EP0268524A1 - Füllkopf für eine Flaschenfüllmaschine und mit derartigen Füllkopfen ausgerüstete Füllmaschine - Google Patents

Füllkopf für eine Flaschenfüllmaschine und mit derartigen Füllkopfen ausgerüstete Füllmaschine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0268524A1
EP0268524A1 EP19870402483 EP87402483A EP0268524A1 EP 0268524 A1 EP0268524 A1 EP 0268524A1 EP 19870402483 EP19870402483 EP 19870402483 EP 87402483 A EP87402483 A EP 87402483A EP 0268524 A1 EP0268524 A1 EP 0268524A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
membrane
filling
conformation
filling head
head according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP19870402483
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0268524B1 (de
Inventor
Gabriel Ponvianne
Jean-Pierre Bosman
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Mapco SA
Original Assignee
Mapco SA
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of EP0268524B1 publication Critical patent/EP0268524B1/de
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/22—Details
    • B67C3/28—Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves
    • B67C3/282—Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves related to filling level control
    • B67C3/285—Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves related to filling level control using liquid contact sensing means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/001—Cleaning of filling devices
    • B67C3/002—Cleaning of filling devices using cups or dummies to be placed under the filling heads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/22—Details
    • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
    • B67C2003/2685—Details of probes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
    • Y10T137/7837—Direct response valves [i.e., check valve type]
    • Y10T137/7847—With leak passage

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a filling head for an automatic bottle filling machine, in particular in the open air, comprising a body delimiting a circulation chamber into which a filling liquid enters through a supply orifice and the liquid of which filling comes out through an outlet orifice which is located at the bottom of the circulation chamber and is extended by a flow tube capable of penetrating inside a bottle neck during filling, as well as an element for closing a controlled valve, which opens or closes one of said two orifices in response to control signals emitted by filling level detection means arranged on an area of the flow tube located inside the bottle during filling.
  • Such filling head is disclosed in French patent No. 2095562 which recommends, as controlled valve closure element, a solenoid acting at the supply port of the flow chamber, and having a mechanical shutter in the shape of a piston sliding in the body of the filling head, either towards a position of closing of the supply orifice under the action of an electromagnet, or towards a position of opening of this supply orifice under the action of a return spring.
  • this known filling head should allow the bottles to be filled to a strictly constant level, determined by the level of the detection means for a determined level of each bottle being filled.
  • 2,095,562 results in the fact that when this member reaches its closed position of the supply port of the circulation chamber after the liquid filling in the bottle has reached the level of the detection means and that these means have emitted a corresponding control signal, a relatively large volume of filling liquid is between this controlled valve closing element and a lower end zone flow tube plunging into the interior of the bottle, and this volume may flow more or less into the bottle after the time at which the controlled valve closure member has reached its closed position; therefore, this instant does not necessarily coincide with the real instant of the stop of the flow of the filling liquid towards the interior of the bottle and the level finally reached in the latter by the filling liquid may exceed more or less, uncontrollably, the level of the detection means; this results in a first factor of imprecision in the level actually reached in the bottle, by the filling liquid, at the end of filling.
  • valve closure element controlled leads to the need to provide sealing means vis-à-vis the outside, on the one hand at the connection between the shutter and the electromagnet and on the other hand at the connection between the shutter and the return spring, which necessarily leads to a more or less controllable slowing down of the movement of the shutter towards its closed position.
  • orifice for supplying the circulation chamber from the moment when the level of the liquid in the bottle being filled has reached the detection means, and when these detection means have emitted a corresponding control signal; therefore, the arrival of the shutter in the closed position of the feed orifice of the circulation chamber is delayed, indefinitely, relative to the actual arrival of the level of liquid in the bottle at the level detection means.
  • the French filling head advocated in Patent No. 2,095,562 is unhygienic because it has many recesses constituent both areas of accumulation and possible development of germs and bacteria and areas difficult to clean by circulation of a cleaning liquid, that is to say according to the method usually used to clean the automatic filling machines of bottles.
  • the present invention provides a filling head of the type indicated in the preamble, further characterized in that said valve closing element is a flexible membrane which delimits a sealed control chamber arranged inside the circulation chamber and comprises opposite the outlet orifice a projecting portion having an outer face capable of cooperating with an edge of the outlet orifice view of the closure of the latter, said membrane being deformable between an opening conformation of said outlet orifice, in which said outer face is detached from said edge of the outlet orifice, and a closing conformation of said outlet orifice, wherein said outer face cooperates with said edge of the outlet orifice to seal the latter in a leaktight manner, and the control chamber being connected to means for controlling fluid deformation of the membrane from one to the other of said conformations and vice versa as a function of the control signals.
  • said valve closing element is a flexible membrane which delimits a sealed control chamber arranged inside the circulation chamber and comprises opposite the outlet orifice a projecting portion having an outer face capable of cooperating with an edge of the outlet or
  • a filling head according to the invention is characterized by a great simplicity of structure, remarkable in particular by the absence of any seal slowing down the movements of the valve closing element controlled towards its position for closing the passage of filling liquid towards the bottle, so that the arrival of the liquid, in the bottle, at the filling level detection means can be immediately followed by the closure of the passage of liquid to this bottle;
  • the altitude of the bottle relative to the filling head can be perfectly defined by the structure of the machine, thanks to means in themselves traditional, we understand that this easily fills the bottles at constant level ;
  • the volume of filling liquid present between the controlled valve closing element and the interior of the flow tube can be reduced to a minimum and it is easy either to provide arrangements causing its complete flow in the bottle, for example in the form of a hole drilled laterally in the flow tube, in which case this easily determinable residual amount is taken into account by positioning the filling level detection means relative to the filling level actually desired, or to retain this residual quantity of liquid in the flow tube, for example by
  • the filling head according to the invention easily lends itself to an embodiment capable of allowing a bottle to be filled at two successive rates, namely a rapid rate in beginning of filling, followed by a slow flow at the end of filling, to precisely reach a predetermined level of filling.
  • the aforementioned French patent recommends the arrangement of a circuit channeling the air escaping from the bottle as the latter is filled, and recommends establishing a constriction on this circuit after a time determined filling, to reduce the flow thereafter, until the liquid in the bottle reaches the level of the detection means; this is a complex arrangement, while the evacuation of air during filling of a bottle in the open air can easily be carried out, in the case of a filling head conforming to the present invention, if one chooses to give the filling tube an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the neck of the bottle to be filled, and which can be further provided, in a filling head according to the present invention , that the membrane is capable of further presenting an intermediate conformation of partial closure of said outlet orifice, and that said fluid control means are capable of further placing said membrane in said intermediate conformation as a function of the control signals.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said projecting portion is elastically compressible, in that said edge of the outlet orifice and a region of said outer face of said portion projecting, which zone cooperates with said edge when said membrane has said closing conformation, have different shapes when said membrane has said opening conformation so that, when the membrane has said intermediate conformation, said outer face and said edge are in mutual contact in a discontinuous localized manner and that, when the membrane has said closing conformation, said projection is elastically compressed to establish continuous, tight contact with said edge.
  • a single controlled valve closure element namely the membrane, makes it possible, as the filling progresses, to pass from a rapid initial flow of the filling liquid to a slow final flow then to the interruption of the passage filling liquid; the transition from fast to slow flow can be caused by a time delay or by a cell, but it can also be advantageously produced by a level detection by the filling level detection means which first detect the arrival at their level of a foam produced by the rapid flow filling, to cause the passage from the rapid flow to the slow flow, then the liquid itself, after absorption of the foam to then interrupt the flow of the liquid.
  • a design, according to the invention, of a filling head in addition to the fact that it makes it possible to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above, brings a great simplification to the structures of the filling machines which it equips; in particular, in the absence of a circuit for channeling the air leaving the bottle, in the case of filling in the open air, only the cleaning of the circuit followed by the filling liquid is necessary, and this cleaning Age is easily carried out against the current, as is known for the sake of greater efficiency.
  • the present invention also provides a bottle filling machine, equipped with filling heads produced in accordance with its teachings, and characterized in that it comprises at its lower part hollow bottle holder means on which the heads can be s '' sealingly adapt by a relative approximation movement, for machine cleaning operations, and in that it comprises a single cleaning circuit comprising a pump which circulates the cleaning liquid under pressure inside the bottle-holder means then inside the filling heads, against the flow of the filling liquid, said flexible, deformable membranes having their opening conformation.
  • the maintenance of the membranes in this conformation can be ensured by the pressure of the cleaning liquid which penetrates through the flow tube and causes the separation of the membrane from the outlet orifice; this maintenance can also be caused by the voluntary emission of appropriate control signals, during cleaning, or result from a natural tendency of the membrane to present its opening conformation.
  • the filling machine according to the invention is moreover, in a manner known per se, in the form of a carousel comprising a plurality of filling heads distributed around a joint axis of rotation; as this rotation proceeds, a fixed station enters under each filling head an empty bottle which is then gradually filled by this filling head before being discharged in the filled state, also at a fixed station.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 where there is shown a filling head 10 having a body 12 formed of two rigid shells 14 and 16, respectively upper and lower.
  • the two shells 14 and 16 are hollow and together define a sealed chamber 18 for circulating filling liquid.
  • the body 12 is provided at its upper part with a supply tube 20 connected to a filling tank 58 (see FIG. 13) which is arranged above the body 12 and contains the liquid with which it is desired to fill the bottles; in a manner known per se, the tank 58 can be at atmospheric pressure or at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.
  • the filling liquid enters through a supply orifice 22, formed at the upper part of the body 12, in the circulation chamber 18.
  • the filling liquid After passing through the circulation chamber 18, the filling liquid is capable of leaving it through an outlet orifice 24 situated at the lower part of the body 12, at the lowest point of the circulation chamber 18.
  • the outlet orifice 24 is extended vertically downwards by a rigid flow tube 26, of vertical axis 23, which is opened downwards by a lower orifice 25 and which enters the neck 28 of a bottle 30 when the latter occupies a predetermined filling position in which it is arranged under the body 12, without contact with the latter and at a predetermined relative altitude, and in which its neck 28 is coaxial with the flow tube 26.
  • the head comprises a controlled closing element 32 which opens the outlet orifice 24 when an empty bottle 30 occupies the filling position and as long as the desired filling level is not reached in this bottle and closes the outlet orifice 24 when the bottle 30 is filled to the desired constant level.
  • the valve closing element 32 is a flexible deformable membrane 34, having a shape of revolution around the axis 23 of the flow tube 26; more specifically, the membrane has the general shape of a disc which has a central portion 36 projecting downward, having downward an outer face 38, of conical shape, capable of cooperating with a circular horizontal edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 for sealing the latter, as can be seen in FIG. 2; however, by its own elasticity or under the action of a not shown assistance spring, the flexible membrane 34, for example made of synthetic or natural rubber, naturally tends to have a conformation in which its face 38 is detached from the circular edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 to open this ring, as shown in FIG. 1.
  • the flexible membrane 34 which is sealed, partially delimits a sealed control chamber 40 arranged inside the circulation chamber 18.
  • the circular edge 42 of the membrane is trapped in a sealed manner between the two shells 14 and 16, during the assembly of the latter two.
  • the control chamber 40 is also delimited in leaktight fashion by a rigid internal partition 44 formed in the upper shell 14 and which extends horizontally and substantially in the plane of joint between the two shells 14 and 16, under the orifice 22 but at a distance from it so as not to impede the passage of liquid through this orifice 22.
  • the control chamber 40 sealed with the filling liquid is connected through a connection orifice 46 to a pipe 66 provided with a distributing valve 67 making it possible to connect the chamber 40 either to a vent 68, open to the air, or to a source 69 of pressurized fluid, for example pressurized air, vis-à-vis which the chamber 40 is also sealed.
  • the admission of pressurized fluid inside the control chamber 40 is controlled as a function of control signals, by a electronic control circuit 70 determining the position of the valve 67.
  • the signals for controlling the closing of the outlet orifice 24 by the valve closing element 32 are emitted by means 48 for detecting the filling level, one non-limiting example of which will be described.
  • the flow tube 26 is made of an electrically conductive material, for example stainless steel, and is coated with an outer layer of insulating material into which is inserted a level 50 metal probe arranged on the external zone. of the wall of the flow tube 26 which is situated inside the bottle 30 when the latter occupies the filling position, for example in the form of a tubular element coaxial with the flow tube 26.
  • the flow tube 26 is connected to the mass of the filling machine and the probe 50 to the electronic circuit 70, ensuring level detection by measuring resistivity in a manner easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art.
  • valve 67 initially occupies its position illustrated in FIG. 1, opening the chamber 40 to the open air via the vent 68 by isolating the chamber 40 from the source of pressurized fluid 69, which means that the membrane 34 has its opening conformation of the orifice 24, the filling liquid flows into the bottle 30 in the filling position; when the filling liquid reaches the level 50 probe, a low intensity alternating current flows between the tube and the probe, through the filling liquid.
  • This current is amplified and causes the switching of a relay (not shown) of the circuit 70 which controls the switching of the valve 67 to its iso position lation of the chamber 40 vis-à-vis the vent 68 and of communication between the chamber 40 and the source of pressurized fluid 69, then causing the admission of pressurized fluid inside the chamber watertight 40 and the passage of the membrane 34 to its conformation for closing the orifice 24, illustrated in FIG. 2.
  • the filling tube In order to allow the free evacuation of air from the bottle 30, during its filling, the filling tube has an external diameter "d" less than the internal diameter "D" of the neck 28 of the bottle.
  • the same electronic control circuit 70 is used as during the closing, which is, at this effect, connected to means 71 for detecting the presence of a bottle 30 in the filling position; the absence of any bottle 30 in the filling position results in the emission of a control signal which, processed by the circuit 70, ensures the maintenance of the chamber 40 in communication with the source of pressurized fluid 69, c 'is to say a closure of the orifice 24; the presence of a bottle 30 in the filling position causes the emission by the means 71 of a signal which authorizes the opening of the orifice 24 by switching the valve 67, but this opening only becomes effective if the probe level 50 emits a control signal showing that the bottle 30 is empty.
  • circuit 70 for this purpose is in the domain of the normal skills of a person skilled in the art, as is the choice of the presence detection means 71 which can be mechanical, optical, or any other nature ; similarly, the level detection means can be of any suitable type, different from the type described, and for example make use of optical or ultrasonic detection.
  • the membrane 34 which is otherwise identical to what has just been described, may have its own conformation of closure by its own elasticity or under the action of an assistance spring. orifice 24, illustrated in FIG. 2; a person skilled in the art easily understands that, then, in the installation which has just been described with reference to FIGS.
  • This variant is advantageous, in comparison with that which has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, by the fact that the membrane can be brought back without difficulty to its closing configuration, to stop the flow of the filling liquid, in the event failure by simple switching, possibly manual, of the valve 67 towards its position of opening the chamber 40 to the open air via the vent 68.
  • Figures 3 to 11 illustrate other examples of implementation of the invention, allowing an intermediate flow between the flow corresponding to the opening conformation of the membrane and the zero flow corresponding to its closing conformation, this intermediate flow corresponding to an intermediate conformation of the membrane obtained like the other conformations by fluid control.
  • FIG. 3 to 7 a second example of implementation of the invention, in which we find identically and under the same references all the elements of the filling head illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, with the exception of the membrane 34 replaced by a different membrane 134 as a controlled valve closure element 132 cooperating with the circular edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 of the circulation chamber 18;
  • the electronic control circuit 70 is replaced by an electronic control circuit 170 whose functions will be detailed below, and the valve 67 is replaced by distributor means 167 which will also be detailed below, to supply the line 66 with pressurized fluid, for example pressurized air, or authorize the evacuation of this fluid from the chamber 40 via the pipe 66 and the vent 68, in a manner controlled by the electronic circuit 170.
  • the membrane 134 is flexible, elastically deformable, and is made for example of synthetic or natural rubber, or of any other material capable of also providing it with elastic compressibility, sought in the case of this embodiment. of the invention; like the membrane 34, it naturally presents an opening conformation of the orifice 24, in which it is illustrated in FIGS.
  • the membrane 134 has downward, coaxial with the flow tube 26, a projection 136 delimited by an outer conical face 138, of revolution around the axis 23 of the tube 26, like the whole of the membrane 134; while the conical face 38 of the projection 36 of the membrane 34 is smooth, in order to establish, in the conformation, continuous contact with the edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 for the purpose of sealing the latter, the face 138 of the projection 136 has at least one flat 139, giving rise to a hollow notch in this face 138; preferably, as illustrated, several flats 139 are thus provided, in which case they are preferably identical and regularly distributed around the axis 23; more precisely, in the example illustrated, four identical flats 139, regularly distributed around the axis 23 and converging mutual
  • the projection 136 of the membrane 134 When the projection 136 of the membrane 134, assumed in its opening configuration illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, is seen in section through a horizontal plane, in a zone 141 intended to cooperate with the edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 when the membrane has its respective intermediate conformations illustrated in FIG. 6 and of closure illustrated in FIG. 7, the projection 136 thus has a shape different from the circular shape of the edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24, as shown in FIG. 4; in practice, in the example illustrated in particular in FIGS.
  • the area 141 of the projection 136 has in such a section an alternating contour, regularly distributed around the axis 23, four arcs of circle 143 centered on the axis 23 and corresponding to the conical face 138, and four straight lines 145 corresponding to the flats 139.
  • the membrane 134 may also have d on the one hand, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 6, in which it bears without appreciable compression of the projection 136, by the arcs of a circle 143, on the circular edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24, leaving between the flats 139 and this circular edge 79 a passage for the filling liquid, and on the other hand the conformation illustrated in FIG.
  • the dispensing means 167 controlled by the electronic control circuit 170 receiving the signals from the detection means 71 and 48, are capable of putting the control chamber 40 in communication either with the source 69 of pressurized fluid, delivering this fluid such as air at a determined pressure P1 to put the membrane 134 in its closed configuration illustrated in FIG.
  • a second source 169 of pressurized fluid capable of delivering a pressurized fluid such as air at a determined pressure P2 less than P1 but greater than the pressure of the filling liquid in the chamber 18, for example at atmospheric pressure, to place the membrane 132 in its conformat ion intermediate partial closure of the outlet orifice 24, illustrated in Figure 6, or in communication with the vent 68 open to the air.
  • dispensing means 167 and the sources of pressurized fluid 69 and 71 can be chosen for this purpose by a person skilled in the art, and the presently preferred design will be described simply, using two sources 69 and 169 of fluid. under completely separate pressure and with two distributors 180 and 181, electrically controlled by the electronic control circuit 170 as will be described below, and connected in series in a manner which will now be described, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 .
  • the distributor 180 has two inputs, connected respectively to the source 69 and to the source 169, and an output connected to a conduit 182; similarly, the distributor 181 has two inputs, connected respectively to the conduit 182 and to the vent 68, and an outlet connected to the conduit 66.
  • Each of the distributors 180 and 181 further comprises a respective drawer 183, 184 which can occupy on the one hand a rest position, illustrated in FIG. 7 for the two drawers, in FIG. 5 for the drawer 183 and in FIG. 6 for the drawer 184, and an excitation position illustrated in FIG. 5 with regard to the drawer 184 and in FIG. 6 with regard to the drawer 183.
  • the drawer 183 In its rest position, the drawer 183 seals the inlet of the distributor 180 corresponding to the source 169, but establishes a connection between the source 69 and the line 182; in the excitation position, the drawer 183 seals the inlet of the distributor 180 corresponding to the source 69, and on the other hand places the source 169 in communication with the pipe 182.
  • the slide 184 In its rest position, the slide 184 closes the vent 168 and establishes communication between the pipe 162 and the pipe 66; in the excitation position, this slide 184 seals the pipe 182 tightly but establishes communication between the vent 68 and the pipe 66.
  • a currently preferred cycle for controlling the distributors 180 and 181, by the electronic circuit 170, as a function of the signals emitted by the detection means 71 and 48 is as follows.
  • the drawers 183 and 184 of the two distributors 180 and 181 occupy their rest position so that the control chamber 40 is in communication with the source 69 of fluid at pressure P1, the value of which is chosen such that it not only causes deformation of the membrane 134 so as to place the projection 136 thereof in contact with the edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24 of the chamber 18, but also overcompensates the resistance of the projection 136 to elastic compression in its zone 141, so that there is established between the projection 136 and the edge 79 a continuous sealing contact between the chamber 18 and the tube 26, as shown in Figure 7.
  • the means 71 detect the presence of an empty bottle 30 in the filling position, defined in the same way as with reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the means 48 detecting the absence of filling liquid at their level, the drawer 184 of the distributor 181 is brought to its excitation position while the drawer 183 of the distributor 180 remains in its rest position, as shown Figure 5; the sources 69 and 169 are then isolated respectively by the drawer 184 and by the drawer 183, and the control chamber 40 is connected to the vent 68 by the drawer 184, so that the membrane 134 occupies, due to its elasticity clean, its fully open position of the outlet orifice 24 of the chamber 18, the projection 136 being completely detached from the edge 79 of this orifice 24 as also shown in FIG. 5; the filling liquid can then flow freely inside the bottle 30, at a rate which is preferably chosen sufficient to cause the appearance of foam 185 on the surface of the filling liquid 186 in the bottle 30 .
  • these means 48 emit a signal which causes, via the electronic control circuit 170, a share the return of the drawer 184 of the distributor 181 to its rest position, and secondly the passage of the drawer 183 of the distributor 180 to its excitation position; the source 69 is therefore isolated by the slide 183 of the distributor 180, while a connection is established between the control chamber 40 and the source 169 which delivers to this chamber 40 control fluid at the pressure P2, less than the pressure P1 initially established in this chamber 40, during its connection with the source 69; the pressure P1 is determined so that its presence in the chamber 40 deforms the membrane 134 sufficiently to establish contact between its projection 136 by the arcs of circle 143 in the zone 141, with the edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24, without significantly compressing the projection 136; thus, as shown in FIG.
  • the membrane 134 then has its intermediate conformation between its opening conformation illustrated in FIG. 5 and its closing conformation illustrated in FIG. 7, and continues to allow filling liquid to flow from the chamber 18 towards the tube 26 and the bottle 30, however at a flow rate much lower than the flow rate established when the membrane occupies its opening conformation illustrated in FIG. 5; in particular, this flow rate is chosen such that it no longer causes the appearance of foam on the surface of the liquid 186 in the bottle, and allows the foam 185 appearing to dissipate during the flow at comparatively fast flow rate.
  • the two drawers 183 and 184 can be brought back to the rest position to bring the membrane 134 to its fully closed conformation of the outlet 24, illustrated in FIG. 7, for a predetermined time necessary for the foam 185 to dissipate; after this predetermined time, thanks to preferably adjustable timing means integrated into the electronic control circuit 170, the drawer 183 of the distributor 180 is brought to the excited position illustrated in FIG. 6, the drawer 184 of the distributor 181 being him in the rest position, which brings the membrane to its intermediate conformation of partial closure of the orifice 24, illustrated in Figure 6, to allow flow at said low flow rate.
  • this flow at low flow is made possible by the fact that the fall of the foam 186 in the bottle brings the filling liquid therein to a level lower than that of the probe 50 as it has been shown diagrammatically by a dashed horizontal line in FIG. 6; when, then, the liquid level reaches again the probe 50, during this filling phase at a lower flow rate, this level corresponds exclusively to filling liquid in the bottle.
  • the ring 50 When the ring 50 is thus reached, it sends to the electronic control circuit 170 a closing signal which causes a new passage of the drawer 183 of the distributor 180 to the rest position, while the drawer 184 of the distributor 181 remains in the position of rest, which brings the membrane 134 to its completely closed conformation of the outlet orifice 24, as shown in FIG. 7.
  • the shape of the membrane illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7 is only a non-limiting example of the shape of the membrane capable of occupying, relative to the circular edge 79 of the outlet orifice 24, that is to say a total opening conformation, either a total closing conformation, or even an intermediate partial closing conformation, preferably corresponding to a localized, discontinuous contact between a projecting zone of the membrane and the circular edge 79 of the outlet 24.
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 show another form of membrane suitable for experiencing such an intermediate conformation of partial closure of the outlet orifice 24, in association with a circular shape of the edge 79 of this orifice.
  • the membrane 234 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 has, like the membrane 134, the general shape of a flat disc, in an opening conformation that the membrane 234 tends to occupy naturally, with a circular edge 242 capable of being trapped, of the same way as the edge 142, between the two shells 14 and 16 of the body 12 of the filling head; like membrane 134, membrane 234 presents towards the bottom a projection 236, centered on the axis 23 of the flow tube 26 and this projection 236 has a capacity for elastic compression; like the projection 136, the projection 236 has an external face 238 downwards which is however smooth unlike the face 138 and which, seen in section through a horizontal plane in particular in a zone 241 intended to cooperate with the circular edge 79 of the 'outlet 24 for closing thereof, has an oval shape, for example elliptical as shown in Figure 9; thus, in addition to its opening configuration in which the face 238 of the projection 236 is completely spaced upwards from the circular edge 79 of the orifice 24, the membrane 234
  • FIGS. 10 and 11 have illustrated two specific forms of edge of the outlet orifice 24 capable of cooperating for this purpose with a conical, smooth protruding membrane, of the type described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the outlet orifice 24 has a horizontal edge 179, formed by a regular alternation of arcs of circle 187 and 188 of different respective radii, respectively larger and smaller , with reference to the axis 23 of the flow tube 26; the arcs of a circle 188 thus define a notch, projecting towards the axis 23, with respect to the arcs of a circle 187, so that, if the same references are used as in FIGS. 1 and 2 as regards the membrane, this membrane 34 can have, under the conditions defined in relation to FIGS.
  • FIG. 11 shows another example, in accordance with which the outlet orifice 24 of the chamber 18 has a horizontal edge 279 of oval shape, for example elliptical, symmetrically with respect to the axis 23 of the flow tube 26; in this case, in addition to the total opening and closing conformations corresponding respectively to a total clearance of the edge 279 by the conical face 38 of the projection 36 of the membrane 34 and to a crushing of this face 38 against the edge 279 to establish continuous contact therewith, the membrane 34 may have an intermediate conformation in which the frustoconical face 38 of the projection 36 is in point contact, without appreciable compression of the projection 36, with the edge 279 at two points 289 and 290 of the latter located along the minor axis of the ellipse.
  • the membrane 34 may have an intermediate conformation in which the frustoconical face 38 of the projection 36 is in point contact, without appreciable compression of the projection 36, with the edge 279 at two points 289 and 290 of the latter located along the minor axis
  • edge 79 in an elastically compressible material, in replacement of or in addition to an elastic compressibility of the projection of the membrane, whatever the shapes chosen respectively for the projection of this membrane and for the edge of the outlet orifice of the chamber for circulation of the filling liquid.
  • the two sources 69 and 169 of pressurized fluid are replaced by sources of vacuum, drawing to a vacuum with different values and the operating cycle of the distributor means 167 is modified by the following way, if we suppose for example that the membrane is of the type illustrated at 134 in FIGS. 5 to 7: - to allow the membrane 134 to occupy its completely closed position of the outlet orifice 24, illustrated in FIG. 7, the chamber 40 is placed in communication with the vent 68 and the two sources of vacuum are isolated, the drawers 183 and 184 of the distributor 180 and 181 occupying their positions illustrated in FIG. 5, to place the membrane 134 in its partially closed conformation of the orifice 24 illustrated in FIG.
  • vacuum is drawn in the chamber 40 by connecting the latter to the source of vacuum establishing the lowest vacuum in absolute value, by placing the drawers 183 and 184 in their positions illustrated in FIG. 6 if it is assumed that this source of vacuum replaces the source of pressure 169, - To place the membrane 134 in its fully open position illustrated in FIG. 5, vacuum is drawn in the chamber 40 by means of the vacuum source corresponding to the highest vacuum in absolute value, namely the vacuum source replacing the pressure source 69 in the example illustrated, by placing the drawers 183 and 184 of the distributors 180 and 181 in the position illustrated in FIG. 7.
  • the membrane When the membrane, assumed to be of the type illustrated in 134, naturally occupies its intermediate partial closure conformation, illustrated in FIG. 6, the pressure source 69 is preserved and the pressure source 169 replaced by a vacuum source, in comparison with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, and the different conformations of the membrane are obtained as follows: the partial closure conformation is obtained by opening the chamber 40 to the open air, by placing it in communication with the vent 68 by means of a positioning of the drawers 183 and 184 in accordance with FIG. 5, the conformation of total closure is reached under the same conditions as in FIG.
  • the precise adjustment of the filling level is obtained by adjusting the relative altitude of the head on the machine which it equips, and of the bottle in position.
  • filling by means known in themselves and already present on known machines, whether they are machines in which the filling position is reached by lowering the filling head towards the bottle, resting on a fixed own altitude support, possibly adjustable, or of machines in which this filling position is reached by mounting the bottle, resting on a harness, towards the filling head, of fixed own altitude, possibly adjustable; in fact, in such machines, means are traditionally provided for adjusting the limit altitudes of the head and of the harnesses respectively during their movement.
  • the filling heads according to the invention can moreover equip existing machines, in place of existing heads, whether these machines are machines with fixed heads and movable harnesses or machines with fixed support for bottles and movable heads.
  • this new type of filling head allows a great simplification of the cleaning circuits of the machine which is equipped with it, as appears from the examination of FIG. 13 where we have diagrammatically shown as non-limiting example a machine of known general structure, equipped with filling heads according to the invention of the type illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; a person skilled in the art will readily understand that any of the filling heads according to the invention illustrated totally or partially in FIGS. 3 to 11 could be substituted for this filling head without modifying the cleaning circuit and the cleaning operating mode.
  • this machine comprises at its lower part a hollow chute 50, fixed at altitude and having an annular shape of revolution around a vertical axis 72 around which it is rotated by means not shown; this chute has upwards a plurality of upper orifices 52, regularly distributed angularly around the axis 72, in locations each of which can serve as a support for a bottle in the filling position; perpendicular to each orifice 52, the machine carries a filling head 10 according to the invention, of vertical axis, which head is movable vertically on the one hand to evolve, as the rotation around the axis 72 and independently of the other heads 10, between a position in which its flow tube 26 enters a bottle 30 resting on the chute 50 to occupy a determined level with respect thereto and determine the filling level and a position in which the flow tube 26 is released upward to allow the horizontal departure of the full bottle and the horizontal arrival of the empty bottle, and on the other hand to be able to descend vertically, together with all the others
  • each head 10 enters the trough 50 through the corresponding orifice 52 around which a seal is established, between the head 10 and the trough 50, by an annular seal sealing 54 arranged under a lower face 56 of each head, coaxially with the flow tube 26 thereof.
  • the feed tube 20 of each head penetrates vertically, with the possibility of relative vertical sliding and sealing, in the filling tank 58 which has an annular shape of revolution around the axis 72 and is driven the rotation around it together with the heads 10 and the chute 50; by a rotary distributor 73 arranged along the axis 72, the filling tank 58 is connected to a fixed pipe 74, for connection with a reservoir (not shown) of filling liquid, possibly via a pump (not shown).
  • the machine does not have any circuit for evacuating overflow of filling liquid in the bottle and return air and, in particular, the filling tank 58 can be completely filled with liquid. filling, instead of being partially filled with air as is the case in traditional machines, during operation for filling bottles; in addition, the cleaning circuit 62 can be considerably simplified.
  • the circuit 62 is essentially fixed, with the exception of a connector 60 provided on the chute 50 and opening into a lower part thereof; when the machine is stopped for cleaning, the connector 60, which is closed during operation for filling bottles, makes it possible to connect the interior of the chute 50 with a fixed conduit 76 for discharging a pump fixed 64 sucking cleaning liquid in a tank 77 also fixed, into which opens a fixed duct 78 for returning cleaning liquid; this return duct 78 derives from the pipe 74 at the level of a dispensing valve 75 which, when the machine is operating with a view to filling bottles, opens the connection between the pipe 74 and the filling liquid reservoir (not shown) via the possible filling pump (not shown) by isolating the conduit 78 from the conduit 74 and which, when the machine must be cleaned, connects the conduit 78 to the conduit 74 by isolating the latter via the filling liquid tank and any filling pump.
  • the cleaning circuit 62 is limited to the elements 60, 64, 75, 76, 77, 78 mentioned above.
  • the pump 64 takes cleaning liquid from the tank 77 and circulates it successively in the conduit 76, the chute 50, each delivery tube 26, each circulation chamber 18 possibly causing the passage of the corresponding membrane. 34 in its opening position of the corresponding orifice 24, each tube 20, the filling tank 58, the rotary distributor 73, the pipe 74 to the valve 75 and the return pipe 78; the delivery tubes 26, the circulation chambers 18, the tubes 20, the filling tank 20, the rotary distributor 73 and the pipe 74 are then traversed, by the cleaning liquid, against the current of the direction in which they are through which the filling liquid flows when the machine is operating to fill bottles, which ensures complete cleaning under optimal conditions.

Landscapes

  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
EP19870402483 1986-11-05 1987-11-04 Füllkopf für eine Flaschenfüllmaschine und mit derartigen Füllkopfen ausgerüstete Füllmaschine Expired - Lifetime EP0268524B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8615403A FR2606008B1 (fr) 1986-11-05 1986-11-05 Tete de remplissage pour machine de remplissage de bouteilles et machine de remplissage equipee de telles tetes de remplissage
FR8615403 1986-11-05

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0268524A1 true EP0268524A1 (de) 1988-05-25
EP0268524B1 EP0268524B1 (de) 1991-07-10

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EP19870402483 Expired - Lifetime EP0268524B1 (de) 1986-11-05 1987-11-04 Füllkopf für eine Flaschenfüllmaschine und mit derartigen Füllkopfen ausgerüstete Füllmaschine

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4967813A (de)
EP (1) EP0268524B1 (de)
DE (1) DE3771311D1 (de)
ES (1) ES2023429B3 (de)
FR (1) FR2606008B1 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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EP0528216A1 (de) * 1991-08-16 1993-02-24 KRONES AG Hermann Kronseder Maschinenfabrik Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Füllen von Behältern
DE19646595A1 (de) * 1996-11-12 1998-05-20 Alfill Engineering Gmbh & Co K Getränkefüllorgan mit ventilgesteuerten Leitungen
WO2010003666A1 (de) * 2008-07-10 2010-01-14 Khs Ag Füllelement sowie füllmaschine zum füllen von flaschen oder dergleichen behältern
WO2015000826A1 (de) * 2013-07-02 2015-01-08 Khs Gmbh Füllelement sowie füllmaschine

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US5322098A (en) * 1992-03-13 1994-06-21 Christianson Systems, Inc. Apparatus and method for conveyance of flowable solid materials
US5584324A (en) * 1994-09-30 1996-12-17 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. Automated product draining method for a packaging machine
US5524392A (en) * 1994-09-30 1996-06-11 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. Automated sealing apparatus for a packaging machine
FR2800723A1 (fr) * 1999-11-09 2001-05-11 Gangloff Scoma Ind Bec de remplissage pour produit liquide
IT1317629B1 (it) * 2000-03-16 2003-07-15 Univ Pavia Valvola di controllo dell'erogazione di liquidi a chiusura automatica
IT1321245B1 (it) 2000-05-05 2004-01-08 Ima Spa Macchina riempitrice per il riempimento di contenitori con sostanzeliquide
ITBO20000409A1 (it) * 2000-07-07 2002-01-07 Stk Stocchi Progetti S R L Perfezionamenti ai rubinetti degli impianti di imbottigliamento .
DE10359779B4 (de) * 2003-12-19 2006-03-16 Khs Maschinen- Und Anlagenbau Ag Füllelement einer Füllmaschine
DE102016119596A1 (de) * 2016-10-14 2018-04-19 Plast-Control Gmbh Verfahren zum Befüllen eines Wiegebehälters für Kunststoffgranulat
CN107021250A (zh) * 2017-06-12 2017-08-08 唐长林 一种精准灌装开关装置

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US3038488A (en) * 1959-06-03 1962-06-12 Milwaukee Chaplet & Mfg Compan Sanitary diaphragm valve
FR2166720A6 (de) * 1972-01-05 1973-08-17 Mecaplast Sa
FR2458995A1 (fr) * 1979-06-18 1981-01-09 Universal Cooperatives Inc Soupape de lait pour machine a traire
GB2074144A (en) * 1980-04-19 1981-10-28 Seitz Werke Gmbh Liquid filling machines
GB2140396A (en) * 1983-05-09 1984-11-28 House Food Industrial Co Back pressure nozzle cleaning apparatus
EP0235065A1 (de) * 1986-01-15 1987-09-02 Sidel Conditionnement Behälterabfüllanlage unter Verwendung von Gegendruck

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0528216A1 (de) * 1991-08-16 1993-02-24 KRONES AG Hermann Kronseder Maschinenfabrik Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Füllen von Behältern
DE19646595A1 (de) * 1996-11-12 1998-05-20 Alfill Engineering Gmbh & Co K Getränkefüllorgan mit ventilgesteuerten Leitungen
DE19646595C2 (de) * 1996-11-12 1998-09-24 Alfill Engineering Gmbh & Co K Getränkefüllorgan mit ventilgesteuerten Leitungen
WO2010003666A1 (de) * 2008-07-10 2010-01-14 Khs Ag Füllelement sowie füllmaschine zum füllen von flaschen oder dergleichen behältern
WO2015000826A1 (de) * 2013-07-02 2015-01-08 Khs Gmbh Füllelement sowie füllmaschine
US10189693B2 (en) 2013-07-02 2019-01-29 Khs Gmbh Filling element and filing machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US4967813A (en) 1990-11-06
EP0268524B1 (de) 1991-07-10
ES2023429B3 (es) 1992-01-16
DE3771311D1 (de) 1991-08-14
FR2606008A1 (fr) 1988-05-06
FR2606008B1 (fr) 1989-07-28

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