EP1559674B1 - Filler with circulation of the liquid - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a filling machine according to the preamble of claim 10 as known from DE 201 057 164.

The hot filling of liquid product, ie the filling at high temperatures, for example in the range between 75 ° C to about 100 ° C in bottles or similar containers is known.
In particular, the hot filling of beverages, such as fruit juices, is known to achieve a sterile bottled product of high quality and sufficiently long shelf life. The liquid product is in this case supplied to the individual containers in the hot state via the filling elements.

Due to the high temperature of the contents and the consequent high temperature of the heated by the filling material filling elements are killed in the normal course of the filling not only possibly existing in the containers, the contents harmful germs, but there are also germs or the formation of germs in the medium and avoided in the filling elements.

But are not excluded in the hot filling interruptions of the filling process, for example due to disturbances in feeding the empty containers and / or the removal of the filled containers. In such interruptions there is a risk of cooling the then restrained in the locked filling elements or pending contents and the filling elements themselves, so that the filling harmful germs in the contents and in the filling elements are not reliably killed and / or avoided.

The object of the invention is to remedy this disadvantage and to avoid cooling of the filling elements and the contents even with an interruption of the filling process. To solve this problem, a method according to the claim 1 and a filling machine according to the patent claim 9 is formed.

In the case of an interruption of hot filling in the invention, the filling elements and their liquid channels are closed and connected so that the filling elements are arranged with their liquid channels in a machine-internal liquid or Füllgutweg between the source of the filling material and a filling receiving sink, so that, for example, circulating filling machine and the case taking place control of the filling elements and their liquid valves, the hot medium continues to flow through the filling elements and thus cooling of the filling elements, a retained in the filling elements are cooled filling material and the associated disadvantages in terms of nucleation, etc. avoided.

Fig. 1

in vereinfachter Darstellung ein Füllelement einer Füllmaschine umlaufender Bauart zum Heißabfüllen eines flüssigen Füllgutes, zusammen mit einem Behälter- oder Flaschenträger und mit einer an diesem Träger vorgesehenen Flasche, und zwar in einem Füllmodus der Füllmaschine;

Fig. 2

eine Darstellung wie Figur 1, jedoch in einem Stand-by- oder Unterbrechungsmodus der Füllmaschine;

Fig. 3

in schematischer Darstellung den um eine vertikale Maschinenachse umlaufenden Rotor der Füllmaschine, zusammen mit einem der an diesem Rotor vorgesehenen Füllelemente und mit dem zugehörigen, die vertikale Maschinenachse ringförmig umschließenden Behälter- oder Flaschenträger, in dem Stand-by- bzw. Unterbrechungsmodus der Füllmaschine;

Fig. 4

in einer schematischen Darstellung ein Füllelement, zusammen mit weiteren Funktionselementen einer Füllmaschine umlaufender Bauart zum Heißabfüllen eines flüssigen Füllgutes gemäß einer weiteren möglichen Ausführungsform der Erfindung, und zwar wiederum in dem Stand-by- bzw. Unterbrechungsmodus der Füllmaschine.

Further developments are the subject of the dependent claims. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a simplified representation of a filling element of a filling machine of a rotating type for hot filling of a liquid filling material, together with a container or bottle carrier and with a provided on this carrier bottle, in a filling mode of the filling machine;

Fig. 2

a representation as Figure 1, but in a stand-by or interrupt mode of the filling machine;

Fig. 3

in a schematic representation of the rotating around a vertical axis of the machine rotor of the filling machine, together with one of the provided on this rotor filling elements and the associated, the vertical machine axis annularly enclosing container or bottle carrier, in the stand-by or interrupt mode of the filling machine;

Fig. 4

in a schematic representation of a filling element, together with other functional elements of a filling machine of rotating design for hot filling a liquid filling material according to another possible embodiment of the invention, again in the stand-by or interruption mode of the filling machine.

In Figures 1-3, 1 is generally a hot-filling machine, i. for the sterile filling of a liquid filling material, for example a fruit juice beverage in containers or bottles 2, for example in plastic or PET bottles. The filling machine 1 has in a known manner on the circumference of a rotatable about a vertical machine axis VA rotor 3 a plurality of filling elements 4, which are distributed at equal angular intervals around the axis VA and each form a liquid channel 5 in a Füllelementgehäuse that with his upper end is connected via a line 6 with the interior of a provided on the rotor 3 boiler 7. The lower end of each liquid channel 5 forms on the underside of the respective filling element 4, a discharge opening 8 for the controlled discharge of the contents in the filling element provided on the bottle 2. In liquid channel 5, the liquid valve 9 is provided in a known manner further, which via an actuating element 10 of a Control device 11 is controlled in response to signals from a provided on the line 6 flow meter 12, for a volume-controlled filling of the bottles. 2

Below the filling elements 4, a container or bottle carrier 13 is provided on the rotor 3, which is formed in the illustrated embodiment by a VA surrounding the axis concentrically ring and a plurality of receptacles 14, in each case a bottle 2 at a bottle inlet of Filling machine 1 inserted radially or can be removed radially after filling at a bottle outlet. The receptacles 14 are formed so that each disposed in a receptacle 14 bottle 2 there with a slightly below the bottle mouth 2.1 provided flange bottle section 2.2 is suspended on the container carrier 13, so that the axis of the discharge opening 8 is coaxially aligned with the axis of the bottle 2 However, the mouth 2.1 is spaced from the discharge opening 8 and so when filling under atmospheric pressure, the displaced by the contents of the bottle 2 air at the bottle mouth 2.1 can escape.

The boiler 7 contains the liquid contents at such a high temperature that a hot and thus substantially sterile filling of the filling material is achieved in the bottles 2 via the filling elements 4. The filling material is supplied to the boiler 7 by a storage tank 15 outside the filling machine 1 via a heater 16, for example likewise provided outside the filling machine 1, in a level-controlled manner, in such a way that the level of contents in the boiler 7 is kept at a predetermined level N. In the boiler 7, for example, additional heating means are provided to keep the contents there at the required temperature.

For sterile filling, it is necessary that the contents u.a. in the leads 6 and in the filling elements 4, but also these leads 6 and the filling elements 4 themselves at least on their coming into contact with the contents in filling surfaces have the required for the prevention of nucleation and for the destruction of germs high temperature. This is guaranteed in the normal filling process.

But if there is an interruption in the filling process, it is not possible without additional measures, the required temperature of the filling u.a. in the leads 6 and in the filling elements 4 as well as the required temperature u.a. to maintain these leads 6 and 4 filling elements upright. i.e. a cooling u.a. of the contents, the leads 6 and the filling elements 4 to avoid. In order to eliminate this disadvantage, the filling machine 1 makes it possible, when an interruption occurs, to switch over from the usual filling mode to a stand-by or interrupt mode, in which the filling elements 4 continue to be flowed through by the hot filling material, for example when the rotor 3 continues to revolve, and in which the product exiting at the discharge openings 8 filling material is returned to the storage tank 15.

For this stand-by or interrupt mode of operation of the filling machine 1 13 closure elements 17 are provided on the annular container carrier, in each case such a closure element 17 between two receptacles 14 such that each closure element 17 in a predetermined circumferential direction of the container carrier 13 and related is provided offset on the axis VA offset by the same angular amount relative to the associated receptacle 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure elements 17 are each in the middle between two receptacles 14 and are designed as caps open at the top, with an annular seal 18, which forms, inter alia, the opening edge of the respective cap-like closure element 17. The interior 19 of each closure element is connected via a branch passage 20 with an annular channel 21 in connection, which as well as the channels 20 is formed in the annular container carrier 13 and the axis VA concentrically surrounds. About example, a line, in the illustrated embodiment, the line 22, the annular channel 21 is connected to the storage tank 15.

The container carrier 13, which is located in the direction of the axis VA below the rotor 3, is on this rotor 3 by means of bearing elements 23 about the axis VA back and forth by an angular amount, namely by a drive, not shown, in the manner that in the one pivot position corresponding to the filling mode of the filling machine, in the manner described above, a receptacle 14 is disposed under each filling element 4 and in the other pivot position corresponding to the stand-by or interrupt mode of the filling machine 1, each filling element 4th is closed at its lower end tightly by a closure element 17, in whose interior 19 the discharge opening 8 of the relevant filling element 4 opens. As a result, it is then possible that, during an interruption of the filling process, the product is discharged under the passage of the lines 6 and the filling elements 4 controlled at the discharge openings 8, but not in the bottles 2, but each in the interior 19 of the associated closure element 17 and flows back from there via the channels 20 and 21 and the line 22 to the storage tank 15, from which then the contents with the feed pump 15.1 via the heater 16 in turn is returned to the boiler 7. As a result, when the filling process is interrupted, cooling of the filling material in the supply lines 6, in the filling elements 4, but also cooling of the supply lines 6 and the filling elements 4 themselves are effectively prevented.

In order to achieve a tight closure for each filling element 4 by the associated closure element 17 in the position corresponding to the interruption mode of the container carrier, each filling element 4 is arranged on its underside with an annular, the discharge opening 8 at a distance, but arranged coaxially with the discharge opening 8 Annular bead 24 is provided, against which during the interruption mode, the seal 18 of the associated closure element 17 is sealed with a sealing lip forming portion.

As a further possible embodiment, FIG. 4 very simply shows a filling element 4a of a filling machine 1a of an otherwise only schematically illustrated filling machine, wherein a plurality of rotors, not shown in FIG. 4, which are rotatable about a vertical machine axis and have the boiler 7 is provided by filling elements 4a. Furthermore, on the rotor relative to this about the vertical axis of the machine between a filling mode and the interruption mode corresponding position pivotable container carrier 13 is provided.

Essentially, only the filling element 4a is deviating from the filling element 4, i. in the filling element 4a, two membrane-like, individually controllable liquid valves 25 and 26 are provided in the liquid channel 5a for the contents instead of the liquid valve 9 with the valve body movable in the vertical direction, namely operatively parallel to each other. During fill mode, at the beginning of the fill phase, i. until the positioning of the respective bottle 2 under the filling element 4a, both liquid valves 25 and 26 are closed. For a subsequent fast filling, both liquid valves 25 and 26 are opened in a controlled manner. For a brake filling at the end of the respective filling phase, a liquid valve, namely the liquid valve 26 is closed, and that before the closing of the liquid valve 25 at the end of the filling phase.

4, in which in turn each filling element 4a is closed at the bottom by a closing element 17, both filling elements 25 and 26 are opened, so that the entire liquid channel 5a formed in the filling element 4a includes the liquid valves 25 and 26 are still flowed through by the hot contents and thus also heated.

The liquid valves 25 and 26 are in turn actuated by the control unit 11, depending on the rotational position of the filling machine 1 a or its rotor and during the filling mode in each case depending on the measuring signal of the flow meter 12.

In Figure 4, two, e.g. shown electromotive or electromagnetically actuated check valves 27 and 28, namely the valve 27 in the conduit 22 and the valve 28 in a conduit 29 which opens into the conduit 22 between the annular channel 21 and the valve 27. Through these valves, a CIP cleaning of the filling machine 1 or 1 a, at least including the boiler 7, the lines 6, the filling elements 4 and 4a, the closure elements 17, the channels 20 and 21 and the heater 16 is possible. For this purpose, then with locked valve 27 and open valve 28 via the line 29, the liquid cleaning medium used for the CIP cleaning, for example, water, also supplied with such cleaning additives. Also, in another control of the valves 27 and / or 28, also a CIP-cleaning of the above-mentioned components plus the storage tank 15 is possible.

The invention has been described above by means of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1a

filling Machine

2

bottle

3

rotor

4, 4a

filler

5, 5a

liquid channel

6

management

7

boiler

8th

discharge opening

9

liquid valve

10

actuator

11

control device

12

measuring device

13

container carrier

14

admission

15

storage tank

15.1

Füllgutförderpumpe

16

heaters

17

closure element

18

ring seal

19

Interior of the closure element

20

channel

21

annular channel

22

management

23

bearing element

24

torus

25, 26

liquid valve

27, 28

check valve

29

Line for cleaning fluid

VA

vertical machine axis

N

level

Claims (19)

1. Method for the bottling of a liquid product in bottles, kegs or similar containers (2) using a filling machine (1, 1 a) with a plurality of filler elements (4, 4a), which each include a liquid duct (5, 5a), which terminates at a discharge opening (8) and includes at least one liquid valve (9, 25, 26) for the controlled discharge of the hot liquid product to a container (2) that is disposed on the filler element (4, 4a),
   characterised in that to avoid a cooling at least of the liquid product in the filler elements (4, 4a) and/or to avoid a cooling at least of the filler elements (4, 4a) if the filling process is interrupted, the liquid product is conveyed in the hot state in at least one flow path, which encloses these filler elements (4, 4a) or respectively their liquid ducts, from a liquid product source (7) for the hot liquid product to a liquid product well (15) that accommodates the liquid product, such that the filler elements continue to be traversed in an uninterrupted manner.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that to avoid a cooling at least of the liquid product in the filler elements (4, 4a) and/or to avoid a cooling at least of the filler elements (4, 4a) if the filling process is interrupted, the liquid product is conveyed in the hot state in a circuit that encloses the flow path inside the machine.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a liquid product boiler (7) of the filling machine (1, 1 a), which communicates with the filler elements via connection lines (6), is used as liquid product source.
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a tank (15), which is provided in addition to the liquid product boiler, is used as liquid product well.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the liquid product is supplied to the liquid product source (7) from the liquid product well (15) via at least one heater (16).
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, to form the at least one flow path, the filler elements (4, 4a) are connected, preferably in the region of the discharge opening (8), with their liquid duct (5a) to a duct (20, 21) which communicates with the liquid product well (15).
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, to form the at least one flow path, the filler elements (4, 4a) are each closed at their discharge openings (8) by means of a closure element (17).
8. Method according to claim 7, characterised in that the filler elements (4, 4a) are connected via the closure elements (17) to the liquid product well or to the duct (21) that is connected to this well.
9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one flow path is a flow path inside the machine.
10. Rotary-type filling machine for the hot bottling of a liquid product in bottles, kegs or similar containers, said filling machine having a plurality of filler elements (4, 4a) provided on a rotor (3) that is driveable in rotation about a vertical machine axis (VA), each of which filler elements has at least one liquid duct (5, 5a), which communicates with a liquid product source (7) for the hot liquid product and terminates in a discharge opening (8), with at least one liquid valve (9, 25, 26) in the liquid ducts (5, 5a) for the controlled discharge of the liquid product to the respective container to be filled, characterised in that to avoid the cooling at least of the filler elements (4, 4a) and/or at least of the liquid product, means (17) are provided for closing the filler elements (4, 4a) and for forming a flow path inside the machine that encloses these filler elements or respectively their liquid ducts (5, 5a) for the hot liquid product between the liquid product source (7) and a liquid product well (15) that accommodates the liquid product, and wherein these means (17) include a duct (20), which enables a continuously uninterrupted traversing of the filler elements.
11. Filling machine according to claim 10, characterised in that the liquid product well is an additional tank, for example a storage tank (15).
12. Filling machine according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the liquid product source is a boiler (7), preferably provided on the rotor (3).
13. Filling machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the liquid product well (15) communicates with the source for the liquid product via at least one heater (16).
14. Filling machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means for closing the filer elements (4, 4a) are formed by a closure element (17), wherein each closure element (17) is associated with at least one filler element (4, 4a) such that all filler elements (4, 4a) can be closed at the same time.
15. Filing machine according to claim 14, characterised in that the respective closure element (17) is cap-shaped and communicates via at least one duct (20, 21) with the liquid product well (15) for the liquid product.
16. Filling machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the closure elements (17) are provided on the rotor (3) so as to be displaceable between a position closing the filler element (4, 4a) and a position not closing the filler element.
17. Filling machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the closure elements (17) are formed and/or are provided on a common annular carrier (13), which is pivotable about the axis of the rotor (3) relative to said rotor.
18. Filling machine according to claim 17, characterised in that a common duct (21), which communicates with the closure elements (17), is provided in the carrier (13).
19. Filling machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that holders or receiving means (14) are provided on the carrier (13) for the containers (2) and each receiving means (14) is offset from a closure element (17) by an angular amount.

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