EP2576421A1 - Filling element and filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Filling element (1) for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid filler, comprising at least one liquid channel (3) formed in a filling-element housing (2), comprising at least one liquid valve (13) which is arranged in the liquid channel (3) and controls the discharging of the filler into the respective container and has at least one valve body (14) that can be moved in order to open and close the liquid valve (13) and that engages with a valve seat (15), and comprising an insert (18) which is designed as and/or acts as a swirl body and/or as a gas barrier and, in the direction of flow of the filler, is arranged upstream of a valve seat (15) of the liquid valve. The insert (18) is fixed in position in the liquid channel (3), i.e. it is not moved with the valve body (14) during the opening and closing of the liquid valve (13).

Description

 Filling element and filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers

The invention relates to a filling element according to the preamble of claim 1, to an insert for use in filling elements according to the preamble of claim 8 and to a filling machine according to the preamble of claim 10.

Filling elements for filling bottles or similar containers are known in various embodiments, especially in an embodiment with the features of the preamble of claim 1, i. with an insert acting as a gas barrier and / or swirl body for the filling material in the liquid channel in the flow direction of the filling material in front of the valve seat of the liquid valve to improve filling material flow when the liquid valve is open or during the filling phase (EP 1 593 648 B1, EP 0 546 346 A1, DE 41 40 524 A1). This prior art has in common that the respective use is moved when opening and closing the liquid valve with this, u.a. with the disadvantage that when closing the liquid valve that volume of the liquid filling material, which is at this time between the discharge opening and the valve body or the insert, additionally reinforced by the use of a movement component or acceleration in the direction of discharge opening is impressed. This then means an increased, in the respective already filled container still introduced residual volume with increased kinetic energy, resulting in particular in a CO2-containing product to a disturbance of the contents in the container, with the result of a release of CO2 gas and an additional foaming.

The object of the invention is to show a filling element, which avoids the disadvantages of known filling elements while maintaining the basic advantages of trained as a gas barrier and / or swirl body and / or acting insert.

To solve this problem, a filling element according to the patent claim 1 is formed. An insert for use with filling elements is the subject of A filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers is the subject of claim 10.

It has surprisingly been found that the properties of a filling element can be significantly improved by the inventive design, especially with regard to reducing the size and speed or acceleration of the closing of the liquid valve in the respective container still introduced residual or tailing volume.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. Show it:

Fig. 1 in a simplified partial representation and in section a filling element according to the invention for filling containers or bottles with a liquid product or filling material;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial section of the filling element of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 and 4 respectively in a perspective view and in a bottom view (Figure 3) and in top view (Figure 4) an annular insert for use in the filling element of Figures 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 and 6, the use of Figure 3 and 4 in side view and in plan view. The filling valve shown in FIG. 1 and denoted there generally by 1 is part of a filling system having a multiplicity of such valves, for example the filling system of a peripheral type filling machine, in which the filling elements 1 are then in the manner known to a person skilled in the art at the circumference of a vertical machine axis circumferentially driven rotor are provided. The Filling element 1 comprises inter alia a multi-part Füllelementgehäuse 2, in which a liquid channel 3 is formed for the liquid product, through a recess 3.1 in the housing 2. The liquid channel 3 is in the region of its upper end via a connection or inlet 4 with a line or connected to a boiler for supplying the liquid filling material and forms in the region of its lower end or on the underside of the Füllelementgehäuses 2, that is on a conically narrowing portion of the recess 3.1 a vertical Füllelementachse FA concentrically enclosing annular discharge opening 5, via which the liquid contents during filling (filling phase) flows to the respective container.

During filling, in particular pressure filling, the respective container is in sealing position on the filling element 1, i. he lies with his mouth surrounding the mouth of the container mouth or against a provided on the underside of the Füllelementgehäuses seal 6 which surrounds the discharge opening 5 annular and in the illustrated embodiment part of a centering tulip 7 for centering the respective container with respect to the filling element. 1 is. Axially with the Füllelementachse FA a valve or gas pipe 8 is provided, which projects with its lower open end of the gas pipe 8.1 via the discharge opening 5 and the annular seal 6 downwards, extends with a partial length through the liquid channel 3 and at the top of the liquid channel 8 by means a seal 9 formed, for example, as a membrane sealed out of the liquid channel 3 is led out.

Axelgleich with the Füllelementachse FA is also a rod-shaped filling level determining the filling of the respective container 10 is provided which extends through the gas pipe 8 and protrudes with its lower end of the probe from the lower, open end of the gas pipe 8.1, to form a probe This gas channel 1 1 is open at the lower end of the gas pipe 8.1 and opens at the upper end of the gas pipe 8 in a chamber 12, as well as the gas channel 1 1 is part of the respective filling process controlling gas paths of the filling element 1, ie this is also known in the art.

In the liquid channel 3, a liquid valve 13 is provided, which is opened and closed for controlled delivery of the liquid filling material in dependence on the signal of the probe 10. For the liquid valve 13, the gas pipe 8 is formed on a relatively short lower and received in the liquid channel 3 partial length as a valve body 14 which cooperates with a valve seat 15 which is formed on the conical inner surface 16 of the narrowing lower portion of the recess 3.1. To open and close the liquid valve 13, the gas pipe 8 is controlled in the manner of a valve tappet in the direction of the axis FA by an example pneumatic actuator 17 up and down (double arrow A). The valve body 14 is designed with a section with a circular cylindrical peripheral surface concentrically surrounding the filler element axis FA.

The filling of the respective container with the filling element 1 takes place with a filling process known to those skilled in the art, for example with a pressure or Gegendruckfüllverfahren, in which the sealing element located on the filling container - for example, after a pre-evacuation and / or purging with inert gas (C02 gas) - Pre-stressed, filled under pressure and at the end of the filling process is at least partially relieved via the gas channel 1 1 to ambient pressure.

A special feature of the filling element 1 consists in the generally designated 18 in the figures and in the 3-6 illustrated in detail, which acts as a gas barrier and as a swirl body. The insert 18 is in the liquid channel 3, in the lower, conically narrowing portion of the liquid channel 3 forming recess 3.1 arranged, and that stationary, ie not moved with the valve body 14 during opening and closing of the liquid valve 13. The insert 18 is in the illustrated embodiment, inter alia against the conical inner surface 16, and relative to the flow direction of the liquid filling material at an area in front of the valve seat 5, so that the insert 18 is within that part of the liquid channel 3, the at closed liquid valve 13 is separated from the discharge opening 5 by this valve.

As shown in particular in Figures 3-6, the insert 18 is made as a shaped body of a suitable material, for example of a suitable plastic and / or metal, for example in one piece with an annular ring portion 19 and a plurality of in the illustrated embodiment each similarly shaped lamellae or lamellar wall portions 20 which are spaced from each other and spaced at equal intervals around the circumference of the ring portion 19 and about the axis EA of the insert 18 both over the underside of the ring portion 19 and beyond its outer periphery. The wall portions 20 form a lamellar structure 21 and are oriented in the illustrated embodiment so that the planes of the surface sides of the wall portions 20 are each parallel to the axis EA, but the wall portions 20 each project in the same direction obliquely from the circumference of the ring portion 19, so that each wall portion 20th with an imaginary tangent to that peripheral region of the annular portion 19, where the relevant wall portion 20 merges into the annular portion 19, an angle smaller than 90 °, for example, an angle of about 45 - 60 ° includes.

The insert 18 is further shaped so that the annular portion 19 protrudes with a portion 19.1 over the top of the lamellar structure 21, which at the bottom of the insert 18 adapted to the course of the conical surface 16 conical outer contour and the periphery of the insert 18 an axis EA concentric enclosing and adapted to the circular cylindrical cross-section of the recess 3.1 circular cylindrical outer contour forms. Like the wall sections 20, the lamellar structure 21 projects beyond the underside of the ring section 19. The louver structure 21 forms between the spaced-apart wall portions 20 a plurality of flow channels which are open at the periphery and at the bottom of the annular insert 18 and at the top and on the inside of the annular insert 18 (outside of the ring portion 19). In detail, the insert 18 in the liquid channel 3 forming recess 3.1 is inserted such that the lamellar structure 21 rests with its conical bottom against the surface 16 and circumferentially against the inner surface of the recess 3.1 in front of the conically narrowing portion of this recess, as so is shown in the figure 2. The axis EA is arranged coaxially with the Füllelementachse FA. The valve body 14 also extends with its portion with the circular cylindrical circumferential surface concentrically surrounding the filler element axis FA into the insert 18, whose inner ring diameter is adapted to the outer diameter of the valve body 14. For example, the valve body 14 is guided in the annular portion 19 of the insert 18. In the opened state of the liquid valve 13, which is shown in Figure 2, thus flowing the liquid product from the liquid channel 3 exclusively or almost exclusively through the flow channels of the insert 18 to the discharge opening 5. By the described training of the insert 18 is the contents here a swirl with a swirl moment about the Füllelementachse FM imprinted so that the liquid product flows into the held in sealing position on the filling element 1 container along its inner container surface, in this case from the contents of the container displaced air and / or gas and / or vapor volume as return gas can be smoothly discharged through the gas channel 1 1 and also premature wetting of the probe 10 is avoided with the liquid contents before reaching the desired level.

It has also surprisingly been found that by the use of the insert 18 and in particular by its stationary arrangement, the accelerated when closing the liquid valve 13 from the case moving valve body 14 Füllgutrestvolumen is significantly reduced. This is due, among other things, to the fact that, when the liquid valve 13 is open, the liquid product flows out of the flow channels of the lamellar structure 21 into the part of the liquid channel 3 located below the opened valve body 14 and opens into the discharge opening 5, and that from The filling material flow exiting the flow channels of the lamellar structure 21 when closing the liquid valve 13 is thus interrupted by the valve body 14 moving transversely to the direction of flow. The advantageous effects that are achieved with the stationarily arranged insert 18, are particularly pronounced when the lamellar structure 21 forming wall sections 20 as possible with their relative to the axis EA inside and preferably oriented parallel to this axis edges or narrow sides of a circular cylindrical plane of movement are closely adjacent, on which moves the portion of the valve body 14 with the circular cylindrical peripheral surface, so that at least when the liquid valve 13 is open, the entire flow cross section of the flow between the wall portions 20 of the insert 1 8 formed flow channels is substantially greater than the flow area of a possibly between the peripheral surface the valve body 14 and the inner surface of the insert 18 existing gap. Preferably, the distance between the inner edges or narrow sides of the wall sections 20 of this plane of motion is not greater than 0.5 mm. When closing the liquid valve 13 thus the radially inner outlet openings of the flow channels formed between the wall portions 20 are increasingly and tightly sealed or at least largely sealed by the valve body 14. Furthermore, the inner edges or narrow sides of the wall sections 20 are arranged, for example, on a common, imaginary circular cylindrical surface, which is then preferably also the circular cylindrical surface of the inner side of the annular section 19.

The invention has been described above by means of an embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

Thus, it is particularly of great advantage if a gas barrier is used in conjunction with a throttling of the return gas stream. When using such a method it comes surprisingly to a significant improvement in Füllhöhe accuracy of the filled containers. In particular, the standard deviation of the measured actual fill levels is significantly reduced.

According to the current state of knowledge, the throttling of the return gas leads to a more uniform inflow of the filling material into the container, or to a more even, ie turbulence-free flow of the filling material through the Gas barrier. Due to these improved flow conditions, the (inflowing) filling material is stopped almost immediately and almost completely by the gas barrier at the moment when the nominal filling level is reached. In any case, the amount of filling material still flowing after reaching the nominal filling level is considerably reduced.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 filling element

 2 filler housing

 3 fluid channel

 4 connection or inlet

5 discharge opening

 6 seal

 7 centering tulip

 8 gas pipe

 8.1 lower gas pipe end

 9 seal

 10 probe

 1 1 gas channel

 12 chamber

 13 liquid valve

 14 valve body

 15 valve seat

 16 conical inner surface

17 actuating device

 18 use

 19 ring section

 19.1 subarea

 20 slat or wall section

21 lamellar structure

 A stroke of the valve body 14th

FA filler element axis

 EA axis of the insert 18

Claims

claims 1 . Filling element for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid product or filling material, with at least one in a Füllelementgehäuse (2) formed liquid channel (3) with a connection or inlet (4) for supplying the liquid filling material in the liquid channel (3) and a dispensing opening (5) for dispensing the filling material into a container to be filled, with at least one liquid valve (13) controlling the dispensing of the contents into the respective container and arranged in the liquid channel (3), which comprises at least one opening and closing of the liquid valve (13 ) and a valve body (15) cooperating valve body (14), as well as with a swirl body and / or as a gas barrier formed and / or acting insert (18) in the flow direction of the filling in front of a valve seat (15) of the liquid valve ( 13) is arranged, characterized in that the insert (18) in the liquid channel (3) stationary, i. is not moved when opening and closing the liquid valve (13) with the valve body (14). 2. Filling element according to claim 1, characterized in that the insert (18) is annularly formed the Füllelementachse (FA) enclosing. 3. Filling element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insert (18) the valve body (14) of the liquid valve (13) on a valve body peripheral surface, preferably on an at least partially circular cylindrical valve body peripheral surface in the closed state of the liquid valve (13) and / or encloses in at least one open state of the liquid valve (3). 4. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (18) forms a plurality of flow channels for the filling material, and that in the closed state of the liquid valve (13) and / or in at least one open state of the liquid valve (13) of the valve body (14) with its valve body peripheral surface the insert (18) is adjacent such that in the opened state of the liquid valve (13), the total flow area of the flow channels of the insert (18) is greater than the flow area of a possibly between the valve body outer surface and the insert (18) existing gap. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (18) has a lamellar structure (21) which is formed by a plurality of lamellae or wall sections (20), each spaced from each other between the flow channels of the insert (18). form, wherein the lamellae or wall sections (20) or their planes are preferably oriented parallel to the Füllelementachse (FA) and / or in relation to an imaginary, the Füllelementachse (FA) concentrically enclosing circular cylindrical surface are inclined in the same direction, with an angle less than 90 °. Filling element according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the insert (18) and / or the lamellae or wall sections (20) of the lamellar structure (21) extend to the movement space of the valve body (14) or up to a circular cylindrical plane of movement of the valve body peripheral surface and / or have a distance of less than 0.5 mm from this plane of movement. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (18) has a Füllelementachse (FA) concentrically enclosing annular portion (19) on which the lamellar structure (21) forming lamellae or wall portions (20) are held, and in that the lamellar structure (21) or its lamellae or wall sections (20) project over an underside and over the circumference of the annular section. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, dadu in that at least one Dros is provided in the gas path of the return gas. 9. insert for use in a filling element (1) for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid product or filling material, characterized in that the insert as a molded part with an axis (EA) of the insert (18) concentrically enclosing annular ring portion ( 19) and a slat structure (21) held on the section is formed with a plurality of spaced-apart slats or wall sections (20), and that the slat structure (21) and its slats or wall sections (20) both over a bottom and over protrude the circumference of the ring portion (19). 10. Use according to claim 9, characterized in that the lamellar structure (21) forming lamellae or wall portions (20) are oriented with their surface sides parallel or substantially parallel to the axis (EA) of the insert (18) and / or against a imagined the axis (EA) of the insert (18) concentrically enclosing plane of rotation, for example, circular cylindrical plane are inclined in the same direction. 1 1. Filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid filling material, with at least one filling element (1), preferably with a plurality of provided on a rotating rotor filling elements (1), characterized in that the filling element (1) is designed according to one of the preceding claims , 12. A method for operating a filling element according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the return gas flow is throttled by means of at least one throttle.