) interacting with the web (2), and a nozzle (22) for directing a stream of air on to the web (2) and removing residual sterilizing agent from the web; an aseptic chamber (25) communicating with the process chamber (8) via an opening (27) for passage of the web (2), and in which the web (2) is folded and sealed longitudinally to form a tube (29) which is filled continuously with the product for packaging; and an air processing circuit (24) for controlling process conditions, and having a conduit (56) for feeding a first stream of sterile air into the aseptic chamber (25), a conduit (54) for feeding a second stream of sterile air to the nozzle (22) and housing a heater (69) for controlling the temperature of the air supplied to the nozzle (22), and a distributor for regulating the two streams of air.