Machine for filling sealed soft containers in an aseptic environment, and method for their filling

1. A machine for filling a soft container ( 2 ) with a fluid material, said container ( 2 ) comprising two thin sheets sealedly joined together along a perimeter bounding the container ( 2 ) and being internally sterile, characterised by comprising:

a sealing box ( 3 ) comprising two complementary half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) that can be clamped together, said two half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) having respective sealing edges ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) which can be brought into mutual contact to isolate their interior from the outside environment when said complementary half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) are clamped together, said container ( 2 ) being positioned vertically and retained by said edges ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) with at least one portion inserted into said box ( 3 ), said portion being isolated from the outside;

aperture-forming means ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ) located in said sealing box ( 3 ) to form an aperture ( 5 ) in said container portion inserted in the box ( 3 )

means for widening the aperture ( 5 ) to a predetermined dimension;

filling means ( 8 , 9 ) for filling said container ( 2 ) with the fluid material through said aperture ( 5 );

welding means ( 32 ) for sealing said aperture ( 5 ) on termination of filling.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , in which said interior of said sealing box ( 3 ) communicates, via a first opening ( 18 ) provided in the top of the two clamped-together half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ), with a chamber ( 15 ) isolated from the outside environment, and which further comprises valve means ( 17 ) arranged to interrupt communication between said chamber ( 15 ) and said box ( 3 ), such as to form a sterile chamber in which a cleaning/sterilization of the filling means ( 8 , 9 ) takes place.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said filling means comprise a feed conduit fed by a feed source and having a movable nozzle ( 8 ) provided with a delivery mouth ( 9 ).

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said nozzle ( 8 ) is movable from a retracted position, in which the delivery mouth ( 9 ) lies within said chamber ( 15 ), to an advanced position, in which said delivery mouth ( 9 ) lies inside the container ( 2 ).

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 , wherein two lower gaskets ( 23 ) of the sealing edge are moved towards each other to enable the two sheets of the container ( 2 ) to move apart at the lower opening ( 20 ) in order to leave a passage free for the nozzle ( 9 ).

6. A machine as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the edges of said half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) form a sealing surround interrupted lowerly by a lower opening ( 20 ), said half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) comprising two sealing carriages ( 24 ) arranged to close said lower opening ( 20 ) and two lower pressing carriages ( 31 ) arranged to embrace, by way of the interposed container-forming sheets, a lower ring ( 14 ) against which they form a seal to hermetically isolate that part of the container interior lying above the lower opening ( 20 ) from that part of the container interior lying above the lower opening ( 20 ).

7. A machine as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each half-box ( 4 a , 4 b ) comprises an upper movable pressing carriage ( 30 ) located below the region in which the aperture ( 5 ) is made in the container, and arranged to position itself about the upper ring ( 13 ) by way of the interposed container-forming sheets and form a seal against it, the seal between the pressing carriages ( 30 ) and an upper ring ( 13 ) hermetically sealing the container ( 2 ) slightly below the aperture ( 5 ), to sealingly isolate the container interior from the outer environment.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aperture-forming means comprise at least one blade ( 16 a , 16 b ) arranged to cut said container ( 2 ) in order to form its aperture ( 5 ).

9. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , comprising means ( 28 , 29 ) for mutually withdrawing the two contacting thin sheets of the container ( 2 ) in order to widen said aperture ( 5 ), said withdrawing means ( 28 , 29 ) being positioned within the box ( 3 ).

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein, simultaneously with the mutual retraction of said withdrawing means ( 28 , 29 ), two lateral gaskets ( 21 ) of the sealing edges of the two half-boxes ( 4 a , 4 b ) are rotated inwards, for which purpose they are associated with the corresponding edges so as to be able to rotate about a lower rotation point (y).

11. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , comprising retention means ( 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ) for maintaining said container ( 2 ) in a vertical position.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said retention means comprise two pairs of clamps ( 34 ) with jaws ( 35 ) disposed to the side of the sealing box ( 3 ).