EP0383707B1 - Counter-pressure filling head for a carbonated liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

A counter-pressure filling head (1) for a carbonated liquid comprises a body (2) having in its internal portion, a hollowing (3) communicating with an opening (7) under which a recipient (8) to be filled is placed. <??>In order to limit the number of components of this filling head in contact with the carbonated liquid and to facilitate cleaning operations, on the one hand, the body (2) is provided in its hollowing (3) with a seat (10) above which a valve with a hollow shaft (11) extends vertically with its upper end (17) inserted into the storage reservoir (13) and constituting a pipe for the flow of the carbonated liquid and, on the other hand, means (12) for controlling the flow of the latter acting on the valve with a hollow shaft (11) while being located outside of the body (2) and of the said storage reservoir (13). <IMAGE>

Description

• a) des moyens de mise sous pression d'un récipient
• b) des moyens pour commander l'écoulement du liquide carbonaté depuis un réservoir de stockage dans le récipient ;
• c) de moyens de détection de fin de remplissage ;
• d) des moyens de mise sous pression atmosphérique du récipient rempli.

The invention relates to a tap for drawing off under pressure from a carbonated liquid comprising a body having, in its internal part, a recess communicating with an opening under which is disposed a container to be filled, such as a bottle or the like. racking additionally comprising:

• a) means for pressurizing a container
• b) means for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid from a storage tank into the container;
• c) means for detecting the end of filling;
• d) means for placing the filled container under atmospheric pressure.

The racking of carbonated liquid requires taking a certain number of precautions so as to guarantee its integrity and its quality once distributed in individualized containers. In particular, during filling, this carbonated liquid has a large exchange surface with the surrounding medium. Therefore, it must have an inert character avoiding any oxidation of the drink before consumption.

Furthermore, the drawing off and the storage of a carbonated liquid are necessarily carried out under pressure, this must be higher than the saturation pressure thus preventing any degassing of said liquid.

In view of the conditions set out above, there are, to date, mainly two methods of drawing off a carbonated liquid. The first consists, after any degassing of the container into which the liquid should be introduced, of maintaining in said container, a pressure substantially equal to the pressure under which the carbonated liquid is kept in the storage tank of the withdrawal device. . Through a system of communicating vessels, the container then fills up to the desired level as explained below. This is a so-called isobarometric racking.

In fact, during such an isobarometric withdrawal, the pressurization of the container is obtained by placing the gas maintaining the carbonated liquid in pressure in the storage tank in communication with the internal volume of said container. After reaching the pressure equilibrium, control means cause the opening of said withdrawal valve and, finally, the flow of the carbonated liquid from the storage tank into the container. It will be noted that during this filling, the gas contained in the bottle is either evacuated at a separate channel, or reinjected into the storage tank through a conduit which was used, initially, for placing under pressure.

At the end of filling, the liquid contained in the bottle reaches the mouth of the gas evacuation pipe. This tends to cause the pressure in the container to rise, resulting in the cessation of the flow of the carbonated liquid. At this instant, a command stops the flow of the liquid, then the container is brought back to atmospheric pressure before removing it from the draw-off valve and directing it in the direction of a capping unit.

According to another method, called withdrawal in phase imbalance, the pressure maintained at the level of the gas contained in the carbonated liquid storage tank is different and higher than that maintained in the container to be filled. This has the advantage of reducing the filling time of a container but forced, by the same token, to use systems for detecting the filling level of said containers. Indeed, the principle of communicating vessels is no longer applicable.

These detection systems are estimated, to date, unreliable and, in all cases, relatively expensive, which frequently leads manufacturers of carbonated beverages to use, mainly, taps operating under the principle of isobarometric withdrawal. .

Valves of this known type usually consist of a body comprising, on the one hand, an external part capable of cooperating with the mouth of the container to be filled and, on the other hand, an internal part of the storage tank. carbonated liquid. This internal part includes, more particularly, the control mechanisms opening or closing the valve as well as means for pressurizing, before filling, the container. While the external part of the body of said draw-off valve includes degassing means for bringing the container to atmospheric pressure at the end of the filling cycle and, as the case may be, means for evacuating or sweeping through a neutral gas, from said container at the start of the cycle.

• des moyens de commande mécanique d'ouverture et de fermeture d'un clapet ;
• des moyens élastiques maintenant ce dernier en position de fermeture tant que l'équilibre des pressions dans le réservoir et le récipient n'est pas atteint ;
• et finalement, le système obturateur du conduit assurant la mise en communication du volume interne dudit récipient avec le gaz contenu dans le réservoir de stockage.

As described above, the valve opening and closing control mechanisms as well as the means enabling the container to be pressurized, before filling, by bringing its internal volume into contact with the gas contained in the reservoir. storage, are housed inside the latter and are bathed in carbonated liquid. However, these mechanisms are, in many cases, very complex and include, in particular:

• mechanical control means for opening and closing a valve;
• elastic means keeping the latter in the closed position as long as the pressure balance in the tank and the container is not reached;
• and finally, the pipe closure system ensuring the communication of the internal volume of said container with the gas contained in the storage tank.

With regard to the food sector, certain very strict hygiene standards must be observed. In particular, these taps require frequent cleaning. However, the more important the mechanisms in contact with the carbonated liquid, the more delicate it becomes to clean these withdrawal taps and to remove all residues liable to contaminate the consumable product later.

Furthermore, although the system of communicating vessels for controlling the stopping of filling of containers is the most frequently used, it nevertheless has a certain number of drawbacks, in particular, due to its random nature.

Indeed, the slightest variation in pressure during filling between the storage tank and the container changes the filling rate of the latter.

Also known from document FR-A-2,552,749 is a tap for drawing off carbonated liquid under pressure, the assembly of which mechanisms for controlling the flow and pressurizing a container is integrated in the cylindrical body. from this tap and is located around a coaxial flow duct. In fact, although this particular design of a draw-off valve limits the mechanical parts to contact with the carbonated liquid, it uses a certain number of sealed connections during a filling cycle which makes this draw-off tap unreliable. In addition, the complexity of these control mechanisms only aggravates this state of affairs.

Note, moreover, the presence of a bellows membrane connecting the upper part of the liquid flow conduit to the upper internal part of the cylindrical body where the carbonated liquid is supplied. However, such a bellows membrane poses the problem of its dismantling and cleaning in the slightest folds. As before, this is a drawback when it comes to the food sector.

Furthermore, the draw-off valve, described in this prior document, uses, as a means of detecting the end of filling and of controlling the flow of the liquid, a ball valve. However, experience has shown that such systems were not operational due in particular to their lack of reliability and precision.

The object of the present invention is to propose a tap for drawing off carbonated liquid, the mechanical elements in contact with which are reduced to a minimum and the cleaning of which is consequently simplified. Furthermore, this draw-off valve, object of the invention, proposes to guarantee a constant level of filling of the containers without the need to resort to very complex detection systems.

• a) des moyens de mise sous pression d'un récipient ;
• b) des moyens pour commander l'écoulement du liquide carbonaté depuis un réservoir de stockage dans le récipient ;
• c) des moyens de détection de fin de remplissage ;
• d) des moyens de mise sous pression atmosphérique du récipient rempli ;

• le corps de ce robinet de soutirage disposant, dans son évidement, d'un siège au-dessus duquel s'étend verticalement un clapet à arbre creux émergeant dudit corps de manière à présenter son extrémité supérieure introduite dans le réservoir de stockage et constituer un conduit d'écoulement du liquide carbonaté ;
• et les moyens pour commander l'écoulement de ce liquide carbonaté agissant sur ce clapet à arbre creux et se situant extérieurement au corps et au dit réservoir de stockage.

The invention, as characterized in the claims, solves the problems of creating a pressure tap for the pressure of a carbonated liquid, comprising a body having, in its internal part, a recess communicating with an opening under which is arranged a container to be filled such as a bottle or the like, this draw-off valve further comprising:

• a) means for pressurizing a container;
• b) means for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid from a storage tank into the container;
• c) means for detecting the end of filling;
• d) means for placing the filled container under atmospheric pressure;

• the body of this tap having, in its recess, a seat above which extends vertically a valve with a hollow shaft emerging from said body so as to present its upper end introduced into the storage tank and constitute a conduit flow of carbonated liquid;
• and the means for controlling the flow of this carbonate liquid acting on this hollow shaft valve and located outside the body and said storage tank.

The advantages obtained thanks to this invention consist essentially in that the valve for controlling the opening and closing of the draw-off valve also serves as a conduit for the flow of the carbonated liquid, which makes it possible to act on this valve. , without, however, drowning other mechanical elements in the storage tank.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématisée et en coupe du robinet de soutirage, conforme à l'invention.

The invention is set out below in more detail with the aid of drawings representing only one embodiment.

• Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of the draw-off valve according to the invention.

The present invention relates to a tap for drawing off carbonated liquid contained in a storage tank surmounting said tap for filling containers such as bottles or the like arranged below.

As will appear in the following description, the present draw-off valve, in accordance with the invention, is able to adapt to installations operating under the principle of isobarometric drawdown or in phase imbalance.

In fact, this draw-off valve 1, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a body 2 having, in its internal part, a recess 3, the latter opening out from said body 2, at the level of the lower face 6, through an opening 7.

On this lower face 6 of the body 2, corresponding to the withdrawal valve 1, bears the container 8 which should be filled. Since the withdrawn liquid is preferably a carbonated liquid, it is essential to maintain in this container 8, a pressure greater than the saturation pressure, during filling. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a certain seal between the mouth 9 of said container 8 and the underside 6 of the body 2. Also, the approaches to the opening 7 made in the latter are designed so as to best fit the morphology of this mouth 9 of said container 8. Although the latter corresponds, more precisely, to a bottle in the context of its representation in FIG. 1, it is quite obvious that it is possible to modify this lower face 6 of the body 2 so as to make it concordant with the mouth of containers of different shapes and sizes.

In the recess 3 of the body 2 is arranged the seat 10 of a valve 11 on which intervene control means 12 for the flow of the carbonated liquid contained in a storage tank 13.

More specifically, the seat 10 is made integral with the wall 14 of the recess 3 by means of spacers 15. As for the valve 11, the latter extends vertically above this seat 10 and is thus located , in the axial extension of the opening 7.

According to a characteristic of the present invention, this valve 11 is constituted by a hollow shaft extending vertically above the seat 10 and emerging from the body 2 of the withdrawal valve 1 through a bore 16 of diameter adjusted for this purpose. and in which are made recesses 39, 40 capable of receiving seals.

In fact, the upper end 17 of the valve 11 is introduced into the storage tank 13 and thus constitutes the flow conduit for the carbonated liquid.

More specifically, by raising the valve 11, the lower edge 18 of the latter comes to come off the seat 10 allowing the flow of the carbonated liquid in the recess 3 of the body 2 and, finally, in the container 8 through the 'opening 7. Obviously, in the opposite case corresponding to the abutment of the lower edge 18 of the valve 11 on the seat 10, the carbonated liquid is no longer able to flow. The tap 1 is then in its closed position.

According to an advantage of the present invention, the means 12 for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid are able to act on the valve 11 outside the storage tank 13.

More specifically, these control means 12 can be designed by a lever (not shown) capable of displacing the valve 11 axially by acting on the latter and, in particular, on its section 19 interposed between the body 2 of said withdrawal valve 1 and the storage tank 13. In this case, said valve 11 is provided, on its periphery, and at this section 19, with a flange (not visible in FIG. 1) capable of cooperating with the aforementioned lever, the latter being controlled by pneumatic or other type of motor means.

It will be recalled, in this regard, that the filling of a container should only be able to take place after pressurization of the latter. Indeed, in the opposite case, the carbon dioxide contained in this carbonated liquid would escape during this filling, thus destroying one of its essential qualities.

For this purpose, said valve 11 is subjected to an external thrust tending to apply it with a certain force against the seat 10. This thrust is compensated by the internal pressure in the container 8 at the start of filling, thus authorizing the control means 12 and, in particular, the lever as described above, to control the opening of the withdrawal valve 1, by axial displacement of the valve 11.

According to another embodiment shown, more particularly in FIG. 1, these control means 12, ensuring the opening or closing of the withdrawal tap 1, are constituted by a jack 20 surmounting the body 2 and comprising in its internal part 21, a piston 22 integral with the valve 11. It will be specified, in this regard, that the latter passes right through, the jack 20 so as to penetrate at its upper end 17 into the storage tank 13.

The cylindrical body 23 of the jack 20 is closed, at its ends 24 and 25, on the one hand, by means of the upper face 26 of the body 2, and on the other hand, by a flange 27 comprising in its center a orifice 28 adjusted to the diameter of the valve 11 to allow passage.

Elastic means 29 cooperating simultaneously with the internal face of the flange 27 and the upper face 30 of the piston 22, applies the valve 11 to its seat 10 with an intensity determined as a function of the pressure existing in the container 8 during filling. . Advantageously, these elastic means 29 constitute, in addition, the means for controlling the closing of the withdrawal valve 1 at the end of filling.

Thus, after degassing of this container 8 and pressurizing its internal volume, the thrust exerted by the elastic means 29 on the valve 11 is substantially compensated, authorizing the opening control of the withdrawal tap 1 by injection of a liquid fluid or gaseous in the internal part 21 of the jack 20 and, more precisely, under the piston 22, pushing the latter upwards and releasing the lower edge 18 of said valve 11 from its seat 10.

Obviously, the present draw-off valve 1 also comprises detection means 31 for the end of filling of the container 8 for stop the flow of carbonated liquid from the storage tank 13.

According to a first embodiment (shown in FIG. 1), these detection means 31 are constituted by a conduit 32 penetrating into the container 8 at the mouth 9 over a length depending on the filling level. In fact, the operation of such detection means 31 is based on the principle of communicating vessels. Also, this conduit 32 is extended in its upper part so as to pass right through the seat 10 and enter the storage tank 13 up to the top of the liquid-gas interface in the latter. Thus, this conduit 32 is located coaxially in the hollow shaft that constitutes the valve 11 while delimiting, with the latter an annular space through which the carbonated liquid can flow.

In fact, such a duct 32 also constitutes the means for pressurizing the interior volume of the container 8 by putting it in communication, at the start of the filling cycle, with the gaseous medium 38, of the storage tank 13. Then , during the cycle, this conduit 32 again makes it possible to discharge the gases from the container 8 into said storage tank 13.

At the end of filling, the carbonated liquid reaches the mouth 33 of the conduit 32 introduced into the container 8 and then rises in this conduit 32. Overpressure tends at this instant to occur, above the container 8 and in the recess 3 causing the flow of carbonated liquid to stop from the storage tank 13. More precisely, this stop is due to the defusing of a siphon 34 placed in the flow circuit for the carbonated liquid. In fact, the seat 10 of the draw-off valve 1 has, at its periphery 35, a rim 36 extending, substantially, vertically and upwards defining a high point of air trapping. It will also be noted that the central arrangement of the seat 10 in the recess 3 makes it possible to produce a wall effect allowing the flow of the carbonated liquid according to a laminar regime avoiding turbulence and, possibly, the production of foam.

As explained in the prior art, the detection of the filling level of the container 8 according to the principle of communicating vessels has drawbacks, in particular, in the event of a pressure variation during filling in the storage tank 13 or in said container 8, or by lack of sealing between the latter and the filling member.

For this purpose and to remedy such drawbacks, the conduit 32A, instead of being extended, in its internal part to the withdrawal tap 1, is deflected so as to emerge, laterally, from the body 2. Thanks to this arrangement, different solutions can be adopted.

A first solution consists in connecting this conduit 32A, emerging laterally from the body 2, to the gaseous medium 38 of the storage tank 13. This results in means for detecting the filling level of the containers 8 operating on the principle of communicating vessels. This conduit 32A can also authorize the evacuation of the pressurized gases contained in the container 8 in the direction of a different receiving circuit.

However, the main advantage constituted by the presence of this duct 32A, outside the draw-off tap 1, resides in the fact that it is possible to graft means of detection of pressure variations therein 37.

In fact, when the carbonated liquid, at the end of filling reaches the mouth 33 of the conduit 32A inside the container 8, an abrupt variation in pressure is created inside said conduit 32A. This phenomenon is usually referred to as water hammer. By proceeding in this way to register this instantaneous pressure variation, it is possible to act on the control mechanism 12 and cause the withdrawal tap 1 to close and, ultimately, lower the valve 11 on its seat 10.

In this regard, it will be noted, however, that the instantaneous pressure variation is likely to be recorded throughout the gas phase above the container 8 or in the recess 3 of the body 2. Also, it should be considered that the the invention is in no way limited to such a mode of application of the means for detecting variation in pressure 37 to a conduit 32A used for pressurizing and / or evacuating the gases contained in the container 8.

Such means 31 for detecting the filling level of the container 8 remove the randomness that this filling level usually presents. Indeed, they are able to ignore the possible pressure variations between the container 8 and the storage tank 13 during filling.

In view of the above, it can be seen, in short, that the present draw-off valve 1 is able to find its application both in isobarometric draw-off systems and in the context of a draw-off operating according to the principle of phase imbalance.

The combination of this advantage with great ease in cleaning the draw-off valve according to the invention makes it a particularly efficient material.

In the context of such a configuration corresponding to the lateral deflection of the conduit 32A, the means for pressurizing the container 8 at the start of the cycle are, in fact, a pipe 42 communicating with the recess 3 of the body 2 and connected either in the gaseous medium 38 of the storage tank 13, or to a unit capable of delivering gas and, in particular carbon dioxide under pressure.

Finally, this withdrawal valve comprises means 41 for placing the container 8 under atmospheric pressure at the end of filling. Such means 41 consist of a pipe opening, on the one hand, into the recess 3 of the body 2 and, on the other hand, externally, to the latter through a suitable shutter system. Furthermore, this pressurization at atmospheric involves in all cases the obturation of the conduit 32 and / or of the pipe 42 serving for the pressurization of the container 8 at the start of the cycle. This closure device has not been shown in FIG. 1.

Claims (8)

1. Cock (1) for drawing off under pressure a carbonated liquid, comprising a body (2) having, in its inner portion, a recess (3) communicating with an opening (7) under which is arranged a receptacle (8) to be filled, such as a bottle or the like, this draw-off cock (1) furthermore comprising:

   a) means (32, 42) for pressurizing the receptacle (8),

   b) means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid from the storage tank (13) into the receptacle (8),

   c) means (31) for detecting the end of the filling,

   d) means for putting the filled receptacle (8) under atmospheric pressure,

   draw-off cock (1) characterized in that, on the one hand, the body (2) is provided, in its recess (3), with a seat (10) above which vertically extends a quill valve (11) protruding out of said body (2), so as to have its upper end (17) engaged into the storage tank (13) and to form a flow duct for the carbonated liquid and, on the other hand, the means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid act onto this quill valve (11) and are located outside the body (2) and outside said storage tank (13).
2. Draw-off cock (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the quill valve (11) has a section (19) placed between the body (2) of said draw-off cock (1) and the storage tank (13), onto this section (19) acting the means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid.
3. Draw-off cock (1) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid are a lever acting onto a cylindrical collar the section (19) of the quill valve (11) is fitted with, so as to raise or lower same from or onto its seat (10).
4. Draw-off cock (1) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid are a jack (20) topping the body (2) and including, in its inner portion (21), a piston (22) integral with the quill valve (11).
5. Draw-off cock (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the jack (20) includes a cylindrical body (23) one end (24) of which is obturated by means of the upper face (26) of the body (2) of said draw-off cock (1) and the opposite end (25) of which is obturated by a side plate (27) provided, in its centre, with an opening (28) serving as a passageway for the quill valve (11).
6. Draw-off cock (1) according to claims 1 and 5, characterized in that the means (12) for controlling the flow of the carbonated liquid include springy means (29) capable of exerting an axial pressure onto the quill valve (11) to restore this latter into the lowered position on its seat (10), said springy means (29) being arranged between the side plate (27) obturating the jack (20), at its upper end (25), and the piston (22) integral with said quill valve (11).
7. Draw-off cock (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for pressurizing the receptacle (8) and the means (31) for detecting the level of filling are formed by a duct (32) coaxially arranged inside the quill valve (11) and passing straight through the seat (10), this duct (32) having its one end engaged into the receptacle (8), to a depth determined according to the level of filling, the other end penetrating into the storage tank (13), into its gaseous phase.
8. Draw-off cock (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (31) for detecting the level of filling are formed by means (37) for detecting pressure variations co-operating either directly with the recess (3) present in the body (2) or with a duct (32A) having a mouthpiece (33) engaged into the receptacle (8) and sidely protruding out of said body (2).

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