FR2791033A1 - Filler for bottles has filling spout with valve and independent plug to control flow - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatic filler for bottles has a tank with a filling spout (10) having an outlet (12). A valve (20) selectively opens to allow liquid flow under a control (30). A plug (40) independent of the valve is actuated by a piston (50) independently of the main control, to take all intermediate positions between a position where it fits into the spout between the valve when it is closed and a retracted position.

Description

The present invention relates to a container filling system.

  Such a system equips for example an automatic filling machine for containers, such as bottles, flasks, etc. Container filling systems are already known. They generally consist of a filling spout with an outlet orifice and a valve which is designed to be able to assume, under the action of a control member, such as a jack, an open position o the liquid flows through said outlet orifice and a closed position where said valve obstructs the passage of the liquid towards the outlet orifice. One of the problems which such a system must solve is to prevent drops from falling out of the filling spout while the valve is in its closed position. Indeed, these drops may either fall on the edge of the container that has just finished filling and therefore soil it, or fall outside the container if it has already been removed and therefore, in this case to defile the machine

1 5 filling itself.

  One solution to this problem consists in placing under the filling spout, immediately after closing the filling spout, a receptacle whose purpose is to recover any drops of liquid that escape from the spout. Another solution is to put a grid under the spout to retain

  said drops of liquid by capillarity.

  Another solution is to provide a system which immediately sucks up any liquid drops after the flow has stopped. For example, the implementation of this solution consists in piercing the end of the valve so as to depress the orifice immediately after the closure of the valve so that the excess

  liquid is sucked up and retained at the outlet of the spout.

  These solutions, if they are generally satisfactory, nevertheless have an operation which is very much linked to the viscosity of the liquid to be poured which makes them generally difficult to develop. In addition, in the case where the characteristics of the liquid change over time, they only function properly for a

  more or less long period.

  The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a system for filling containers as just described but which moreover solves the problems that

  prior art systems pose.

  To this end, a system according to the invention comprises an element which, under the action of a member controlled independently of said control member can take any position between a position where it penetrates inside the internal volume of said spout included between said valve when it is in the closed position and the orifice and a position where it is retracted.

  Advantageously, said element and the member are mounted on the valve.

  In a first embodiment of the present invention, said element consists of a piston which can slide in a housing between a position where it projects on said valve in said volume and a position where it is retracted in said

housing.

  Said control member is for example constituted by a single-acting cylinder

  resiliently returned to its rest position.

  It can also be the piston housing which forms a pressure chamber for controlling said piston, a spring being provided to return said piston.

  element in its position where it is retracted into said housing.

  In a second embodiment of the present invention, said element consists of a membrane closing a pressure chamber in order to be able to control the movement of said membrane between a position where it enters said volume and a position where it is retracted therefrom . A return means is for example provided to recall said membrane in a position where it is retracted

of said volume.

  In one or other embodiment above, said container filling system according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises means for pressurizing said control member in order to bring the element in its position o it enters inside said volume and means for making said drop

  pressure after the valve has closed the passage of the liquid towards the outlet orifice.

  Advantageously, said means for releasing said pressure are

  provided for said fallout to be progressive.

  Advantageously also, said means for releasing said pressure are provided so that said fallout is delayed relative to the instant when said valve

  closes the passage of the liquid towards the outlet orifice.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, said means for releasing said pressure are provided for interrupting said fall at an intermediate pressure so that said element can be positioned in an intermediate position between said position where it penetrates inside the volume internal of said

  beak and said position where it is retracted.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, said system includes

  means for adjusting the pressurizing pressure of said control member.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, said system comprises means so that said element can be positioned in an intermediate position between said position where it penetrates inside the internal volume of said spout and said

position where it is retracted.

  The features of the invention mentioned above, as well as others,

  will appear more clearly on reading the following description of examples of

  realization, said description being made in relation to the attached drawings, among

  which: Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the container filling system according to the present invention, the valve being in an open position where the liquid flows through the spout, FIGS. 2a and 2b show the same filling system, the valve of which is this time in a position where the liquid no longer flows, the element still projecting, FIG. 2b being a close-up of the beak with a drop of liquid in formation, Figs. 3a and 3b show the same filling system, the valve of which is still in a position where the liquid no longer flows, the element now being retracted, FIG. 3b being a close-up of the spout with the liquid in suspension, FIG. 4 is a view of a second embodiment of the container filling system according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view of a third embodiment of the container filling system according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6a and 6b represent fourth and fifth respectively

  embodiments of a filling system according to the present invention.

  In Fig. 1, we see a container filling system which consists of a filling spout 10 with a liquid inlet 11 and an outlet orifice 12 which is formed, in the embodiment shown, by the lower part of a valve seat 13 whose internal surface is frustoconical flared upwards. It also consists of a valve 20 which comprises a nozzle 21 and a valve rod 22 coaxial with each other and which is provided for, under the action of a control member such as a jack double effect 30, being able to slide relative to the filling spout 10, so as to be able to take either an open position o the liquid 1 1 can pass between the nozzle 21 and the seat 13, or a closed position o l end piece 21 rests on the seat 13. To ensure the seal between the seat 13 and the end piece 21, the latter is

  provided with a seal 23 provided to cooperate with the valve seat 13.

  In the embodiment shown, the valve stem 22 is connected to the rod 31 of the cylinder 30 via a spacer 32. Furthermore, the body of the cylinder 30

  is mounted fixed relative to the spout 10.

  The lower end of the valve 20 is provided with a cylindrical housing 24 in which a piston 40 can slide, provided on its external surface with a seal 41 ensuring the seal between the piston 40 and the wall of the housing 24. The piston 40 is provided with a coaxial rod 42 intended to slide, under the action of a control member 50 which is here in the form of a single-acting cylinder, inside the rod 22 of the valve 20 so as to be able to take either a high position where the piston 40 is inserted inside the housing 24, or a low position where the piston 40 penetrates inside the internal volume of the spout 10 between

  said valve 20 when it is in the closed position and the outlet orifice 12.

  In the embodiment shown, the rod 42 is connected to the rod 51 of the jack 50 by means of a spacer 52 and the body of the jack 50 is mounted fixed.

  relative to the valve stem 22.

  A return spring 53 is provided between the spacer 52 (via a shoulder 54) and the spacer 32 so as to return the piston 40 to its high position where it is returned

inside the housing 24.

  The control member 30 is a double-acting cylinder. The lower and upper parts of its body are therefore respectively connected to two outlet orifices 60a and 60b of a distributor 60 whose inlet orifice 60c is connected to a pressure tap 61, for example given by a pump (not shown). As for the control member 50, it has a single effect resiliently returned to its rest position, here by the spring 53 resting, on the one hand, on the shoulder and, on the other hand, on the spout 10. Its upper part is thus connected to the outlet orifice 60a of the distributor 60 via a non-return valve 62 which allows the passage of the fluid only in the direction of the distributor-control member. Furthermore, this upper part is connected, by means of a flow limiter 64, to the common orifice 63a of a distributor 63 of which an outlet orifice 63b is blocked and an outlet orifice 63c is at the outdoors. The distributor 63 is provided with a

  control member 63d which, when it comes into contact with the spacer 32, that is to say

  say when the valve 20 is in its low position and closes the spout 10, pilot the distributor 63 to connect the orifices 63a and 63c (Figs. 2 and 3) and which, when it is not in contact with the spacer 32, that is to say when the valve 20 is in its high position and therefore leaves free the passage of the liquid 11 between its nozzle 21 and the seat 13, controls the distributor 63 to connect the orifices 63a and 63b (Fig. 1) . It will be noted that the point of introduction of the fluid into the upper part of the control member 50 is denoted A and that the high and low points of introduction of the fluid into the upper and lower parts of the control member 30 are respectively denoted B and C. It will also be noted that the distributor 60 can be controlled by the machine on

  which the system of the invention is mounted.

  The operation of the container filling system of this

invention is as follows.

  In a first filling phase which is shown in FIG. 1, the distributor 61 is positioned so that the fluid pressure is in the lower part of the cylinder 30 as well as in the upper part of the cylinder 50. It follows that, the rod 31 of the cylinder 30 being in the high position, the valve 20 is also in its high position and its nozzle 21 allows free passage of the liquid towards the outlet orifice 12 of the spout 10. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the rod 51 of the jack 50 is in the low position, the piston 40 is in its low position where it projects from the

part of the nozzle 21.

  In a second filling stop phase which is shown in FIG. 2a, the distributor 61 is now positioned so that the fluid pressure is

  located in the upper part of the cylinder 30, the lower part being in the open air.

  The end piece 21 now rests on the seat 13 and therefore closes the outlet orifice 12 of the

spout 10.

  There is shown in FIG. 2b the end of the spout 10 with the valve 20 closed. We

  notes that a drop of liquid is forming at this end 12.

  Due to the presence of the non-return valve 62, the upper part of the jack 50 is found only connected to the distributor 63 whose control member 63d is in contact with the spacer 32 so that the orifices 63a and 63c are connected together. It follows that the upper part of the cylinder 50 is found in the open air, but through the limiter 64. Under the effect of the spring 53, the piston 40 will take its high position

  in which it returned inside the housing 24, but it will do so gradually.

  There is shown in FIG. 3a, the final phase of this movement where the piston 40 is

  fully entered housing 24.

  The vacuum that the rise of the piston 40 will create in the volume which is between the valve 20 and the outlet orifice 12, will retain the liquid at the outlet orifice 12 of the spout 10 and will annihilate the formation of the drop of liquid of Fig. 2b. This is what is visible in FIG. 3b where we see the liquid L which is retained on the

piston 40.

  When we return to the first phase shown in Fig. 1 by the control of the distributor 61, the end piece 21 will go up leaving the passage of the liquid 11 free but the piston 40, under the effect of the jack 50, will return to its position where it projects at the end of the end piece 21. As a result, it will create a slight overpressure which will have the effect of repelling the drop which has hitherto remained at the orifice of

outlet 12 from nozzle 10.

  There is shown in FIG. 4 another embodiment of a filling system according to the present invention which differs from the previous essentially by its control part of the cylinders 30 and 50. The points A, B and C are identical to the previous embodiments. In addition, the identical elements will not be described again. According to this embodiment, the double-acting cylinder 30 is, as before, controlled by a distributor 60 to an inlet port 60c connected to a pressure tap 61 and to two outlet ports 60a and 60b. The cylinder 50 has its upper part which is connected to a distributor 64 which connects it, in one position, to a

  pressure tap 65 and, in the other position, in the open air.

  The distributors 60 and 64 are controlled by an automaton 70.

  It will be understood that the control of these distributors 60 and 64 is such that, when the lower part of the cylinder 30 is under pressure, the same applies to the upper part of the cylinder 50 and, conversely, when it is the part high of the cylinder 30 which is under pressure, the upper part of the cylinder 50 is in the open air. However, the control of the actuator 30 and that of the actuator 50 can be offset over time, thereby delaying the venting of the actuator 50. Furthermore, the flow rate of the venting can be made adjustable and adjustable by means of a flow limiter similar to that which is

shown in Figs. I to 3.

  Likewise, this venting can be interrupted at any time, the pressure in the upper part of the control member 50 then being at an intermediate value. The stroke of the element 40, due to the restoring force exerted by the spring 53 which counterbalances that which is generated by the control member 50, being a function of the pressure in the upper part of the control member 40 , it follows that the interruption of the venting at an intermediate pressure has the effect of adjusting the stroke of the element 40. The stroke of the element 40 can also be determined by adjusting the pressure

  fluid in the control member 50.

  There is shown in FIG. 5 another embodiment of a filling system according to the present invention which differs from the previous ones essentially by the control member for the displacement of the piston 40 which is no longer an attached cylinder such as the cylinder 50. The control part of this control member can on the other hand be produced in accordance with either the embodiment of FIG. 1, or in the embodiment of FIG. 4. Points A, B and C in Fig. 5 are connected at the same points

or Fig, I or Fig. 4.

  The control member of FIG. 5 consists of the piston 40 itself sliding in its housing 24 which plays, in this embodiment, the role of pressure chamber. The spring 53 is also present to recall the control member 50 thus formed in its rest position. In the chamber 24, the control fluid issuing from point A is introduced through an orifice 24a. In the embodiment shown, the chamber 24 is extended by a chamber 24b peripheral to the rod 42 of the piston 40. A seal d 24c is provided in the upper part of the

  valve 21 for sealing the chamber 24.

  It will be understood that when the pressure is introduced through the orifice 24a in the chamber 24, the piston 40 tends to come out of its housing 24 and then protrudes at the end of the valve 21. This movement is counteracted by the action of the spring 53. As the pressure drops in chamber 24, the piston rises in its

  housing 24 and then enters it.

  Consequently, it will be understood that the function implemented by the chamber 24 and the piston 40 is the same as that which is implemented by the jack 50 and that the operation is identical to that of the embodiment shown in FIG. I or

  of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

  There is shown in FIG. 6a another embodiment of a filling system according to the present invention which is an alternative embodiment of the

previous embodiment.

  In fact, in this mode, the control member consists of an elastic membrane 40 ′, the periphery of which is fixed, by means of a sleeve 25, to the end of the valve 20 so as to hermetically close the chamber 24 The rod 42 has its lower end which is directly fixed to the membrane 40 '. Note the presence of the spring 53 to recall the membrane in its rest position. This can be made optional as long as the stiffness of the membrane 40 'is sufficient. It will be understood that the membrane 40 'has the same function as the piston 40 of the

previous embodiment.

  The advantage of this embodiment is that the end of the valve

  13 is not polluted with liquid that has stagnated.

  There is shown in FIG. 6b an alternative embodiment of the previous embodiment according to which the membrane 40 'is pressed against the bottom of the housing 24 by means of the sleeve 25. It will be noted that, in this embodiment, the pressure chamber is not formed

  only through the peripheral chamber 24b.

  It will be understood that the system of the invention can be used in conjunction with accessories, such as grids or the like, which are fixed at the level of

the outlet 12.

Claims (9)

  1) system for filling containers with a liquid (11), said system consisting of a filling spout (10) with an outlet orifice (12), a valve (20) designed to be able to take, under the action of a control member (30), an open position where the liquid (11) flows through said orifice (12) and a closed position where said valve (20) obstructs the passage of the liquid (1l 1 ) towards the outlet orifice (12), characterized in that it comprises an element (40) which, under the action of a member (50) controlled independently of said control member (30), can take all the positions between a position o it penetrates inside the internal volume of said spout (10) comprised between said valve (20) when it is in the position of   closure and the orifice (12) and a position where it is retracted.   2) container filling system according to claim 1, characterized in   that said element (40) and the member (50) are mounted integral with said valve (20).   3) container filling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said element (40) consists of a piston which can slide in a housing (24) between a position where it projects from said valve ( 20) in   said volume and a position where it is retracted into said housing (24).   4) container filling system according to one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that said control member (50) is a single acting cylinder   resiliently returned to its rest position.   ) Container filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that said housing forms a pressure chamber for controlling said piston (40), a spring being provided to return said element (40) to its position where it is   retracted into said housing (24).   6) container filling system according to claim I or 2, characterized in that said element (40) consists of a membrane closing a pressure chamber (24 ') to be able to control the movement of said membrane between a position o it enters said volume and a position o it is retracted.   7) container filling system according to one of claims   above, characterized in that it comprises means for pressurizing said control member (50) in order to bring the element (40) to its position where it penetrates inside said volume and means for making it fall said pressure after the valve (20) has closed the passage of the liquid (1 l) to the outlet orifice (12), 8) container filling system according to claim 7, characterized in that said means for making it fall said pressure are provided so that said fallout is progressive.   9) container filling system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said means for releasing said pressure are provided so that said fallout is delayed relative to the instant when said valve closes the   passage of the liquid (11) towards the outlet orifice (12).   ) Container filling system according to one of claims 7 to 9,   characterized in that said means for releasing said pressure are provided for interrupting said fall at an intermediate pressure so that said element (40) can be positioned in an intermediate position between said position where it penetrates inside the internal volume of said spout (10) and said position where it is retracted.   11) container filling system according to one of claims 7 to 9,   characterized in that it includes means for adjusting the setting pressure   pressure of said control member (50).   12) container filling system according to one of claims I to 9,   characterized in that it comprises means so that said element (40) can be positioned in an intermediate position between said position where it penetrates   inside the internal volume of said spout (10) and said position where it is retracted.