Title of Invention

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILLING OF CONTAINERS IN A STERILE MANNER

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for filling containers, in particular, for filling bottles with perishable goods. Said device comprises a filling station and is characterised by a clean room (3), in which the containers (B) are filled and preferably sealed with a closure (V) in a sealing station (7). The device also has a first cleaning sluice (13) for the containers (B) which is allocated to the clean room (3), in such a way that the containers (B) are cleaned before entering said clean room (3).

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENT ACT 1970 (39 of 1970) & The Patents Rules, 2003 PROVISIONAL / COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13) 1. TITLE OF INVENTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS IN A STERILE MANNER APPLICANT(S) a) Name b) Nationality c) Address AND a) Name b) Nationality c) Address AND a) Name b) Nationality c) Address AND a) Name b) Nationality c) Address WOLFHARD SCHWARZ GERMAN National VON-KETTELER-STR. 39, 67550 WORMS, GERMANY GUNTER SPATZ GERMAN National CARLO-VON-MIERENDORFF-STR. 68623 LAMPERTHEIM GERMANY KARL-HEINZ SPETHER GERMAN National SCHRIESHEIMER STRASSE 12 68549 ILVESHEIM GERMANY DR. DANIEL WEISERT GERMAN National HARRLACHWEG 4 68163 MANNHEIM GERMANY 35 PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - Device and method for filling containers Description 5 The invention relates to a device for filling containers, in particular bottles, according to the preamble of Claim 1 and to a method for filling containers, in particular bottles, according to the preamble of Claim 6. 10 Devices and methods of the type discussed here are known. However, it has been found that particularly when the containers are being filled with perishable substance, in particular with beer, fruit juices or still mineral water, the substance with which the 1.5 containers are filled becomes contaminated and therefore perishes . rapidly, so that it is no longer suitable for consumption. Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a device and a method which do not have these 20 drawbacks. To achieve this object, the invention proposes a device which .has the features listed in Claim 1. It is distinguished by a clean room in which the containers are filled. In this context", the term clean 25 room means.an environment within which the number of germs is extremely low and which is virtually free of substances " which are hazardous to the perishable substance. A closure, station is also provided in the clean room. Therefore,, the containers are closed with a 36 closure in the clean room, so.that it is impossible for any germs to enter the container, during transfer from , the filling station to the closure station. The rlean ".. room is assigned at. least a first cleaning lock, in which the containers .are cleaned before they enter the 3 5 clean room. An exemplary embodiment of the device which is distinguished" by: the: fact that a second cleaning lock is provided,; which is used to clean the closures which are fitted onto, the containers, is preferred. This also 2 ensures that it is impossible for any germs or the like to be carried into the clean room. Further configurations are given in the remaining subclaims. 5 To achieve the object, the invention also proposes a method which has the features listed in Claim 6. It is distinguished by the fact that the containers are fed to a clean room, inside which they are filled, via a first cleaning lock, in which they 10 are cleaned. The containers are also closed in the clean room, in order to prevent germs or other substances from being carried into the perishable substance. Further embodiments of the method are given in 15 the remaining subclaims. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which the only figure shows an outline sketch, in the form of a block diagram, of the device for filling containers. 20 Figure 1 shows a device " 1 inside which containers B are filled with a perishable substance. The. device 1 has a clean room 3 which is distinguished by the fact that the number of germs per cubic metre of air and of other substances which have an adverse 25 effect on the perishable substance are reduced to a minimum. Inside the device 1 there is a filling station 5 in which the perishable substance is introduced into the containers B The device 1 illustrated in this 30 figure also comprises a closure station 7, inside which closures V are fitted to the filled containers B. The closure station 7 is preferably likewise arranged in the clean room 3, i.e. inside the device 1, in order to avoid germs or other, substances from posing a risk to 35 the perishable substance when the containers B are transferred from the filling: station 5 to the closure station 7 . In Figure 1, a downstream cleaning station 9 is indicated in dashed"lines inside the device 1. This is 3 used to clean the filled containers B, so that there is no perishable substance or other substances adhering to the outside thereof. Figure 1 indicates that the downstream cleaning station may also be provided 5 outside the device 1. The cleaning station arranged outside the device 1 is denoted by reference numeral 11. It can be seen from Figure 1 that a first cleaning lock 13 is provided, which is fed with the 10 containers B to be filled. Inside the cleaning lock 13, the containers B are cleaned, preferably sterilized. The lock may comprise a blasting device and/or a gasification device, the blasting device being able to spray a liquid onto the containers B to be cleaned 15 and/or to emit UV or radioactive radiation. Devices of this type are known, and therefore will not be described here. The cleaned containers B are fed from the first cleaning lock 13" to the device 1 in such a way that 20 there is no possibility of contamination of the containers B. The.first cleaning lock 13 may therefore be directly connected to the device 1. Figure 1 also shows a second cleaning lock 15 which is fed with the " closures V which are used to 25 close the containers B. Inside the second cleaning lock 15, the closures V are cleaned and/or disinfected; in this case too, it is possible to use a blasting device of the abovementioned type and/or a gasification device. 30 From the second cleaning lock 15, the closures V are fed to the device 1 in such a way that there is no possibility of contamination by germs or other substances . A dashed line 17 indicates that on the one hand 35 the first and second cleaning locks 13 and 15 may be combined to form a single lock, and on the other hand the two locks may be directly" connected to the device 1, in order to ...be able to ensure that . the cleaned 4 •objects are transferred securely, i.e. with protection against contamination. The objects to be cleaned, i.e. the containers B and the closures V, can therefore be cleaned in the 5 associated cleaning locks by a gasification device which emits ozone, for example, or by means of a blasting device. The blasting device can release a cleaning liquid onto the objects to be cleaned or can emit UV radiation or radioactive radiation. Following 10 the cleaning by; means of an active washing liquid, it is possible to carry out downstream cleaning using a neutral medium, in order to eliminate all residues of the cleaning liquid. The downstream cleaning preferably takes place outside the clean room, which can thus be 15 of relatively compact design. The way in which the device 1 functions and the method for filling containers will be dealt with in more detail below: In the interior of the device 1, namely in the 20 clean room 3, containers B are filled with perishable substance, for example with fruit juices or with mineral water which has a low carbon dioxide content or contains no carbon dioxide, in a filling station 5. In the latter case, therefore the disinfecting action of 25 carbon dioxide is absent. To prevent germs from being introduced into the containers B, the containers B and preferably also the closures V are cleaned and/or disinfected in cleaning locks 13 and 15 or, if appropriate, in a common 30 cleaning lock (cf. line 17) . The containers B are then fed, to the filling station .5, the closures V to the closure station 7, In this way, it is possible to fill the containers B with perishable substance and to prevent germs or other disruptive substances from being 35 entrained. Therefore, with the aid of the device 1 and the method explained here, it is possible for containers B to be filled without there being any need for heating of the. substance to"be introduced. On the one hand, this contributes to the flavour and 5 constituents, in particular vitamins, of the substance with which the containers are to be filled not being impaired, and on the other hand it is possible to save on the energy required . to heat the substance. 5 Ultimately, the method and device contribute to reliably achieving the minimum shelf life required, and in many cases this shelf life can even be extended, in some cases considerably. The closed containers B may also be cleaned in 10 a downstream cleaning station 9 inside the clean room 3. However, it is expedient for the downstream cleaning to be carried out outside the device I or the clean room 3, in a downstream cleaning station 11. Overall, it becomes clear that the device 1 is 15 of very simple structure and that-it is possible . to use standard cleaning and disinfecting methods for cleaning and disinfecting the objects which have been introduced into the clean room 3, namely the containers B and if appropriate also, the closures V, in such a way that 20 there are no germs or other substances entrained into the perishable substance. The explanations given also make it clear that it is simple to produce cleaning locks 13, 15 which can be directly : integrated in the housing wall of the 25 device • 1 or can be fitted to this wall. Germs cannot enter the clean room 3 or the area on the other side of the housing wall, since the only access is through the cleaning locks. In the end, it can be seen clearly that in the 30 device described here or when carrying out the method explained, containers are filled and closed in a clean room; In doing • so, at least one cleaning lock is used to ensure that the objects which are introduced into the clean room, in this case therefore the containers 35 and the closures, are cleaned, so that it is impossible for germs to be introduced. It can easily be seen that it" is possible to use a cleaning lock which is provided for both the containers and the. closures, but that it 6 is also possible to provide separate cleaning locks for the two elements. The device and the method are suitable for containers and closures of all types. However, it has 5 emerged that in some cases there are areas of closures which are not readily accessible and in which it is possible that there may still be germs. Therefore, it is preferable to use particular types of closure which are of very simple structure, i.e. from which germs can 10 be completely removed very easily during a cleaning operation. The particular closures of the type discussed here are, as it were, simple closure caps, also referred to as sealing caps, which can be fitted onto 15 . the container in the interior of - the clean room and reliably close this container. The containers are then preferably definitively closed outside the clean room by a closure element being fitted to the closure cap. This may be a conventional plastic screw-type cap, a 20 crown cap, a twist crown cap or a standard metal screw-type cap. Screw-type caps of this type are fitted onto the container which, has been provided with the closure cap and are then subjected to a -forming operation in which a thread is rolled into the lateral surface, of 25 the screw-type cap. Forming processes of this type are generally known and therefore.... need no further explanation here. It is also essential that closure caps which are preferably of simple structure are used, without 30 any undercuts or areas in which germs or the like may remain during a cleaning operation, thus constituting a hazard to the filling substance. The containers can be securely closed by means of the closure caps, so that contamination of the container content is reliably 35 avoided even after they have been taken out of the clean room. The" containers are therefore easy to handle without risk of the contents being damaged and can be definitively closed in the manner referred to above. The closure caps may consist of plastic, of plastic-coated metal or of a plurality of materials. Preferably the closure caps are fed to the cleaning lock in a defined orientation, so that it is 5 impossible for any liquid residues to collect in the closure cap during cleaning with a liquid cleaning or disinfecting agent. The simple structure of the closure caps, which in fact have no undercuts or the like is also 10 advantageous for cleaning methods using jets and beams of all kinds, since all areas of the closure cap can be reliably reached and germs and the like are killed. During cleaning of the closure caps which are held at a particularly selected orientation, it is 15 possible to ensure that cleaning liquid does not collect in recesses or the like. Consequently, drying processes which follow the cleaning operation can be carried out particularly efficiently and quickly. During Cleaning of the containers and the 20 closures or closure caps, it should be ensured that the materials of the parts to be cleaned are not impaired and that the taste of the substances or liquids with which the container is filled is not adversely affected either. By way of example, peracetic acid and/or 25 alcohol can be used for the cleaning. The device described here and the method explained can be used particularly effectively for filling.containers with readily perishable substance, in particular with beer, fruit juices and mineral water 30 with a low carboy dioxide content or without any carbon dioxide. In this case, it is preferable to use the closure caps described which are referred to . as sealing caps, since such caps can be cleaned very thoroughly. 8 claim: 1. The combination with an automobile spotlight including a lamp casing, of a rear-view mirror, means for detachably securing said mirror upon the outer peripheral surface of the lamp casing, said means permitting the adjustment of said mirror annularly of the lamp casing to various angular locations with relation to the axis of the light. 2. The combination with a spotlight having a convexly-curved shell, of a rear-view mirror detachably and adjustably secured thereto, said mirror having an annular casing, the inner periphery of which conforms in curvature to the curvature of the spotlight shell. 3. In combination with an automobile spotlight having a convexly-curved shell, of a convexly-curved mirror mounted upon and coincident with said shell and means for detachably and adjustably securing the mirror to the shell, whereby the mirror may be adjusted annularly of the shell. 4. The combination with an automobile spotlight having a removable bezel, of a rear-view mirror adjustably secured thereto by a flange adapted to be received between the bezel and lamp casing. 5. In combination with an automobile spotlight provided with a handle, a detachable rear-view mirror, means for adjustably mounting said mirror upon the lamp casing, said means including a clamp adapted to encircle and be clamped around the lamp handle. 6. The combination with an automobile spotlight having a removable bezel, of a rear-view mirror detachably and adjustably secured thereto, said mirror being provided with diametrically opposite extensions adapted to be detachably secured to opposite portions of the lamp, one of said extensions being engaged by the bezel. 9 The combination with an automobile spotlight, of a rear-view mirror fitted adjustably upon one side thereof, said mirror being provided with front and rear extensions which adjustably engage front and rear portions, respectively, of the lamp body, to admit of the mirror being annularly shifted upon the lamp about the axis thereof. Dated this 14th day of February, 2002. HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR ALCOA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH 10

Documents:

abstract1.jpg

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-assignment-19-12-2005.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-cancelled pages-14-2-2002.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-claims(granted)-(17-4-2006).pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-claims-granted-17-04-2006.doc

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-correspondence(ipo).pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-correspondence.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-drawing-17-4-2006.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 1-14-2-2002.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 1-17-4-2006.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 19-11-2-2004.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 2(granted)-17-4-2006.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 2-granted-17-04-2006.doc

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 3-11-2-2004.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 3-17-4-2006.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 5-11-2-2004.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 5-17-4-2006.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form 6-19-12-2005.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-form-pct-ipea-409-14-2-2002.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-power of attorney-14-2-2002.pdf

in-pct-2002-00191-mum-power of attorney-19-12-2005.pdf