CN110730757A

CN110730757A - Device and method for filling containers with a filling product

Info

Publication number: CN110730757A
Application number: CN201880030102.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 克里斯蒂安·库尔辛格
Original assignee: KRONES
Current assignee: KRONES
Priority date: 2017-05-09
Filing date: 2018-05-09
Publication date: 2020-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-09
Also published as: EP3621915B1; SI3621915T1; EP3621915A1; DE102017109961A1; WO2018206698A1; CN110730757B

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for filling a container (100) with a filling product, comprising a filling valve (2), the filling valve (2) being used to open and close a filling product flow-through (22) between a filling product reservoir (10) and the container (100) to be filled in order to control the filling of the container with the filling product, wherein a carbonator (4) for carbonating the filling product is in communication with the filling product flow-through (22) of the filling valve (2).

Description

Device and method for filling containers with a filling product

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device and a method for filling containers with a filling product, preferably for filling containers with a carbonated filling product in a beverage filling system.

Background

In order to fill containers with carbonated filling products, it is known to use filling elementsThe carbonated filling product is filled into the container to be filled. Here, it is known to use CO first₂The container to be filled is offset and the carbonated filling product is then filled into the container with CO by means of the filling element₂In an offset container. By using CO₂Biasing the container makes it possible that CO2 bonded in the filling product during the filling process is not or only slightly debonded and the foaming tendency of the filling product is correspondingly reduced when filling into the container to be filled.

Here, the carbonation of the filling product takes place before the actual filling of the container with the filling product. In the filling product reservoir, for example in the ring tank or central tank of the beverage filling plant, in particular in the filler disk of the beverage filling plant, the filling product is already present in carbonated form. Thus, CO is present in the gas space above the level of the fill product in the fill product reservoir₂Atmosphere of the CO₂Atmosphere ensuring CO in a carbonated fill product in a fill product reservoir₂Again, it is not debonded but remains in the filled product in a predetermined metered amount.

Here, in order to provide CO to the filling product before it is provided in the filling product reservoir₂Known as CO₂Mixer and injector, the CO₂The mixer and the injector are constructed as separate units, and the CO is₂The mixer and the injector ensure that the filling product can be carbonated correspondingly sufficiently before entering the filling product reservoir of the filling device such that the desired carbonation level is achieved. Then, CO caused by the desired level of carbonation₂Back pressure corresponding to CO₂Pressure of the CO₂Pressure is maintained in the gas space above the level of the fill product in the fill product reservoir.

In an alternative, for example, the solution described in DE10028676a1, the container to be filled is first filled with the uncarbonated filling product, and then, after the actual filling, the filled container itself is carbonated by means of a carbonation tube introduced into the container.

DE20220674U1 discloses a device for carbonating a filling product, wherein in a first filling step an uncarbonated filling product is filled into a container to be filled, then liquid CO2 is introduced into the container via a further device on the transport path between the filling device and the closure device, and then the container lid is applied in the closure device.

DE102009031104B3 also discloses a device in which the filling product is first degassed by applying pressure fluctuations, for example by means of an ultrasonic generator, before carbonation of the filling product takes place. In this way the tendency to excessive foaming will be eliminated.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for filling containers with a filling product, which device provides a further simplified construction of a beverage filling plant.

This object is achieved by a device for filling containers with a filling product having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims.

Accordingly, an apparatus for filling a container with a filling product is proposed, comprising a filling valve for opening and closing a filling product flow-through between a filling product reservoir and the container to be filled to control filling of the container with the filling product. According to the invention, a carbonator (4) is provided, the carbonator (4) being in communication with the filling product flow-through portion of the filling valve for carbonating the filling product.

Since the carbonator is in communication with the fill product flow-through for carbonating the fill product, other external means for carbonating or aerating the fill product can be omitted. In particular, in this way, a simple and targeted carbonation of the respective filling product to be filled can be achieved with a carbonation quantity corresponding to the desired CO for the filling product₂The amount applied.

In this way, a simplified device structure is also produced, since the filling product is filled shortly before it is filled into the container to be filledProduct application of CO₂And in this way it is achieved that the upstream equipment area upstream of the filling valve can be dimensioned smaller and the upstream carbonator can be dispensed with.

The filling product carbonated by means of the carbonator may contain no CO before passing through the carbonator or at all₂Or already contains less than the desired amount of CO₂. In the first case, the carbonator assumes the entire carbonation of the fill product. In the second case, only a supplementary metering of CO2 into the filling product takes place.

Particularly preferably, the carbonator comprises means for introducing CO₂An injector injected into the filling product flow-through portion of the filling valve. Due to CO₂Can be introduced into the flow-through of the filling product by means of an injector through a filling valve, so that CO can be achieved₂Is measured, for example, by means of a corresponding flow meter (e.g., a magnetic flow meter and/or an inductive flow meter), so that, on the one hand, a high filling product quality can be achieved, but, on the other hand, this can also be achieved in an economical manner, since only the exact required amount of CO has to be metered₂Releasing into the stream of fill product. In this way, CO due to possible overdosing can be avoided₂Losses and thus the proposed plant construction also enables more economical operation.

A particularly simple construction can be achieved when the injector comprises a passage through the sleeve of the filling valve.

Preferably, the carbonator comprises an injector that opens into the filling product flow-through below a sealing plane defined by the valve seat and the valve cone of the filling valve. By being arranged below the sealing plane, that is to say between the sealing plane and the container to be filled, the carbonator can act on the container or the container interior space independently of the switching position of the filling valve.

In addition, a vacuum valve is preferably provided, which has a vacuum channel that communicates with the filling product flow-through. The interior of the container can be brought to a predetermined ambient pressure by means of a vacuum valve. Here, it is particularly preferred that the vacuum channel opens into the filling product flow-through below a sealing plane defined by the valve seat and the valve cone of the filling valve. Thus, the vacuum channel can interact with the container or the container interior space independently of the switching position of the filling valve. In this case, the vacuum channel can particularly preferably be introduced into the sleeve of the filling valve in order to achieve a structurally advantageous design. The interior of the container can be brought to a negative pressure before filling by means of the vacuum valve.

The filling valve particularly preferably has a valve seat and a valve cone which is accommodated in a sealing manner therein, a valve plane which is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the flow direction of the filling product being formed by the valve seat and the valve cone. Carbonator and especially for the carbonation of CO₂The injector which is injected into the filling product flow-through is preferably arranged below the filling valve seat and correspondingly downstream of the valve plane. In this way, CO can be accurately performed₂Metering into the filling product flow controlled by means of a filling valve, and CO₂Only into the filling product, which has actually been filled into the container. In this way, a further simplified device structure can be achieved on the one hand, since the injector can be attached to the filling element and in particular to the filling valve, and on the other hand CO can be limited₂And (4) loss.

Preferably, the carbonator has a valve for controlling the CO so precisely₂The inflow into the flow of the filling product makes it possible to achieve CO in the flow of the filling product₂The flow of filling product flows into the container to be filled. The metering can depend on the type of filling product to be filled and the desired CO in the filling product to be filled into the container₂Saturation or desired CO₂The content is determined by the size. The metering can also be dependent on the CO of the respective filling product₂Absorption characteristics and fill-in velocity.

The above object is also achieved by a method having the features of claim 8. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims.

Accordingly, a method for filling a container with a filling product is proposed, which is preferably carried out by means of one of the above-mentioned devices, wherein a filling valve is provided for opening and closing a filling product flow-through between a filling product reservoir and the container to be filled to control filling of the container with the filling product, and the filling valve is opened in order to start flowing filling product through the filling product flow-through into the container to be filled. According to the invention, the carbonator carbonates the filling product flowing through the filling product flow-through portion.

Drawings

Other preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail by the following description of the drawings. In the drawings:

fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus for filling a container with a filling product, having a carbonator.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical, similar or equivalent elements in different figures are provided with the same reference numerals here. In order to avoid redundancy, a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted in the following description.

Fig. 1 shows a device 1 for filling containers with a filling product. The filling product is present in a filling product reservoir 10, which filling product reservoir 10 is formed in the form of an annular can in the exemplary embodiment shown in a filler disk of a beverage filling device.

Fill product flows from fill product reservoir 10 through fill product opening 12 into fill valve 2, which fill valve 2 includes a fill valve sleeve 20, which fill valve sleeve 20 provides a fill product flow through 22. In beverage filling plants, a plurality of filling valves 2 are arranged on the filler disk, usually uniformly over the circumference of the filler disk, in order to provide a plurality of filling positions in this way, in order to provide the required filling capacity and production, respectively.

The filling valve sleeve 20 of the filling valve 2 also has a filling valve seat 24, which filling valve seat 24 is formed in the inner wall of the filling product sleeve 20 delimiting the filling product flow-through portion 22. The filling valve cone 26 can be lowered in a manner known in principle into the filling valve seat 24 in such a way that a complete sealing of the filling product flow-through 22 takes place when the filling valve cone 26 is completely lowered into the filling valve seat 24. Thus, the filling product supplied from the filling product reservoir 10 does not flow through the filling product flow-through portion 22. Complete closure of the filling product flow-through 22 by lowering the filling valve cone 26 into the filling valve seat 24 is achieved in the closure plane 28.

On the other hand, when the filling valve cone 26 is opened, that is to say when the filling valve cone 26 is lifted from the filling valve seat 24, the filling product flows from the filling product reservoir 10 through the filling product opening 12 into the filling product flow-through portion 22 and then along the filling valve cone 26 through the annular gap formed between the filling valve cone 26 and the filling valve seat 24 to the filling product outlet 29 in order then to be filled into the container 100 to be filled. Such a control of the filling product flow for filling the container 100 to be filled using a filling valve cone 26 which can be lowered into the filling valve seat 24 and can in turn be lifted from the filling valve seat 24 is known in principle.

The filling product outlet 29 terminates in the illustrated embodiment in a receiving cap 30, on which receiving cap 30 the container 100 to be filled can be received with its mouth region 110 in a sealed manner. Thus, the filling product flows through the filling product outlet 29 directly through the mouth 110 into the container 100 to be filled.

A carbonator 4 is provided, which carbonator 4 opens into the filling product flow-through portion 22 of the filling valve 2 with a carbonation channel that also serves simultaneously as CO2 injector 40 and accordingly communicates with the filling product flow-through portion 22 and thus also with the filling product flowing through the filling product flow-through portion 22. Here, the injector 40 of the carbonator 4 is arranged below the valve closing plane 28, that is to say below the valve seat 24.

Thus, carbonator 4 may introduce CO through injector 40 when fill valve is open, that is, fill valve cone 26 is lifted from fill valve seat 24₂Is introduced into the flow of the filling product which flows into the filling product flow-through section 22. The injector 40 may then inject the CO₂Injected into the flow of filling product and metered in the desired quantity。

If the filling valve 2 is closed, i.e. the filling valve cone 26 is lowered sealingly into the filling valve seat 24, no filling product flows through the filling product flow-through 22. However, since the injector 40 is arranged below the valve sealing plane 28 and accordingly opens into the filling product flow-through 22 downstream of the valve seat 24, the injector 40 is still connected with the inner space of the container 100 to be filled. Thus, CO₂Can pass through CO₂The supply 42 and through the carbonation valve 44 enters in a controlled manner into the inner space of the container 100 to be filled. Thus, it is possible to apply CO to the container 100 to be filled₂Independent of the presence or flow of the filling product through the filling product flow-through section 22.

Furthermore, a vacuum valve 5 is arranged below the valve sealing plane 28, that is to say also below the valve seat 24, wherein the vacuum valve 5 has a vacuum channel 50 and a vacuum connection 52, which can also be connected, for example, to a vacuum device or an underpressure device.

In order to now fill a new container 100 to be filled with a filling product, in one advantageous application, the container 100 is first pressed with its mouth region 110 sealingly against the filling cap 30. Here, the valve cone 26 is still sealingly lowered into the valve seat 24, so that the filling valve is closed and accordingly no filling product flows through the filling product flow-through 22.

In the first embodiment, CO may be used when the filling valve 2 is closed₂The vessel 100 is flushed to reduce the oxygen content within the vessel 100. For this purpose, vacuum valve 5 and carbonation valve 44 are opened simultaneously in such a way that CO is produced₂May flow through the inner space of the container 100 to be filled and may then be discharged through the vacuum valve 5.

As for the application of CO₂The evacuation of the container 100 to be filled can also be achieved by opening the vacuum valve 5 and applying a negative pressure or vacuum at the vacuum connection 52. Thereafter, the CO just described may be performed by opening carbonation valve 44₂And (5) flushing.

The vessel 100 is then thereby biased, i.e. the vacuum valve 5 is closed and the CO is allowed to flow₂Infuser or carbonator 4 with carbonator valve 44Remain open. Thus, CO₂Via CO₂The supply 42 passes through the carbonation valve 44 and the injector 40 into the interior space of the container 100 to be filled and accordingly biases the container interior space of the container 100 to a predetermined bias pressure.

In one alternative, the interior space of the container 100 is evacuated by opening the vacuum valve 5 to provide a negative pressure or vacuum in the interior space of the container 100, respectively.

The provision of a corresponding negative pressure in the container 100 is also referred to herein as a "vacuum". Vacuum is therefore also understood to mean a negative pressure with an absolute pressure of 0.5 bar to 0.05 bar, preferably 0.3 bar to 0.1 bar, particularly preferably 0.1 bar.

If there is a negative pressure in the container 100 at the beginning of the filling process, this may result in a very rapid or somewhat abrupt flow of the filling product into the container 100.

If a predetermined bias pressure is reached in the container 100 according to the first embodiment, or if a predetermined negative pressure is reached in the container 100 according to the alternative, the valve cone 26 lifts off the valve seat 24 and the filling product flow-through 22 between the filling product reservoir 10 and the container interior space 100 is correspondingly opened. Fill product can now flow from fill product reservoir 10 into container interior space 100. The filling product flows past the injector 40 of the carbonator 4, so that the CO can be introduced via the injector 40 of the carbonator 4₂Metered, controlled metered addition to the flow of fill product into the container 100. In this way, it is possible to control not only the filling product flow by means of the filling valve 2, but also the CO by controlling it via the injector 40₂Flow, can realize the reaction of CO₂Controlled introduction into the stream of fill product. Thus, the fill product flowing from reservoir 10 is enriched in CO₂. Here, the filling product present in the filling reservoir 10 may itself already be CO-filled₂Carbonation and the metered addition via the carbonator 4 being solely responsible for the CO₂Or the filling product in the filling product reservoir 10 is completely uncarbonated and during filling of the filling productThe desired complete carbonation of the filling product is performed using the carbonator 4.

To complete the filling process, the filling valve cone 26 is lowered again into the filling valve seat 24, thereby closing the filling valve 2 and gradually ending and stopping the flow of filling product from the filling product reservoir 10 into the container 100.

The carbonation valve 44 is then closed either simultaneously with the closing of the filling valve 2 or before or after this point in time.

Immediately after the push cap 30 of the filling valve is a pressure chamber 6, the pressure chamber 6 is sealed off from the container 100, for example, by a chamber seal 60, the chamber seal 60 being attached to the outside of the container 100. The pressure chamber 6 or the interior 62 of the pressure chamber 6 is therefore closed off in a gas-tight manner from the environment. After or during filling of the container 100 with the filling product, the CO may be opened₂ Valve 64 applies CO to pressure chamber 6₂The CO is₂ Valve 64 is arranged at the CO₂In the supply portion 66. In this way, CO is used in the pressure chamber 6₂An overpressure is provided. The overpressure preferably corresponds to the CO in the container 100 after the container 100 has been filled₂The saturation pressure of (c).

Thus, the mouth of the container 100 can be released by pressing the cap 30 after the filling process is completed, so that the inner space of the container 100 communicates with the inner space 62 of the pressure chamber 6. CO bound in the filling product₂And CO not yet bonded in the filled product but present in the container 100₂Due to CO in the pressure chamber 6₂Overpressure without debonding. Thus, bubbling spillage or run-off of the filled product from the filled container 100 may be avoided.

The filled container 100 can then also be closed in the pressure chamber 6, for example, by means of a closure, not shown here, which uses a screw cap or a crown cap.

The pressure chamber 6 can then be unloaded in a defined manner through the unloading valve 68 and the unloading line 69 after the container 100 has been closed or after the filling product has settled, and the corresponding filled container 100 is then discharged from the device 1.

The container 100 filled with the carbonated filling product may then be supplied to further processing, for example to a closure or a labeler.

Where applicable, all individual features shown in the embodiments can be combined with each other and/or interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

Description of reference numerals:

device for filling containers with a filling product

10 filling product reservoir

12 filling product openings

100 container

2 filling valve

20 fill valve sleeve

22 filling the product flow-through

24 filling valve seat

26 filling valve cone

28 valve plane

29 filling product outlet

30 pressing cover

4 carbonation device

40 injector

42 CO₂Supply part

44 carbonation valve

5 vacuum valve

50 vacuum channel

52 vacuum connection

6 pressure chamber

60 chamber seal

62 pressure chamber

64 CO₂Valve with a valve body

66 CO₂Supply part

68 unloader valve

69 discharge channel

Claims

1. Device (1) for filling a container (100) with a filling product, comprising a filling valve (2), said filling valve (2) being intended to open and close a filling product flow-through portion (22) between a filling product reservoir (10) and the container (100) to be filled in order to control the filling of the container with the filling product, characterized in that a carbonator (4) is in communication with the filling product flow-through portion (22) of the filling valve (2) in order to carbonate the filling product.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the carbonator (4) comprises means for introducing CO₂An injector (40) injected into the filling product flow-through section (22).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said injector (40) comprises a passage through the sleeve (20) of said filling valve (2).

4. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carbonator (4) comprises an injector (40), the injector (40) opening into the filling product flow-through (22) below a sealing plane (28) defined by a valve seat (24) and a valve cone (26) of the filling valve (2).

5. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a vacuum valve (5) is provided, the vacuum valve (5) having a vacuum channel (50), the vacuum channel (50) being used for providing a negative pressure in the inner space of the container (100).

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the vacuum channel (50) opens into the filling product flow-through (22) below a sealing plane (28) defined by the valve seat (24) and the valve cone (26) of the filling valve (2).

7. Device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the vacuum channel (50) is introduced in the sleeve (20) of the filling valve (2).

8. Method for filling a container (100) with a filling product, preferably by means of a device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a filling valve (2) is provided, which filling valve (2) is used to open and close a filling product flow-through (22) between a filling product reservoir (10) and the container (100) to be filled in order to control the filling of the container with the filling product, and which filling valve (2) is opened in order to start the flow of filling product through the filling product flow-through (22) into the container (100) to be filled, characterized in that a carbonator (4) carbonates the filling product flowing through the filling product flow-through (22).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the carbonator (4) is arranged below a sealing plane (28) defined by a valve seat (24) and a valve cone (26) of the filling valve (2), and that before opening the filling valve (2), CO is used₂Carbonating and/or biasing the container to be filled (100) by means of the carbonator (4).

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a vacuum valve (5) is provided, said vacuum valve (5) having a vacuum channel (50), said vacuum channel (50) communicating with said filling product flow-through (22) and, before opening said filling valve (2), a provision of negative pressure is carried out in said container to be filled (100).