EA011536B1 - Device for filling a container of collapsible type - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for filling a container of a collapsible type with a product in the form of powder or liquid, the container having a compartment which is defined by flexible walls and whose volume is dependent on the relative position of the walls and which communicates with the surroundings through a filling duct (13) of the container (12). The device comprises a filling tube (2) with an end portion (5) , which is insertable into the filling duct of the container to supply a product to the compartment of the container through the filling tube (2). The device further comprises an end element (4) , which is arranged in an outlet (6) of the end portion (5) and which is movable between a first position, in which the end element (4) sealingly connects to the outlet (6) , and a second position, in which the end element (4) together with the outlet (6) defines a filling passage (7) , and a squeezing means (3) , which is adapted to grasp the end portion (5) and the filling duct when the end portion (5) is inserted into the filling duct (13) to establish a seal between the end portion (5) and the filling duct (13).

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a device for filling a collapsible type container with a product in the form of a powder or liquid, and, in particular, to a device containing a filling tube with an end portion inserted into the filling channel of the container in order to introduce the product into the interior of the container via said filling tube.

State of the art

Currently, there are many different types of containers filled with a product in powder or liquid form.

One type of container is a folding container, which has two flexible side walls and a bottom wall; moreover, these walls are mutually connected along the connecting part, thereby forming an internal space, the volume of which depends on the relative position of the walls.

Therefore, this type of container, before filling, can be flat and airtight. Due to this, it is possible to sterilize the internal space of the container during its manufacture and the possibility of delivery, with preserved sterility, of the container to a filling unit, for example, to a dairy plant.

A container of the type described above is known from ^ 099/41155, which also discloses a device for filling a container.

This device comprises a nozzle inserted into the filling channel of the container, said filling channel being opened by cutting or a similar operation related to filling the container.

During the filling, the said nozzle is inserted into the filling channel, after which the product valve opens, and through it the desired amount of product enters the interior of the container through the nozzle. The internal space then occupies a volume essentially corresponding to the volume of input products. This filling method prevents or at least reduces the penetration of air into the interior.

The filling device according to XU099 / 41155 has, in particular, a nozzle made of an elastic material, such as silicone rubber. The nozzle has an end part, which has a narrowing to the exit in the form of a gap in the lower end surface of the end part.

This nozzle is self-closing, i.e. the extreme parts forming this gap adjoin each other if external forces are not applied to them.

When filling, the nozzle, as mentioned above, is inserted into the filling channel of the container, after which the products are fed into the interior through the said nozzle. Under the pressure of the product, the nozzle opens and at the same time creates a seal between the nozzle and the walls of the filling channel so that air does not penetrate into the container.

Efficiency of filling devices of the type described above is subject to ever-increasing demands and therefore also the requirements for the speed with which a device can fill a single container.

Faster filling can be achieved by increasing the flow rate of the product, resulting in increased product pressure. It was found that increased product pressure can in some cases lead to the product being squeezed out of the interior of the container between the nozzle and the walls of the filling channel. For obvious reasons, this circumstance makes it difficult to ensure the hygiene of the filling device.

Thus, it is necessary to provide a filling device that allows efficient and rational filling of folding containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the foregoing, the objective of the invention is to provide a device for filling containers of folding type, allowing filling quickly and hygienically.

To implement this task, as well as obviously arising from the following description of other objectives of the invention, a device is provided, the features of which are defined in paragraph 1 of the claims. The implementation of the device is defined in paragraphs.2-14 of the claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for filling a folding type container with a product in the form of a powder or liquid, said device having an inner space formed by flexible walls, and the volume of which depends on the relative position of the walls and communicates with the outer space through the filling channel of the container. The device comprises a filling tube with an end portion inserted into said filling channel of the container for supplying the product into the interior of the container through said filling tube. The device is characterized by an end element located in the outlet of the end part and arranged to move between the first position in which the end element is hermetically connected to the outlet and the second position in which the end element together with the exit forms a filling passage and compressive means that compresses the end a portion and a filling channel when said end portion is inserted into said filling channel, and creates a seal between the end portion and the filling channel.

- 1 011536

The device according to the invention enables the filling of a folding type container in a short time and without the risk of an undesirable output of products from the container.

As mentioned above, the filling passage is formed by the end member when the end member is in its second position. Due to this, it is possible to create a large area of the filling channel, which, in turn, will allow for quick filling. The filling passage may take the form of a circular slit.

The compressing means thus prevents the release of products from the container during said filling. For this purpose, the compressing means is configured to capture the end portion of the filling tube and the filling channel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said end element is mounted on a piston rod in said filling tube, and the end element can be moved between said first and second positions due to axial displacement of said piston rod. In the vicinity of the connection between said piston rod and said end element, a bevel can be made. This bevel will allow the products flowing from the filling tube along the filling passage to flow through the end element relatively unhindered.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an o-ring (O-ring) is mounted on said end element, wherein in the first position of the end element, the o-ring interacts with the outlet. This circumstance ensures a tight connection of the end element in the aforementioned first position with the outlet.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the end element may have a shape that tapers from the filling tube. Due to this, it is possible to insert the end part of the filling tube into the filling channel of the tank. The end element may be in the form of a wedge, and in this case, the base of the end element may be round or in the form of a convex lens, also called a “biconvex lens."

According to another embodiment of the invention, said end portion of the filling tube may be made of a rigid material, such as stainless steel. Moreover, the compressing means may have elastic interaction surfaces compressing said filling channel and said end portion. Due to this, the compressing means can be performed with the possibility of reliable compression of the end part and the filling channel, while creating a reliable seal.

According to another embodiment of the invention, said end element has a liquid repellent surface. This makes it possible to minimize leakage and precipitation of products on the walls of the filling channel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2a-b is a schematic general view of a method for filling a container using the device of the invention;

FIG. 3a-b is a schematic cross-section illustrating the action of the end element of the device according to the implementation of the filling method illustrated in FIG. 2a-b.

FIG. 4 is a schematic general view of yet another embodiment of an end member;

FIG. 5 is a schematic general view of yet another embodiment of an end member.

Description of Implementations

The invention relates to a device for filling a folding type container.

A tank of this type can have two opposite side walls and a bottom wall, which are mutually connected along the connecting part and form an internal space, the volume of which depends on the relative position of the walls. The filling channel of the tank formed by said side walls provides the possibility of communication of the inner space with the surrounding space. When the container is not full, the filling channel can be tightly closed, and then this channel opens before filling. Due to this, in a simple way, it is possible that the proposed device will use containers with a sterile interior.

In FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the apparatus 1 for filling the container mentioned above.

The device 1 has the following main components: a filling tube 2, a gripping means 3 and an end element 4.

The filling tube 2 is connected to a source (not shown) of the product sent to the container, and ends with the end part 5. The end part 5 has an outlet 6.

The end element 4 is located in the outlet 6 of the end part 5 and is arranged to move it between the first position in which the end element 4 is hermetically connected to said outlet 6 according to FIG. 1 and a second position in which the end element 4 together with said output 6 defines a filling passage 7 shown in FIG. 3b. In the illustrated implementation

- On the second mentioned, the filling passage 7 has the shape of a circular gap, but it should be noted that other forms are possible.

On the end element 4, a seal 8 is installed in the form of a sealing ring (O-ring). In the first position of the end element 4, said O-ring (O-ring) interacts with the output 6 of the end part 5 to ensure a tight connection of the end element 4 with said output 6.

The end element 4 is mounted on the piston rod 9, located centrally in the aforementioned filling tube 2. Due to the corresponding design solution, the piston rod 9 is made with the possibility of axial movement; wherein said end member 4 is movable between said first position and said second position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the compressing means 3 has a pair of jaws 10 configured to capture the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2.

The end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 is made of a rigid material such as stainless steel; and a pair of jaws 4 has elastic interaction surfaces 11.

Turning to FIG. 2a and 2b, which explain the method of filling the container 12.

According to FIG. 2a, the container 12 is first located under the device 1 according to the invention. The filling channel 13 of the tank 12 is opened by cutting, or a similar operation, as a result of which the inner space of the tank 12 is in communication with the surrounding space via said filling channel 13.

The containers can be positioned in various ways, for example, using laterally moving gripping means that suspend containers (not shown).

According to FIG. 2b, the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 is inserted into the filling channel 13 of the container 12, while the end element 4 is in its first position. The compressing means 3 is driven and its pair of jaws 10 compresses the end portion 5 and, thus, also compresses the filling channel 13. Since the end part 5 of the filling tube 2 is made of hard material and the working surfaces 11 of the pair of jaws 10 are elastic, therefore reliable a seal between said filling channel 13 and said end portion 5; which eliminates the risk of damage to the side walls of the tank 12, which form the said filling channel 13.

As mentioned above, the end member 4 is in its first position when the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 is inserted into the filling channel 13 of the container 12, as is clearly shown in the drawing of FIG. 3 a.

When the compression means 3 is actuated, when its pair of jaws 10 compresses the filling channel 13 and the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2, the end member 4 can move to the second position, FIG. 3b. The product will then flow from the filling passage 7 thus created into the interior of the container 12. When the interior is filled, the container 12 will expand in response to the products included in it, like an inflated balloon. The seal created by the compressing means 3 makes it impossible to squeeze the product out of the container 12 between the filling channel 13 and the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2.

The filling process is terminated by the end element 4, again moving to its first position, after which the pair of jaws 10 of the compressing means 3 is opened, and the end part 5 is ejected from the filling channel 13 of the container 12. Then the filling channel 13 can be sealed in an appropriate manner, for example by heat-sealing.

It should be noted that the time required to fill the container 12 with this product depends on the flow rate of the product and also on the area of the filling passage 7. Since the end element 4 is movable between the first and second positions, therefore, the area can be adjusted to the desired degree by moving the end member 4 to a corresponding position between said first and second positions. In particular, the proposed device 1 makes possible a relatively large area of the filling passage 7, and this circumstance, for obvious reasons, has a positive effect on the filling time of the container 1. Moreover, it should be noted that the compressing means 3 guarantees a quick filling of the container 12 without undesirable discharge of products from the inner space of the container 12.

The end element 4 can be made in different ways and give it a shape that tapers from the filling tube 2 to facilitate the entry of the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 into the filling channel 13 of the tank 12.

The end member 4 of FIG. 4 has an upper part 14 and a lower part 15 in the form of a tapering wedge, clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The upper part 14 has a shape essentially in the form of a convex lens. The upper part 14 also has a central through hole 16 enclosed in the bevel 17.

As mentioned above, the lower part 15 has the shape of a tapering wedge. The upper side of the lower part 15 thus forms a base, the shape of which, similarly to the upper part 14, is essentially

- 3 011536 wu, corresponds to the shape of a convex lens. A peripheral groove 18 is formed in the upper side of the lower part. Finally, the central threaded through hole 19 is made in the aforementioned lower part 15.

The piston rod 9 has a connecting part 22 with a thread 20 and a locking protrusion 21. To connect the end element 4 with the piston rod 9, the connecting part 22 of the piston rod 9 is inserted through the hole 16 in the upper part 14 until the upper part comes into contact with the said locking protrusion 21. Then, the connecting part 22 of the piston rod 9 is screwed into the threaded hole 19 of the lower part 15. The seal 8 in the form of a sealing ring is located in the peripheral groove 18 of the lower part 15, and the sealing ring will be pressed against the upper portion 14. As mentioned above, the sealing ring provides a terminal element 4 in its first position, said sealed connection with the outlet 6 of the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2.

The end element 4, formed in the aforementioned manner, has a shape that facilitates the insertion of the end part 5 of the filling tube 2 into the filling channel 13. The opening means (not shown) can be made so that it performs the initial separation of the walls of the filling channel 13 from each other. This opening the tool may have suction cups attached to the corresponding walls of the channel; and these suction cups are then released to separate the channel walls from each other.

The bevel 17, including an opening 16, formed in the upper part 14, provides a relatively unhindered flow of products flowing from the filling tube 2 along the filling passage 7 through the end element 4. This eliminates or in any case reduces the tendency for the leaky products to reach the upper side end element and its deviation up or to the side.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated implementation.

For example, the end member 4 may have a liquid repellent surface. This reduces the risk of leakage and sedimentation of the products on the walls of the filling channel 13 after completion of filling and removal of the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 from the filling channel 13 of the tank 12. Of course, this helps to ensure proper hygiene conditions for the filling process.

To prevent the deposition of products on the walls of the filling channel 13 in connection with the removal of the end part 5 of the filling tube 2, its dimensions can be selected in relation to the filling channel 13 so that the removal of the end part 5 occurs without contact with the walls of the filling channel 13.

The end element 4 may also have a different shape. It may take the form of a tapering wedge with a round base, FIG. Per. The round shape of the base makes the product flow flowing through the end element 4 symmetrical, as a result of which it is possible to completely eliminate the tendency of the resulting product to deviate up or to the side.

Therefore, in the implementation of the present invention, modifications and variations are possible, and this means that the invention is defined solely by the attached claims.

Claims (13)

CLAIM 1. A device for filling a container (12) of a folding type with a product in the form of a powder or liquid, said container (12) having an internal space formed by flexible walls, and the volume of which depends on the relative position of the walls and which communicates with the surrounding space along the filling channel ( 13) a container (12) containing a filling tube (2) with an end part (5) inserted into said filling channel (13) of the container (12) for supplying product into the internal space of the container (12) through the said filling tube (2); characterized in that the device (1) also comprises an end element (4) located in the outlet (6) of the end part (5) and adapted to move between the first position, in which the end element (4) is hermetically connected to said outlet (6 ), and the second position, in which between the end element (4) and the outlet (6) is formed the filling passage (7), and the compressing means (3), made with the ability to compress the end part (5) and the filling channel (13), when said end part (5) is inserted into said filling channel (13), for with the building seal between the end part (5) and the walls of the container (12), forming the filling channel (13), moreover, the said end part (5) of the filling tube (2) is made of rigid material. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said filling passage (7) has the shape of a circular slit. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said end element (4) is mounted on a piston rod (9) located in said filling tube (2). 4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the end element (4) is arranged to move between said first and second positions due to axial movement of said piston rod (9). - 4 011536 5. The device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it has a bevel (17) near the connection of said piston rod (9) and said end element (4). 6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seal (8) is mounted on an end member (4), moreover, when the end member (4) is located in said first position, the seal interacts with the outlet (6). 7. Device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the end element (4) has a shape that tapers from a filling tube (2). 8. Device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the end element (4) has the shape of a wedge. 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the end element (4) has a circular base. 10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the end element (4) has a base in the form of a convex lens. 11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the end portion (5) is made of stainless steel. 12. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said compressing means (3) has elastic interaction surfaces (11), which are configured to compress said filling channel (13) and said end portion (5). 13. A device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that said end element (4) has a surface that repels a liquid that fills the container (12).