EP1698586B1 - Filler - Google Patents
Filler Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1698586B1 EP1698586B1 EP20050004540 EP05004540A EP1698586B1 EP 1698586 B1 EP1698586 B1 EP 1698586B1 EP 20050004540 EP20050004540 EP 20050004540 EP 05004540 A EP05004540 A EP 05004540A EP 1698586 B1 EP1698586 B1 EP 1698586B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- filling
- vessel
- vessels
- conveying
- conveying rail
- 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.)
- Not-in-force
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- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 title claims description 33
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 42
- 238000005070 sampling Methods 0.000 claims description 26
- 230000003028 elevating effect Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 7
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000284 extract Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002035 prolonged effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005303 weighing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- 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
- B67C3/20—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus with provision for metering the liquids to be introduced, e.g. when adding syrups
- B67C3/202—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus with provision for metering the liquids to be introduced, e.g. when adding syrups by weighing
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a filler according to the preamble of claim 1.
- the filler is provided with a sampling mechanism.
- EP0311229 A2 discloses a combination of features falling within the scope of the preamble of claim 1.
- a filler is usually designed to open a liquid valve in a filled liquid passage formed within a filling valve to allow a liquid fed from a filled liquid tank to be filled into a vessel and to terminate a filling operation by closing the liquid valve upon detecting by metering means that a given quantity of filled liquid has been filled.
- a weight which is filled into the vessel is determined by a sampling test in order to confirm the accuracy of a filling operation for each filling valve.
- a filler which is provided with such a sampling mechanism is already known in the art (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-362502 ).
- a sampler disclosed in this citation is installed in a filler in which conveying means convey vessels one after another to a filling position where a filling mechanism comprising a plurality of filling nozzles fills the vessels, and includes a tare measuring means and an actual vessel measuring means disposed upstream and downstream of the filling mechanism for measuring the weight of the vessel before and after it is filled.
- the tare measuring means and the actual vessel measuring means are each constructed such that a vessel is extracted by a gripper as it is being conveyed by the conveying means, handed over to a weight meter which measure the weight thereof, and then returned to the conveying means.
- EP0311229A2 discloses a system for the automatic dispensation of dye solutions that is provided with a plurality of weighing means for converting weight changes of dye solution materials supplied to receiving containers into electric signals, a horizontal rotary conveyor, means for the determination of the positions of material supply corresponding to predetermined measurement values, control means for the quantities of material supply, and control means for repeating dispensing operation continuously for a plural number of times.
- a filler including: conveying means for intermittently conveying vessels placed on a conveying rail by moving while engaging the vessels; filling means, disposed on a path of conveying the vessels, for filling a liquid into the vessel; mensuration means for determining a quantity filled by the filling means, and control means for controlling an opening /closing of a liquid valve in the filling means, whereby a given quantity of liquid is filled into the vessel while the filled quantity is determined by the mensuration means, characterized in that the filler further comprises: elevating means for elevating the conveying rail; moving means for moving the conveying means between a position where it engages vessels placed on said conveying rail and another position where it does not engage vessels; a metering receptacle disposed in a manner corresponding to the position of the filling means to receive a vessel therein from the conveying rail when the conveying rail is lowered, the metering receptacle being positioned at an elevation where it does not contact a vessel on
- Embodiments of the present invention can provide a filler which is simple in construction and enables a sampling operation to be completed in a reduced length of time while avoiding the need to extract a vessel from the line on which vessels are conveyed and filled.
- such a filler comprises conveying means for intermittently conveying a vessel placed on a conveying rail by engaging therewith, filling means disposed along a path for conveyance of vessels for filling a liquid into the vessel, mensuration means for measuring the quantity filled by the filling means, and control means for controlling an opening /closing of a liquid valve in the filling means so that a given quantity of liquid can be filled into the vessel while measuring by the mensuration means.
- the disclosed filler also comprises elevating means for elevating the conveying rail, moving means for moving the conveying means between a position where it is engaged with a vessel and a position where it is not engaged with a vessel, a metering receptacle disposed in a manner corresponding to the position of the filling means for placing a vessel thereon when the conveying rail is lowered and being positioned to an elevation where it cannot contact a vessel when the conveying rail is raised, and weight detecting means connected to the metering receptacle, an arrangement being such that during a normal filling operation, the conveying rail is raised to perform a filling operation while a vessel is supported thereon while during a sampling operation, the conveying rail is lowered to place a vessel on the metering receptacle, whereupon the weight detecting means detects the weight of a liquid which is filled into the vessel by mensuration means.
- a vessel conveying line (generally indicated by numeral 1) which conveys a number of vessels 2 in one row comprises a conveying rail 4 (omitted from illustration in Fig. 2 ) which supports bottom surfaces of the vessels 2, a transfer rake 6 which engages vessels 2 placed on the conveying rail 4 for advancing them intermittently, and a back guide 8 which supports barrels of the vessels 2 from the back side as the vessels 2 are advanced by the transfer rake 6.
- the transfer rake 6 can reciprocate along the traveling direction of the vessels 2 (or movement in directions to the left and to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 ) and is also moveable back and forth toward the vessels 2 on the vessel conveying line 1 (or vessels 2 on the conveying rail 4) (movement in the vertical direction as viewed in Fig.
- the transfer rake 6 engages eight vessels 2 in one operation to cause them to slide on the conveying rail 4 for a distance which corresponds to eight vessels 2.
- the front surface of the transfer rake 6 is formed with a number of V-shaped recesses 6a which is equal to the number of the vessels 2 (which is eight in this embodiment) to allow its engagement with the individual vessels 2 in a reliable manner. While not shown, it is to be noted that a number of transfer rakes which are constructed in the similar manner as the one shown in fig. 2 are disposed consecutively and operate in an integral manner to advance all the vessels in one row through the distance mentioned above.
- a filling station F is provided intermediate the length of the vessel conveying line 1.
- a portion of the conveying rail 4 which is disposed in the filling station F is denoted by 4A, and is separated from an upstream and a downstream portion of the conveying rail 4, allowing only the portion 4A of the conveying rail 4 to be elevated.
- the upstream end and the downstream end of the elevatable conveying rail portion 4A are connected to piston rods 10a of elevating cylinders 10 which are disposed in vertical position, and the rail portion 4A assumes a raised position during a normal filling operation to support the vessels 2, but is lowered by actuating air cylinders 10 during a sampling operation which will be described later.
- Metering receptacles 12 are disposed below the elevatable conveying rail portion 4A which is provided at the filling station A in a manner corresponding to the filling position for each vessel 2.
- eight vessels 2 are conveyed and filled concurrently, and accordingly, eight metering receptacles 12 are provided so as to correspond each of the vessels 2 (see Fig. 3 ).
- each of the metering receptacles 12 is channel-shaped in section, and has an opening which faces upward, and the elevatable conveying rail portion 4A is fitted into the channel-shaped recess of the metering receptacle 12 while avoiding a contact with the internal surface thereof.
- Each metering receptacle 12 is connected through a load cell arm 14 to a load cell 16 located therebelow, allowing the weight of a vessel 2 which is placed on the metering receptacle 12 to be measured.
- the conveying rail portion 4A at the filling station F is elevatable, and when it is raised, the upper surface of the conveying rail portion 4A projects above the metering receptacle 12, as shown in Fig. 4 , whereby the vessel 2 is supported by the conveying rail portion 4A and is clear from the metering receptacle 12.
- the conveying rail portion 4A When the conveying rail portion 4A is lowered, the conveying rail portion is fitted into the channel-shaped recess of the metering receptacles 12 while avoiding a contact with the internal surface of the metering receptacle, whereby the vessel 2 is placed on the metering receptacle 12 as freed from the conveying rail portion 4A.
- a base 18 which supports the load cell 16 is disposed independently from a body 20 of the filler and thus is free from the influence of the body 20 of the filler.
- a portion 8A of the back guide 8 which supports the barrels of the vessels 2 being conveyed from the back side and which is disposed within the filling station F is separated from its upstream portion 8B and its downstream portion 8C. Both the upstream portion 8B and the downstream portion 8C are fixedly mounted, but the portion 8A which is disposed within the filling station F is connected to a piston 22a of an air cylinder 22 which is disposed horizontally so as to be translatable back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the conveying line 1 for the vessels 2. Centering means (centering guide) 24 is disposed on the opposite of the vessels 2 from the translatable back guide 8A.
- the centering guide 24 is also connected to a piston rod 26a of an air cylinder 26 so as to be translatable back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the vessel conveying line 1.
- the front surface of the centering guide 24 is formed with V-shaped recesses 24a in the similar manner as the transfer rake 6.
- Filling nozzles 28 are disposed above the filling station F in order to fill liquid into vessels 2 which stand still at the filling station F.
- eight vessels 2 are conveyed and concurrently filled, and accordingly, eight filling nozzles 28 are disposed in a manner corresponding to the stationary positions of the respective vessels 2.
- the eight filling nozzles 28 are supported by the body 20 of the filler so as to be elevated in an integral manner.
- a liquid to be filled which is stored within a reservoir tank 30 is fed through a supplying pipe 34 to each filling nozzle 28 through a manifold 32, and a liquid valve 36 is disposed in the supplying pipe 34 which feeds the filled liquid to each filling nozzle 28.
- a filling operation takes place by opening/closing the liquid valve 36 to open or close a liquid passage through the supply pipe 34.
- a timer-controlled filling operation is employed in this embodiment, and a filling of a given quantity takes place by controlling an opening/closing of the liquid valve 36 by means of a controller 38.
- Pressurizing means 40 is connected to the reservoir tank 30 to apply a given pressure to the interior of the reservoir tank 30.
- the pressure of a filled liquid which is fed from the reservoir tank 30 to the filling nozzle 28 is detected by a pressure sensor 42 disposed in the manifold 32, and a detection signal is input to the controller 38.
- the controller has a predetermined pressure-time function in storage, and calculates a filling time in accordance with a detection signal from the pressure sensor 42 and controls an opening/closing of the liquid valve 36 in accordance with a time interval which is counted by a timer.
- a timer-controlled filling operation in which a pressure is detected by the pressure sensor 42 disposed in the path of the filled liquid and the liquid valve 36 is controlled in accordance with a predetermined pressure-time function is equivalent to mensuration means as called for in the claims.
- the filling operation is not limited to time-controlled filling operation as used in this embodiment, but may also comprise a flow rate controlled filling operation in which a flow meter is used to control the liquid valve while determining flow rate of the filled liquid or may comprise a cylinder-piston controlled filling operation in which the filling operation takes place while determining a given quantity of filled liquid fed into a cylinder while moving a piston or any other filling operation may also be used.
- a flow meter for the flow rate controlled filling operation or a cylinder-piston combination for the cylinder-piston controlled filling operation is equivalent to mensuration means mentioned above.
- a number of vessels 2 which are placed in one row on the conveying rail 4 are held sandwiched between the transfer rake 6 and the back guide 8 as the transfer rake 6 advances from its retracted position (position spaced from the conveying rail 4) toward the back guide, and are carried forward through a distance corresponding to eight vessels 2 as the transfer rake 6 moves in a downstream direction (or to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 ).
- the vessels 2 which are successively conveyed by the transfer rake 6 are carried into the filling station F in unit of eight vessels.
- the movable back guide 8(8A) and the centering guide 24 are disposed opposite to each other in the filling station F.
- the movable back guide 8A has advanced to abut against the vessels 2 while the centering guide 24 which is oppositely located remains retracted at a position where it does not engage the vessels 2.
- the centering guide 24 is then advanced to hold the vessels 2 sandwiched between it and the back guide 8A (see Figs 1 and 4 ).
- the filler has eight filling nozzles 28 so as to correspond to eight vessels 2 which are carried into the filling station F, and when the vessels 2 come to a stop, the filling nozzles 28 are lowered until their tip ends are inserted into the respective vessels 2.
- the liquid valve 36 is opened to initiate a filling operation.
- a timer-controlled filling operation takes place in this embodiment.
- the controller 38 which controls an opening/closing of the liquid valve 36 has a predetermined pressure-time function in storage, and calculates a filling time in response to a signal from the pressure sensor 42 which is disposed within the manifold 32, thus controlling an opening/closing of the liquid valve 36.
- the liquid valve 36 is closed to terminate the filling operation.
- the air cylinder 26 is actuated to retract the centering guide, and the transfer rake is operated to displace the vessels 2 in a downward direction from the filling station F.
- the elevatable conveying rail portion 4A provided in the filling station F assumes its raised position which is at the same elevation as the upstream and the downstream portion of the conveying rail 4, thus supporting the bottom surfaces of the vessels 2. Accordingly, during a normal filling operation, the vessels 2 in the filling station F do not contact the metering receptacles 12, and hence, a metering operation by the load cell 16 does not take place.
- a sampling operation then takes place in order to confirm whether or not the quantity of liquid filled by a control of the opening /closing of liquid valve 36 by the controller 38 is correct.
- the sampling operation takes place at an interval of 15minutes or 30 minutes, for example, or at any desired interval required.
- the air cylinders 26 and 22 cause the centering guide 24 and back guide 8A to retract, thus clearing the vessels 2 from the guides 24 and 8A. It is preferred that the running speed be slowed down during the sampling operation than during the filling operation.
- the elevatable conveying rail portion 4A is then lowered to place the vessels 2 on the metering receptacles 12 (see Fig. 5 ).
- the tare of the vessel 2 is determined.
- the purpose of measuring the tare is not to detect the weight of the tare, but to reset the load cell 16 to zero in a stable manner.
- the liquid valve 36 is opened to initiate a filling operation while measuring the filled weight by the load cell 16.
- a timer controlled filling operation takes place, and after a given time interval has passed, the liquid valve 36 is closed and the filling operation is terminated.
- a result of a measurement by the load cell 16 is fed to the controller 38.
- a signal is transmitted to a rejector (not shown) which is disposed downstream.
- One of the vessels 2 for which the signal has been generated is rejected from the conveying line 1 when it reaches the rejector.
- the conveying rail portion is raised, and the back guide 8A is advanced, conveying the vessels 2 downstream.
- a sampling operation is enabled by merely lowering the conveying rail portion 4A temporarily to permit a mensuration by the load cell 16 for purpose of a filling operation, and accordingly, there is no need for the provision of additional mechanism to perform a sampling operation.
- the construction is simple, the cost is reduced and there is no need for providing a space for sampling purpose.
- the sampling operation can take place for a number of vessels equal to the number of the filling nozzles 28 simultaneously, in a similar manner as the normal filling operation takes place in the filling station F, allowing a length of time required for the sampling operation to be substantially reduced.
Landscapes
- Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
Description
- The present invention relates to a filler according to the preamble of claim 1. In some embodiments, the filler is provided with a sampling mechanism.
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EP0311229 A2 discloses a combination of features falling within the scope of the preamble of claim 1. A filler is usually designed to open a liquid valve in a filled liquid passage formed within a filling valve to allow a liquid fed from a filled liquid tank to be filled into a vessel and to terminate a filling operation by closing the liquid valve upon detecting by metering means that a given quantity of filled liquid has been filled. In such a filler, a weight which is filled into the vessel is determined by a sampling test in order to confirm the accuracy of a filling operation for each filling valve. A filler which is provided with such a sampling mechanism is already known in the art (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.2002-362502 - A sampler disclosed in this citation is installed in a filler in which conveying means convey vessels one after another to a filling position where a filling mechanism comprising a plurality of filling nozzles fills the vessels, and includes a tare measuring means and an actual vessel measuring means disposed upstream and downstream of the filling mechanism for measuring the weight of the vessel before and after it is filled. The tare measuring means and the actual vessel measuring means are each constructed such that a vessel is extracted by a gripper as it is being conveyed by the conveying means, handed over to a weight meter which measure the weight thereof, and then returned to the conveying means.
- In the arrangement of the sampler disclosed in the citation, there is a need for an apparatus which extracts a vessel from the production line on which vessels are conveyed and filled and returns it to the line after measuring the weight, with consequent problems that the apparatus becomes complex and bulky, requiring a large space for its provision and resulting in an increased cost. Another problem arises also that the sampling operation must extract and return a vessel from and to the line and thus takes a time. In particular, in an arrangement where a plurality of vessels are conveyed intermittently and are filled concurrently, the sampling operation must be repeated a number of times equal to the number of the nozzles, resulting in a prolonged length of time required for the sampling operations.
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EP0311229A2 discloses a system for the automatic dispensation of dye solutions that is provided with a plurality of weighing means for converting weight changes of dye solution materials supplied to receiving containers into electric signals, a horizontal rotary conveyor, means for the determination of the positions of material supply corresponding to predetermined measurement values, control means for the quantities of material supply, and control means for repeating dispensing operation continuously for a plural number of times. - According to the present invention, there is provided a filler including: conveying means for intermittently conveying vessels placed on a conveying rail by moving while engaging the vessels; filling means, disposed on a path of conveying the vessels, for filling a liquid into the vessel; mensuration means for determining a quantity filled by the filling means, and control means for controlling an opening /closing of a liquid valve in the filling means, whereby a given quantity of liquid is filled into the vessel while the filled quantity is determined by the mensuration means, characterized in that the filler further comprises: elevating means for elevating the conveying rail; moving means for moving the conveying means between a position where it engages vessels placed on said conveying rail and another position where it does not engage vessels; a metering receptacle disposed in a manner corresponding to the position of the filling means to receive a vessel therein from the conveying rail when the conveying rail is lowered, the metering receptacle being positioned at an elevation where it does not contact a vessel on the conveying rail when the conveying rail is raised; and weight detecting means connected to the metering receptacle, wherein the filler is configured so that, in use, the conveying rail is raised to support a vessel when a normal filling operation takes place, and the conveying rail is lowered to place a vessel on the metering receptacle when a sampling operation takes place, the mensuration means being effective to detect the weight of the liquid filled into the vessel by the filling means.
- Embodiments of the present invention can provide a filler which is simple in construction and enables a sampling operation to be completed in a reduced length of time while avoiding the need to extract a vessel from the line on which vessels are conveyed and filled.
- For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an overall arrangement of a filler according to one embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 2 is a plan view of an essential portion (conveying means and filling station) of the filler; -
Fig. 3 is a front view of an essential portion (filling station) of the filler; -
Fig. 4 is an illustration of a normal filling operation of the filler; and -
Fig. 5 is an illustration of a sampling operation of the filler. - The following description relates to fillers. In general, such a filler comprises conveying means for intermittently conveying a vessel placed on a conveying rail by engaging therewith, filling means disposed along a path for conveyance of vessels for filling a liquid into the vessel, mensuration means for measuring the quantity filled by the filling means, and control means for controlling an opening /closing of a liquid valve in the filling means so that a given quantity of liquid can be filled into the vessel while measuring by the mensuration means. The disclosed filler also comprises elevating means for elevating the conveying rail, moving means for moving the conveying means between a position where it is engaged with a vessel and a position where it is not engaged with a vessel, a metering receptacle disposed in a manner corresponding to the position of the filling means for placing a vessel thereon when the conveying rail is lowered and being positioned to an elevation where it cannot contact a vessel when the conveying rail is raised, and weight detecting means connected to the metering receptacle, an arrangement being such that during a normal filling operation, the conveying rail is raised to perform a filling operation while a vessel is supported thereon while during a sampling operation, the conveying rail is lowered to place a vessel on the metering receptacle, whereupon the weight detecting means detects the weight of a liquid which is filled into the vessel by mensuration means.
- With the above described arrangement, there is no need to measure a vessel by extracting it from the line on which vessels are conveyed on a filler, and there is no need to return the vessel to the line also, thus dispensing with an apparatus such as a gripper which performs these operations and simplifying the construction to allow a reduction in the cost required. In addition, there is no need to repeat a sampling operation a number of times equal to the number of nozzles, and vessels which are concurrently filled by a plurality of nozzles can be sampled in one operation, allowing a substantial reduction in the sampling time.
- A vessel conveying line (generally indicated by numeral 1) which conveys a number of
vessels 2 in one row comprises a conveying rail 4 (omitted from illustration inFig. 2 ) which supports bottom surfaces of thevessels 2, atransfer rake 6 which engagesvessels 2 placed on the conveyingrail 4 for advancing them intermittently, and aback guide 8 which supports barrels of thevessels 2 from the back side as thevessels 2 are advanced by thetransfer rake 6. Thetransfer rake 6 can reciprocate along the traveling direction of the vessels 2 (or movement in directions to the left and to the right as viewed inFig. 2 ) and is also moveable back and forth toward thevessels 2 on the vessel conveying line 1 (orvessels 2 on the conveying rail 4) (movement in the vertical direction as viewed inFig. 2 ). It moves toward the conveyingrail 4 from a position where it is retracted from the conveying line 1 to engage thevessels 2, and move downstream to convey the vessels 2 (see arrow A shown inFig. 2 ), and then retracts in a direction away from the conveying line 1 followed by returning to its upstream position again (see arrow B inFig. 2 ). By repeating such operation, it conveys thevessels 2 intermittently. In this embodiment, thetransfer rake 6 engages eightvessels 2 in one operation to cause them to slide on the conveyingrail 4 for a distance which corresponds to eightvessels 2. The front surface of thetransfer rake 6 is formed with a number of V-shaped recesses 6a which is equal to the number of the vessels 2 (which is eight in this embodiment) to allow its engagement with theindividual vessels 2 in a reliable manner. While not shown, it is to be noted that a number of transfer rakes which are constructed in the similar manner as the one shown infig. 2 are disposed consecutively and operate in an integral manner to advance all the vessels in one row through the distance mentioned above. - A filling station F is provided intermediate the length of the vessel conveying line 1. A portion of the conveying
rail 4 which is disposed in the filling station F is denoted by 4A, and is separated from an upstream and a downstream portion of the conveyingrail 4, allowing only theportion 4A of the conveyingrail 4 to be elevated. The upstream end and the downstream end of the elevatableconveying rail portion 4A are connected topiston rods 10a of elevatingcylinders 10 which are disposed in vertical position, and therail portion 4A assumes a raised position during a normal filling operation to support thevessels 2, but is lowered by actuatingair cylinders 10 during a sampling operation which will be described later. -
Metering receptacles 12 are disposed below the elevatableconveying rail portion 4A which is provided at the filling station A in a manner corresponding to the filling position for eachvessel 2. In this embodiment, eightvessels 2 are conveyed and filled concurrently, and accordingly, eightmetering receptacles 12 are provided so as to correspond each of the vessels 2 (seeFig. 3 ). As shown inFigs 4 and5 , each of themetering receptacles 12 is channel-shaped in section, and has an opening which faces upward, and the elevatableconveying rail portion 4A is fitted into the channel-shaped recess of themetering receptacle 12 while avoiding a contact with the internal surface thereof. - Each
metering receptacle 12 is connected through aload cell arm 14 to aload cell 16 located therebelow, allowing the weight of avessel 2 which is placed on themetering receptacle 12 to be measured. As mentioned previously, theconveying rail portion 4A at the filling station F is elevatable, and when it is raised, the upper surface of theconveying rail portion 4A projects above themetering receptacle 12, as shown inFig. 4 , whereby thevessel 2 is supported by theconveying rail portion 4A and is clear from themetering receptacle 12. When the conveyingrail portion 4A is lowered, the conveying rail portion is fitted into the channel-shaped recess of themetering receptacles 12 while avoiding a contact with the internal surface of the metering receptacle, whereby thevessel 2 is placed on themetering receptacle 12 as freed from the conveyingrail portion 4A. Abase 18 which supports theload cell 16 is disposed independently from abody 20 of the filler and thus is free from the influence of thebody 20 of the filler. - A
portion 8A of theback guide 8 which supports the barrels of thevessels 2 being conveyed from the back side and which is disposed within the filling station F is separated from its upstream portion 8B and its downstream portion 8C. Both the upstream portion 8B and the downstream portion 8C are fixedly mounted, but theportion 8A which is disposed within the filling station F is connected to a piston 22a of anair cylinder 22 which is disposed horizontally so as to be translatable back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the conveying line 1 for thevessels 2. Centering means (centering guide) 24 is disposed on the opposite of thevessels 2 from thetranslatable back guide 8A. Thecentering guide 24 is also connected to apiston rod 26a of an air cylinder 26 so as to be translatable back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the vessel conveying line 1. The front surface of thecentering guide 24 is formed with V-shaped recesses 24a in the similar manner as thetransfer rake 6. - Filling
nozzles 28 are disposed above the filling station F in order to fill liquid intovessels 2 which stand still at the filling station F. In this embodiment, eightvessels 2 are conveyed and concurrently filled, and accordingly, eightfilling nozzles 28 are disposed in a manner corresponding to the stationary positions of therespective vessels 2. The eightfilling nozzles 28 are supported by thebody 20 of the filler so as to be elevated in an integral manner. A liquid to be filled which is stored within areservoir tank 30 is fed through a supplyingpipe 34 to eachfilling nozzle 28 through amanifold 32, and aliquid valve 36 is disposed in the supplyingpipe 34 which feeds the filled liquid to eachfilling nozzle 28. A filling operation takes place by opening/closing theliquid valve 36 to open or close a liquid passage through thesupply pipe 34. - A timer-controlled filling operation is employed in this embodiment, and a filling of a given quantity takes place by controlling an opening/closing of the
liquid valve 36 by means of acontroller 38. Pressurizing means 40 is connected to thereservoir tank 30 to apply a given pressure to the interior of thereservoir tank 30. The pressure of a filled liquid which is fed from thereservoir tank 30 to thefilling nozzle 28 is detected by apressure sensor 42 disposed in themanifold 32, and a detection signal is input to thecontroller 38. The controller has a predetermined pressure-time function in storage, and calculates a filling time in accordance with a detection signal from thepressure sensor 42 and controls an opening/closing of theliquid valve 36 in accordance with a time interval which is counted by a timer. In this embodiment, a timer-controlled filling operation in which a pressure is detected by thepressure sensor 42 disposed in the path of the filled liquid and theliquid valve 36 is controlled in accordance with a predetermined pressure-time function is equivalent to mensuration means as called for in the claims. It should be noted that the filling operation is not limited to time-controlled filling operation as used in this embodiment, but may also comprise a flow rate controlled filling operation in which a flow meter is used to control the liquid valve while determining flow rate of the filled liquid or may comprise a cylinder-piston controlled filling operation in which the filling operation takes place while determining a given quantity of filled liquid fed into a cylinder while moving a piston or any other filling operation may also be used. A flow meter for the flow rate controlled filling operation or a cylinder-piston combination for the cylinder-piston controlled filling operation is equivalent to mensuration means mentioned above. - The operation of the filler constructed in the manner mentioned above will now be described. A number of
vessels 2 which are placed in one row on the conveyingrail 4 are held sandwiched between thetransfer rake 6 and theback guide 8 as thetransfer rake 6 advances from its retracted position (position spaced from the conveying rail 4) toward the back guide, and are carried forward through a distance corresponding to eightvessels 2 as thetransfer rake 6 moves in a downstream direction (or to the left as viewed inFig. 2 ). Thevessels 2 which are successively conveyed by thetransfer rake 6 are carried into the filling station F in unit of eight vessels. - The movable back guide 8(8A) and the
centering guide 24 are disposed opposite to each other in the filling station F. At a point in time when thevessels 2 are carried into the filling station F, themovable back guide 8A has advanced to abut against thevessels 2 while thecentering guide 24 which is oppositely located remains retracted at a position where it does not engage thevessels 2. However, when thevessels 2 are carried into the filling station F by the operation of thetransfer rake 6, thecentering guide 24 is then advanced to hold thevessels 2 sandwiched between it and theback guide 8A (seeFigs 1 and4 ). - The filler has eight
filling nozzles 28 so as to correspond to eightvessels 2 which are carried into the filling station F, and when thevessels 2 come to a stop, thefilling nozzles 28 are lowered until their tip ends are inserted into therespective vessels 2. After thefilling nozzles 28 have been inserted into thevessels 2, theliquid valve 36 is opened to initiate a filling operation. As mentioned previously, a timer-controlled filling operation takes place in this embodiment. Specifically, thecontroller 38 which controls an opening/closing of theliquid valve 36 has a predetermined pressure-time function in storage, and calculates a filling time in response to a signal from thepressure sensor 42 which is disposed within the manifold 32, thus controlling an opening/closing of theliquid valve 36. - When a filling operation takes place for a time interval which is controlled by the
controller 38, theliquid valve 36 is closed to terminate the filling operation. Upon termination of the filling operation, the air cylinder 26 is actuated to retract the centering guide, and the transfer rake is operated to displace thevessels 2 in a downward direction from the filling station F. During this normal operation, the elevatable conveyingrail portion 4A provided in the filling station F assumes its raised position which is at the same elevation as the upstream and the downstream portion of the conveyingrail 4, thus supporting the bottom surfaces of thevessels 2. Accordingly, during a normal filling operation, thevessels 2 in the filling station F do not contact themetering receptacles 12, and hence, a metering operation by theload cell 16 does not take place. - A sampling operation then takes place in order to confirm whether or not the quantity of liquid filled by a control of the opening /closing of
liquid valve 36 by thecontroller 38 is correct. The sampling operation takes place at an interval of 15minutes or 30 minutes, for example, or at any desired interval required. When a sampling signal is input, at the time thetransfer rake 6 has carried thevessels 2 into the filling station F, theair cylinders 26 and 22 cause the centeringguide 24 and back guide 8A to retract, thus clearing thevessels 2 from theguides - The elevatable conveying
rail portion 4A is then lowered to place thevessels 2 on the metering receptacles 12 (seeFig. 5 ). Initially, the tare of thevessel 2 is determined. The purpose of measuring the tare is not to detect the weight of the tare, but to reset theload cell 16 to zero in a stable manner. After theload cell 16 is reset to zero, theliquid valve 36 is opened to initiate a filling operation while measuring the filled weight by theload cell 16. In the present embodiment, a timer controlled filling operation takes place, and after a given time interval has passed, theliquid valve 36 is closed and the filling operation is terminated. A result of a measurement by theload cell 16 is fed to thecontroller 38. If the filled weight goes outside a given range, a signal is transmitted to a rejector (not shown) which is disposed downstream. One of thevessels 2 for which the signal has been generated is rejected from the conveying line 1 when it reaches the rejector. When the sampling is terminated, the conveying rail portion is raised, and theback guide 8A is advanced, conveying thevessels 2 downstream. - As mentioned above, in the filler according to the embodiment, a sampling operation is enabled by merely lowering the conveying
rail portion 4A temporarily to permit a mensuration by theload cell 16 for purpose of a filling operation, and accordingly, there is no need for the provision of additional mechanism to perform a sampling operation. The construction is simple, the cost is reduced and there is no need for providing a space for sampling purpose. The sampling operation can take place for a number of vessels equal to the number of the fillingnozzles 28 simultaneously, in a similar manner as the normal filling operation takes place in the filling station F, allowing a length of time required for the sampling operation to be substantially reduced.
Claims (5)
- A filler including:conveying means (6) for intermittently conveying vessels (2) placed on a conveying rail (4) by moving while engaging the vessels (2);filling means (28), disposed on a path of conveying the vessels, for filling a liquid into the vessel (2) ;mensuration means for determining a quantity filled by the filling means (28); andcontrol means (38) for controlling an opening/closing of a liquid valve (36) in the filling means (28), whereby a given quantity of liquid is filled into the vessel (2) while the filled quantity is determined by the mensuration means, characterized in that the filler further comprises:elevating means (10, 10a) for elevating the conveying rail (4) ;moving means for moving the conveying means(6) between a position where it engages vessels (2) placed on said conveying rail (4) and another position where it does not engage vessels (2);a metering receptacle (12) disposed in a manner corresponding to the position of the filling means (28) to receive a vessel (2) therein from the conveying rail (4) when the conveying rail (4) is lowered, the metering receptacle being positioned at an elevation where it does not contact a vessel (2) on the conveying rail when the conveying rail (4) is raised; andweight detecting means (16) connected to the metering receptacle (12), whereinthe filler is configured so that, in use, the conveying rail (4) is raised to support a vessel (2) when a normal filling operation takes place, and the conveying rail (4) is lowered to place a vessel (2) on the metering receptacle (12) when a sampling operation takes place, the mensuration means being effective to detect the weight of the liquid filled into the vessel (2) by the filling means (28).
- The filler according to Claim 1 characterized in that a guide (8) for supporting the barrels of vessels (2) which are conveyed by the conveying means (6) is provided.
- The filler according to Claim 2 in which the guide (8) includes a portion (8A) which is disposed where a filling operation may take place by the filling means (28) and which is translatable, the portion (8A) of the guide (8) being retracted away from the vessel (2) during a sampling operation.
- The filler according to Claim 3 characterized in that a centering means (24) is disposed opposite to the translatable portion (8A) of the guide (8), the centering means (24) being advanced to hold a vessel (2) sandwiched between it and the translatable portion (8A) of the guide (8) during a filling operation, and being retracted away from the vessel (2) during a sampling operation.
- The filler according to any preceding Claim characterized in that the mensuration means comprises a pressure sensor (42) for detecting a pressure of the filled liquid, and a timer for counting a filling time interval, an opening/closing of the liquid valve (36) being controlled in accordance with a pressure-time function which is previously stored in a controller (38).
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20050004540 EP1698586B1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2005-03-02 | Filler |
DE200560006963 DE602005006963D1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2005-03-02 | filling Machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20050004540 EP1698586B1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2005-03-02 | Filler |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP1698586A1 EP1698586A1 (en) | 2006-09-06 |
EP1698586B1 true EP1698586B1 (en) | 2008-05-21 |
Family
ID=34934016
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20050004540 Not-in-force EP1698586B1 (en) | 2005-03-02 | 2005-03-02 | Filler |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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EP (1) | EP1698586B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602005006963D1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102009032795A1 (en) | 2009-07-10 | 2011-01-13 | Krones Ag | Filling device for filling containers |
DE102012112744A1 (en) * | 2012-12-20 | 2014-06-26 | Gerhard Schubert Gmbh | Method and device for weighing containers on a transport device |
DE102014104375A1 (en) | 2014-03-28 | 2015-10-01 | Krones Ag | Method for controlling a filled container and filled container control system |
CN105584976A (en) * | 2015-12-15 | 2016-05-18 | 诺斯贝尔化妆品股份有限公司 | Filling equipment for oil suspension products |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE3432305A1 (en) * | 1984-09-03 | 1986-03-13 | Paul Troester Maschinenfabrik, 3000 Hannover | Apparatus for weighing material-web portions consisting of mixtures of rubber and/or of plastic |
JPH0197265A (en) * | 1987-10-05 | 1989-04-14 | Japan Exlan Co Ltd | Dyeing liquid automatic preparing apparatus |
US5806287A (en) * | 1997-04-21 | 1998-09-15 | Dimension Automation, Inc. | On-the-go check weigh system |
IT1321270B1 (en) * | 2000-05-19 | 2004-01-08 | Ima Spa | DOSING UNIT. |
-
2005
- 2005-03-02 DE DE200560006963 patent/DE602005006963D1/en active Active
- 2005-03-02 EP EP20050004540 patent/EP1698586B1/en not_active Not-in-force
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Publication number | Publication date |
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EP1698586A1 (en) | 2006-09-06 |
DE602005006963D1 (en) | 2008-07-03 |
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