EP2593397B1 - Filling element, method and filling system for filling containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling element for the free-jet filling of containers with a liquid product according to the preamble of patent claim 1, to a method according to the preamble of patent claim 6 and to a filling system according to the preamble of patent claim 8. A filling element according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to the preamble of claim 6 are known from JP 6-183492 known.

For the purposes of the invention, free-jet filling is to be understood as meaning a process in which the liquid product flows into the container to be filled in a free filling material jet, the container with its container mouth or opening not bearing against the filling element, but rather from the filling element or from there Dispensing opening is spaced. An essential feature of this method is also that the air displaced from the container during the filling process from the liquid filling material does not reach the filling element or into a gas-conducting region or channel formed there, but flows freely into the environment.

Opening gap means in the context of the invention, the gap, which is formed with open liquid valve in the region of this valve for the liquid product and from which flows through at least one discharge opening and flowing at the discharge opening as a free jet Füllgutstrahl leaking product.

Gap width means in the context of the invention, the width, which has the opening gap, preferably the minimum width of the respective opening gap, for example, if the opening gap along its gap profile has a different gap width.

Opening time of the liquid valve in the context of the invention means that period of time that is required to fully open the closed liquid valve.

Opening speed of the liquid valve in the context of the invention means the time-dependent change of the opening or flow cross-section of the opening gap when opening the liquid valve.

Containers according to the invention are generally packaging materials which are usually used for liquid and / or pasty products, in particular for drinks, for example, soft packaging made from flat material, containers made of metal, glass and / or plastic, for example, cans, bottles, etc.

Filling elements or filling systems for free jet filling of containers are known (eg DE 102007014639 ). A fundamental problem with such filling systems is that penetration of ambient air through the at least one discharge opening into the liquid channel (valve space) of the respective filling element must be prevented.

The penetration of ambient air into the liquid channel (valve chamber) must be prevented, as this resulting in the filling air bubbles first ascend in the liquid channel and then in the product lines of the filling and finally reach into the, provide the contents boiler of the filling system or the filling machine, namely among others with the risk of contamination and / or contamination of the filling material in the product lines and in the boiler and / or with impairment of the measuring accuracy of existing flowmeters or measuring devices due to rising air bubbles.

The opening of the respective liquid valve is carried out in known filling elements or filling systems by a corresponding actuator quickly and completely, i. with high opening speed and with short opening times in the range between 50 and 100 milliseconds.

According to a general and established view, the penetration of air into the liquid channel of the relevant filling element can only be effectively prevented if the gap width of the opening gap of the opened liquid valve is chosen to be as small as possible, for example about 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, and / or In addition, a gas barrier is provided or formed in the liquid channel, which has a plurality of passages, each with the smallest possible flow cross-section and prevents the ingress of ambient air and thus the formation of bubbles rising in the filling element and in the product lines.

For filling products that also contain solid ingredients, such as for filling fruit juices with pulp and / or fruit fibers (pulp) are the known designed for free jet filling elements (free-jet filling elements) and the known free-jet filling methods are not suitable because these products gap dimensions or Gap widths for the opening gap of the open filling element require greater than 3 mm, which would inevitably lead to the entry of air bubbles in the liquid channel and the product channels or lines in the Füllgutkessel in known free-jet filling elements and free-jet filling systems.

In particular, a method is known for the free-jet filling of containers with a liquid product, which has the features of the preamble of claim 1 ( WO 2008/1267119 A1 ). In order to avoid disturbing the introduced into the respective container contents and thus a release of contents from the containers, the liquid valve of the filling element is driven so that it is only partially opened to fill the respective container in an initial phase for a reduced Füllgutstrom and only later in time for a full, flow the product flow is fully opened.

The object of the invention is to show a free-jet filling element which has an opening gap with a gap width with open liquid valve, which also allows the free jet filling of products having solid components, without the risk of ingress of ambient air into the liquid channel of the filling element and thus without the risk of air bubbles rising in the liquid channel of the filling element and in the product lines and avoiding the associated disadvantages.

To solve this problem, a filling element according to the patent claim 1 is formed. A method and a filling machine are the subject matter of patent claims 6 and 8, respectively.

The invention is based on the finding that the penetration of ambient air into the liquid channel of the air is surprisingly significantly increased by opening time which is known in comparison to the opening times of known filling elements Filling element and thus the risk of rising air bubbles in the medium can be avoided.

Due to the relatively long opening time, which is between 400 and 600 ms (milliseconds), or by the resulting relatively slow opening speed u.a. excessive disturbance of the contents within the liquid channel of the filling element and thus avoiding of ambient air in the contents avoided.

Furthermore, it is ensured that the acceleration of the filling line column present in the filling element and in the product line leading to the filling element when opening the liquid valve is sufficiently high.

The acceleration of the upcoming Füllgutsäule is then sufficiently large, if the resulting during the opening of the liquid valve for the liquid filling flow cross-section - especially in the region of the resulting opening of the liquid valve opening gap with the enlarged compared to the opening gap filling elements gap width - immediately and completely is filled with the contents, and the medium flows through the flow cross-section with sufficient flow velocity, so there is no chance for ingress of ambient air.

According to the invention, the opening time is in the range between 400 ms and 600 ms, the gap width of the opening gap with fully opened liquid valve is 13 to 16 mm. The filling element according to the invention is designed without gas barrier.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening of the liquid valve in such a way that the opening speed is not constant, but increases with increasing opening, and adapted to the acceleration behavior of the filling element or the liquid valve - upcoming Füllgutsäule, so always a full , the ingress of air bubbles safely avoidable Füllgutstrahl is achieved with the shortest possible filling times. This adjustment of the opening speed is, for example, by a corresponding geometric configuration of the liquid valve or the valve body of the liquid valve and / or that portion of the liquid channel receiving this valve body at least at the beginning of opening the liquid valve, and / or by a corresponding training and / or control of a Actuating device for the liquid valve or for the valve body reachable.

The term "essentially" in the context of the invention means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5%, and / or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant for the function.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures.

Fig. 1 und 2

in vereinfachter Darstellung und im Schnitt ein Füllelement eines Füllsystems bzw. einer Füllmaschine zum Freistrahlfüllen von Behältern in Form von Flaschen mit einem auch feste Bestandteile enthaltenden flüssigen Füllgut bei geschlossenem Flüssigkeitsventil (Figur 1) bzw. bei geöffnetem Flüssigkeitsventil (Figur 2);

Fig. 3

in vergrößerter Teildarstellung das geöffnete Flüssigkeitsventil.

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

Fig. 1 and 2

in a simplified representation and in section a filling element of a filling system or a filling machine for free jet filling of containers in the form of bottles with a liquid ingredients also containing solid ingredients with closed liquid valve ( FIG. 1 ) or when the liquid valve is open ( FIG. 2 );

Fig. 3

in an enlarged partial view the opened liquid valve.

In the figures, 1 is a filling element for the free jet filling of containers in the form of bottles 2 with a liquid filling material, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a first liquid component, for example fruit juice, and a second, more solid components, such as fruit fibers and / or pulp (pulp) and / or fruit pieces contained component. The filling element 1 is arranged on the circumference of a rotor 3 rotatable about a vertical axis of the machine and forms together with a container carrier 4 a filling position 5, which is provided with a plurality of similar filling positions 5 on the circumference of the rotor 3 and at the respective bottle 2 during the Filling with a bottle or mouth flange on the container carrier 4 held with its bottle opening 2.1 at a distance below the filling element 1 or below a discharge opening 6 of the filling element 1 is arranged hanging, with its axis coaxially or substantially coaxially with a vertical Füllelementachse FA, so that during filling the filling material flows into the respective bottle 2 as a free Füllgutstrahl FS.

In a housing 7 of the filling element 1, a liquid channel 8 (valve space) is formed, which has the discharge opening 6 at the lower end and is connected at the upper end via a product channel portion 9 to the lower end of a vertical in the illustrated embodiment product channel 10. This is connected in the upper part via a metering valve 11 (liquid-phase valve) to a boiler 12, which is partially filled during the filling operation with the first, liquid component of the filling, and a metering valve 13 (solid valve) to a Ring channel or ring tank 14 is connected, which is filled during the filling operation with the second, solid components contained in high concentration component. The boiler 12 and the annular channel or ring bowl 14 are provided for all filling elements 1 Füllmäschine together on the rotor 3.

In the product channel 10, a flow meter 15 is arranged, which is for example an electromagnetic flow meter and the respective flow rate corresponding signal to a central control device, not shown, for example, computer-aided machine control, with the (measurement signal) not only by controlling the metering valves 11 and 13 of the corresponding mixing ratio of the two components is achieved, but also the closing of the arranged in the liquid channel 8 liquid valve 16 is effected, after reaching the predetermined, introduced into the respective bottle 2 Füllgutmenge.

The liquid valve 16 consists essentially of a coaxially arranged with the Füllelementachse FA plunger 17 which is designed at its lower end as a valve body 18 with a Füllelementachse FA concentrically enclosing Ventilköperdichtung, the latter cooperates to close the liquid valve with a valve surface which at a is formed rotationally symmetrical to the filling element axis FA conical surface 19 of the liquid channel 8 is formed.

To open and close the liquid valve 16, the valve stem 17 with its valve body 18 by an actuator 20 in the Füllelementachse FA between in the FIG. 1 illustrated closing position in which the valve body 18 rests with its valve body seal against the valve surface formed by the conical surface 19, and in the Figures 2 and 3 shown opened position in which the valve body or its seal is spaced from the conical surface and between the valve body 18 and the inner surface of the liquid passage 8, a ring or opening gap 21 with a considerable Spaltbereite, ie formed with a gap width between 13mm to 16 mm is. As a result, the filling of the bottles 2 is easily possible with a mixed product consisting of the first component of the boiler 12 and the second component of the annular channel 14.

As in particular in the FIG. 3 shown in detail, the valve body 18 in the illustrated embodiment is designed so that it starting from the lower free end first a tapering towards this end, preferably conical Ventilkörperabschrnitt 18.1, then a valve body section 18.2, for example, circular cylindrical outer cross section equal to the largest External cross-section of the valve body portion 18.1, and then to the valve body portion 18.2 then has a valve body portion 18.3, the outer diameter increases toward the top and is performed, for example, frusto-conical. All Valve body sections 18.1 - 18.3 are arranged coaxially with each other and coaxially with the axis FA.

At the valve body portion 18.3 upward then the valve stem 17 is tightly enclosed by a bellows-like element 21, which acts as the passage of the valve stem 17 through the Füllelementgehäuse 7 sealing seal, but at the same time also has an outer diameter which is equal to or substantially equal to the maximum outer diameter the valve body portion 18.3, so that the valve stem 17 and the valve body 18 surface portions and thereby the discharge opening 6 facing away from the surface portions are at least so far avoided that when opening the liquid valve 16 a disturbance of the existing liquid in the channel 8 and in particular a "suction" in Direction of the discharge opening 6 in the liquid channel 8 are avoided.

In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid channel 8 is shaped so that it an upper substantially circular cylindrical channel section 8.1, in which the product line section 9 opens, based on the Füllelementachse FA axially downwardly another also substantially circular cylindrical channel section with a relation to the Channel section 8.1 reduced cross section, then a conical surface 19 having, in the direction of the bottom of the filling element 1 funnel-like narrowing channel section 8.2 and then a discharge opening 6 having a circular cylindrical cross-section having channel section 8.3. having. All channel sections 8.1 - 8.3 are arranged coaxially with each other and coaxially with the axis FA. In the closed state of the filling element 16, the valve body section 18.1 in the channel section 8.3 and the valve body section 18.3 are largely received in the channel section 8.2. When first opening the liquid valve 16, the valve body sections 18.1 and 18.2 initially move upwards in the liquid channel 8. In the fully opened state of the liquid valve 16, the valve body 18 is received in the liquid channel section 8.1 at full gap width of the opening gap 21.

In order to avoid the ingress of air bubbles into the liquid channel 8 when opening the liquid valve 16, despite the large gap width of the opening gap 21, the actuating device 20 is designed such that it causes the liquid valve to open at a greatly reduced opening speed or the opening time in the region between 400ms and 600ms. Supported by the relatively slow opening of the liquid valve 16 effect, namely the prevention of the ingress of air bubbles in the liquid channel 8 despite the large gap width of the gap 21, and the fact that the valve stem 17 and valve body 18 in the manner described above, a disturbance of the Filling material in the liquid channel 8 and / or a suction effect when opening the liquid valve 16 causing surface areas are avoided, and in particular also by the fact that when opening the liquid valve 16, the opening gap only or substantially only after the escape of the valve body portion 18.2 from the liquid channel section 8.3 is formed and then delayed increases, as long as the valve body portion 18.1 is still in the liquid channel section 8.2. With increasing duration of the opening process 16 so this alone and delayed by the geometry of the liquid valve 16 is opened until finally the maximum opening cross-section or the maximum gap width of the gap formed between the valve body 18 and the inner surface of the liquid channel 8 21 is reached. The opening speed of the filling element 16 is chosen in any case so that the achieved during opening acceleration of the present in the liquid channel 8 Füllgutsäule is sufficient, so that the additional flow or opening cross-section, resulting from the increasing opening of the liquid valve 16, each directly and is completely filled with the filling material and this flows through the opening cross-section with sufficient, preventing the ingress of air flow rate.

Of course, it is also possible to control the opening speed of the liquid valve 16 by appropriate control and / or training of the actuator 20, in particular again in such a way that the opening of the liquid valve 16 is adapted to the acceleration behavior of the present in the liquid channel 8 Füllgutsäule, so that always a full, the penetration of air or air bubbles safely avoiding Füllgutstrahl FS while still shortest possible filling times can be achieved.

In the figures, with 23 for all filling elements 1 of the filling machine common annular channel on the rotor 3 and 24 denotes a product line, for a hot run to heat the contents or for holding the contents in the hot state.

The invention has been described above in one embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby abandoning the scope of the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

filler

2

bottle

2.1

bottle opening

3

rotor

4

Bottle or container carrier

5

filling position

6

discharge opening

7

filling element

8th

Liquid channel in Füllelementgehäuse 7

9

Product line section

10

product line

11

metering valve

12

Boiler for first component

13

metering valve

14

Ring channel or ring bowl for second component

15

Flowmeter

16

liquid valve

17

tappet

18

valve body

18.1 - 18.3

Valve body section

19

conical surface

20

Actuator for valve stem 17 and valve body 18th

21

opening gap

22

bellows-like element

23

Ring channel for heating circulation

24

Cable for heating circulation

FS

Füllgutstrahl

FA

filling element

Claims (8)

1. Filling element for filling containers (2) with a liquid charge in the form of a free jet, having at least one liquid channel (8) which is formed in a filling element housing (7) and in which, in the direction of flow of the charge, at least one liquid valve (16) actuated by an actuating mechanism (20) is provided upstream of a dispensing opening (6), specifically for dispensing the liquid charge in a controlled manner through the at least one dispensing opening (6) into the respective container (2) arranged with a container opening (2.1) at a distance below the dispensing opening (6), wherein the at least one liquid valve (16), in the open state, frees a valve gap or opening gap (21) through which the charge can flow, characterized in that the gap width of the opening gap (21), with the liquid valve (16) fully open, is 13 mm to 16 mm, and in that the actuating mechanism (20) for the at least one liquid valve (16) is designed and/or controlled in such a way that the opening time for fully opening the at least one liquid valve (16) is between 400 ms and 600 ms.
2. Filling element according to claim 1, characterised in that the entire opening gap of the at least one open liquid valve (16) has a gap width in the range between 13 and 16 mm.
3. Filling element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the valve body (18) is configured with at least one valve body section (18.1) which, at the start of opening of the liquid valve (16), moves in a section (8.3) of the liquid channel (8), in that the geometry of the valve body section (18.1) and of the liquid channel section (8.3) is selected in such a way that the opening gap (21) which forms between the valve body section (18.1) and the inner surface of the liquid channel section (8.3) when the liquid valve (16) first opens increases in size as the liquid valve (16) is increasingly opened, wherein to this end the liquid channel section (8.3) has an internal cross-section which increases in size in the direction of the opening movement of the valve body (18) and/or the valve body section (18.1) has an external cross-section which decreases in size counter to the opening movement of the valve body (18).
4. Filling element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the valve body (18) is provided or formed on a valve tappet (17), and in that the valve tappet (17) or an element (22) surrounding the latter, for example a bellows-like element (22), has an external diameter which is equal to or approximately equal to the maximum external diameter of the valve body (18).
5. Filling element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the liquid channel (8) is configured in its entire region without an element acting as a gas lock.
6. Method for filling containers (2) with a liquid charge in the form of a free jet, using at least one filling element (1) having at least one liquid channel (8) which is formed in a filling element housing (7) and in which, in the direction of flow of the charge, at least one liquid valve (16) is provided upstream of a dispensing opening (6), specifically for dispensing the liquid charge in a controlled manner through the at least one dispensing opening (6) into the respective container (2) arranged with a container opening (2.1) at a distance below the dispensing opening (6), wherein the at least one liquid valve (16) opens fully to dispense the liquid charge and in this state frees a valve gap or opening gap (21) through which the charge can flow, characterized in that, in order to fully open the liquid valve, the opening gap (21) is opened with a gap width in the range between 13 mm and 16 mm, and in that the full opening of the at least one liquid valve (16) takes place in an opening time of between 400 ms and 600 ms.
7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the entire opening gap is opened with a gap width in the range between 13 and 16 mm.
8. Filling system or filling machine, in particular a filling machine of the rotary type comprising a plurality of filling elements, for example composed of a rotor (3) which can be driven in rotation about a vertical machine axis, characterised in that the filling elements are configured according to claims 1 to 5.

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