EP0769471B1

EP0769471B1 - Bottle filling machine

Info

Publication number: EP0769471B1
Application number: EP19960500125
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jose Rizo Claravalls
Original assignee: Envastronic Sl
Current assignee: Envastronic Sl
Priority date: 1995-10-17
Filing date: 1996-09-12
Publication date: 2000-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-12
Also published as: DE69607436T2; ES2126463A1; EP0769471A1; AR003757A1; DE69607436D1; BR9605040A; ES2126463B1

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein advanced consists of means to aid bottle filling optimization in automatic bottling machines, consisting of a double refraction optical level detector that incorporates an optical sensor that replaces, in the most perfected machines, the conventional probe with its plastic material electric insulation sheath, as well as the bottle elevation mechanisms.
It does similarly incorporate staggered means for maximum foam reduction, incorporated to an extended spindle piston valve that, in cooperation with the previously described elements, enable maximum bottle filling capacity and minimum health risk during the performance of this operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previously, automatic bottling machines were fitted with mechanical bottle filling valve opening means, actuated by the bottle itself, whereby the air inside the bottle was replaced by the product with which the bottle was filled.
Operating experience soon proved the difficulty of controlling the process from the health and hygiene point of view, given that a single contaminated bottle could then contaminate all the following bottles to be filled by that same valve and, by extension and through the common filling tank, by all remaining filling valves, during the progress of the previously described process of extraction and exchange of contaminated air through the valve with the product used to refill bottles.
With the wide ranging diffusion of electronic regulation and control means, this conventional valve was then replaced with a piston valve, much easier to clean and faster and safer than the latter, not requiring the disassembly of any of the valve parts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this filling means change caused other obstacles that had to be overcome, such as the need to lift the bottle during this operation, upon replacing that exchange valve by the probe and by the piston valve, obviously more expensive together with the question of making this probe as hygienic as possible by sheathing it with plastic material used for medical purposes.
The applicant is not aware of any other filling procedures contributing a sufficiently high health guarantee to the process and capable of replacing the two previously described methods without causing this operation to be costlier through the addition of new accessory procedures and, more specifically, so that they consist of optimum filling control means, fitted with a double refraction optical sensor and in cooperation with foam building inhibiting means, even when fitted with driving outlet opening screening means, as in the case of the piston driven volumetric machines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention object of this specification refers, on the one hand, to a optical level detector for automatic bottling machines, which ensures total bottling hygiene and eliminates the bottle elevation process as well as the complementary probe.
This optical sensor is fitted in cooperation with an extended spindle filling valve actuated, for instance, electrically, and which closes up by plugging the upper piston, thus enabling bottle filling without any latter liquid dripping.
At the same time, the optical sensor, located immediately below the bottleneck and cross-sectionally to it, in the sense of one of its diameters, as well as forming a secant or slanted arrangement, depending on the bottles, being the powerful and extra thin beam of the cell transmitter, off the vertical of the filling stream detecting, by refraction upon the liquid and the resulting deviation of the beam that keeps the light off the sensor, the level of the liquid inside it and further being fitted, for that purpose, with a receiver of a very fine gauge and, as required, with lenses also very finely calibrated in their convergence with the transmitter, on the side of the receiver.
Eventually, as a function of the loss of signal or deviation of the beam due to refraction, a valve closure order is issued whenever the liquid reaches a previously established level, so that the level of the bottle is then minimally completed by the extremely small and previously known volume of product that reaches the bottle during the closing motion of the spindle.
For the purposes of filling optimization of the bottle cooperates on the other hand a vessel, external to the valve, that incorporates superimposed a number of silicone rings, fitted with two differently sized sieves at their inlet and outlet ends, which sieves are further differently gauged, as a function of the characteristics of the product used for filling, all of the foregoing with an easily cleanable design.
The sensor acts as a continuation of the conventional one, so as to detect the presence of a bottle on the vertical line of the filling valve, allowing gravity filling of the previously mentioned container or bottle and allowing the consecutive exit of the air inside it, directly outwards and without going through the valve.
This sensor is built as a part made in conformance with the usual shape of this type of containers, with wide ranging concave curves and smooth surfaces, so as to make cleaning easier and does incorporate the cell and conventional optical detection elements, in a secant or slanted position, depending upon the type of bottle, keeping the already diffracted beam from the vertical line of the filling jet and acting the cell upon the filling valve whenever the thin and powerful light beam previously activated by the bottle presence detector is interrupted or deflected.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description made herein, and so as to aid the greater and better understanding of the features of the invention, this patent specification includes, as an integral part thereof, a set of drawings where the following has been duly represented with a merely illustrative but not limitative character:
Figure 1 schematically represents the extended spindle filling valve, as well as part of the bottle, featuring a tapered bottleneck, during the filling process and with the optical level detector activated, as well as a detail view of the double diffracted beam, during the filling process.
Figure 2 represents the bottle filling piston valve, built as a double part with sanitary finish and a body with a large deposit frame and extended spindle fitted at its lower end with a vessel that incorporates sieved rings gauged to suit the product to be strained, so as to prevent the formation of foam.

PREFERRED EXECUTION OF THE INVENTION

Upon examining the previously described figure, it may be observed how the invention of means to aid bottle filling optimization in automatic bottling machines advanced herein consists, on the one hand, of an optical level detector for automatic bottling machines of the type that fill the container or bottle by gravity and that allows the consecutive outflow of air directly outside and without passing through the valve, characterized by incorporating, in cooperation with an automatically regulated two part piston valve, with filling chamber plus extended spindle and with an external vessel used to limit the formation of foam, a concave bodied double refraction optical sensor, that encompasses the lower region of the bottleneck and which emits a beam crosswise to the latter that detects the fluid level inside the bottle and which eventually issues a valve closure order whenever the liquid reaches the previously determined level.
This sensor, apart from the part shaped in conformance with the typical outline of these types of containers, at the previously described concave wide ranging curvature (1), has smooth surfaces so as to facilitate its cleaning and incorporates the cell (2) and its conventional optical product filling detection elements (3), the transmitter and the receiver, as well as the light beam (4) of the cell, secant to the bottle neck (5) and sufficiently far away from the filling jet (6), previously activated by a conventional detector that detects the presence of this bottle (5) and which experiments a refraction whenever the liquid obstructs its path, deflecting the beam and leaving the receiver without light.
To the optimization of the filling of the bottle (5) does also cooperate, on the other hand, a vessel (7), external to the valve, fitted with six overlapping silicone rings (8) fitted with two sieves (9) that are differently sized at the inlet (7') and outlet (7") ends of the vessel, and which are differently gauged (9) as a function of the characteristics of the product used for filling, all of the foregoing with an easily cleanable design.
The previously described sieves prevent or greatly difficult the formation of foam, depending on the filling product, so that, in combination with the features of the product feed cut off means, it is then quite possible to achieve container or bottle filling levels considerably higher than those currently possible, and all this without any dripping and under optimal health and hygiene conditions.
It is not considered necessary to extend this description any further in order to enable any expert in the matter to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom, as well as to be capable of reproducing it.
It is further understood that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements are open to modification as long as any such modification does not amount to an alteration of the essential features of the invention as claimed.
The terms used for the preparation of this specification must be always interpreted in a wide and non limitative sense.

Claims

Means to aid bottle filling optimization in automatic bottling machines, of the type that fill the bottle or container by gravity and of the type that allows the outflow of air directly outside without passing through the valve, of two parts and with filling chamber plus extended spindle, as well as automatically regulated, essentially characterized by incorporating a concave bodied optical sensor (1) that encompasses the region immediately below the bottleneck (5) and which is further fitted with a beam (4), previously activated by a conventional detector that detects this container or bottle (5), secant or slanted to the bottleneck or upper area of the bottle and cross sectionally arranged in respect of it, as well as removed from the filling jet (6), so that it detects the product level (3) inside the bottle (5) and, as required, issues a valve closure order whenever the product (3) being used for filling reaches the previously established level, also incorporating sieving and foam prevention means consisting of a multiplicity of sieves, in the form of rings (8) fitted with grids (9) arranged at the valve outlet opening.
Means to aid bottle filling optimization in automatic bottling machines, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the concave wide ranging curvature (1), having smooth surfaces such as the remaining sensor surfaces and by incorporating the cell (2) and its conventional optical product filling detection elements (3), the transmitter and the receiver, being this cell previously activated by the bottle (5) presence detector and by having a very thin and powerful beam, in cross sectional arrangement to the bottleneck (5) and sufficiently removed from the filling jet (6), which experiments a refraction whenever the liquid level reaches the beam, thus interrupting the beam to the receiver, which triggers the filling interruption order.
Means to aid bottle filling optimization in automatic bottling machines, as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the optimization of the bottle filling process (5) is further aided by a vessel (7), external to the valve, fitted with six rings (8) made of food safe material, superimposed and fitted with two sieves (9) that are differently sized at the inlet (7') and outlet (7") ends of the vessel, and which further are differently gauged (9) as a function of the characteristics of the product used for filling.