US3922835A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for packaging under sterile conditions
Assignee: Altstaedter Verpackungs Vertriebs GmbH
•
Filing: 1973-10-11
•
Granted: 1975-12-02
•
Expires: 1993-10-11
Abstract
Abstract A machine for packaging sterile liquids, such as milk, in a continuously formed packaging tube that is intermittently compressed to form discrete, filled containers, the improvement comprising a system for supplying a single source of sterile air to the flat, inner side of the web prior to forming, into the open top of the formed tube during filling, as well as into a float vessel acting as a pressure regulator for feeding the liquid to the tube to achieve and maintain in a simplified manner a total sterile environment in the machine and a constant pressure on the milk be supplied to the formed tube.
Inventors
- 👤 Wilhelm Reil
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 09:32
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B55/00; B65B55/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
In a fluid container filling apparatus having a fluid supply system, a tube formed from a ribbon, the tube being filled with a fluid and then intermittently compressed to form discrete filled containers, the apparatus having means for filling sterile liquids into the tube and comprising a constant pressure fluid storage means, conduit means to feed fluid during the filling procedure from said storage means into said tube, feed pipe means between the fluid supply and said constant pressure fluid storage means, valve means between said feed pipe supply and storage means, the valve being responsive to the level of fluid in said storage means to control the feeding of fluid to said constant pressure fluid storage means, constantly open air flow sterilizing means for continuously supplying a stream of hot, sterile air under a pressure above atmospheric pressure, said sterilizing means including air directing means to direct said air stream to flow against the inside of said tube and throughout said conduit, valve and storage means before said storage means is filled and into said tube and the fluid filled therein and over the fluid in the storage means during the tube filling and compressing procedure whereby a pre-sterilization procedure and a continuously operative sterile filling condition can be maintained throughout the fluid flow passages of the filling and storage apparatus by the use solely of the air flow sterilizing and directing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
234 words
In a fluid container filling apparatus having a fluid supply system, a tube formed from a ribbon, the tube being filled with a fluid and then intermittently compressed to form discrete filled containers, the apparatus having means for filling sterile liquids into the tube and comprising a constant pressure fluid storage means, conduit means to feed fluid during the filling procedure from said storage means into said tube, feed pipe means between the fluid supply and said constant pressure fluid storage means, valve means between said feed pipe supply and storage means, the valve being responsive to the level of fluid in said storage means to control the feeding of fluid to said constant pressure fluid storage means, constantly open air flow sterilizing means for continuously supplying a stream of hot, sterile air under a pressure above atmospheric pressure, said sterilizing means including air directing means to direct said air stream to flow against the inside of said tube and throughout said conduit, valve and storage means before said storage means is filled and into said tube and the fluid filled therein and over the fluid in the storage means during the tube filling and compressing procedure whereby a pre-sterilization procedure and a continuously operative sterile filling condition can be maintained throughout the fluid flow passages of the filling and storage apparatus by the use solely of the air flow sterilizing and directing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said fluid storage means includes a float chamber having liquid inlet and outlet passages; and said means to direct sterile air includes a passage connected to said chamber to fill the chamber and to flow air through said inlet and outlet passages during said pre-sterilization procedure, and to fill the top of the chamber to maintain a constant pressure head on the fluid in said chamber during the tube filling operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
89 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said fluid storage means includes a liquid stand pipe means having a liquid infeed and outlet at its lower end; and said means to direct sterile air includes a passage connected to the upper end of said stand pipe to fill the stand pipe and force air through said outlet means during said pre-sterilization procedure, and to press against the top of the fluid column in the stand pipe to produce a constant head on the fluid during the tube filling operation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
124 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said tube is stored as a flat ribbon prior to tube formation and the apparatus further includes shaping means to convert the ribbon into said tube that is adapted to be filled with fluid and formed into discrete containers, applicator means to apply liquid hydrogen peroxide to the side of said ribbon that will be exposed on the inside of said tube, and said air directing means includes passages for flowing sterilizing hot air against the wetted side of the ribbon while it is in said shaping means by normalizing the hydrogen peroxide and then drying the water left from the surface of the ribbon as it moves through the shaping means to be filled with liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said shaping means includes a forming channel having a ribbon infeed end and ribbon outlet end and said air directing means includes an inlet passage for sterile air adjacent said inlet end of the forming channel and an air suction means near the outlet end of said channel to recover the flow of sterile air exiting from said inlet passage for recycling to said air stream supply means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
123 words
An apparatus as in claim 4, including a semicircular deflecting rail positioned after the shaping means and said shaping means is located in the path the ribbon follows through the apparatus to fold the ribbon along its longitudinal centerline to place the two sterilized halves of the ribbon in contact, and said air directing means having a branch positioned in the path of said ribboN after it passes through the deflecting rail over which branch the two halves of the ribbon are spread to cause sterilizing hot air to fill the sterile space between said spread-apart halves, and said fluid supply system including a fluid infeed means positioned between the spread-apart halves whereby the fluid is filled into the tube under sterile conditions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1734586A
Cited
US3055731A
Cited
US3063845A
Cited
US3086336A
Cited
US3269079A
Cited
US3383831A
Cited
US3289888A
Cited
US3374802A
Cited
US3513627A
Cited
US3495617A
Cited
US3557525A
Cited
US3566575A
Cited
US3692468A
Cited
US3789569A
Cited
US3850207A
Cited
US3854874A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-01 | 1979-06-02 | 1979-12-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-01 | 1983-06-02 | 1983-12-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-01 | 1987-06-02 | 1987-12-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |