Claims for Patent: 6,328,928

Summary for Patent: 6,328,928

Title:	Method and for preparing container for filling, and method of filling container
Abstract:	A method and a machine for preparing and filling containers with a product, for which method and machine the containers are grouped in rows at right angles to the transporting direction with the container openings facing upwardly and aligned at a distance from one another. The containers are swiveled, row by row, into an at least approximately vertical position with the container openings facing downwardly and rinsed jointly on the inside with a cleansing agent. The rinsed containers are dried on the inside in a first drying station and, after passing through the first drying station, are charged into a sterile environment. After a row of containers has entered the sterile environment, the containers are sterilized on the inside by means of a sterilizing agent and, in a second drying station, residues of sterilizing agent are expelled from the sterilized containers. In the event that the containers are to be filled with a carbon dioxide-containing and/or a nitrogen-containing material, the containers are wetted subsequently on the inside with sterile water and, after being dried, are swiveled in a second turning process into a filling position with the container openings facing upwardly. The containers subsequently are filled with the specified amount of product and, in a sealing station, sealed at least provisionally with a stopper part, after which the sealed containers are discharged from the sterile region.
Inventor(s):	Schroeder; Klaus (Ahaus, DE), Steinhauser; Ulrich (Ahaus, DE)
Assignee:	GEA Finnah GmbH (Ahaus, DE)
Application Number:	09/254,296
Patent Claims:	1. A method of preparing and filling open ended bottles with a product comprising the steps of: disposing a plurality of said bottles in an upright disposition with the open end uppermost; providing a conveyor for conveying the bottles along a conveying path; loading a plurality of said upright bottles on said conveyor in a plurality of rows of bottles at a loading station along said conveying path with the longitudinal extent of each row being generally perpendicular to said conveying path; inverting each row of upright bottles on said conveyor at an inverting station along said conveyor path to an inverted position in which the open ends of said bottles in each row are lowermost; cleaning the inside of each inverted row of bottles at a cleaning station disposed along said conveying path; drying each inverted row of bottles on said conveyor at a first drying station disposed along said conveying path; providing a sterile enclosure along said conveying path; sterilizing each inverted row of bottles on said conveyor with a sterilizing agent at a sterilizing station in said sterile enclosure; drying the inside of each inverted row of bottles at a second drying station disposed in said sterile enclosure; uprighting each row of bottles on said conveyor at an uprighting station disposed along said conveying path from said inverted position to said upright position while each row of bottles is in said sterile enclosure; filling each row of upright bottles on said conveyor at a filling station with a product while each row of bottles is in said sterile enclosure; sealing the open end of the row of filled bottles on said conveyor at a sealing station while each row of bottles is in said sterile enclosure; and unloading each row of sealed upright bottles from said conveyor at an unloading station. 2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising advancing said conveyor periodically to provide for simultaneously: conveying each row of bottles from said loading station to said inverting station; conveying each row of inverted bottles from said inverting station to said cleaning station; conveying each row of inverted bottles from said cleaning station to said first drying station; conveying each row of inverted bottles from said first drying station to the sterilizing station in the sterile enclosure; conveying each row of inverted bottles from said sterilizing station to said second drying station; conveying each row of inverted bottles from said second drying station to said uprighting station; conveying each row of upright bottles from said uprighting station to said filling station; conveying each row of upright and filled bottles from said filling station to said sealing station; and conveying each row of upright and sealed bottles from said sealing station to said unloading station. 3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically stopping the conveyor, and substantially simultaneously performing said loading step, said inverting step, said cleaning step, said drying step at said first drying station, said sterilizing step, said drying step at said second drying station, said uprighting step, said filling step, said sealing step and said unloading step while said conveyor is stopped. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said inverting step, said cleaning step, said drying step at said first drying station, said sterilizing step, said drying step at said second drying station, said uprighting step, said filling step, and said sealing step are performed substantially simultaneously on each bottle in each row of bottles as said rows of bottle are progressively, sequentially, and discontinuously conveyed from said loading station to said unloading station. 5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically stopping the conveyor to simultaneously dispose a row of bottles in each of said cleaning station, said first drying station, said sterilizing station, said second drying station, said filling station and said sealing station, substantially simultaneously performing said cleaning step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said cleaning station, substantially simultaneously performing said drying step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said first drying station, substantially simultaneously performing said sterilizing step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said sterilizing station, substantially simultaneously performing said drying step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said second drying station, substantially simultaneously performing said filling step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said filling station, and substantially simultaneously performing said sealing step on all of the bottles in the row of bottles stopped at said sealing station. 6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising operating said conveyor over an endless closed loop. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said loading step includes disposing a plurality of said bottles in a bottle carrier which holds a row of said bottles, and operating said conveyor to convey said bottle carriers from said loading station to said unloading station. 8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising gripping said plurality of bottles in each row of bottles on each bottle carrier such that the relative spacing of each bottle in a row on each bottle carrier is maintained substantially unchanged as each bottle carrier is conveyed from said and loading station to said unloading station. 9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising gripping each bottle of said plurality of bottles in each row such as to retain each bottle in each row of bottles in said inverted disposition when each row of bottles is inverted to said inverted position at said inverting station. 10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising wetting the inside of each row of inverted bottles with sterile water within said sterile enclosure after said drying step at said second drying station. 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning step at said cleaning station includes introducing into each row of bottles a liquid cleansing agent which is at a pressure of about 2 to 4 bar and a temperature of about 40.degree. to 90.degree. C. 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said pressure is about 3 bar and said temperature is about 45.degree. C. 13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said drying step at said first and second drying stations includes introducing into the rows of bottles a gaseous drying medium at a temperature of about 40.degree. to 90.degree. C. and under a pressure of about 2 to 4 bar. 14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said sterilizing step includes providing a mist of a sterilizing agent generated by ultrasound and injecting the mist of sterilizing agent into each row of bottles utilizing sterile air. 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said sterilizing step includes including a heated and pressurized liquid sterilizing agent into each invented row bottles. 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said liquid sterilizing agent is at a pressure of about 2 to 4 bar and a temperature of about 40.degree. to 90.degree. C. 17. Apparatus for preparing and filling open ended containers with a product in which the containers have an upright disposition in which the open ends are uppermost and an inverted disposition in which the open ends are lowermost comprising: a conveyor for conveying the containers along a conveying path; container carriers on said conveyor having an upright position and an inverted position; a loading mechanism for loading a plurality of upright containers on said container carriers in a row at a loading station along said conveying path with the longitudinal extent of each row in each container carrier being generally perpendicular to said conveying path, said container carriers being disposed in an upright position at said loading station; an inverting mechanism for inverting each container carrier on said conveyor at an inverting station along said conveying path from said upright position to an inverted position in which the upright containers in each container carrier are inverted to said inverted disposition; a cleaning device for cleaning the inside of each inverted row of containers in each container carrier at a cleaning station disposed along said conveying path; a first drying device for drying each inverted row of containers on each container carrier at a first drying station disposed along said conveying path; a sterile enclosure disposed along said conveying path; a sterilizing device for sterilizing each inverted row of containers on each container carrier with a sterilizing agent at a sterilizing station in said sterile enclosure; a second drying device for drying the inside of each inverted row of containers on each container carrier at a second drying station disposed in said sterile enclosure; an uprighting mechanism for uprighting each container carrier on said conveyor at an uprighting station along said conveying path from said inverted position to said upright position such that the containers in each container carrier are uprighted to said upright disposition while each row of containers is in said sterile enclosure; a filling mechanism for filling each row of upright containers on each container carrier at a filling station with a product while each row of containers is in said sterile enclosure; a sealing mechanism for sealing the open end of the filled containers in each container carrier on said conveyor at a sealing station while each row of containers is in said sterile enclosure; said conveyor being operable to convey each container carrier carrying a row of filled and sealed upright containers out of said sterile enclosure to an unloading station disposed along said conveying path; and an unloading mechanism for unloading each container carrier carrying a row of filled and sealed upright containers from said conveyor at said unloading station. 18. Apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a wetting device for wetting the inside of the inverted row of containers on each container carrier within said sterile enclosure with sterile water after the inside of each row of inverted containers have been dried by said second drying device. 19. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said conveyor includes endless chains disposed to traverse an endless loop, said container carriers being mounted on said endless chains at substantially equally spaced distances from one another, said container carriers being pivotal mounted on said endless chains for pivotal movement between said upright and inverted positions. 20. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each of said container carriers includes container holders for holding each container in each row of containers on each container carrier as said container carriers move from said loading mechanism to said unloading mechanism. 21. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein each of said container carriers includes holders for holding each container on its respective container carrier as said inverting mechanism inverts each container carrier from said upright position to said inverted position. 22. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said sterilizing device includes an ultrasonic generator for ultrasonically atomizing said sterilizing agent and a nozzle connected to a source of sterile air for injecting said atomized sterilizing agent into the interior of said containers. 23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said sterilizing device includes an electrically insulated first electrode in said nozzle and a second electrode on the outside of each container being sterilized, said first and second electrodes providing an electric field which promotes the application of said atomized sterilizing agent on the interior surface of said containers. 24. Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each nozzle is an elongated nozzle having an elongated central passage, each first electrode in each nozzle being an elongated rod electrode centrally disposed in the respective nozzle passageway, said nozzle and its respective first electrode being moveable to a first position in which said nozzle and its respective first electrode are disposed inside said container, said second electrode being moveable to a first position in which said second electrode is disposed about the outside of said container, said nozzle and its respective first electrode being in said first position when said second electrode is in said first position, said nozzle and its respective first electrode being moveable to a second position in which each nozzle and its respective first electrode are disposed externally of said container, said second electrode being moveable to a second position in which said second electrode is removed from being disposed about the outside of each respective container, said nozzle and its respect first electrode being in said second position when said second electrode is in said second position. 25. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first drying device includes a plurality of nozzles including a separate nozzle for each container in the row of containers in said first drying station, said plurality of nozzles being moveable simultaneously between first and second positions, said nozzles when in said first position being disposed in each respective container, said nozzles when in said second position being disposed outside each respective container. 26. Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein each nozzle is an elongate nozzle having an elongated central passage and an elongated outer passage surrounding said central passage, supply conduits for supplying a drying medium to said central passage and to said outer passage, each container having a bottom opposite its respective open end and a sidewall extending between said bottom and said open end, said central passage having a discharge opening operable to direct said drying medium to said bottom of each respective container, each outer passage having discharge openings operable to direct said drying medium to the side wall of each respective container. 27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein each container has a generally central longitudinal axis which is substantially vertically disposed when each container in a row of containers is disposed at said first drying station, said discharge openings in each outer passage discharging said drying medium generally radially outwardly of said longitudinal axis and generally downwardly at an acute angle relative to said longitudinal axis. 28. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said first drying device includes first and second conduits for independently supplying a drying medium to said central passage and to said outer passage of each nozzle. 29. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said first drying device includes exhaust equipment disposed about the open end of each inverted container of a row of containers in said first drying station for conducting the drying medium exiting the open end of each container away from the open end of each container. 30. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said first drying device includes a drying medium guide disposed about the open end of each inverted container for guiding the drying medium exiting from the open end of each container and for limiting the escape of said exiting drying medium from around the open end of each container. 31. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first drying device further includes a conduit for supplying a drying medium to each container in a row of containers at said first drying station, and a sensor in said conduit for sensing that the drying medium has passed through said conduit. 32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said sensor includes a flexible sleeve which forms a part of the outer boundary of said conduit, said flexible sleeve expanding when acted upon by a drying medium passing through the inside of said sleeve, said sensor further including a central switch, said flexible sleeve actuating said central switch when said flexible sleeve expands. 33. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second drying device includes a plurality of nozzles including a separate nozzle for each container in the row of containers in said second drying station, said plurality of nozzles being moveable simultaneously between first and second positions, said nozzles when in said first position being disposed in each respective container, said nozzles when in said second position being disposed outside each respective container. 34. Apparatus for preparing and filling open ended containers with a product in which the containers have an upright disposition in which the open ends are uppermost and an inverted disposition in which the open ends are lowermost comprising: a conveyor for conveying the containers along a conveying path; container carriers on said conveyor having an upright position and an inverted position; loading means for loading a plurality of upright containers on said container carriers in a row at a loading station with the longitudinal extent of each row in each container carrier being generally perpendicular to said conveying path, said container carriers being disposed in an upright position at said loading station; inverting means for inverting each container carrier on said conveyor at an inverting station from said upright position to an inverted position in which the upright containers in each container carrier are inverted to said inverted disposition; cleaning and drying means for cleaning and subsequently drying the inside of each inverted row of containers in each container carrier; a sterile enclosure disposed along said conveying path; sterilizing and drying means for sterilizing and subsequently drying each inverted row of containers on each container carrier in said sterile enclosure; uprighting means for uprighting each container carrier on said conveyor at an uprighting station from said inverted position to said upright position such that the containers in each containers carrier are uprighted from said inverted disposition to said upright disposition while each row of containers is in said sterile enclosure; filling and sealing means for filling and subsequently sealing each row of upright containers on each container carrier in said sterile enclosure; and unloading means for unloading each container carrier carrying a row of filled and sealed upright containers from said conveyor.

Details for Patent 6,328,928

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.	ZOSTAVAX	zoster vaccine live	For Injection	125123	05/25/2006		2017-01-07