Trolley for an autoclave

Abstract

The present invention concerns a trolley (1) for an autoclave. The trolley is furnished with U-shaped profiles (7) to receive packages (6), which are to be sterilized in the autoclave simultaneously with their contents. The profiles (7) have a large number of openings. By the position and the form of the profiles (7) at least four sides of each package (6) are reached by steam of the autoclave. The angled sides (8) of the U-shaped profiles (7) assists in collecting the cooling water of the autoclave and lead it towards the packages (6).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a trolley for the use in an autoclave. The trolley is designed to receive a number of packages for sterilization or retorting.

[0002] The trolley may be used for any type of product to be treated in an autoclave. However, the trolley has been especially developed to receive fibre-based cartons enclosing a food product or the like. The cartons and the content are sterilized simultaneously in the autoclave.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is previously known to place packages to be treated in an autoclave on a tray or the like.

[0004] Previously tin canes containing food products or the like has been sterilized simultaneously in an autoclave. When cartons have been used the cartons has usually been sterilized separately and the content separately and then the sterilized cartons has been filled with the sterilized food products. A new fibre-based carton has been developed, which can be sterilized in an autoclave when filled with a food product or the like. Thus, both the cartoon and the food product are sterilized simultaneously in the same way as tin cans have been sterilized previously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] One object of the present invention is that the trolley should not hinder that the heat is evenly distributed in the autoclave.

[0006] A further object is to have a simple loading and unloading of the packages to be retorted.

[0007] Thus, the trolley has been developed to both make it possible to have an even heating throughout the autoclave and to have a simple loading and unloading of packages to be treated. This is done by the use of profiles placed on the trolley to receive the packages. The profiles are formed and positioned in such a way that at least four sides of each package are exposed to the steam of the autoclave.

[0008] Each profile is U-shaped having a great number of openings. The sides of the profile are angled in relation to the bottom part of the profile. The trolley is furnished with wheels or the like adapted to the autoclave in use in order to be easily moved into and out of the autoclave.

[0009] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious for a person skilled in the art when reading the detailed description below of preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] An embodiment of the invention will be more closely described below in way of an example and by reference to the enclosed drawings, in which,

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a trolley according to the invention,

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the trolley of FIG. 1,

[0013] FIG. 3 is a plan view of one profile, and

[0014] FIG. 4 is a principal view showing the positions of the profiles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The trolley 1 of the FIGS. 1 and 2 has at least four vertical bars 2. The vertical bars 2 are placed at the corners of the trolley 1. On two opposite sides of the trolley 1 horizontal bars 13 go between the top of the vertical bars 2. Furthermore, a number of horizontal bars 3 are placed between the vertical bars 2 at the ends of the trolley 1. On these horizontal bars 3 a number of shelves or profiles 7 are placed. The trolley 1 has a bottom frame 4, normally furnished with four wheels 5, one in each corner. An angled bottom part 12 of the bottom frame 4 or the vertical bars 2 are adapted to support the trolley 1 outside the autoclave. Thus the trolley 1 normally rests on these bottom parts 12. In the autoclave the wheels 5 of the trolley 1 rests on rails and thus the trolley 1 is moved into and out of the autoclave by means of the wheels 5 on the rails. Outside the autoclave the trolley 1 is normally moved by means of conveyors, whereby the trolley 1 rests on the angled bottom parts 12 of the vertical bars 2 or the bottom frame 4. A person skilled in the art realizes that the trolley may have any form as long as the profiles are given the desired form and the trolley may be received by the autoclave.

[0016] The profiles 7 are to receive packages 6 that are to be treated in an autoclave and have a general U-shape. The sides 8 of the profiles 7 show an angle a in relation to a vertical plane or the side of a package 6. The profiles 7, including the sides 8, are furnished with a large number of holes 9. When designing the profiles 7 the number and size of the holes 9 is a compromise between the necessary strength of the profiles 7 and the wish that as much as possible of the packages 6 should be exposed to the steam of the autoclave.

[0017] The profiles 7 are positioned to give a distance 10 between the packages 6 in adjacent profiles 7. They also give a distance 11 in height between packages 6 placed above each other. The packages 6 in each profile 7 are normally placed abutting each other. The profiles 7 are placed parallel and with a small distance adjacent each other. The distance between the profiles 7 is normally only about 1 to 3 mm. The packages are normally placed lying down on one side to maximize the size of the surfaces of the package 6 exposed to the steam.

[0018] The holes 9 of the profiles 7 are optimised to distribute the steam and water of the autoclave in the best way. It is important that the steam and thus the heat of the autoclave is distributed evenly. Due to the holes 9 of the profiles 7 at least four sides of each package 6 are reach directly by the steam. The steam is normally distributed from the sides of the autoclave and a fan is provided to distribute the heat evenly throughout the autoclave.

[0019] The sides 8 of the profiles are angled a to facilitate loading and unloading of the packages 6 and partly to collect the cooling water. By the angled sides 8 the steam and cooling water of the autoclave will reach the packages 6 more easily. The cooling water is normally distributed from the top of the autoclave. The angle &agr; should be 15° or more in relation to a vertical plane. Normally the angle &agr; is between 15° and 30° and preferably between 15° and 20°. The sides 8 of the profiles 7 have a height of at least about 10 mm depending on the size of the packages 6.

[0020] The holes 9 of the profile 7 should have a diameter of about 3 to 15 mm and preferably of 4 to 10 mm. If the holes 9 have a diameter less than about 4 mm the water may be trapped in the holes 9 by means of capillary force. If the holes 9 have a diameter bigger than about 10 to 15 mm the pressure of the autoclave may deform the packages 6. The maximal allowable diameter of the holes 9 may vary depending on the packages 6, the content of the packages 6 and the temperature and pressure of the autoclave. Thus, for some packages 6 a diameter of more than 15 mm may be acceptable. A person skilled in the art realizes that the form and placement of the holes may be varied.

[0021] The size and number of profiles 7 in the trolley are adapted to the size of the packages 6 to be treated.

[0022] The packages 6 are normally pushed in a row into and out of each profile 7. The packages 6 will slide on the profile 7. The packages 6 in each profile 7 are placed abutting each other and lying on one side. A stop (not shown) is normally placed at the end of each profile and the row of packages is pushed against said stop.

[0023] In use packages 6 will be slid into each profile 7 until the desired amount of packages 6 are placed on the trolley 1. The trolley 1 is then moved into the autoclave. In the autoclave the packages 6 are first treated with steam under pressure and then cooled by water. Due to the holes 9 of the profiles 7 and the distance between the profiles 7 the steam will reach at least four sides of each package 6. After the heat treatment the packages 6 are cooled by means of water. The water is normally delivered at the top of the autoclave and will flow downwards on the trolley 1. The U-shape of the profiles 7 will collect some of the falling water and lead it towards the packages 6. The holes 9 of the profiles 7 and the distance between the profiles 7 will let the water trough and guarantee that also the lowermost packages 6 of the trolley 1 are cooled by the water.

[0024] As an alternative (not shown) the profiles 7 may be arranged on plates. Each plate is placed on top of another plate when loaded with packages 6. To keep a proper distance 11 between the packages the plates are furnished with spacers placed at the corners. The spacers may be integrated with the plates or may be lose spacers placed manually or by a machine between successive layers of plates having profiles 7 and packages 6. In this embodiment the packages 6 are normally lifted onto the desired positions in the profiles 7.

Claims

1. A trolley (1) for receiving packages (6) to be treated in an autoclave, characterized in that it is furnished with profiles (7) for the packages (6) and that at least four sides of each package (6) can be exposed to steam of the autoclave.

2. The trolley (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the form and positions of the profiles (7) are adapted to the form and size of the packages (6) to be treated.

3. The trolley (1) of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the profiles (7) are U-shaped, that the profiles (7) are furnished with holes (9) and that the sides of the profiles (7) has an angle (&agr;) of 15° to 30° in relation to a vertical plane and preferably 15° to 20°.

4. The trolley (1) of any of the previous claims, characterized in that the diameter of each hole (9) is between about 3 and 15 mm and preferably between 4 and 10 mm.

5. The trolley (1) of any of the previous claims, characterized in that the profiles (7) are positioned parallel with each other on different heights of the trolley (1) in such a way that several profiles (7) are arranged at each height and that the positions of the profiles (7) are adapted to the size of the packages (6) to be treated in the autoclave in such a way that there is a distance (10) between packages (6) on adjacent profiles (7) on the same height and a distance (11) between packages (6) on adjacent profiles (7) on different heights.

6. The trolley (1) of claim 5, characterized in that the distance (10,11) between the packages (6) on adjacent profiles (7) is at least 6 mm.

7. The trolley (1) of any of the previous claims, characterized in that the trolley (1) has four wheels (5) for co-operation with rails in the autoclave.

8. The trolley (1) of any of the previous claims, characterized in that the profiles (7) are arranged on plates which are placed on top of each other.

9. The trolley (1) of claim 8, characterized in that spacers are placed between the plates.

10. The trolley (1) of claim 9, characterized in that the spacers are integrated with the plates.