Method and apparatus for automatically filling and sterilizing containers

Claim 1

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along the predetermined feed path when in said removed position.

Claim 2

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along the predetermined feed path when in said removed position.

Claim 16

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: means first including pushing assemblies for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags towards a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; said first advancing means includes track means for guiding spouts of successive bags in response to movement of said pushing assemblies.

Claim 17

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: means first including pushing assemblies for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags towards a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; said first advancing means includes track means for guiding spouts of successive bags in response to movement of said pushing assemblies.

Claim 20

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilization chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; means for preheating the bags and spouts entering said separating means.

Claim 21

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilization chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and, means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible strips; means for preheating the bags and spouts entering said separating means.

Claim 22

A method of filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said method comprising the steps of: advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; advancing each spouted bag through the sterilizing chamber; said sterilizing step including introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into the sterilizing chamber and irradiating the spouts with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said advancing steps include providing a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along the predetermined feed path when in said removed position and pushing a spout to advance an associated bag when an arm of one pushing assembly is in a spout engaging position while retracting an arm of the other pushing assembly when it is in its removed position.

Claim 23

A method of filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said method comprising the steps of: advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; advancing each spouted bag through the sterilizing chamber; said sterilizing step including introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into the sterilizing chamber and irradiating the spouts with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said advancing steps include providing a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along the predetermined feed path when in said removed position and pushing a spout to advance an associated bag when an arm of one pushing assembly is in a spout engaging position while retracting an arm of the other pushing assembly when it is in its removed position.

Claim 30

A method of filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said method comprising the steps of: advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; advancing each spouted bag through the sterilizing chamber; said sterilizing step including introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into the sterilizing chamber and irradiating the spouts with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; further including the step of providing the sterilization chamber with tunnel means for sealingly receiving the cap and spout; and conveying the cap and spout by conveying means comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart endless conveyor assemblies in combination with the tunnel means to define the sterilization chamber, each of the conveyor assemblies including a plurality of slats horizontally extending therefrom, each of the slats having at least a recess formed thereon so as to form, in combination with recesses of adjacent ones of the slats, a spout engaging arrangement for engaging and advancing each spout.

Claim 31

A method of filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said method comprising the steps of: advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; advancing each spouted bag through the sterilizing chamber; said sterilizing step including introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into the sterilizing chamber and irradiating the spouts with preselected ultraviolet radiation; and filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; further including the step of providing the sterilization chamber with tunnel means for sealingly receiving the cap and spout; and conveying the cap and spout by conveying means comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart endless conveyor assemblies in combination with the tunnel means to define the sterilization chamber, each of the conveyor assemblies including a plurality of slats horizontally extending therefrom, each of the slats having at least a recess formed thereon so as to form, in combination with recesses of adjacent ones of the slats, a spout engaging arrangement for engaging and advancing each spout.

Claim 37

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; second means for advancing each spouted bag through a sterilizing means; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; and, said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along a predetermined feed path when in said removed position.

Claim 38

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; second means for advancing each spouted bag through a sterilizing means; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; and, said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along a predetermined feed path when in said removed position.

Claim 39

An apparatus for filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing means; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible spouted bags; said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along a predetermined feed path when in said removed position; a portion of said track means includes bridging means which cooperates with said separating means so that said bridging means is raised when said separating means separates adjacent bags along an entire transverse perforated seam between the adjacent bags and is lowered to a position which allows spouts to travel therealong to said sterilizing means when said separating means is in a non-severing mode, wherein said bridging means includes pivoting means for allowing pivoting of said bridging means.

Claim 40

An apparatus for filling empty spouted flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing means; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; said first advancing means includes separating means for separating individual bags from a strip of flexible spouted bags; said first advancing means includes a pair of intermittently reciprocatable pushing assemblies, each mounted in laterally spaced apart relationship to each other; each of said pushing assemblies includes a pivotal spout engaging arm having one position engaged with a spout and a second position removed from the spout; each of said pushing assemblies includes means operable for selectively moving said spout engaging arms between said engaged and removed positions; each of said arms being oriented at an angle such that they do not interfere with the other said arm along a predetermined feed path when in said removed position; a portion of said track means includes bridging means which cooperates with said separating means so that said bridging means is raised when said separating means separates adjacent bags along an entire transverse perforated seam between the adjacent bags and is lowered to a position which allows spouts to travel therealong to said sterilizing means when said separating means is in a non-severing mode, wherein said bridging means includes pivoting means for allowing pivoting of said bridging means.

Claim 41

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; capping means operatively associated with said filling means and being operable for uncapping a capped spout and recapping the spout following the filling of the bag; said filling and capping means includes housing means which houses components of said filling and capping means; and kettle means releasably connectable to said filling and capping means so as to substantially surround said housing of said filling and capping means so as to form a reservoir for cleaning fluid introduced thereinto and removed therefrom which permits clean-in-place cleaning of components in said filling and capping means.

Claim 42

An apparatus for filling empty spouted and flexible fluid bags with a fluid substance, said filling apparatus comprising: first means for advancing at least individual ones of the empty bags toward a filling station; means for sterilizing at least a portion of each spout in a sterilizing chamber; second means for advancing each spouted bag through said sterilizing means; said sterilizing means including means for introducing gaseous hydrogen peroxide into said sterilizing chamber and means for irradiating the spouts in said chamber with preselected ultraviolet radiation; means for filling the empty bags with a fluid substance in a sterile environment; capping means operatively associated with said filling means and being operable for uncapping a capped spout and recapping the spout following the filling of the bag; said filling and capping means includes housing means which houses components of said filling and capping means; and kettle means releasably connectable to said filling and capping means so as to substantially surround said housing of said filling and capping means so as to form a reservoir for cleaning fluid introduced thereinto and removed therefrom which permits clean-in-place cleaning of components in said filling and capping means.