Patents by Inventor Seiji KUWANO

Seiji KUWANO has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12043534
    Abstract: Even when the filling speed increases, the surface temperature of a molded bottle falls within a constant range, and a sterilizer adequately sterilizes the bottle. A preform is heated, the heated preform is sealed in a mold, the preform sealed in the mold is blow-molded into a bottle, the surface temperatures of a neck portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion of the molded bottle are measured, and the mold temperatures of a neck portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion of the mold is so adjusted that the measured surface temperature of the bottle falls within a specified temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Yoshinori Sato, Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 11897742
    Abstract: A cap sterilization device (50) includes a sterilant spraying chamber (52) in which a sterilant is sprayed onto a cap (33) and an air-rinsing chamber (53) in which the cap (33) onto which the sterilant has been sprayed in the sterilant spraying chamber (52) is subjected to air-rinsing. A sterilant spraying wheel (74) that conveys the cap (33) while rotating the cap (33) is disposed in the sterilant spraying chamber (52). An air-rinsing wheel (75) that conveys the cap (33) onto which the sterilant has been sprayed while rotating the cap (33) is disposed in the air-rinsing chamber (53). The air-rinsing chamber (53) is disposed vertically above the sterilant spraying chamber (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Seiji Kuwano, Yoshinori Satou
  • Patent number: 11897178
    Abstract: A plastic bottle manufacturing device (50) includes a preform heating part (52) that includes a plurality of heating bodies (65), a blow-molding part (54) that molds a plastic bottle (20) by blow-molding a preform (10), and a preform temperature measuring part (53) that measures temperatures of the preform (10) at a plurality of measurement points (P) in a longitudinal direction of the preform (10). The plurality of measurement points (P) are provided in correspondence with the plurality of heating bodies (65). A control unit (70) controls an output of each heating body (65) based on an optimal temperature distribution at each measurement point (P) of the preform (10) that has been predetermined and an actually measured temperature distribution at each measurement point (P) of the preform (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 11873203
    Abstract: A cleaning method of a heat sterilization system includes: a step of causing a fluid formed of a cleaning liquid or a rinse liquid to flow through the heat sterilization system; a step of supplying hot water to a second-stage heating unit to heat the second-stage heating unit; and a step of measuring fluid temperatures of the fluid at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit, and medium temperatures of the hot water at a medium inlet of the second-stage heating unit and a medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit. An overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) of a heating pipe of the second-stage heating unit is calculated based on the fluid temperatures at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit and the medium temperatures at the medium inlet and the medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 11691861
    Abstract: A method of cleaning and sterilizing a drink filling apparatus including a CIP process of circulating a cleaner in a drink supply piping to remove foreign matter on an interior of the drink supply piping, and an SIP process of sterilizing the interior of the drink supply piping. The processes are performed at the same time or in sequence without an interruption between the two. The SIP process uses the cleaner to sterilize the interior of the drink supply piping. After the SIP process, while the cleaner is kept circulating, a temperature condition at a predetermined position in the drink supply piping is adjusted to a temperature setting for manufacture, after which the cleaner in the drink supply piping is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Seiji Kuwano
  • Publication number: 20230002208
    Abstract: A cap sterilization device (50) includes a sterilant spraying chamber (52) in which a sterilant is sprayed onto a cap (33) and an air-rinsing chamber (53) in which the cap (33) onto which the sterilant has been sprayed in the sterilant spraying chamber (52) is subjected to air-rinsing. A sterilant spraying wheel (74) that conveys the cap (33) while rotating the cap (33) is disposed in the sterilant spraying chamber (52). An air-rinsing wheel (75) that conveys the cap (33) onto which the sterilant has been sprayed while rotating the cap (33) is disposed in the air-rinsing chamber (53). The air-rinsing chamber (53) is disposed vertically above the sterilant spraying chamber (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi HAYAKAWA, Seiji KUWANO, Yoshinori SATOU
  • Publication number: 20220371873
    Abstract: Even when the filling speed increases, the surface temperature of a molded bottle falls within a constant range, and a sterilizer adequately sterilizes the bottle. A preform is heated, the heated preform is sealed in a mold, the preform sealed in the mold is blow-molded into a bottle, the surface temperatures of a neck portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion of the molded bottle are measured, and the mold temperatures of a neck portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion of the mold is so adjusted that the measured surface temperature of the bottle falls within a specified temperature range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi HAYAKAWA, Yoshinori SATO, Seiji KUWANO
  • Publication number: 20220024109
    Abstract: A plastic bottle manufacturing device (50) includes a preform heating part (52) that includes a plurality of heating bodies (65), a blow-molding part (54) that molds a plastic bottle (20) by blow-molding a preform (10), and a preform temperature measuring part (53) that measures temperatures of the preform (10) at a plurality of measurement points (P) in a longitudinal direction of the preform (10). The plurality of measurement points (P) are provided in correspondence with the plurality of heating bodies (65). A control unit (70) controls an output of each heating body (65) based on an optimal temperature distribution at each measurement point (P) of the preform (10) that has been predetermined and an actually measured temperature distribution at each measurement point (P) of the preform (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji KUWANO
  • Patent number: 11203514
    Abstract: An aseptic filling system includes a heat sterilizer and a filler. The heat sterilizer has a heating unit, a holding tube, a first stage cooling unit and a second stage cooling unit. A circulation line composed of a heating-water line and a cooling-water line is connected to the heating unit and the first stage cooling unit. A connection line is connected to the cooling-water line, and aseptic cooling water in the cooling-water line is sent to the filler through the connection line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 11174145
    Abstract: An aseptic filling system includes a heat sterilizer and a filler. The heat sterilizer has a heating unit, a holding tube, a first stage cooling unit and a second stage cooling unit. A circulation line composed of a heating-water line and a cooling-water line is connected to the heating unit and the first stage cooling unit. A connection line is connected to the cooling-water line, and aseptic cooling water in the cooling-water line is sent to the filler through the connection line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwano
  • Publication number: 20210347621
    Abstract: A cleaning method of a heat sterilization system includes: a step of causing a fluid formed of a cleaning liquid or a rinse liquid to flow through the heat sterilization system; a step of supplying hot water to a second-stage heating unit to heat the second-stage heating unit; and a step of measuring fluid temperatures of the fluid at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit, and medium temperatures of the hot water at a medium inlet of the second-stage heating unit and a medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit. An overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) of a heating pipe of the second-stage heating unit is calculated based on the fluid temperatures at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit and the medium temperatures at the medium inlet and the medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji KUWANO
  • Patent number: 11034566
    Abstract: A sterilization process transition method of switching from an SIP process to a product sterilization process in an apparatus including piping that feeds a product into a filling machine through a heating sterilization part. The process sterilizes the piping before a filling operation, and the product sterilization process sterilizes the product to be filled. An F value is calculated from temperature and flowrate data on a fluid flowing in the heating sterilization part that are obtained from temperature sensors and flowmeters disposed in the product filling apparatus at predetermined time intervals. The temperature and flowrate at two or more predetermined positions in the product filling apparatus are adjusted from a set temperature and a set flowrate for the SIP process to a set temperature and a set flowrate for the product sterilization process while preventing the F value from becoming lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Takaharu Hirooka, Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 10870564
    Abstract: At least one of COP and SOP treatments is performed by spraying a predetermined working fluid from spray nozzles within an aseptic chamber accommodated with a filler in a predetermined order, when such at least one of the COP and SOP treatments is performed, the predetermined working fluid is blasted toward externally of the filler in the predetermined order while moving a movable spray nozzle opposing to the filler around the filler from an outer periphery thereof, thus performing the filler cleaning operation. Accordingly, downtime at the drink filling working can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 10787355
    Abstract: A conveying equipment (50) includes a first conveyance line (60) having a first upper rotation conveyance unit (61a) and a first lower rotation conveyance unit (61b) and a second conveyance line (70) having a second upper rotation conveyance unit (71a) and a second lower rotation conveyance unit (71b). In the conveying equipment (50), between the first conveyance line (60) and the second conveyance line (70), an adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) that rotates while gripping at least one of a flange upper portion (17a) and a flange lower portion (17b) of a bottle (10) is provided. The adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) has an upper gripping part (81a) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange upper portion (17a), and a lower gripping part (81b) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange lower portion (17b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Kuwano
  • Publication number: 20200277178
    Abstract: A method of cleaning and sterilizing a drink filling apparatus including a CIP process of circulating a cleaner in a drink supply piping to remove foreign matter on an interior of the drink supply piping, and an SIP process of sterilizing the interior of the drink supply piping. The processes are performed at the same time or in sequence without an interruption between the two. The SIP process uses the cleaner to sterilize the interior of the drink supply piping. After the SIP process, while the cleaner is kept circulating, a temperature condition at a predetermined position in the drink supply piping is adjusted to a temperature setting for manufacture, after which the cleaner in the drink supply piping is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi HAYAKAWA, Seiji KUWANO
  • Publication number: 20200198955
    Abstract: Cost is reduced as a whole. An aseptic filling system 1A includes a heat sterilizer 18 and a filler 2. The heat sterilizer 18 has a heating unit 12, a holding tube 14, a first stage cooling unit 15 and a second stage cooling unit 16. A circulation line 30 composed of a heating-water line 31 and a cooling-water line 32 is connected to the heating unit 12 and the first stage cooling unit 15. A connection line 33 is connected to the cooling-water line 32, and aseptic cooling water in the cooling-water line 32 is sent to the filler through the connection line 33.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji KUWANO
  • Publication number: 20200156918
    Abstract: A conveying equipment (50) includes a first conveyance line (60) having a first upper rotation conveyance unit (61a) and a first lower rotation conveyance unit (61b) and a second conveyance line (70) having a second upper rotation conveyance unit (71a) and a second lower rotation conveyance unit (71b). In the conveying equipment (50), between the first conveyance line (60) and the second conveyance line (70), an adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) that rotates while gripping at least one of a flange upper portion (17a) and a flange lower portion (17b) of a bottle (10) is provided. The adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) has an upper gripping part (81a) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange upper portion (17a), and a lower gripping part (81b) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange lower portion (17b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji KUWANO
  • Publication number: 20200148522
    Abstract: A sterilization process transition method of switching from an SIP process to a product sterilization process in an apparatus including piping that feeds a product into a filling machine through a heating sterilization part. The process sterilizes the piping before a filling operation, and the product sterilization process sterilizes the product to be filled. An F value is calculated from temperature and flowrate data on a fluid flowing in the heating sterilization part that are obtained from temperature sensors and flowmeters disposed in the product filling apparatus at predetermined time intervals. The temperature and flowrate at two or more predetermined positions in the product filling apparatus are adjusted from a set temperature and a set flowrate for the SIP process to a set temperature and a set flowrate for the product sterilization process while preventing the F value from becoming lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Takaharu Hirooka, Seiji Kuwano
  • Patent number: 10618789
    Abstract: A sterilization process transition method of switching from an SIP process to a product sterilization process in an apparatus including piping that feeds a product into a filling machine through a heating sterilization part. The process sterilizes the piping before a filling operation, and the product sterilization process sterilizes the product to be filled. An F value is calculated from temperature and flowrate data on a fluid flowing in the heating sterilization part that are obtained from temperature sensors and flowmeters disposed in the product filling apparatus at predetermined time intervals. The temperature and flowrate at two or more predetermined positions in the product filling apparatus are adjusted from a set temperature and a set flowrate for the SIP process to a set temperature and a set flowrate for the product sterilization process while preventing the F value from becoming lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Takaharu Hirooka, Seiji Kuwano
  • Publication number: 20190127197
    Abstract: At least one of COP and SOP treatments is performed by spraying a predetermined working fluid from spray nozzles within an aseptic chamber accommodated with a filler in a predetermined order, when such at least one of the COP and SOP treatments is performed, the predetermined working fluid is blasted toward externally of the filler in the predetermined order while moving a movable spray nozzle opposing to the filler around the filler from an outer periphery thereof, thus performing the filler cleaning operation. Accordingly, downtime at the drink filling working can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayakawa, Seiji Kuwano