IP Library Granted Patent US 11,642,830
Granted Patent B2
US 11,642,830 · App. 17/060,955 · Granted May 9, 2023

Container sterilization method and container sterilization system

Inventors: Atsushi Ueda (Hyogo, JP); Kohichi Aoki (Hyogo, JP); Daisuke Tanaka (Tokyo, JP); Yasue Takeuchi (Tokyo, JP); Kohichi Tamura (Osaka, JP); Takashi Minamihonoki (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.
B29C49/46A61L2/20B65B55/027B65B55/04B65B55/10B65B3/022B67C7/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,642,830
App. No.
17/060,955
Granted
May 9, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a novel container sterilization method in which no liquid agent is used. A container sterilization method is a method of performing sterilization by supplying a sterilization component to a container that is continuously conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path, the container sterilization method including supplying a humid ozone gas to a sterilization area, the humid ozone gas being an ozone gas that has humidity, the sterilization area being partitioned by a sterilization chamber that contains the conveyance path. The humidity of the humid ozone gas to be supplied to the sterilization region is regulated, depending on a temperature of the containers to be conveyed to the sterilization region.

Claims (8)

1. A container sterilization method of performing sterilization by supplying a sterilization component to containers that are continuously conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path,

the container sterilization method comprising supplying a humid ozone gas to a sterilization region, the humid ozone gas comprising an ozone gas that has humidity, the sterilization region being partitioned by a chamber that comprises the conveyance path, wherein

the humidity of the humid ozone gas to be supplied to the sterilization region is regulated, depending on a temperature of the containers to be conveyed to the sterilization region.

2. The container sterilization method according to claim 1 , wherein a humidity of the humid ozone gas to be supplied to the sterilization region is adjusted such that a relative humidity RH of the humidity ozone gas at the temperature of the containers to be conveyed to the sterilization region is in a range of 45 to 100%.

3. The container sterilization method according to claim 1 , wherein the containers comprise PET (Polyethylene terephthalate).

4. The container sterilization method according to claim 1 , wherein

the humid ozone gas to be supplied to the sterilization region has a higher temperature than the containers to be conveyed to the sterilization region.

5. The container sterilization method according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber has a higher temperature than the containers to be conveyed to the sterilization region.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 27, 2023
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MECHATRONICS SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063111/0641 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2023
From: UEDA, ATSUSHI; AOKI, KOHICHI; TANAKA, DAISUKE; TAKEUCHI, YASUE; TAMURA, KOHICHI; MINAMIHONOKI, TAKASHI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 062973/0309 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2014-244055 · Dec 2, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 15532497
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