Device for the vacuum packaging and preserving in plastic recipients of products, in particular laundry, sterilized in an autoclave

The present invention relates to a device for the packaging and preservation in plastic covers vacuum sterilized products, including linen, in an autoclave, comprising at least one support rack, a plurality of parallel rods supported the support rack, packaging shaped plastic bags impermeable to air open at one end, means for supporting the packagings in the support rack in such a way that the open end of each package is located between two adjacent bars of said plurality of bars parallel, and compression members and sealing of the open ends of the packagings, which are fixed to said parallel bars.

One such device is for example described in US Patent No. 3 925 961. Although the device described in this US patent works flawlessly, it nevertheless has some drawbacks. In particular, after the products have been sterilized and packaged in plastic packaging vacuum in the autoclave and after the record-holder was taken out of the autoclave, it is necessary to wait 15 to 20 minutes before you can handle plastic bags containing the sterilized products. Indeed, when leaving the autoclave, the plastic bags are still at a relatively high temperature. At this temperature, the plastic material of the bags is brittle and it is necessary to wait until the bags are returned to room temperature before it can handle without risking die and destroy the emptiness inside bags. Therefore the support rack remains stationary for a time which represents about 30% of the total duration of sterilization and packaging cycle. To reduce the total duration of the cycle could be used alternately two lockers-carriers, one of the two racks being loaded carrier of plastic bags containing the products to be sterilized while the other support rack is in the autoclave, and being introduced into the autoclave immediately after the other support rack was removed from the autoclave. However, such traps-carriers are relatively expensive items. As the autoclave can generally contain at least two lockers-holders at the same time, it would therefore be at least two other lockers-holders, which would increase significantly the cost of installation of sterilization and packaging.

In addition, the record carrier disclosed in this US patent comprises a large number of moving parts which are exposed to heat and water vapor in the autoclave. In particular, the bars supporting the compression and sealing organs are not rigidly fixed to the structure of the support rack, but are mounted on the rollers to be spaced apart from each other to allow the introduction and removal of plastic bags into baskets. These baskets and bars are themselves connected by two arms crossed and articulated systems forming accordion. Given the harsh conditions to which these elements are subjected to inside the autoclave, the support rack requires high maintenance.

Finally, the plastic bags containing the products to be sterilized are supported vertically in racks of the support rack. As a result, bags and products they contain tend to sag down and take very irregular shapes instead of keeping a substantially planar shape. This deformation of the night bags to the appearance of the finished product and, as the bags containing the vacuum product are relatively rigid, it becomes difficult to stack them for storage.

The present invention is essentially to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a new structure of the support rack.

For this purpose, the device according to the present invention is characterized in that the parallel bars are fixed rigidly to the support rack so as to form, between the bodies of adjacent compression and sealing, of predetermined width open slots of au least one of their ends, and in that said packaging support means comprise at least one auxiliary parallelepipedal record can be inserted and extracted from the main support rack in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slits on the side of the open ends of celle- this.

With such an arrangement, immediately after the main support-rack was removed from the autoclave, the auxiliary lockers supporting the plastic bags containing the products which have been sterilized can be extracted from the main support rack without damage to the bags, and be replaced by other auxiliary racks previously loaded with bags containing products to be sterilized. It follows that the main carrier rack can be immediately re-introduced into the autoclave for the next cycle of sterilization and packaging in vacuo. During that next cycle, is allowed to cool during the time the bags containing the products which have been sterilized in the previous cycle, and then removed of the auxiliary racks and replaced by other bags of products to be sterilized , so that the auxiliary lockers are ready to be introduced into the casier- main support for a subsequent cycle of sterilization and packaging. There is thus no loss of time. The auxiliary lockers can be made very simply from welded metal rods. They are inexpensive, so that the provision of ancillary additional lockers does not significantly increase the price of the installation, sterilization and packaging.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the parallel bars supporting the compression and sealing members may be fixed so as to extend horizontally the one above the other on two opposite vertical sides of the rack -support main and the auxiliary lockers can be arranged to support the plastic bags in a horizontal position. This prevents sagging or settling plastic bags and the products contained therein, which takes place when the bags are supported in a vertical position.

There now follows a detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:<ul><li>Figure 1 is a perspective view of an autoclave ready to receive primary support rack loaded eg linen items inserted into their individual packaging and stacked in two auxiliary lockers.</li><li>Figure 2 is a perspective view of main support rack view shown in Figure 1 with certain elements however been removed for clarity of the figure.</li><li>Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the main support rack shown in Figure 2.</li><li>Figure 4 is a schematic view in side elevation of the main support rack shown in Figures 2 and 3, this Figure 4 also showing part of the carriage supporting the main support rack, as well as two auxiliary compartments ready to be introduced in the main support rack.</li><li>Figure 5 is a top view corresponding to Figure 4 except that the auxiliary racks have been shown in phantom inside the main support rack.</li><li>6 is a perspective view showing an auxiliary bin being loaded into the main support rack.</li></ul>

Figure 1 shows an autoclave 1 ready to receive a support rack 2 charge of laundry articles inserted into their individual packages 3 that are stacked in two auxiliary racks 4.

As is more particularly visible in Figure 2, the main support rack 2 has a frame comprising an upper horizontal rectangular frame 5, a lower horizontal rectangular frame provided with wheels 6 7 for introducing the main support rack 2 in autoclave 1, and a single vertical rectangular frame 8. Each of the two frames 5 and 6 comprises two longitudinal sides 5a and 6a, respectively, and two transverse sides 5b and 6b, respectively, which are constituted by metal profiled section L . the frame 8 comprises two vertical uprights 8a and 8b of two horizontal crosspieces that brace the transverse sides 5b, 6b of 5 and 6 frames in the middle.

Two parallel groups of rods 9 are fixed rigidly to two opposite vertical sides of the main support rack 2. More specifically, the bars 9 of each group extend parallel to the transverse sides 5b and 6b of the upper and lower frames 5 and 6, have substantially the same length as the sides 5b and 6b, and are secured at their middle one below the other, to one of two vertical uprights 8a of the vertical frame 8.

Each group of parallel bars 9 includes two upper and lower end bars 9a and, between - one of the bars 9b and 9c arranged alternately. 9c each bar has on each side of the sealing members 11, while each rod 9b has on each side, of the pressure members 12, each compression member 12 being disposed opposite a sealing member 11, as shown in Figure 6. Each of the two end bars 9a carries a sealing member 11 only on one side.

The sealing members 11 may be constituted for example by electrical heating elements mounted on insulating supports which are rigidly secured to the bars 9a and 9c. The electrical heater supplied with current by the driver 13 connected to a supply circuit (not shown) which is common to all the electric heating elements and which is carried by the vertical frame 8. This power supply circuit can itself even be connected by a flexible cable, to an outlet 14 located inside the autoclave 1 (Figure 1) after the main support rack 2 has been introduced in said autoclave.

Each compression member 12 may be for example formed by a pressure plate which is normally held spaced from the adjacent electrical resistance heating element 11 by springs 15 and can be pressed against said electrical resistance by an actuating member 16. This body actuator 16 may be for example formed by a similar inflatable seal to that described in US patent 3 925 961. Each inflatable seal 16 is connected by a coupling 17 (Figure 3) to a compressed air supply circuit 18 which may be itself connected by a flexible conduit (not shown) to a compressed air pipe 19 which is located inside the autoclave 1 (Figure 1), after the main support rack 2 was introduced in said autoclave.

Skid plates and interior OUTSIDE EXTERIOR 21 (Figures 2 and 6) are secured to the bars 9a, 9b and 9c. At least the outer plates 21 are removably secured, such that one can easily access to the sealing means 11 and the compression members 12 after removal of these plates.

The individual packages 3 containing the laundry items to be sterilized are constituted, in known manner, by plastic bags impermeable to air open at one end. The bags 3 are arranged horizontally on racks 22 provided in the auxiliary racks 4. Each auxiliary rack 4 has substantially the shape of a parallelepiped having a length, a width and a height which are slightly smaller than, respectively, the length of longitudinal sides 5a and 6a of the frames 5 and 6, half the length of the transverse sides of said frames 5b and 6b and the length of the uprights 8a of the vertical frame 8. Thus, each auxiliary locker 4 occupies substantially half of the internal volume of the crate main support 2 when it is introduced within the latter. Each auxiliary rack 4, including its trays 22 may be made from metal rods welded as shown in particular in Figure 6. A vertical metallic wall 23 may be provided in the middle of each rack 4 to strengthen and serve as intermediate support for the trays 22. Each auxiliary compartment 4 is further provided with a handgrip 24.

As indicated above, the parallel bars 9 are secured only at their center to the amounts 8a of the vertical frame 8. As a result, the 25 slots of predetermined width open at both Extremists. mites, are formed between the compression members 12 and the adjacent sealing members 11, as is seen in particular in Figures 2, 4 and 6. The bags 3 are arranged horizontally on the racks 22 of the auxiliary racks 4. Each rack 22 supports two bags 3 aligned in the direction of the length of the auxiliary rack 4 and arranged such that their open ends 3a are oriented in opposite directions and protrude beyond the end faces of the. auxiliary rack 4, respectively, to be engaged in respective slots 25 of the two groups of parallel bars 9, through the open ends of slots 25, upon insertion of the auxiliary rack 4 in the main support case 2, as shown in Figure 6. at both ends of each rod 9 are fixed guiding members 26 formed so as to achieve, in pairs, a flared entrance to facilitate insertion of the open ends 3a of the bags 3 into the slots 25.

Each auxiliary rack 4 is mounted on four wheels 27 (Figures 4, 5 and 6) and the lower frame 6 of the main support rack 2 is provided with parallel and horizontal rails 28 (Figures 3 to 5), which extend parallel to the transverse sides 6b of the frame 6, to receive and guide the auxiliary racks 4. Thus, the auxiliary racks 4 can be inserted and extracted the main support bin 2 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slots 25 formed between the parallel bars 9.

As shown in Figure 1, the inlet of the autoclave 1 is located at a certain height above the ground, and is provided within said autoclave, parallel and horizontal rails 29 for receiving and guiding the main support rack 2 in the autoclave 1. A carriage 31 (figures 1, 4, 5 and 6) is provided with parallel and horizontal rails 32 may be aligned with the rails 29 of the autoclave 1 for receiving and guiding the locker -support 2 main up to the entrance of the autoclave. Thus, the main support rack 2 can be easily supplied from a loading station of the auxiliary racks 4 to the entrance of the autoclave 1 to be introduced and vice versa, since the autoclave 1 to a station unloading auxiliary lockers 4.

At the loading station or unloading auxiliary racks 4, there are provided two fixed auxiliary supports 33 (Figures 4, 5 and 6) which are provided with parallel and horizontal rails 34 capable of being aligned with rails 28 of the lower frame 6 the main support rack 2 when it is placed on the carriage 31. Each fixed support 33 comprises a coupling rod 35 (Figure 6) which can be engaged and locked in an opening 36 (figures 2 and 3) formed in the lower frame 6 of the main support rack 2 in order to maintain the rails 34 in alignment with the rails 28.

As shown in Figure 2, the ridging bodies 37 fixed on the lower horizontal crosspiece 8b of the vertical frame 8 are used to limit the penetration of the auxiliary racks 4 inside the main support rack 2. Furthermore, at least some of the parallel bars 9 bear at their ends where the slots 25 formed between the compression members 12 and sealing members 11 are open, parts 38 U capable of receiving tenons 39 (Figure 6) which are integral with the auxiliary racks 4, to to stiffen the structure of the whole and to maintain, service, a constant distance between the parallel bars 9.

At the unloading station, the two auxiliary racks 4 can be extracted from the main support rack 2 after one cycle of sterilization and packaging, and they can be left on the fixed auxiliary supports 33 or be transferred to these supports 33 has another location to leave the bags 3 to cool. At the loading station, which can be the same machine as the unloading station or another station, two other auxiliary lockers 4 previously loaded bags 3 containing laundry items to be sterilized are introduced into the main support rack 2 instead the two auxiliary lockers 3 which have been extracted. Thus, it is possible to reintroduce, without loss of time, the auxiliary support rack 2 has the inner of the autoclave 1 for a new cycle of sterilization and packaging. This therefore results in a significant time savings, since it is necessary to wait for the bags 3 are cooled to recharge the main support rack 2 and reintroduced into the autoclave 1.

In addition, since the bags 3 are supported horizontally, these bags 3 and the products contained therein do not tend to collapse, so that they retain after sterilization and vacuum packaging, a general form facilitating stacking flat in a storage area. It is further noted that all the organs of the main support rack 2 are easily accessible, which facilitates maintenance. Another advantage of the main support rack 2 of the present invention resides in that it has a greater capacity than the support rack described in US Patent No. 3925961. In fact, the same dimensions, the support rack described in this US patent can contain twenty bags, while the support rack 2 of the present invention may contain 24, an increase of 20% capacity.

In the foregoing was described a preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, the parallel bars 9 and the auxiliary racks 4 may be arranged differently. Indeed, it is important that the parallel bars 9 are fixed rigidly to the support rack so as to form between the compression members 12 and the adjacent sealing members 11 of the predetermined width of 25 slots which are open at least at one of their ends and that the auxiliary lockers can be inserted and extracted from main support rack 2 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the 25 slots on the side of the open ends thereof. In addition, if there is provided a carriage 31 and fixed supports 33, that is only because the entrance of the autoclave 1 is located at a certain height above the ground. It is obvious that if this entrance was at the height of the ground, we could do without the carriage 31 and two brackets 33, the rails 32 and 34 then being supported by the ground.

It is of course remains the embodiment of the invention has been described above, has been given by way of example only and in no way restrictive, and that many modifications can be made without much to go out the scope of the present invention.