EP0582190B1 - Filling device for bottles or similar containers - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement for filling containers under counterpressure has at least one filling element (1) to which the container in question is sealed during filling, and at least one gas duct (26) which is connected to the interior of the container to be filled, by means of which duct (26) the gas can be fed from a chamber (29, 30) to the interior of the container in a controlled fashion and by means of which the return gas which is displaced from the container during filling into the container can be discharged into the chamber by means of at least one gas channel (27, 28). The said gas channel has an individually controllable control valve (31, 36) and a device (34, 35) which is in series with the latter and automatically controls the effective flow cross-section of the gas channel in such a way that the said flow cross-section is smaller in one direction of flow than in the other, opposite direction of flow. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for filling bottles or the like. Containers with a liquid filling material under back pressure according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such an arrangement is known in a counter-filling machine (EP-A-0 331 137). In this known filling machine, each of the filling elements provided on a rotating rotor has, in addition to a slide disk control which interacts with external control elements which are not moved along with the rotor and which is thus inevitably controlled when the rotor rotates, also has a control valve which can be individually controlled and via which a gas path serving to discharge the return gas can be individually controlled by an electrical control device. The slide disk controls and the control valves control all the gas flows required for filling in the known filling machine, in particular the supply of an inert gas for prestressing the respective bottle and the removal of the return gas via the gas path which is used when filling the bottle inflowing filling material is displaced from the interior of the bottle. It is also provided in the known filling machine that return gas is to be used for a partial pretensioning and, if appropriate, also for a pre-rinsing of the bottles preceding this partial pretensioning, specifically via a connection provided in each filling element in addition to the gas path and controlled by the slide disc control there.

The object of the invention is to show an arrangement which, with a reduced structural and control expenditure, enables control of the gas flows necessary at least during pretensioning and during filling in an optimal manner.

To solve this problem, an arrangement is designed according to the characterizing part of claim 1.

In the invention, the "gas" is preferably a prestressing or tensioning gas, possibly also a flushing gas and preferably an inert gas.

With the arrangement according to the invention, it is possible, using only a single control valve, a single chamber leading to inert gas under pressure for at least a partial pretensioning and possibly also for a previous purging of the at least one container with the inert gas (for example CO₂ gas ) and at the same time also for the absorption of the return gas displaced from the container during the subsequent filling. The automatically controlling the effective flow cross-section of the gas path, which is preferably formed from a parallel arrangement of at least one nozzle or throttle and at least one check valve, which is arranged in series with the control valve, ensures that during pretensioning and possibly also with a preceding one Purging the inert gas from the chamber in a sufficiently large amount is supplied to the container, that is to say a short pretensioning time and possibly also a short purging time can be achieved. Due to the reduced and precisely calibrated flow cross-section for the return gas, the desired filling speed can still be maintained reproducibly.

The at least one gas path is preferably connected to a pre-relief or return gas chamber, in which a pressure which is clearly below a filling pressure is then regulated or set. In addition to this gas path connected to the pre-relief or return gas chamber, a second gas path, which also has the device for automatically controlling the flow cross-section, is then provided, for example, which is connected to a chamber designed as a clamping gas chamber. This chamber is either a chamber separated from the filling material or a space which is formed above the filling material in a kettle which is only partially filled with the filling material.

Instead of this second gas path connected to the chamber for tensioning gas, a line which does not have the device for automatically controlling the flow cross-section can also be provided, in which line an individually controllable control valve is then preferably also arranged and which, like the second gas path, also communicates with the interior of the filling container communicates.

With the arrangement according to the invention, it is possible, in particular, when using a further valve that controls a relief channel, which is either a valve that is forcibly controlled by external control elements of the filling machine when the rotor rotates or an individually controllable control valve, on the complex Schierber disc controls on the filling elements To dispense with the filling machine, which also results in a decisive simplification of the construction of a filling machine or its filling elements.

The individually controllable control elements in the sense of the invention are control valves which each have their own actuating device, which is, for example, an electrical, but preferably pneumatic actuating device, and which can thus be individually controlled by a control device. The control valves are preferably designed such that their closed position corresponds to the uncontrolled state. In the event of a fault in the electrical control device which controls the control valves and / or in the connections between this control device and the control valves, the latter thus remain in their closed state or pass into this state, which significantly improves the operational reliability of the filling machine.

Another advantage of the invention is that the at least one gas path, which has the device for automatically controlling the effective flow cross-section, in the flow direction in which this device releases the larger flow cross-section, from a cleaning medium or a cleaning liquid can be flowed through optimally, i.e. CIP cleaning with a large flow cross-section is possible.

Developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

in vereinfachter Darstellung und im Schnitt ein Füllelement zusammen mit dem Rotor einer Füllmaschine bei einer ersten möglichen Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

eine ähnliche Darstellung wie Fig. 1, jedoch bei einer zweiten möglichen Ausführungsform der Erfindung.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures using exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a simplified representation and in section, a filling element together with the rotor of a filling machine in a first possible embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2

a representation similar to FIG. 1, but in a second possible embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a filler element 1 without a filler tube, which is arranged together with a plurality of identical filler elements 1 on the circumference of a rotor rotating around a vertical axis, which is shown only very schematically in FIG. 1 with the rotor part 2 there.

The filling element 1 has a housing 3, in which a liquid channel 4 with a liquid valve 5 is formed.

On the top of the housing 3, an actuating element 6 is provided for a controlled opening and closing of the liquid valve 5. For this purpose, the actuating element 6 acts on the valve body 8 of the liquid valve via a tappet 7 arranged coaxially with a vertical axis AF of the filling element 1. The plunger 7 continues in a pipe section 9, which lies with its axis coaxially with the axis AF and concentrically encloses a rod-shaped probe 10 determining a filling height, in such a way that between the outer surface of the probe 10 and the inner surface of the Pipe section 9 is an annular gas channel (return gas channel) is formed, which has an opening 9 'at the lower end of the tube section 9.

Fig. 1 shows a bottle 11 to be filled, which is brought into a sealing position with the filling element with the cooperation of an annular seal 12, a centering bell 13 and a bottle carrier 14 lifting the bottle 11. The lower end of the pipe section 9 and the probe 10 extend into the interior of the bottle 11.

Below the valve body 8, the liquid channel 4 forms a discharge opening 15 concentrically surrounding the pipe section 9, via which the liquid filling material of the bottle 11 to be filled flows in when the liquid valve 5 is open. In the area of the discharge opening 15, a relief channel 16 formed in the housing 3 also opens, which is connected to a residual gas chamber 17 which is common to all filling elements 1 of the filling machine and is provided on the rotor part 2. Provided in the discharge channel 16 is a valve 19 which can be individually controlled by an actuating device 18, which is designed as a seat valve and essentially consists of a valve body 20 actuated by the actuating device 18. This is arranged in a cylindrical valve chamber 21 provided in the housing 3, through which the relief channel 16 is passed. In the blocked state of the valve 19, i.e. When the actuating device 18 is not activated, the valve body 20 bears against an annular surface at the bottom of the cylindrical valve chamber 21, which (annular surface) encloses an opening or junction of the relief channel 16 there.

With its upper part located above the valve body 8, the liquid channel 4 is connected to an annular chamber 22 for the liquid filling material which is common to all filling elements 1 of the filling machine and is provided on the rotor part 2.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the valve body 8 is seated on the pipe section 9 and above this there is a distributor 23 which has passages 24 for the liquid filling material distributed around the axis AF and a channel 25 which extends radially to the axis AF and which is radial internally connected to the upper, closed end of the return gas channel formed between the inner surface of the tube piece 9 and the outer surface of the probe 10 and radially externally via a channel 26 partially formed in the housing 3 and partially in the rotor part 2, with two controlled gas paths 27 and 28, of which the gas path 27 leads to a pre-relief chamber 29 provided in the rotor part 2 and the gas path 28 leads to a clamping gas chamber 30. The channels 25 and 26 and the return gas channel provided in the pipe section 9 form a gas channel which is connected to the interior of the bottle via the opening 9 '.

The pre-relief chamber 29 and the clamping gas chamber 30 are jointly provided in the rotor part 2 for all filling elements 1 of the filling machine. The two gas paths 27 and 28 are each basically the same. The gas path 27 has a control valve 31 which is designed in the same way as the control valve 19, i.e. has an actuating device 18 'corresponding to the actuating device 18', a valve body 20 'corresponding to the valve body 20 and a valve chamber 21' corresponding to the valve chamber 21, with the difference, however, that the valve chamber 21 'in the rotor part 2, in the region of an upper, horizontal one Surface is provided.

The upper end of a channel section 32 opens into the bottom of the valve chamber 21 'and its lower end merges into the channel 26. The valve body 20 'interacts with an annular surface surrounding the mouth of the channel section 32.

Radially offset from this annular surface or from the valve body 20 ', a channel section 33 opens into the bottom of the valve chamber 21' of the valve 31, which leads to the pre-relief chamber 29 and in which a throttle or Nozzle 34 and a check valve or ball valve 35 are provided parallel to this. The latter is oriented in such a way that, when the control valve 31 is open, it allows a gas flow from the pre-relief chamber 29 via the gas path 27 to the channel 26, but blocks it when the gas flow is in the opposite direction. The ball of the check valve 35 is provided in a part of the channel section 33 which extends in the vertical direction, so that the check valve is already held in the closed state by the weight of the ball.

The controllable gas path 28 is identical to the controllable gas path 27. The control valve of the gas path 28 corresponding to the control valve 31 is denoted by 36. Otherwise, the same reference numerals are used for the gas path 28 as for the gas path 27, the channel section 33 of the gas path 28 being connected to the tensioning gas chamber 30.

The actuating devices 18 and 18 ', preferably also the actuating device 6, in the embodiment shown are each pneumatic actuating devices which are controlled by an electrical control device of the filling machine via electropneumatic control valves. With the design described, each filling element 1 can be optimally controlled individually for the individual functions when filling, with a simplified construction and in particular even without a slide disk control. With the design described, the following method steps are possible, for example, in the individual method steps only those valves 5, 18, 31 and 36 are opened for which this is expressly stated:

1.Purging the bottle 11

For this purpose, the bottle 11 is in a sealing position with the filling element 1. When the valves 19 and 31 are open, CO 2 gas can flow into the bottle 11 via the gas path 27 and the opening 9 ′, which air is present in the bottle 11 displaces the relief channel 16 into the residual gas chamber 17, which is connected to the atmosphere in a suitable manner.

2. Partial tempering with CO₂ gas

After a predetermined flushing time, the control valve 19 is closed. The gas path 27 and the control valve 31 remain open, so that the bottle 11 is partially pre-stressed from the pre-relief chamber 29.

3. Residual tempering with CO₂ gas

After a predetermined period of time, the valve 31 is closed and the valve 36 is opened, so that 30 CO₂ gas then flows into the bottle 11 via the gas path 28 from the tensioning gas chamber 30 and the interior of the bottle 11 is thereby biased to a pressure which is somewhat lower lies as the pressure in the annular chamber 22. The pressure difference is approximately 0.3 bar, for example.

4. Fill

After biasing, valve 36 is closed. By the actuator 6, the liquid valve 5 is opened and immediately after opening the liquid valve, the valve 31 is opened so that the liquid contents flow into the bottle 11 and the CO₂ gas displaced from the bottle 11 via the gas path 27 to the pre-relief chamber 29 can flow. Due to the flow direction of the CO₂ gas and due to the difference between the pressure inside the bottle 11 and the pressure in the pre-relief channel 29, the check valve 35 remains closed, ie the effective cross section of the gas path 27 is determined exclusively by the nozzle 34. This ensures that the filling material flows into the bottle 11 gently and at a low speed during filling.

5. Quick fill

After the filling time, the valve 36 is also opened with the valve 31 open, so that now for a quick phase the CO₂ gas from the bottle 11 is displaced both via the gas path 27 into the pre-relief chamber 29 and via the gas path 28 into the clamping gas chamber 30 can be, whereby due to the existing pressure difference and flow direction, the check valves 35 remain closed in both gas paths, the filling speed reached in the rapid filling phase is thus determined by the cross section of the two nozzles 34.

6. Brake and correction fill

For this purpose, the valve 31 is closed with the valve 36 still open, so that the displaced CO₂ gas can flow exclusively via the gas path 28 or the throttle 34 therein into the clamping gas chamber.

7. Filling, relieving and calming down

After the probe 10 has been loaded, the liquid valve 5 is closed, possibly after a correction time has elapsed. When the valve 36 is closed, the valve 31 is opened so that a pre-relief or pressure equalization with the pre-relief chamber 29 takes place via the gas path 27. Because of the existing pressure difference, the check valve 35 in the gas path 27 remains closed, so that the pressure equalization with the pre-relief chamber 29 takes place relatively slowly and gently via the nozzle 34.

8. Relieve the rest

After the settling phase, the valve 31 is closed. Subsequently, the valve 19 is opened, so that a residual relief is provided via the then existing connection between the interior of the bottle 11 and the residual gas chamber 17 takes place, namely to a slight overpressure set or regulated in the residual gas chamber, which is, for example, 0.5 bar.

Deviating from the above-described embodiment, which relates to a controlled four-chamber short tube filling system, an embodiment in the form of a controlled three-chamber short tube filling system is also possible, for example, in such a way that the residual gas chamber 17 is dispensed with, and in this case the relief channel 16 is preferably via a nozzle is open directly to the atmosphere. Furthermore, instead of the valve 19 with the actuating device 18, a valve, for example a tappet valve, can also be provided, which interacts with external control elements or control cams of the filling machine that do not rotate with the rotor part 2.

The method of working with the method steps described above, which is possible with the design according to the invention, also has the advantage of an extremely low CO₂ consumption, since the return gas displaced during the filling from the prestressed bottle 11 flows back completely into the pre-relief chamber 29 or into the clamping gas chamber 30 and Thus, this return gas consisting almost exclusively of CO₂ can be used again in subsequent fillings for prewashing, partial pretensioning and residual pretensioning of the respective bottle 11.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment which differs from the embodiment of Fig. 1 first of all in that an annular bowl 37 is formed on the rotor part 2 'there instead of the annular chamber 22, which is only filled to a predetermined level with the liquid filling material and by thus forming a space 38 above the liquid filling material for tensioning gas or CO₂ gas under filling pressure. The embodiment according to FIG. 2 also differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that only the controlled gas path 27 is provided, and in that instead of the gas path 28 a gas channel 39 is provided which on the one hand is above the level of the liquid filling material in the Room 38 opens and on the other hand with the in Pipe piece 9 provided annular gas channel is connected, again via the distributor 23. In the channel 39, a control valve 40 is provided, which is designed in the same way as the control valve 19 and, like the control valve 19, radially from the outer side of the filling element 1 'or the housing 3' stands out.

With the controlled three-chamber short-tube filling system shown in FIG. 2, the same method steps are basically possible as described above for the filling system of FIG. 1, the valve 40 and the associated channel being used in the embodiment according to FIG. 2 39 take over the functions of the valve 36 or the gas path 28.

All elements of the embodiment according to FIG. 2, which correspond to FIG. 1 with regard to their design and functional elements, are again identified in this figure with the same reference numbers as in FIG. 1.

The invention has been described above using exemplary embodiments. It goes without saying that changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive idea on which the invention is based and which is defined in the claims. In the illustrated embodiments, the gas paths 27 and 28 and in particular the control valves 31 and 36 and the parallel arrangement of the nozzle 34 and the check valve 35 are each provided on the rotor part 2 or 2 '. In principle, it is also possible to at least partially form these gas paths in the housing 3 or 3 ′ of the filling element 1 or 1 ′, and in this case e.g. to provide the control valves 31 and 36 and / or the parallel arrangement of the nozzle 34 and the check valve in or on the housing 3 or 3 '.

Claims (19)

1. Arrangement for the filling of bottles or the like containers with a liquid filling stock under counterpressure, with at least one filling element (1, 1'), which displays a controlled liquid valve (5) and with which the respective container (11) preliminarily pressurised by a gas is disposed in sealed position during the filling, as well as at least one gas channel (26), which stands in connection with the interior space of the container (11) to be filled and by way of which gas (preliminary pressurising or pressurising gas, flushing gas) is feedable under control out of a chamber (29, 30), which guides this gas, to the interior space of the container (11) and by way of which return gas displaced out of the container during the filling is removable to the chamber (29, 30) by way of at least one gas path (27, 28), which in a first channel portion (33) of the gas path displays an individually drivable control valve (31, 36) in series with an equipment determining the effective flow cross-section, characterised thereby, that the at least one gas path (27, 28) and its first channel portion (33) serve for the feeding of the gas as well as also for the removing of the return gas and that the equipment (34, 35) controls the effective flow cross-section automatically in such a manner that this flow cross-section is smaller for the return gas flowing through the gas path (28) in one direction of flow than for the gas flowing through the gas path (28) in the other and opposite direction of flow.
2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised thereby, that the equipment for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section is formed by the parallel arrangement of at least one nozzle (34) and a non-return valve (35), which opens in the other direction of flow, and that the parallel arrangement of the at least one nozzle (34) and of the at least one non-return valve (35) lies in series with the control valve (31, 36).
3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised thereby, that the equipment (34, 35) for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section follows the control valve (31, 36) in the at least one gas path (27, 28) in the one direction of flow.
4. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised thereby, that the at least one gas path (27, 28) displays a second channel portion (32), that the second channel portion opens into the gas channel (26) or is part of this gas channel and that the first channel portion is connected with the at least one chamber (29, 30).
5. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised thereby, that the at least one chamber is a preliminary relief or return gas chamber (29) of a filling system.
6. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised thereby, that the at least one chamber (30) is a pressurising gas chamber (30) or a space (30), which is filled by a pressurising gas, of a tank (37), which is only partially filled with the liquid filling stock, of a filling system.
7. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised thereby, that two gas paths (27, 28) are each provided with a respective equipment (34, 35) for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section and that each gas path is connected to an individual chamber (29, 30).
8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterised thereby, that the one gas path (27) is connected to the preliminary relief or return gas chamber and the other gas path (28) is connected to the pressurising gas chamber (30).
9. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised thereby, that in the case of a filling element (1, 1') without filling tube, the at least one gas channel (26) stands in connection with the interior space of the respective container (11) by way of an opening (9') of a return gas tube formed by a pipe member (9).
10. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised thereby, that the individually drivable control valve (31, 36) is an electrically or pneumatically actuable valve.
11. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterised thereby, that the control valve comprises a valve body (20) arranged in a valve chamber (21), that the at least one gas path (27, 28) by its channel portions (32, 33) stands in connection with the outwardly closed valve chamber (21) each time by way of a respective opening or mouth and that, at one mouth, a valve surface surrounding this is formed for the valve body (20).
12. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterised thereby, that in addition to the at least one gas path (27), a further gas path is provided, which displays an individually drivable control valve (40) and leads to a chamber (38) for pressurising gas and which does not display the equipment for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section.
13. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterised by a relief channel (16), which displays a control valve (19) and stands in connection with the interior space of the container (11) to be filled.
14. Arrangement according to claim 13, characterised thereby, that the relief channel (16) is connected with a residual gas channel (17) or displays an exit to atmosphere.
15. Arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, characterised thereby, that the valve of the container (11) is an individually controllable control valve (19).
16. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 15, characterised thereby, that the control valves (31, 35) of all gas paths (27, 28) as well as in a given case further control valves (19, 40) are constructed identically.
17. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 16, characterised thereby, that the control valve (31, 36) and/or the equipment (34, 35) for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section are provided in a housing (3, 3') of the filling element (1, 1').
18. Arrangement according to one of the claims 1 to 16, characterised thereby, that the control valve (31, 36) and/or the equipment (34, 35) for the automatic control of the effective flow cross-section are provided in or at a part (2, 2'), which carries several filling elements (1, 1'), of a filling machine.
19. Arrangement according to one of the claims 2 to 18, characterised thereby, that at least one partial portion, which displays the non-return valve (35), of the first channel portion (33) of the at least one gas path (27, 28) extends in vertical direction.

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