DE102010051543A1 - Apparatus and method for filling containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) for filling containers (10) with liquids, with at least one filling element (6) which fills the containers (10) with the liquid, with a transport device (2) for transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path and with a further application device (4) which supplies the containers (10) filled with the liquid with a further flowable medium. According to the invention, the loading device (4) is arranged in such a way that the flowable medium emerging from the loading device first hits a predetermined surface (10a, 16) before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container (10).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for filling containers. Such filling devices have long been known from the prior art. In this case, the containers are usually along a predetermined transport path, for example, a circular arc-shaped transport path, transported, and filled during this transport with liquid and in particular a drink. It is also known from the state of the art in recent time to introduce liquid nitrogen into plastic containers in order to improve various properties of the container. So z. B. the mechanical load capacity (topload, transportability on belt conveyors, handling, etc.) can be improved. Also, the shelf life of the product can be improved by displacing oxygen from the headspace of the container. Also the feel, d. H. the grip and other properties can be improved. Such devices for introducing liquid nitrogen are referred to as "nitrogen dropper", the process itself as "droppings".

From the EP 1 106 510 A1 For example, a method and an apparatus for producing packaging containers with overpressure are known. In this case, liquid nitrogen is injected into the container.

From the US 6,698,467 B2 An apparatus for reinforcing containers is also known. In this case, an injection device is known, which is arranged at a predetermined angle to the containers to be filled.

The US 4,407,340 describes a device for pressurizing containers. In this case, a predetermined amount of liquid gas is introduced into the containers.

More recently, methods and devices have become known with which heated liquids are filled into the containers. At the same time, for these hot-filled containers of PET, a nitrogen overpressure in the head space of the bottle is produced by blowing nitrogen into the container before closing and evaporating the nitrogen after closing. This overpressure is used to compensate for the volume shrinkage of the hot material as it cools, so that the bottle does not collapse and preferably retains an overpressure, which, as mentioned above, u. a. improves the mechanical and haptic properties of the container.

Such pressurization of hot liquids has been used in the past for cans of the same background. In the prior art, nitrogen is introduced directly into the liquid as a full jet and with a distinct overpressure which is built up and maintained in the nitrogen dropper and metering head. This method is mainly suitable for use with cold products and has been well tested as such.

This Bedroppelung is problematic with hot contents, since it can come here to the penetration of the nitrogen into the product. The liquid nitrogen vaporizes upon contact with the hot contents and can cause spilling over, as formed under the liquid surface of the gas bubble from the nitrogen pushes the contents of the container. This can also occur with cold contents, but is reinforced by the higher temperature difference with hot contents. This undesirable effect has also been confirmed experimentally.

Furthermore, a device is known from the prior art, which has a nozzle which has a plurality of outlet openings, through which the nitrogen is rain-like divided into droplets. Furthermore, the nitrogen is released only under the hydrostatic pressure of a device held on the nitrogen reservoir. The nozzle is a production-technically complex component and accordingly represents a considerable cost factor. Furthermore, experience has shown that, if necessary, several such nozzles are required to sufficiently pressurize various containers with pressure.

Furthermore, especially for the hot filling process, the distance between the dropper and the condenser is an important factor. As the liquid nitrogen vaporizes faster, some nitrogen is lost on the line to the condenser (which evaporates into the environment). The limiting factor here is essentially the space around the capper. The metering head of the nitrogen dropper can only be set to a certain extent to the capper, as the cap feeder and other components take the optimum position.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a method for filling containers, which allows an improved supply of a flowable medium, in particular nitrogen. This is achieved according to the invention by a device and a method according to the independent claims.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention for filling containers with liquid has at least one filling element which encloses the containers filled with the liquid. Furthermore, the device has a transport device for transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path, and a further loading device, which acts on the containers filled with the liquid with another flowable medium.

According to the invention, the loading device is arranged such that the flowable medium dispensed by the loading device at least partially and preferably completely first meets or is directed onto a predetermined surface before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container or when it enters the container ,

The predetermined surface is advantageously spaced from the loading device, d. H. the flowable medium first exits the impingement device and then impinges on said surface.

The predetermined surface is preferably an inner wall of the container or a further surface lying outside the container. It would also be possible for the medium to strike an outer surface of the container as well as (subsequently) an inner wall of the container.

Furthermore, it would be conceivable that during the application of said area (if necessary, even slightly) is retracted into the container.

So it would also be possible that the nitrogen jet can be atomized at an additional baffle plate. This additional plate can be heated or unheated and have different geometries. In this case, too, the nitrogen jet is atomised on at least one surface after it leaves the outlet (eg from a nozzle and before it hits the filled liquid). When using an additional baffle plate, it would also be possible that the jet exits from a nozzle from below the mouth of the container.

It is therefore proposed according to the invention, the impingement device, which is designed for example as a nozzle, so designed that a beam exiting therefrom, for example, nitrogen jet, first on the said predetermined surface - preferably an opposite inner wall of the container and in particular meets the opposite wall of the mouthpiece and bounces off from there. Upon rebounding on the mouth, the flowable medium is atomized into smaller drops which, as in the prior art described above, exhibit less product penetration. This sputtering is additionally supported by the relative to the liquid nitrogen and its boiling temperature warm plastic surface.

Preferably, the device has a plurality of filling elements which fill the containers with a liquid and in particular with a beverage. Advantageously, the transport device transports the containers during filling. Furthermore, the transport device also advantageously transports the containers during the application of the flowable medium. Advantageously, the flowable medium is nitrogen.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the application device has a nozzle, from which the flowable medium emerges with a jet direction which is oblique or perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the containers. Advantageously, the nozzle itself is tilted. Furthermore, the oblique position is advantageously selected such that the jet direction or the jet always impinges on an inner wall of the container independently of a relative position between the container and the nozzle, and in particular a direct impact of the jet on the surface of the liquid is avoided. So it is possible that when passing through the nitrogen jet at the mouth of the jet during the first contact with the mouth inner surface is tangent to this. Here, it is assumed that the evaporation tendency of the nitrogen also leads to a sputtering.

So far, it had been assumed that by pressurizing the inner wall with nitrogen excessive cooling of the plastic and thus embrittlement of the mouth and as a result damage to the first mechanical stress of the closing process can occur. For this reason, the devices known from the prior art attempt to avoid loading the wall of the plastic container with nitrogen. However, it has been found in extensive studies that even the brief application of the inner wall does not lead to damage to the mouth region or the thread of the plastic container.

Furthermore, it would also be possible to selectively direct the flowable medium tangentially to a container inner surface and not to the mouth edge itself, in order to avoid in this way a deep penetration into the product by distribution over a wide area. Furthermore, it would also be conceivable that the plastic container is rotated during its application with the flowable medium about its longitudinal direction, so that in this way a larger area of the mouth is exposed to the nitrogen.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the loading device is arranged stationary relative to the transport path of the container. Preferably, the loading device is arranged stationary in particular during the working operation and the containers move with respect to the loading device.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the loading device is arranged such that the flowable medium is injected against the direction of movement of the containers in this. In other words, the movement of the jet has at least one component which runs counter to the movement of the containers. In this way, a higher pulse is achieved when the jet impinges on the container inner wall, and thus a better atomization effect.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it would also be conceivable that the flowable medium is injected transversely to the direction of movement of the containers in this. An injection angle relative to the direction of movement of the containers is between 30 ° and 150 °, preferably between 45 ° and 135 °, preferably between 60 ° and 120 °, more preferably between 70 ° and 110 °, particularly preferably between 80 ° and 100 ° and particularly preferred at about 90 °. In principle, it would be possible for the flowable medium to be introduced into the container from any direction relative to the mouth of the container, as long as the flowable medium still impinges on at least one further surface before it enters the liquid.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the introduced or to be introduced amount of nitrogen is regulated by increasing the injection pressure. After bouncing off the opposite orifice wall, the velocity of the incident (nitrogen) jet is reduced via the central component, and thus the jet strikes a substantially reduced vertical velocity, and additionally individual droplets, as opposed to a vertical (ie along the longitudinal direction of the vessels) on. It has been found that said vertical speed is now no higher than in the soft can system d described above. H. Overpressure nitrogen is now accelerated only during the fall distance to the filling level in the container. With a vertical jet, increasing the injection pressure would significantly increase product penetration.

Furthermore, it would also be possible that the "angle of attack" or the angle of incidence of the flowable medium is adjustable. This angle can optionally be adjusted depending on a mouth geometry and a machine performance. The greater the performance, d. H. the faster the containers move past the nozzle assembly, the greater the angle of attack can be. This is especially true when the nozzle assembly tilts in or against the direction of the transport path.

If a wide mouth exists, for example, 38 mm neck / mouth diameter, you can set - as is clear from geometric considerations - a larger angle of attack. With a neck / mouth diameter of 28 mm, the angle of attack should be smaller (that is, steeper).

Preferably, the choice of the angle is such that the jet does not impinge too deeply (directly into the filled liquid) and does not hit too high up (nitrogen spills out of the bottle unused).

Furthermore, it is possible by the inventive arrangement of the loading device (in particular in a mounting position transversely to the transport direction or in the transport direction) to put a dosing much closer to the Verschliesser, so that the transport path that covers the container after the injection of nitrogen to the Verschliesser still , is very short. This reduces the losses due to evaporation of the introduced medium into the environment. In other words, nitrogen can still be introduced here if dropping would no longer be possible in the case of a conventional vertical position of the loading device due to the limited installation space.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the filling element fills the liquid in the heated state in the containers. Thus, a so-called hot-fill method is described here, in which heated liquid is filled into the containers and then the head space is still charged with liquid nitrogen.

The present invention is further directed to a method for filling containers with liquids, wherein in a first process step, the containers are filled with liquid and in a second process step, the container filled with the liquid is acted upon by a further flowable medium by means of a loading device. According to the invention, the flowable medium initially strikes a predetermined surface before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container. It is possible that the medium is applied to an inner wall of the container, in particular an inner wall of a mouth of the container to from there (at least partially, ie in particular the not yet vaporized portion) to the liquid or in the headspace of the container reach.

Thus, it is also suggested on the procedural side that the flowable medium is initially applied selectively to a predetermined surface, in particular the inner wall of the container, in order to reach the bottled liquid only from there.

In a further advantageous method, the liquid is introduced into the containers in the heated state. This method is particularly suitable for the invention described here introducing the flowable medium.

In a further advantageous method, the container is moved during the filling with the liquid and / or during the application of flowable medium. However, it is possible that the filling elements move in sections with the containers to be filled with.

Preferably, the flowable medium contains nitrogen, in particular liquid nitrogen.

In a further advantageous method, the flowable medium is introduced obliquely or perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal direction of the containers in this. In this case, preferably, an application device is inclined, but it would also be possible to make the containers themselves temporarily during the application obliquely. In this case, the said inclined position is preferably chosen so that the flowable medium always acts on an inner wall and in particular a mouth inner wall of the container during the entire loading process. However, it could also be provided spray heads, from which the flowable medium fully exits such that it first strikes the inner wall of the container or the mouth.

In a further advantageous method, the application takes place in discrete dosages. This pulsed application is controlled by a control device which processes a sensor signal, which sensor signal is generated by a sensor which detects that a container is in the position which is optimal for application. As a result, the flowable medium is introduced exclusively into the containers and no fluid medium is wasted in that it is injected next to the containers.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings. Show:

1a a schematic representation of a system for filling containers;

1b a further schematic representation of a system for filling containers;

2a . 2 B two illustrations of prior art devices;

3 a representation for illustrating the present invention; and

4 another illustration to illustrate the present invention.

5 a further embodiment of a device according to the invention; and

6a - 6b a further embodiment of a device according to the invention.

1a shows a rough schematic representation of a device 1 for filling containers. In this case, by means of a feeder 12 in the form of a transport star empty containers of the device 1 fed to the filling of containers. This device 1 has a variety of filling elements 6 on, here at a transport facility 2 are arranged, wherein the transport device is designed here as a rotatable carrier. The individual containers 10 (Only one shown schematically) are filled during their transport along the transport path T with a liquid and in particular with a drink. At the end of the transport path T is a loading device 4 provided, which the containers here during their movement with a flowable medium, ie here with nitrogen, applied. It is possible that the loading device permanently emits nitrogen, but it would also be possible that a control device is provided which only releases a loading when a container is within reach of the loading device.

To the device 1 closes immediately a closing device 20 which closes the filled and nitrogen-loaded containers with closures. In this case, this closing device is preferably in the immediate vicinity of the device 1 arranged so that essentially immediately after the application of nitrogen, a closure of the containers can take place.

Alternatively and preferably, it is possible that the device 1 the container filled with liquid passes to a transport star, which is part of the transport path, and in turn passes the filled containers to a closing device. An admission device 4 can then be arranged on the transport star. Preferably, the loading unit arranged on the transport star is immediately upstream of the loading unit Closing arranged with respect to the direction of movement of the containers on the transport path.

1b shows a further schematic representation of a system according to the invention. The bottles are first about a bottle inlet 34 and a one-piece star 36 as well as an entry star 38 a rinser 30 fed. The reference number 28 refers to doors that facilitate the accessibility of the system. About an outlet star 44 The containers are made by the rinser 30 dissipated. The reference number 32 indicates an optional partition, which is particularly advantageous for sterile applications.

The reference number 46 indicates a transfer star, which the containers to the feeder 12 ie passes a filler starter. After the filling process, the containers are sent to the discharge device 17 or pass the filler outlet star. In the area of this filler outlet star is also the loading device 4 arranged. About another feeder 52 and a so-called pick and place bike 54 Be the capper 20 the container closures supplied. About an outlet star 58 which can also be designed as Absenkrad and a conveyor belt 62 the sealed containers are removed.

During the exemplary filling process, the abbreviation AN denotes the pressing of a bottle onto a filling element, the abbreviation S / V the rinsing and / or prestressing of the containers, the abbreviation SF a fast filling process, the abbreviation LF a slow filling process, the abbreviation B / E the calming and Relieve the containers and the abbreviation AB lowering the containers. Preferably, a container is filled 10 with a silent, that is non-carbonated liquid, wherein usually at least the above-mentioned filling steps pressing, preloading and relieving omitted.

Thus, the admission device 4 advantageous to the transport device 17 and before the capper 20 and particularly advantageous as close as possible to the capper 20 be arranged. The individual transport devices can have gripping elements for gripping the individual containers.

The device 1 can continue to have a reservoir for a warm liquid to be filled, esp. A drink.

The 2a and 2 B show two possible known from the prior art procedures in the loading of containers 10 with nitrogen. At the in 2a shown variant creates a nitrogen jet 14 which extends in the longitudinal direction L of the container and thereby directly the liquid 5 within the container with the nitrogen applied. However, with this procedure there is a risk of the nitrogen entering the liquid.

At the in 2 B In the embodiment shown, the nitrogen is applied to the liquid like a rain, so that the risk of penetration into the liquid 5 does not exist. However, the in 2 B shown device relatively expensive.

3 shows a device according to the invention for applying the containers 10 with the liquid medium. Here also forms a nitrogen jet 14 from, however, which is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction L of the container by an angle a. This angle a is preferably between 20 ° and 90 °, more preferably between 30 ° and 70 ° and particularly preferably between 40 ° and 70 °. The angle is dependent on a mouth geometry of the containers ie in particular their diameter and height. By this inclination is achieved that the flowable medium 7 ie the nitrogen, not directly into the liquid 5 meets, but first to an inner wall 10a of the container 10 , In this way, the nitrogen gets to this inner wall 10a atomized and only then enters the liquid 5 , The reference T refers to the transport direction of the containers. However, the transport direction can also run, for example, perpendicular to the plane of the figure. It can be seen that the nitrogen jet 14 extends opposite to the transport direction (but it would also be possible to transverse to the transport direction or along the transport direction), or the nitrogen with a velocity component v1 on the wall 10a meets, which is opposite to the transport direction of the containers or the transport speed of the containers. In this way, the impact velocity of the nitrogen on the wall can 10a increase.

However, it would also be possible for a nozzle arrangement to protrude into the mouth of the container during the application.

4 shows additional details of in 3 shown device. To illustrate, here is another position of the nitrogen jet 14 shown, more precisely at a time when the container is in a different position. In this case, preference is given to the inclination of the nitrogen jet 14 chosen so that even in the in 4 Dashed position shown the beam still on the inner wall 10a of the container and does not hit the liquid. At a slightly lower slope, it would be conceivable that the nitrogen in turn (unwanted) directly into the liquid 5 injected. The Applying device has at least one nozzle 9 on.

The reference number 20 indicates here the closing device. One recognizes furthermore that the in 3 and 4 shown skewing additional space can be obtained, so that the capper 20 even closer to the loading device 4 can be arranged.

5 shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention 1 , In this embodiment, the device has no inclined nozzle, but one at the lower end of the sprayer 15 arranged spray head 18 , For this spray head 18 the jet S of the flowable medium emerges in a substantially radial direction and therefore initially strikes the wall 10a of the container 10 , It would be possible that the flowable medium, ie the nitrogen completely from the spray head 18 However, it would also be conceivable that the exit takes place only in a radial direction. Also, it would be possible for the spray head 18 is formed such that it rotates as a result of the flow with the flowable medium about the longitudinal direction L, so that in this way the Behältniswandung 10a is circumferentially charged with the nitrogen. It would also be possible that the nitrogen is not sprayed exactly in the radial direction shown, but, for example, slightly obliquely downward or obliquely upward. When spraying obliquely downwards, it would also be possible for the spray head to always be above the mouth of the container 10 is arranged and therefore does not have to be lowered.

6a shows a further advantageous embodiment of a loading device 4 , Here comes the exiting nitrogen jet 14 first to a surface 16 or a baffle plate 16 and from there into the container 10 , In this embodiment, therefore, the beam from below meets the baffle plate and is from there into the container 10 diverted. The angle of attack a is here greater than 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the container.

This flapper 16 may be, as mentioned above, heated by a heater (not shown) to prevent ice formation and to achieve better atomization of the liquid nitrogen. In 6b Two possible embodiments of such a baffle plate or surface are shown. The beam can 14 on a curved or angled surface 16a to meet. In addition, it would also be possible for the baffle plate 16 , unlike in 6b shown tilted to improve the rebound effect.

In addition, it would also be possible for the nitrogen to first strike a surface of the container closures to be supplied in order to get into the containers from there. Also in this way a metering of the nitrogen is possible shortly before closing the containers.

The loading of the containers with liquid nitrogen takes place continuously, d. H. a dosing valve, not shown, is constantly open during the loading process. In this case, the throughput of nitrogen can be regulated and changed by a control device, not shown, for example, the system performance. Alternatively and preferably, it is possible that, also regulated by a suitable control device, a clocked admission takes place. In this case, it is detected, for example, by a sensor, not shown, that a container is in the optimal position for the application and processed by the control device generates a signal from the sensor, whereby an admission of the container located in the optimum position is caused.

The Applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

transport means

4

loading device

5

liquid

6

infill

7

flowable medium

9

jet

10

containers

10a

inner wall

12

feeding

14

nitrogen jet

16

given surface, baffle plate

16a

Surface of the baffle plate

17

removal device

18

spray nozzle

20

closing

30

rinser

32

partition wall

34

bottle infeed

36

Einteilstern

38

feed star

44

outlet star

46

transfer star

52

feeding

54

Pick and place bike

58

outlet star

62

conveyor belt

a

angle

L

longitudinal direction

T

Transport path, transport direction

v1

velocity component

S

beam direction

AT

Pressing the bottle

S / V

Rinsing and / or tempering

SF

fast Fill

LF

slowly filling

B / E

Calm and relieve

FROM

Lowering the containers

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 1106510 A1 [0002]
• US 6698467 B2 [0003]
• US 4407340 [0004]

Claims (11)

Contraption ( 1 ) for filling containers ( 10 ) with liquids, with at least one filling element ( 6 ) containing the containers ( 10 ) filled with the liquid, with a transport device ( 2 ) for transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path (T) and with a further loading device ( 4 ) containing the containers filled with the liquid ( 10 ) is acted upon by another flowable medium, characterized in that the loading device ( 4 ) is arranged such that by the loading device ( 4 ) exiting flowable medium initially on a given surface ( 10a . 16 ) before it reaches the one in the container ( 10 ) arranged liquid passes. Contraption ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined surface ( 10a . 16 ) an inner wall of the container ( 10 ) or outside the container ( 10 ) surface ( 16 ). Contraption ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading device ( 4 ) a nozzle ( 9 . 18 ), from which the flowable medium emerges with a jet direction (S), which obliquely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the containers ( 10 ) stands. Contraption ( 1 ) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading device ( 4 ) is arranged stationary relative to the transport path (T). Contraption ( 1 ) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading device ( 4 ) is arranged such that the flowable medium counter to the direction of movement of the containers ( 10 ) is injected into this. Contraption ( 1 ) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling element ( 6 ) The liquid in the heated state in the containers fills. Method for filling containers ( 10 ) with liquids with the steps - filling the container ( 10 ) with the liquid and - charging the container filled with the liquid ( 10 ) with another flowable medium by means of a loading device ( 4 ); characterized in that the flowable medium is first applied to a predetermined surface ( 10a . 16 ) before it reaches the one in the container ( 10 ) arranged liquid passes. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the liquid in the heated state in the containers ( 10 ) is introduced. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container ( 10 ) is moved during the filling with the liquid and / or during the application of the flowable medium. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flowable medium contains nitrogen. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flowable medium is inclined relative to a longitudinal direction of the containers ( 10 ) is introduced into this.

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