A DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR MAINTAINING A GAS FLOW BARRIER BETWEEN TWO INTERCONNECTED VOLUMES

摘要

A method and a device for maintaining, in a filling machine, a gas flow barrier between two volumes of a channel, wherein the channel is used for transportation of packages in a length direction thereof, and the volumes comprise a first volume having a first degree of sterilization and a second volume having a second degree of sterilization, and wherein the first volume comprises a gas injection mechanism, the second volume comprises a gas evacuation mechanism, and the first and the second volume meet in an interface area extending in a length direction of the channel. The method comprises arranging, divergent jets flowing from the gas injection mechanism such that the divergent jets of gas cooperate in the interface region for the generation of a unidirectional flow in the direction from the first volume towards the second volume in the interface area, and thus forming a gas flow barrier.