EP1571119B1 - Filling head and filling machine with such filling heads - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling element according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a filling machine according to the preamble of claim 10 and as known from the EP 0 262 483 A1 ,

Known are so-called free-jet filling systems or filling machines, which have advantages from a hygienic and microbiological point of view and in which there is no contact between the respective container or its container mouth and the filling element, d. H. the container to be filled with the liquid filling material, while being arranged with its container mouth, is arranged under the discharge opening of the respective filling element, but with its container mouth it is spaced from the filling element.

The control of the filling material can be done in such systems, for example via a volume measurement or a weighing system, so that then the respective container can then be positioned below the discharge opening of the filling element on a container carrier without lifting movement. For the volume measurement suitable systems, but also weighing systems are however complicated and expensive.
If the filling level in such free-jet filling systems is to be controlled with inexpensive electrical probes with probe contacts, it is necessary that the respective probe extends into the container interior through the mouth of the container during the filling process. In order to make this possible, previously lifting elements for the container carrier for raising and lowering the container are required.

The object of the invention is to show a filling element with which a probe-controlled free jet filling is possible, with a simple structural design of the filling machine and / or the filling system and in particular without the need for a lifting movement or lifting and lowering of the container.

To solve this problem, a filling element according to the patent claim 1 is formed. A filling machine of peripheral design is the subject of claim 10.

In the invention, the control of the filling height on the height-movable probe, which is located before the filling in a raised starting position such that the respective container to be filled can be positioned with its container mouth below the discharge opening of the filling element, without a lifting movement of the container carrier required is. The container carrier may be designed, in particular in the case of plastic bottles (PET bottles), such that the bottles are provided with a flange or ring projecting below the bottle mouth and projecting over the circumference of the bottle neck, e.g. the so-called neck ring are kept hanging.

Only at the beginning of the filling process, i. when opening the liquid valve, the probe is moved from the starting position to the measuring position and thereby introduced through the container mouth into the container. If at the end of the filling process the at least one probe contact of the probe comes into contact with the product level rising in the container, the probe causes a (probe) signal to an electronic control unit, with which then, for example, a time-delayed closing of the liquid valve is caused.

To move the probe, an actuating element is provided, which is activated when opening the liquid valve. The actuating element is preferably a pneumatic cylinder, which is then controlled via a common control valve with a pneumatic actuator or pneumatic cylinder, which causes the opening of the liquid valve.

Further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures, which each represent a simplified representation of a filling element 1 according to the invention in different operating states.

The filling element 1 is used for filling a liquid filling material in containers in the form of bottles 2, cans or the like containers, in such a way that the filling takes place without contact, ie the respective bottle 2 during filling below the filling element and spaced therefrom is, in the illustrated embodiment, characterized in that the respective bottle 2 is held with a flange 2.2 provided below its bottle mouth 2.1 hanging on a filling element 1 associated bottle carrier 3 such that the bottle mouth 2.1 is spaced in the vertical direction from the filling element.

The filling element 1 is provided with a plurality of similar filling elements on the circumference of a rotating around a vertical machine axis rotor of a filling machine not shown or on the circumference of a ring vessel 4, which is part of the rotor and has a boiler interior 5 for receiving the liquid filling material. On the rotor and the bottle carrier 3 are provided.

The interior 5 of a ring or central boiler which is level-controlled, d. H. is filled to a predetermined level N with the liquid contents, is in communication with the upper end of a formed in a housing 6 of the filling element 1 liquid channel 7. The lower end of the liquid channel 7 forms on the underside of the filling element 1 or on a local housing section 6.1 a discharge opening 8, via which the liquid product flows when filling the respective bottle 2. Between the upper end of the liquid channel 7 and the discharge opening 8 there is provided a liquid valve 9, which is formed from the valve body 10 and from a valve surface of the liquid channel 7 cooperating with the valve body 10 or with a valve body seal.

In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid valve 9 and its valve body is biased by a closing spring 12 in the closed position. By cooperating with the valve body 10 pneumatic actuator, the valve body 10 can be moved to open the liquid valve 9 from the closed starting position in the vertical direction or in the direction of a Füllelementachse FA down, in the illustrated embodiment in two different open positions in the manner in that, in a first open position of the valve body 10, the liquid valve has a reduced flow cross-section for slowly filling at the beginning of the respective filling operation or for slowing down brake filling at the end of the respective filling operation and in a second open position, which in the FIG. 2 is shown, an enlarged cross-section for a fast filling.

The pneumatic actuator consists for this purpose of two operatively arranged in series pneumatic cylinders 13 and 14, of which the activated cylinder 13, the valve body 10 in the first open position (with reduced flow cross section) and in addition to the cylinder 13 activated cylinder 14 the Valve body 10 moves in the second open position, in each case against the restoring force of the closing spring 12th

The two pneumatic cylinders 13 and 14 are actuated by electrically actuatable control valves 15 and 16, which are provided separately for each filling element 1 of the filling machine and of which the control valve 15 are associated with the pneumatic cylinder 13 and the control valve 16 in the pneumatic cylinder 14 ,

In order to achieve a filling level controlled filling of the respective bottle 2 despite the non-contact filling system, a probe 17 is further provided axially displaceable in the housing 6 of the filling element 1. The probe 17, which is arranged with its axis mainly parallel to the vertical axis FA but radially offset with respect to this axis, forms at its lower end a probe tip 18 with at least one exposed electrical contact, which causes the probe signal when immersed in the mirror of the liquid filling material.

Via a tension spring, which acts on the probe tip 18 facing away from the upper end of the probe 17, the latter is biased in a raised starting position in which the probe tip 18 is at a level above the level of the discharge opening 8. The tension spring 19 serves in the illustrated embodiment at the same time as a connection or electrical connection between a sensor contact associated with a conductor of the probe 17 and an outer probe connection line 20. If a further probe contact is provided, this is via another conductor, for example. with the existing of an electrically conductive material housing 6 and thus connected to the ground terminal of the electronics.

The probe 17 is formed on a partial length as a piston rod 21 which protrudes at both ends via a piston 22 and at both ends axially in a formed in the housing 6 cylinder 23 with cylinder space 24, d. H. is slidably provided in the direction of the filling element axis FA. In the piston chamber 22 receiving cylinder space 24, a subspace is formed above the piston 22, which is connected to the output of the control valve 15, with which the upper pneumatic cylinder 13 is controlled.

To fill the respective bottle 2, it is moved at a bottle inlet of the filling machine under the respective filling element 1, so that the bottle 2 is then suspended on the bottle carrier 3, with the bottle mouth 2.1 at a distance from the filling element 1 ( FIG. 1 and 2 ). The control valves 15 and 16 are in their closed position.

In the further rotational movement of the rotor is then controlled by the control electronics, not shown, the opening of the control valve 15, whereby on the one hand the pneumatic cylinder 13 is activated and thereby the liquid valve 9 is moved for a slow stuffing in the first open position and at the same time the cylinder chamber 24 of the Cylinder 23 is pressurized above the piston 22 with compressed air, so that the probe 17 is moved from its initial position against the action of the tension spring 19 down to the measuring position in which the probe 17 with its probe tip 18 through the bottle mouth 2.1 into the interior of the bottle 2 extends. The liquid product flows as a downwardly directed free jet 25 into the bottle 2. The case thereby displaced by the filling air leaves the bottle 2 at the bottle mouth 2.1 between the edge of this mouth and the Füllgutstrahl 25th

For the subsequent fast filling the control valve 16 is additionally opened, so that the liquid valve 9 is moved by the now also activated pneumatic cylinder 14 in the second open position for fast filling. Time-controlled then takes place at the end of fast filling a closing of the control valve 16 and thus deactivating the pneumatic cylinder 14 to initiate a brake filling before the level of contents in the bottle 2 reaches the probe tip 18. Since the control valve 15 is still open, the probe 17 is still in its measuring position. As soon as the level of the liquid filling material has reached the probe tip 18, closing of the control valve 15 is promptly or with a time delay caused by the probe signal thus generated, whereby the liquid valve 19 closes and by eliminating the pressure in the upper part of the cylinder chamber 24 and the probe 17 through the force of the tension spring 19 is moved back to its original position.

A special feature of the filling element 1 is therefore that for Füllhöhe measurement an axially movable probe 17 is provided, which is moved only for the actual filling from a starting position above the discharge opening 8 in the respective bottle 2, and that the movement of the probe 17 via the Control valve 15 is controlled, which also serves to control the liquid valve 9, so that the movement of the probe 17 from the starting position to the measuring position and back from this inevitably with the opening and closing of the Liquid valve 9 takes place and for the control of the probe 17, no additional functional elements are necessary.
For a further, very meaningful embodiment variant of the present invention, it is provided to cause the up and down movements of the probe 17 by a curved path and a, arranged on the probe 17 control roller which is in operative connection with the curved path effect.

For a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the up and down movements of the probe 17 in the direction of or parallel to the vertical axis of the filling element. In the context of further design variants, it is provided that the up and down movements do not take place in the direction or parallel to the vertical axis of the filling element but at any angle to this axis.

It goes without saying that the realization of further, not explicitly shown at this point variants for movement and / or configuration of the probe (17), the filling element and / or the filling machine do not lead to the scope of the present invention is abandoned ,

As the figures further show, the filling element 1 on the underside of a Füllelementachse FA concentrically enclosing wall 26 on. This forms an annular, open at the bottom of the filling element space 27, which surrounds the discharge opening 8 having tubular portion 6.1 of the filling element 1 and in which the probe 17 with a lower, merging into the probe tip 18 angled portion 17.1 taken the starting position is. The space 27 communicates via a connection 28 with a common for all filling elements 1 of the filling machine, the vertical filling machine axis concentrically enclosing annular space 29 in connection, which is located below the annular bowl 4 in the illustrated embodiment. By a lid 30, the space 27 is closed for a CIP cleaning, in which the liquid cleaning medium used with open liquid valve 9, for example via the interior 5 of the annular bowl 4 in the closed space through the lid 13 27 and from there into the annular space 29 flows from which the cleaning medium is then removed via a corresponding line. In this CIP cleaning only the control valve 16 is opened and thus only the pneumatic cylinder 14 is activated, so that the probe 17 remains in its initial position and in this CIP cleaning including the lower, the probe tip 18 having and recorded in the closed space 27 part of the probe 17 is cleaned.

The invention has been described above by means of an embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the spirit of the invention. It is thus possible, for example, to adjust the probe 17 in an adjustable manner and / or to move it to different, defined heights in order to adjust the filling level in the case of different bottles or containers.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

filler

2

bottle

2.1

bottle mouth

2.2

Flange below the bottle mouth

3

bottle carrier

4

ring bowl

5

Ring bowl interior

6

Housing of the filling element

7

liquid channel

8th

discharge opening

9

liquid valve

10

valve body

11

valve surface

12

closing spring

13, 14

Pneumatic cylinder

15, 16

control valve

17

probe

17.1

lower, angled probe section

18

probe tip

19

Return or tension spring

20

outer probe connection cable

21

piston rod

22

piston

23

Auxiliary cylinder for actuating the probe 17

24

cylinder space

25

Füllgutstrahl with opened liquid valve. 9

26

wall

27

annulus

28

connection

29

annular chamber

30

Lid for CIP cleaning

FA

filling element

Claims (13)

1. Filler element for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid product, the said element including a liquid duct (7), which is provided in a housing (6) of the filler element and opens out in a discharge opening (8) for the product, a liquid valve (9) in the liquid duct (7), the said liquid valve being controllable by at least one actuating element (13, 14), as well as a probe (17) that determines the level of the product , characterised in that with the filler element (1) designed for a contact-less filling procedure where the container mouth (2.1) of the container (2) is disposed at a spacing from the filler element (1) underneath the discharge opening (8), the probe (17) is moveable by means of a probe actuating element (23) between an initial position, in which the probe (17) is situated outside the container (2), and a measuring position, in which the probe (17) extends into the container (2) through the container opening (2.1).
2. Filler element according to claim 1, characterised in that the probe is an electrical probe (17), which includes at least one probe contact at one end (18) of the probe.
3. Filler element according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by resilient means (19), which pre-bias the probe (17) into its initial position.
4. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one actuating element (13, 14) for the liquid valve (9) and/or the probe actuating element (23) are pneumatic actuating elements, for example pneumatic cylinders.
5. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one actuating element (13, 14) for the liquid valve (9) and the probe actuating element (23) are actuated at the same time to open the liquid valve (9) or respectively to move the probe (17) out of the initial position into the measuring position.
6. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one actuating element of the liquid valve (9) and the probe actuating element (23) are actuated by means of a common control valve (15).
7. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the liquid valve (9) is pre-biased into a closed state by means of a closing spring (12) and is opened in opposition to the effect of the closing spring (12) by means of the at least one actuating element (13, 14).
8. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the actuating element for the liquid valve (9) is formed by two pneumatic actuating elements or cylinders (13, 14) that are disposed and/or operate in series, one (13) of the said pneumatic actuating elements or cylinders effects an opening of the liquid valve (9) with a reduced cross-section flow, and in that a common control valve (15) is provided for this one actuating element (13) and the probe actuating element (23).
9. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that on the underside of the filler element a space that is closable by a cover (30) is formed for a CIP cleaning process, in which space the part (17.1) of the probe (17) that forms the probe tip (18) is accommodated.
10. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the probe (17) is moved by means of a cam and a jockey roller or control roller, which is in operative connection with the cam.
11. Filler element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the probe (17) can be moved into a plurality of established measuring positions, wherein the said measuring positions differ from one another at least in terms of height.
12. Filling machine of the rotary type for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid product, including a plurality of filler elements (1), which are provided on a rotor that rotates about a vertical machine axis, characterised in that the fill elements (1) are designed in accordance with one of preceding claims 1-9.
13. Filling machine according to claim 12, characterised by an individual container carrier (3) that is associated with each filler element (10), on which container carrier the respective container (2) to be filled is held by its container mouth (2.1) at a spacing from the filler element (1) underneath the discharge opening (8).

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