DE20106214U1 - Docking valve - Google Patents

Description

87 377 t3/h

TEAMSTER AB Gothenburg / Sweden

Docking valve

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to a docking valve for dispensing liquid or paste-like material into a container provided with a filler valve, and a method for dispensing the material.

STATE OF THE ART

Dispensing liquids and paste-like materials from one container to another, e.g. from a storage container to a dispensing container, often presents problems with the occurrence of leaks and waste.

Each of the containers is fitted with a valve and the valves must be connected or in contact with each other while the material is being dispensed. Leaks in a valve can result in material flowing out of a storage container or dripping onto products to which the material is to be applied. This entails extra costs for cleaning or disposing of the products. A leak at the point of contact between the valves means that small

Large amounts of material can be left behind and accumulate on or near the valves. In the long term, this affects the function of the valves and can cause unnecessary production downtime. In addition, if dispensing occurs at high pressure and/or high temperature, a sudden leak can have serious consequences.

Material that has accumulated around a docking valve, for example, attracts dirt and particles from the environment. Such particles can cause the docking valve to leak, and can be passed on to a dispensing container, for example, while the latter is being filled. This in turn causes the dispensing container valve to leak. In addition, dirt and particles can mix with the dispensed material and contaminate it, which can lead to blockages in the application nozzle and also reduce the quality of the product to which the material is applied.

Even if such leaks from a valve are considered insignificant, it can result in long-term costs if the material used itself is very expensive.

An example of a system in which the above-mentioned problems may arise is a device for applying glue or a sealing compound. Such a device is described e.g. in SE-C2-508434, which discloses a storage container with a docking valve, a robot arm with a dosing container and a programmable control unit. The above-mentioned problems may arise when the robot arm moves the dosing container to the storage container for filling.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a system for dispensing material by avoiding the above-mentioned problems regarding possible leaks and leaking valves. According to the invention, this is achieved by a docking valve and a filler valve cooperating with the latter.

The invention relates to a docking valve for dispensing liquid or pasty material to a container, the valve of which comprises a valve body with at least one connection to a pressure medium, a pressure medium-controlled means for acting on the valve, a connection to a material to be dispensed, and a nozzle for dispensing the material, the nozzle being provided with a needle valve, the nozzle and the needle valve cooperating with each other near their outer ends along a circular contact line, and the distance between an inner surface of the nozzle and an outer surface of the needle valve diverging on both sides of the contact line.

The nozzle and needle valve of the docking valve can be constructed in a variety of ways. According to a first embodiment, the outer end of the needle valve has a substantially conical portion with a first conical angle, and the nozzle has two conical portions including an outer portion with a second conical angle and an inner portion with a third conical angle, the first conical angle being slightly smaller than the second conical angle and slightly larger than the third conical angle.

According to a second embodiment, the nozzle has a substantially conical portion having a first conical angle and the needle valve has two conical portions including an outer portion having a second conical angle and an inner portion having a third conical angle, the first conical angle being slightly greater than the second conical angle and slightly less than the third conical angle.

According to a third embodiment, the outer end of the needle valve has a substantially conical portion with a first conical angle, and the nozzle has one or two spherical portions including an outer portion with a first radius and an inner portion with a second radius equal to or less than the first radius.

According to a fourth embodiment, the nozzle has a substantially conical portion with a first conical angle, and the needle valve has one or two spherical portions including an outer portion with a first radius and an inner portion with a second radius equal to or smaller than the first radius.

These embodiments mean that only a small volume of material remains in the space from the contact line between the nozzle and the needle valve to their outer ends. This remaining volume acts as a seal until the next filling. The volume is so small that no significant expansion takes place when the contact between the valves ceases. Since the contact surface between the nozzle and the needle valve is formed as a line, a higher contact pressure is achieved and thus a tighter valve.

The nozzle is intended to cooperate with a filler valve, wherein the nozzle and the filler valve cooperate with each other near their outer ends along a circular contact line, and the distance between the outer surface of the nozzle and the inner surface of the filler valve diverges on each side of the contact point.

According to one embodiment, an outer end of the nozzle has an outer surface designed to cooperate with a filler valve having an inner conical surface with a first conical angle, the outer surface having two conical sections, an outer section with a second conical angle and an outer section with a third conical angle, the first conical angle being slightly smaller than the second conical angle and slightly larger than the third conical angle.

According to another embodiment, the outer end of the nozzle has an outer surface designed to cooperate with a filler valve having an inner conical surface, the outer surface having one or two spherical portions including an outer portion having a first radius and an inner portion having a second radius equal to or greater than the first radius.

The inner section, viewed in the axial direction, forms a central alignment arrangement for cooperation with a filler valve on the container. The presence of a centering section means that wear is reduced on the outer section of the nozzle, which is designed to seal against the filler valve.

The needle valve has a flat end surface for cooperating with a corresponding surface on the filler valve on the container. To open and close the docking valve, a piston controlled by a pressure medium is preferably used. The piston may be controlled by a pressure medium to both open and close the valve, or may be opened against a spring that biases the valve toward the closed position.

Certain materials require heating before they can be dispensed and in these cases the docking valve is provided with means for heating the material to be dispensed.

The invention additionally relates to a filler valve for a container for liquid or pasty material, which valve is intended to cooperate with the above-mentioned docking valve. The side facing the docking valve is provided with an opening with a conical cross-section and is intended to cooperate with the centering and sealing surfaces of the nozzle of the docking valve, and a valve which seals the opening and is intended to cooperate with the needle valve contained in the nozzle.

The sealing valve is moved from the closed position to the open position directly by the needle valve and is provided with a return spring that biases the valve towards the closed position.

To avoid wasting dispensed material, the smallest diameter of the orifice is only slightly larger than the largest diameter of the needle valve contained in the docking valve.

In addition, a contact surface facing the sealing valve is provided with a groove whose outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the valve and whose inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the opening for the purpose of increasing the valve contact pressure.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container and its filling valve are mounted on a robot arm. The invention can of course be applied to similar programmable multi-axis devices.

The invention ultimately relates to a method for dispensing liquid or pasty material from a docking valve provided with a nozzle with an axially displaceable needle valve to a container provided with a filler valve. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

a) the docking valve and the filler valve are positioned relative to each other by means of centering surfaces on the nozzle, and the needle valve, which has a flat end surface, is positioned such that it is in contact with or nearly touches a flat end surface, facing it, of the container valve;

b) the docking valve is opened by means of the needle valve which is acted upon and which is axially displaced through an opening in the filler valve, the opening having a slightly larger diameter than the needle valve, and the container valve is opened against the force of a return spring by means of the needle valve;

c) the desired volume of material is dispensed;

d) the needle valve of the docking valve is moved towards the closed position, while at the same time the container valve is closed by the return spring.

The means for positioning the filler valve of the container relative to the docking valve may preferably consist of a robotic arm.

The valves and procedure are described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows a docking valve according to the invention;

Fig. 2A shows a first embodiment of the outer surface of the nozzle;

Fig. 2B shows a second embodiment of the outer surface of the nozzle;

Fig. 3A-3E show various embodiments of the inner surface of the nozzle and its cooperating needle valve;

Fig. 4 shows a filler valve according to the invention;

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged view of the cooperating surfaces of the valves,

Fig. 6 shows a partial enlargement of the cooperating surfaces of Fig. 5.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention intended for dispensing adhesive or a sealing compound. A docking valve 1 comprises a nozzle 2 with an inner chamber 3 and a needle valve 4 for opening and closing the valve 1. The nozzle 2 is attached to the docking valve via a holder 5 in such a way that it can be replaced and it is sealed by an O-ring seal 6.

At one end, the needle valve 4 is provided with a portion 7 having a substantially conical shape directed towards the nozzle 2 and in contact with a surface 8 having a substantially conical shape. The cooperating parts of the nozzle 2 and the needle valve 4 are described in detail with reference to Figs. 3A-3E below.

The needle valve 4 is provided at its other end 9 with a pressure medium controlled piston 10 which is secured to the end of the valve via a screw connection 11 so as to be able to be opened and closed. The piston 10 is slidable in a chamber 12 in the docking valve 1 and is provided with a seal 11 around its circumference 10. The connections 13, 14 for supplying compressed air to the chamber 12 are arranged on each side of the piston 10. A first connection 13 supplies compressed air to the chamber 12 to act on the side of the piston 10 opposite the nozzle 2 so as to open the needle valve. A second connection 14 supplies compressed air to the chamber 12 to act on the side of the piston 10 directed towards the nozzle 2 so as to close the needle valve 4. The piston 10 is additionally spring-loaded towards the closed position by means of a coil spring 15, so that the valve is automatically closed if compressed air

is suddenly no longer fed during the dispensing process.

The docking valve 1 is also provided with a connection 16 for supplying the material to be dispensed. The material is forced under pressure from a storage container (not shown) through the connection 16 and into the chamber 3 in the nozzle 2. Depending on the material, the pressure can be up to 400 bar. In order to ensure that the pressurized material does not affect the function of the needle valve 4, the diameter of the latter has been increased in the area where it exits the chamber 3. In this way, the pressure of the conical section 7 of the needle valve 4 can be largely balanced against the pressure acting on a surface 17 facing the section 7.

Some types of material must be heated in order to be able to be pumped to the docking valve for dispensing. To ensure that the material to be dispensed does not become too viscous, the docking valve 1 is provided with a heating cassette 18. In order to be able to regulate the power of the heating cassette 18, a temperature sensor 19 is arranged on the nozzle. Some materials can be dispensed at room temperature, while others must be heated to 150 to 200 ⁰ C in order to become sufficiently viscous.

Fig. 2A shows a part of the nozzle 2 and a part of the needle valve 4, partly in section and partly enlarged. The outer end of the nozzle has an outer surface 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b, which are intended to cooperate with a substantially opposite surface 25 of a filler nozzle (dotted line). The outer surface is divided into two sections, an outer section 21a with a spherical surface,

which consists of a circular segment with a predetermined radius, cooperates with a conical surface of the filler valve. The outer portion 21a is in sealing contact with the conical surface along a circular contact line to prevent the material between the docking valve and the filler valve from flowing out during dispensing. The distance between the cooperating surfaces of the two valves thus diverges on either side of the contact line. The inner portion 21b consists of a conical surface which is used for centering when the two valves are connected together. The inner portion 21b cooperates with a corresponding conical or cylindrical surface of the filler valve. The conical angle α of the inner portion 21b is also slightly smaller than the conical angle of the sealing conical surface of the filler valve.

As can be seen from Fig. 2B, it is also possible to form both the outer and inner sections 22a, 22b of the nozzle as spherical surfaces. The radius R ₁ of the outer section 22a in this case corresponds to the radius of the outer section 21a in Fig. 2A. The radius R ₂ of the inner section is adapted for a flat continuation between the inner section 22b and the cylindrical head part 23 of the nozzle.

In the same way, it is possible to form the outer portion 21a, 22a of the nozzle as a conical surface, in which case the receiving inner surface of the filler valve is spherical and cooperates with the conical surface along a circular contact line.

Figs. 3A-3E show a number of schematic enlargements of the portion _A1 of the nozzle 2 which cooperates with the needle valve 4 indicated in Fig. 2A.

All angles and radii in these figures are slightly exaggerated for clearer understanding.

According to a first embodiment shown in Fig. 3A, the needle valve 4 has a conical surface 31a with a predetermined conical angle _ßx . As can be seen from Figs. 3A and 3B, the nozzle 2 is divided into two sections along its inner circumference. The outer section has a second conical surface 31a with a second predetermined conical angle _ß2 , the inner section having a third conical surface 31b with a third predetermined conical angle _ß3 . In order to form contact along a circular line between the needle valve and the nozzle, the relationship at a point 32 between the angles is such that the following relationship holds: _ß2 > _ß1 > _ß3l and that the distance between the cooperating surfaces diverges on each side of the contact line. In this way, the contact pressure between the needle valve and the nozzle is increased, which in turn means that the valve can withstand higher pressures from the material in the chamber and therefore has a greater seal.

According to the embodiment shown, suitable angles for ß _x are 45°, for ß ₂ 47° and for ß ₃ 30°. However, the invention is not limited to these angles and can instead preferably be used with angles which lie in a range of (P ₁ + 1°) > ß ₂ > (P ₁ + 5°) and (P ₁ - 10°) < ß ₃ < (P ₁ - 20°).

According to a second embodiment, shown in Fig. 3C, the inner and outer portions of the nozzle may have spherical surfaces. In this case, the outer portion 35 of the nozzle has a first predetermined radius X ₁ and the inner portion 36 has a second radius r ₂ . The

The second radius r ₂ is preferably smaller than or equal to the first radius r _x . If r _x > r ₂ , the transition between the two radii takes place at the contact point 32 for the circular contact line. The size of the radii is selected such that the valve has the desired properties and dimensions. The above-mentioned first radius is, for example, selected such that the outer end of the nozzle has the desired diameter in relation to the filler valve.

A third embodiment is shown in Fig. 3D in which the inner portion 34 of the nozzle 2 consists of a conical surface with a conical angle O _1. In order to form diverging surfaces on each side of the contact point 32 for the circular contact surface, the needle valve 4 has been divided into two sections along its outer circumference.

The outer portion has a second conical surface 35a with a second predetermined conical angle δ ₂ , and the inner portion has a third conical surface 35b with a third predetermined conical angle δ ₃ . To form contact at a point 32 along a circular line between the needle valve and the nozzle, the relationship between the angles is _{δ 2} <δ ₁ <δ ₃ .

According to the embodiment shown, suitable angles for ß are 45°, for ß ₂ 43° and for ß ₃ 20°. However, the invention is not limited to these angles and can instead preferably be used with angles which are in the range (ß _x - 1°) < ß ₂ < (ß i - 5°) and O ₁ - 10°) >. ß ₃ > (ß i - 20°).

According to a fourth embodiment, shown in Fig. 3E, the inner and outer portions of the needle valve

spherical surfaces. In this case, the outer portion 3 6a of the needle valve has a first predetermined radius r ₃ and the inner portion 3 6b a second radius r ₄ . The second radius r ₄ is preferably smaller than or equal to the first radius r ₃ . With the ratio r ₃ > r _{4 ,} the transition between the two radii occurs in a suitable manner at the contact point 32 for the circular contact line. In this case, the radius r ₃ is eg selected such that the outer diameter of the needle valve has a desired dimension in relation to the nozzle of the filler valve.

Due to the schematic nature of Figures 3A-3E, they do not show how close the contact point 32 for the circular contact line should be to the very tip 38 of the nozzle. This will be described in detail below in connection with the filler valve.

In all the above embodiments, the needle valve 4 has a flat upper surface 37 which is level with the outer tip 38 of the nozzle 2 (see Figs. 2A and 3A). This upper surface 37 is intended to cooperate with a corresponding flat surface 40 on a valve body in the above-mentioned filler valve 41, as shown in Fig. 4. The valve 41 is provided with a centering guide 42 for cooperating with corresponding guide surfaces 21b, 22b on the nozzle 2. Inside the centering guide 42 there is a valve 43 with an opening delimited by a substantially conical surface 44 and intended to sealingly cooperate with the corresponding surfaces 21a, 22a along the outer circumference of the nozzle. Both the centering guide 42 and the valve seat 43 are secured in an interchangeable manner to the valve 41 by means of a holder 45. On the side of the valve seat 43 facing away from the nozzle,

a circular groove 46 is formed around the opening in the seat. The valve body 47 is in sealing contact with the valve seat 43, the outer diameter of the valve body is larger than the opening in the valve seat 43 but is smaller than the outer diameter of the groove 46. The valve body 47 is spring loaded towards the closed position by a coil spring 48.

The filler valve 41 is opened by means of the needle valve of the docking valve which is pressed against the valve body 47 and raises the latter against the force of the spring towards a stop 50. Pressurized material can then flow from the docking valve past the valve body 47 and out through a connection 49 to a container for dosing the material (not shown).

Fig. 5 shows how the docking valve 1 cooperates with the filler valve while dispensing the material. The nozzle is in contact with the centered guide 42 and presses against the valve seat 42. The needle valve 4 of the nozzle is positioned near the valve body 47, which is lifted when the needle valve 4 is actuated. The distance between the upper surface of the needle valve and the lower surface of the valve body 47 depends on the design of the nozzle 2. However, the surfaces are not in direct contact with each other, as can be seen from Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic partial enlargement of the area A ₂ indicated in Fig. 5. It is clear here that the diameter D ₁ of the nozzle, measured at its outer tip, is slightly larger than the diameter D ₂ of the opening of the valve seat. Since the upper surface of the needle valve is to be in the same plane as the outer tip of the nozzle, this means that the needle valve

must be actuated to come into contact with the valve body. However, in order to keep the difference between D ₁ and D ₂ small, preferably about 0.01-0.1 mm, it is desirable that the surfaces be very close to each other. Ultimately, the diameter D ₂ of the opening of the valve seat 43 must exceed the largest diameter D ₃ of the needle valve so that the needle valve can pass through the opening. In summary, this means that the contact point 48 for the circular contact line between the nozzle 2 and the valve seat 43 is near the opening in the seat, and that the trapped volume between the upper surface of the needle valve and the lower surface of the valve body is very small or insignificant. When the needle valve 4 closes after the desired amount of material has been dispensed, remaining material between the docking valve and the filler valve accumulates in the space 60 between the needle valve and the nozzle. Due to this fact, there is no waste that could interfere with the function of the valves and the remaining material functions as a sealing material or sealing ring in the next docking cycle.

According to an embodiment intended for dispensing adhesive, suitable diameters for D ₁ are 13.6 mm, for D ₂ 13.5 mm and for D ₃ 13.2 mm.

The measurements and angles indicated above may, of course, vary with respect to the actual area of application, the viscosity and/or the desired temperature of the sealant/adhesive.

Although the above preferred embodiment relates to an alternative in which the upper surface of the needle valve is not placed in contact with the valve body of the filler valve during docking, it is of course possible to do so

This eliminates the trapped volume between the needle valve and the valve body.

Due to the high pressures and relatively high temperatures that prevail here, it is important to ensure that all joints and seals are appropriately dimensioned for this. For materials that require heating, the temperature can be as high as 150-200 ⁰ C and the pressure that prevails during dispensing can be over 400 bar.

A combination of hard and less hard materials in cooperating components of the valves provides a better sealing function. In addition, this eliminates unnecessary wear between the various valve parts, since cheap wear parts can be made of relatively soft material and more expensive components of a hardened material. The needle valve and the seat of the filler valve can, for example, be made of a hardened steel, while the nozzle is made of bronze. Despite high contact pressures between the valves (approx. 750 kg in the present invention), the wear is thus easily limited to replaceable wear parts. The contact pressure is important for the sealing between the valve parts and can vary from 300 kg and more, depending on the actual application area, the dispensing pressure, the viscosity and/or the desired temperature of the sealing material/adhesive.

Claims (21)

1. Docking valve for dispensing liquid or pasty material to a filler valve of a container, the docking valve ( 1 ) has a valve body with at least one connection ( 13 , 14 ) for a pressure medium, a pressure medium controlled means ( 10 ) for acting on the valve, a connection ( 16 ) for material to be dispensed, and a nozzle ( 2 ) for dispensing the material, characterized in that the nozzle is provided with a needle valve ( 4 ), the nozzle and the needle valve cooperating along a circular contact line adjacent to their outer ends, and the distance between an inner surface ( 31 a, 31 b; 33 a, 33 b; 34 ) of the nozzle ( 2 ) and an outer surface ( 30 , 35 a, 35 b; 36 a, 36 b) of the needle valve ( 4 ) on both sides of the contact point ( 32 ) of the contact line, and that an outer end surface ( 37 ) of the needle valve cooperates with the filler valve when the material is dispensed. 2. Docking valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer end of the needle valve has a substantially conical portion ( 30 ) with a first conical angle (β ₁ ) and the nozzle has two conical portions including an outer portion ( 31 a) with a second conical angle (β ₂ ) and an inner portion ( 31 b) with a third conical angle (β ₃ ), the first conical angle (β ₁ ) being slightly smaller than the second conical angle (β ₂ ) and slightly larger than the third conical angle (β ₃ ). 3. Docking valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer end of the nozzle has a substantially conical section ( 34 ) with a first conical angle (δ ₁ ) and the needle valve has two conical sections, including an outer section ( 35 a) with a second conical angle (δ ₂ ) and an inner section ( 35 b) with a third conical angle (δ ₃ ), the first conical angle (δ ₁ ) being slightly smaller than the second conical angle (δ ₂ ) and slightly larger than the third conical angle (δ ₃ ) 4. Docking valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer end of the needle valve has a substantially conical portion ( 30 ) with a first conical angle (β ₁ ) and the nozzle has one or two spherical portions including an outer portion ( 33 a) with a first radius (r ₁ ) and an inner portion ( 33 b) with a second radius (r ₂ ) equal to or smaller than the first radius. 5. Docking valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer end of the nozzle has a substantially conical portion ( 34 ) with a first conical angle (δ ₁ ), and the needle valve has one or two spherical portions including an outer portion ( 36 a) with a first radius (r ₁ ) and an inner portion ( 36 b) with a second radius (r ₂ ) equal to or smaller than the first radius. 6. Docking valve according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the nozzle ( 2 ) is designed to cooperate with a filler valve ( 41 ), the nozzle and the filler valve cooperating near their outer ends along a circular contact line, and the distance between the outer surface ( 21a , 22a ) of the nozzle and an inner surface ( 25 , 40 ) of the filler valve diverging on each side of the contact point ( 48 ) of the contact line. 7. Docking valve according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer end of the nozzle has an outer surface designed to cooperate with a filler valve with an inner conical surface ( 25 ) with a first conical angle (α ₁ ), the outer surface has sections including an outer spherical section ( 21 a) with a first radius (R ₁ ) and an inner section ( 21 b) with a second conical angle (α ₂ ), the inner conical surface ( 25 ) cooperates with the spherical section ( 21 a), and wherein the first conical angle (α ₁ ) is slightly larger than the second conical angle (α ₂ ). 8. Docking valve according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer end of the nozzle has an outer surface designed to cooperate with a filler valve with an inner conical surface ( 25 ) with a first conical angle (α ₁ ), the outer surface having one or two spherical sections including an outer section ( 22 a) with a first radius (R ₁ ) and an inner section ( 22 b) with a second radius (R ₂ ) equal to or greater than the first radius. 9. Docking valve according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the inner portion ( 21b , 22b ) forms a centering arrangement in cooperation with a filler valve on the container. 10. Docking valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the needle valve has a flat end surface ( 37 ) for cooperation with the filler valve on the container. 11. Docking valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for acting on the valve is a piston ( 10 ). 12. Docking valve according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the piston ( 10 ) is controlled by a pressure medium both for opening and closing the valve. 13. Docking valve according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the piston ( 10 ) is controlled by a pressure medium to open the valve against a spring which biases the valve towards the closed position. 14. Docking valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve is provided with means ( 18 ) for heating the material to be dispensed. 15. A filler valve for a container for liquid or pasty material, the valve being provided with a valve body ( 47 ) cooperating with and being kept normally closed against a valve seat and intended to cooperate with a docking valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the side of the filler valve directed towards the docking valve ( 1 ) is provided with an opening ( 44 ) of conical cross-section and intended to cooperate with sealing surfaces ( 21a , 22a ) of a nozzle ( 2 ) of the docking valve, and a valve ( 47 ) sealing the opening is provided with an end surface ( 40 ) intended to cooperate with an outer end surface ( 37 ) of a needle valve ( 4 ) contained in the nozzle. 16. Filler valve according to claim 15, characterized in that the sealing valve ( 47 ) is moved from the closed position to the open position by the direct action of the needle valve ( 4 ). 17. Filler valve according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the sealing valve ( 47 ) is provided with a return spring ( 48 ) which biases the valve towards the closed position. 18. Filler valve according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the smallest diameter (D ₂ ) of the opening is slightly smaller than the diameter (D ₁ ) of the nozzle ( 2 ) of the docking valve at its outermost end. 19. Filler valve according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the smallest diameter (D ₂ ) of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter (D ₃ ) of the needle valve ( 4 ) of the docking valve at its outermost end. 20. Filler valve according to one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that a contact surface ( 46a ) directed towards the sealing valve ( 47 ) is provided with a groove ( 46b ) whose outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the valve and whose inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the opening in order to increase the valve contact pressure. 21. Filler valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler valve ( 47 ) and its container are mounted on a robot arm or a similar programmable, multi-axis device.