The present invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions and a method for sterilizing such apparatus.
The term "Sterilization-In-Place" (acronym SIP) is to be intended as a sterilization method or cycle of the internal surfaces of closed systems that avoids the disassembly of the latter.
Within the field of an apparatus for filling containers, sanitization systems are known of the "dummy bottle" type. When the apparatus is in use, the filling fluid (e.g. a beverage or a pharmaceutical product) coming from a supply line is sent to the dispensing nozzles. During filling, the dummy bottles are in a resting position whereby they do not interfere with the corresponding nozzle.
When a SIP cycle must be carried out, the dummy bottles are positioned below the corresponding nozzles. Water vapour (possibly with the addition of a sterilizing agent) is supplied through the supply line and dispensed by the nozzles to flow into the dummy bottles before being evacuated through specific ducts. The passage of the vapour allows sterilizing the various components.
Apart from the variants available today, the dummy bottle sanitization systems are structurally complex and bulky in that they envisage a dummy bottle (and relative actuation means) for each nozzle of the filler.
In addition, the components are heated due to the flow of high-temperature water vapour (up to 120°). For this reason, these systems envisage a cooling step of the components, subsequent to the SIP cycle, which is carried out by sending a cooled fluid (e.g. sterile inert gas or air).
Furthermore, the use of water vapour requires maintaining an overpressure with respect to the clean chamber in which the filling is performed.
In this context, the technical task underpinning the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions and a method for sterilizing such apparatus, which obviate the drawbacks of the prior art cited above.
In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions, which is sanitized and also have a simplified and more compact structure with respect to the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions and a method for sterilizing such apparatus, in which there is no need to cool the components after the execution of a SIP cycle.
The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions, comprising:
Preferably, a valve is operatively active on the first VHP supplying duct in order to establish a selective communication between the vaporized hydrogen peroxide generator and the tank.
In accordance with one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a second VHP supplying duct which extends from the vaporized hydrogen peroxide generator to the contamination-controlled environment.
In accordance with one embodiment, the tank is located externally to the contamination-controlled environment.
In accordance with another embodiment, the tank is placed within the contamination-controlled environment.
In particular, no dummy bottles are envisaged in the apparatus.
In accordance with one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a fixed base and a rotary carousel. The tank and the dispensing nozzles are integral to the rotary carousel.
In accordance with another embodiment, the apparatus is of a linear type.
The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a method for sterilizing the above described filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions, comprising the following steps:
Preferably, the step of generating the vaporized hydrogen peroxide is carried out externally to the contamination-controlled environment.
Preferably, no other compound is supplied to the tank during the step of supplying the vaporized hydrogen peroxide to the tank.
Preferably, the temperature of the generated vaporized hydrogen peroxide is comprised between 50°C and 100°C.
More preferably, the temperature of such vaporized hydrogen peroxide is comprised between 70°C and 80°C.
Preferably, the pressure of the generated vaporized hydrogen peroxide is comprised between 100 mbar and 1 bar.
More preferably, the pressure of this vaporized hydrogen peroxide is comprised between 200 mbar and 300 mbar.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will more fully emerge from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions and a method for sterilizing such apparatus, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
In particular, the containers 100 are made of a thermoplastic material, for example PET or HDPE.
The filling apparatus 1 comprises:
For example, the filling fluid is a beverage or a pharmaceutical compound. In certain cases, the filling fluid could contain solid pieces. For example, these solid pieces can be pieces of fruit or vegetables, or grains, or legumes, or dried fruit.
The dispensing nozzles 3 are located in a contamination-controlled environment 4 that is isolated from an external environment 5.
The contamination-controlled environment 4 is isolated, i.e. physically separated, with respect to the external (contaminated) environment 5 through an isolation device 6. Such isolation device is not the subject matter of the present invention, therefore it will not be further described. By way of example, an isolation device similar to that described and illustrated in patent
The tank 2 can be located outside of the contamination-controlled environment 4 (see
In the embodiment described herein, the filling apparatus 1 is preferably of the rotary carousel type.
Such filling apparatus 1 comprises a fixed base and a rotary carousel. The tank 2 is integral with the rotary carousel and in fluid communication with a rotary distributor from which the supply ducts of the dispensing nozzles 3 depart.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the filling apparatus 1 is of the linear type.
The filling apparatus 1 comprises a vaporized hydrogen peroxide generator indicated with the number 11.
Vaporized hydrogen peroxide is usually denoted by the abbreviation VHP, therefore the generator 11 is briefly indicated in the following description as "VHP generator". The VHP generator is located in the external environment 5.
Originally, a first VHP supplying duct 12 (hereinafter briefly indicated as "first duct") puts the VHP generator 11 in fluid communication with the tank 2. At least one valve 13 is operatively active on the first duct 12 in order to establish a selective communication between the VHP generator 11 and the tank 2.
Preferably, a second VHP supplying duct 14 (hereinafter briefly indicated as "second duct") starts from the VHP generator 11 and opens into the contamination-controlled environment 4. This second duct 14 thus defines an additional path for the VHP without passing through the tank 2.
More preferably, other ducts (not shown) are present that convey the VHP from the VHP generator 11 to the contamination-controlled environment 4.
The operation of the filling apparatus in aseptic conditions is described here below, as well as the method for sterilizing such an apparatus, in accordance with the present invention.
When the filling apparatus 1 is in operation, i.e. it is performing the filling of the containers 100, the latter are located below the dispensing nozzles 3 which receive the filling fluid from the tank 2 through the rotary carousel 9.
In this case, the valve 13 is closed, therefore the flow of VHP is interrupted from the VHP generator 11 to the tank 2.
When the tank 2 has been emptied of all the filling fluid, a SIP cycle is generally run. In this case, the valve 13 opens that enables the fluid communication between the VHP generator 11 and the tank 2 through the first duct 12.
The dispensing nozzles 3 are in an open configuration, thus they dispense the VHP coming from the tank 2.
Throughout the step wherein the tank 2 is supplied with VHP, no other compound is introduced. In particular, water vapour is not introduced.
Additional VHP can possibly be introduced directly into the contamination-controlled environment 4 through the second duct 14.
Once the SIP cycle has ended, the valve 13 is closed again, the tank 2 is supplied again with the filling fluid and the normal operation of the apparatus resumes.
From the above description, the characteristics of the filling apparatus for filling containers in aseptic conditions and the method for sterilizing such apparatus, according to the present invention, are clear, as are the advantages.
In particular, the SIP cycles are carried out by introducing only VHP and not water vapour into the tank of the filling apparatus. Since the temperature of the VHP is approximately 70°-80°C, there is no longer a need to cool the components crossed by VHP (as instead occurred in the solutions using water vapour).
Finally, the pressures involved during SIP cycles with only VHP are very low (about 200-300 mbar), for which the components are less subject to wear and a tank with walls of reduced thickness can be used, with obvious advantages in terms of weight and thermal efficiency.
The presence of other ducts that supply the VHP to the contamination-controlled environment (without passing through the tank) allow speeding up the SIP cycle.
Finally, the solution proposed herein does not use dummy bottles, thus its structure is simpler and more compact compared to the known solutions.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.