Sterilizing method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method for sterilizing containers being fed to a filling and sealing machine for the containers, the filling and sealing machine having a sterile processing area, the method comprising the steps of: providing a batch of the containers, each container in the batch having an open end oriented downwardly and each container being nested in at least one adjacent container, forming a stack, the containers being spaced by spacing structure between outer surfaces of one container and inner surfaces of a next container; introducing the batch of the containers into a loading station attached to a sterilizing chamber, the sterilizing chamber having a sealable inlet and a sealable outlet including slidable doors, the outlet communicating directly with the filling and sealing machine when unsealed; opening the inlet and transferring the batch of containers into the sterilizing chamber through the inlet while the outlet is kept sealed by transverse pressure on a door of the sealable outlet, the sterilizing chamber being isolated from the sterile processing area of the filling and sealing machine, the batch of containers remaining in the nested, downwardly-oriented attitude in the sterilizing chamber; sealing the inlet by eccentric rollers which apply transverse pressure on a door of the sealable inlet and thereby isolating the sterilizing chamber; sterilizing said batch of containers; directly and sealably transferring the sterilized batch of containers into the filling and sealing machine by opening the outlet and transferring the batch of containers with the inlet kept closed and sealed by said transverse pressure on the door of the sealable inlet, the batch of containers being supported on a horizontal surface in the sterilization chamber, and the containers remaining in nested, downwardly-oriented attitude, whereby the containers, and the outlet through which the containers pass, remain sterile and the containers remain empty even though nested.

Claim 2

A method for sterilizing containers being fed to a filling and sealing machine for the containers, the filling and sealing machine having a sterile processing area, the method comprising the steps of: providing a batch of the containers, each container in the batch having an open end oriented downwardly and each container being nested in at least one adjacent container, forming a stack, the containers being spaced by spacing structure between outer surfaces of one container and inner surfaces of a next container; introducing the batch of the containers into a loading station attached to a sterilizing chamber, the sterilizing chamber having a sealable inlet and a sealable outlet including slidable doors, the outlet communicating directly with the filling and sealing machine when unsealed; opening the inlet and transferring the batch of containers into the sterilizing chamber through the inlet while the outlet is kept sealed by transverse pressure on a door of the sealable outlet, the sterilizing chamber being isolated from the sterile processing area of the filling and sealing machine, the batch of containers remaining in the nested, downwardly-oriented attitude in the sterilizing chamber; sealing the inlet by eccentric rollers which apply transverse pressure on a door of the sealable inlet and thereby isolating the sterilizing chamber; sterilizing said batch of containers; directly and sealably transferring the sterilized batch of containers into the filling and sealing machine by opening the outlet and transferring the batch of containers with the inlet kept closed and sealed by said transverse pressure on the door of the sealable inlet, the batch of containers being supported on a horizontal surface in the sterilization chamber, and the containers remaining in nested, downwardly-oriented attitude, whereby the containers, and the outlet through which the containers pass, remain sterile and the containers remain empty even though nested.

Claim 4

An apparatus for sterilizing containers prior to processing the containers in a filling and sealing machine, the apparatus comprising: a stacking magazine for receiving a batch of said containers, the stacking magazine having a horizontal support for receiving a vertically-stacked batch of containers in a nested, downwardly-oriented attitude; walls defining a sterilizing chamber having a tightly sealable inlet port and outlet port, the inlet port being disposed toward the stacking magazine and the outlet port being directly connected to an inlet of the filling and sealing machine, the walls holding the stack in vertical, downwardly-oriented position, the inlet port and the outlet port of the sterilizing chamber having slides movable to cover openings to the sterilizing chamber and having eccentric contact rollers mounted for urging the slides to seal the ports, the outlet port having a horizontal slide for supporting a vertically-stacked batch of the containers, the eccentric rollers being disposed along the slides and pressing the slides in a direction transverse to a direction of sliding; means for controlling the inlet port and the outlet port in coordinated manner such that only one of the inlet port and the outlet port is openable at a given time; an unstacking magazine for receiving the batch of containers from the sterilizing chamber, the unstacking magazine being disposed in the filling and sealing machine; controllable connections for attaching the sterilizing chamber to sources of vacuum, sterilizing medium and sterile gas, and means for controlling said connections to sterilize contents of the chamber prior to opening of the outlet port.

Claim 5

An apparatus for sterilizing containers prior to processing the containers in a filling and sealing machine, the apparatus comprising: a stacking magazine for receiving a batch of said containers, the stacking magazine having a horizontal support for receiving a vertically-stacked batch of containers in a nested, downwardly-oriented attitude; walls defining a sterilizing chamber having a tightly sealable inlet port and outlet port, the inlet port being disposed toward the stacking magazine and the outlet port being directly connected to an inlet of the filling and sealing machine, the walls holding the stack in vertical, downwardly-oriented position, the inlet port and the outlet port of the sterilizing chamber having slides movable to cover openings to the sterilizing chamber and having eccentric contact rollers mounted for urging the slides to seal the ports, the outlet port having a horizontal slide for supporting a vertically-stacked batch of the containers, the eccentric rollers being disposed along the slides and pressing the slides in a direction transverse to a direction of sliding; means for controlling the inlet port and the outlet port in coordinated manner such that only one of the inlet port and the outlet port is openable at a given time; an unstacking magazine for receiving the batch of containers from the sterilizing chamber, the unstacking magazine being disposed in the filling and sealing machine; controllable connections for attaching the sterilizing chamber to sources of vacuum, sterilizing medium and sterile gas, and means for controlling said connections to sterilize contents of the chamber prior to opening of the outlet port.

Claim 16

An apparatus for sterilizing containers prior to processing the containers in a filling and sealing machine, the apparatus comprising: a stacking magazine for receiving a batch of said containers, the stacking magazine having a horizontal support for receiving a vertically-stacked batch of containers in a nested, downwardly-oriented attitude; walls defining a sterilizing chamber having a tightly sealable inlet port and outlet port, the inlet port being disposed toward the stacking magazine and the outlet port being directly connected to an inlet of the filling and sealing machine, the walls holding the stack in vertical, downwardly-oriented position, and the inlet port and outlet port having more to close said parts and eccentric contact rollers arranged on each end of the sterilizing chamber adjacent said closing means, means for turning said eccentric rollers to apply pressure toward said chamber to seal said chamber, an eccentric roller for the inlet port being disposed at a lower end of the stacking magazine; means for controlling the inlet port and the outlet port in coordinated manner such that only one of the inlet port and the outlet port is openable at a given time; an unstacking magazine adjacent said outlet port and said eccentric roller, for receiving the batch of containers from the sterilizing chamber, the unstacking magazine being disposed in the filling and sealing machine; controllable connections for attaching the sterilizing chamber to sources of vacuum, sterilizing medium and sterile gas, and means for controlling said connections to sterilize contents of the chamber prior to opening of the outlet port.

Claim 17

An apparatus for sterilizing containers prior to processing the containers in a filling and sealing machine, the apparatus comprising: a stacking magazine for receiving a batch of said containers, the stacking magazine having a horizontal support for receiving a vertically-stacked batch of containers in a nested, downwardly-oriented attitude; walls defining a sterilizing chamber having a tightly sealable inlet port and outlet port, the inlet port being disposed toward the stacking magazine and the outlet port being directly connected to an inlet of the filling and sealing machine, the walls holding the stack in vertical, downwardly-oriented position, and the inlet port and outlet port having more to close said parts and eccentric contact rollers arranged on each end of the sterilizing chamber adjacent said closing means, means for turning said eccentric rollers to apply pressure toward said chamber to seal said chamber, an eccentric roller for the inlet port being disposed at a lower end of the stacking magazine; means for controlling the inlet port and the outlet port in coordinated manner such that only one of the inlet port and the outlet port is openable at a given time; an unstacking magazine adjacent said outlet port and said eccentric roller, for receiving the batch of containers from the sterilizing chamber, the unstacking magazine being disposed in the filling and sealing machine; controllable connections for attaching the sterilizing chamber to sources of vacuum, sterilizing medium and sterile gas, and means for controlling said connections to sterilize contents of the chamber prior to opening of the outlet port.