EP1810946A1

EP1810946A1 - Bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages

Info

Publication number: EP1810946A1
Application number: EP07100363A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Zoppas
Original assignee: Acqua Minerale San Benedetto SpA
Current assignee: Acqua Minerale San Benedetto SpA
Priority date: 2006-01-18
Filing date: 2007-01-11
Publication date: 2007-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2027-01-11
Also published as: ITPD20060015A1; ATE440069T1; DE602007001984D1; EP1810946B1; ES2332610T3

Abstract

A bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages, comprising a filling duct (21) constituted, from the top downward, by an upper body (11), in which there is a chamber (12) which is open downward and is connected to a liquid supply system, and by a sleeve (15) to be inserted in a bottle (B) to be filled. The sleeve (15) has, at its upper and lower ends, respectively an opening (16) for connection to the chamber (12) and a port (17) for discharge into the bottle. The chamber (12) and the sleeve (15) are mutually connected by means of a connecting member. A tubular stem (24) is provided inside the filling duct (21) and is fixed in an upper region to the upper body (11) by means of a pin (26); the tubular stem (24) has, at its lower end, a flow control body (28) for the discharge port (17) of the sleeve (15). A vent hole (29) is provided in the flow control body (28) and is connected to the inside of the tubular stem (24), which in turn is connected to an external system for venting and/or recovering liquid. The sleeve (15) comprises means (34) suitable to allow it to perform a relative translational motion with respect to the tubular stem (24). Means for the return to the closure position of the discharge port (17) on the flow control body (28) are associated with the means for translational motion (34).

Description

The present invention relates to a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages, and in general for so-called still beverages.
As is known, bottling systems for beverages intended for mass consumption must perform bottling at extremely variable rates and must have a high productivity (typically expressed as filled bottles per hour) in order to be able to achieve the necessary economies of scale.
These systems are further required to have a certain production flexibility in order to be able to bottle beverages having different flavors and bottle bottles having different volumes.
Moreover, the particular and delicate environment in which bottling is performed, which must be substantially aseptic in order to avoid the proliferation of germs and bacteria inside the bottles once they have been bottled, forces bottling systems to perform frequent sterilizing and sanitizing cycles.
The bottle filling step is performed by means of a certain number of filling valves; these valves are generally the parts of the system that have a decisive role in the filling rate.
In filling valves, it is important that germs and bacteria cannot enter the filling duct, which generally ends with a sleeve which is inserted in the bottle.
In known valves, in particular in the case of valves of the mechanical type, this often does not occur, since coaxial parts which compose the filling duct can move with respect to each other in order to allow the opening of a flow control element which closes said duct.
The interface between such mutually moving parts is a preferential path for the entry of germs into the duct, in particular because the interface has a portion which is exposed to the outside environment; during the relative movement of the parts, said portion is carried inside the structure of the valve, facilitating the advancement of the germs toward the duct.
Further, the structures of known valves are complicated and therefore have substantial costs for their production and maintenance difficulties, and this is particularly critical in view of the continuous bottling cycles.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems noted in known types of bottle filling valve.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages, which allows to maintain a high level of asepsis during operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages which allows a high filling rate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages which is structurally simple.
This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages, characterized in that it comprises a filling duct, which is substantially straight and is constituted, from the top downward, by an upper body, in which there is a chamber which is open downward and is connected to a liquid supply system, and by a sleeve to be inserted in a bottle to be filled, said sleeve having, at its upper and lower ends, respectively an opening for connection to said chamber and a port for discharge into the bottle, said chamber and said sleeve being mutually connected by means of a connecting member formed by an annular elastic and impermeable membrane, which is fixed by means of its outer circumference to the lower rim of said chamber and by means of its inner circumference to the upper rim of said sleeve, a tubular stem being provided inside said filling duct and being fixed in an upper region on the top of said chamber and having, at its lower end, a flow control body for said discharge port of said sleeve, a vent hole being provided in said flow control body and being connected to the inside of said tubular stem, which in turn is connected to an external system for venting and/or recovering liquid, said sleeve comprising means suitable to allow it to perform a relative translational motion with respect to said tubular stem from a position in which the discharge port is closed onto said flow control body to a position in which said port is raised from said flow control body when said sleeve is inserted in the bottle to be filled, means for the return to the closure position of said discharge port on said flow control body being associated with said means for translational motion.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view, taken along its main axis, of a bottle filling valve according to the invention during closure;
Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken along a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1, of a detail of the filling valve during opening-discharge.

It is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
With reference to the figures, a bottle filling valve according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The valve 10 comprises an upper body 11, in which there is a chamber 12 which is open downward, and a lower tubular body 13, which is fixed to the upper body 11 at the lower rim of the chamber 12.
The chamber 12 is connected to a liquid supply system (not shown in the figures) by means of an access hole 14.
Below the chamber 12, in a position which is partially internal and coaxial with respect to the lower body 13, there is a sleeve 15 to be inserted in the bottle to be filled (which is shown schematically and partially in Figure 2 and designated by the reference letter B).
The sleeve 15 has, at its upper and lower ends, respectively an opening 16 for connection to the chamber 12 and a port 17 for discharge into the bottle.
The chamber 12 and the sleeve 15 are mutually connected by means of a connecting member which is formed by an annular membrane 18 made of plastic material, which is elastic and impermeable and is fixed by its outer perimetric portion 19 to the lower rim of the chamber 12 and by its inner perimetric portion 20 to the upper rim of the sleeve 15.
The chamber 12, the wall of the annular membrane 18 and the sleeve 15 form the bottle filling duct 21.
In particular, the outer perimetric portion 19 of the annular membrane 18 is locked in a sandwich-like fashion between the lower rim of the chamber 12 and an annular ridge 22 which is formed on the upper part of the lower body 13.
The upper body 11 has a part 23 for fixing to the structure for supporting and moving the valve 10, which is not shown in the figures.
A tubular stem 24 is provided inside the filling duct 21, is fixed in an upper region on the top of the chamber 12, and is coaxial to the sleeve 15.
The tubular stem 24 is locked by inserting the head 24a of the stem 24 in a seat 25 which is formed in the upper body 11 and the corresponding reversible locking in the seat of the head 24a for its coupling with a fork-like pin 26, which is removable and can be arranged outside the upper body 11.
The tubular stem 24 has, at its lower end, a flow control body 28 for the discharge port 17 of the sleeve 15.
A vent hole 29 leads out laterally on the flow control body 28 and is connected to the inside 30 of the tubular stem 24, which in turn is connected to an external system for venting and/or recovering liquid, not shown in the figures.
In particular, the interior 30 of the tubular stem 24 ends on a transverse hole 31 formed in the head 24a of said stem, which in turn is open onto an annular slot 32 which is formed in the seat 25 and is isolated upward and downward by gaskets.
A connecting duct 33 is open on the annular slot 32 and connects it to said external system for venting and/or recovering liquid.
The sleeve 15 comprises means 34 which are suitable to allow it to perform a relative translational motion with respect to the tubular stem 24 from a position in which the discharge port 17 is closed onto the flow control body 28 (Figure 1) to a position in which the port 17 is raised from the flow control body 28 (Figure 2) when the sleeve is inserted into the bottle to be filled.
The means 34, termed hereinafter "translational means 34", consist of the cylindrical guide constituted by the internal surface of the lower body 13, which is substantially tubular, and of an abutment ring 35, which is fixed coaxially to the portion of the sleeve 15 that protrudes from the lower body 13 (the operation of which will be explained hereinafter).
The abutment ring 35 is provided internally with an annular gasket 36 against which the rim of the mouth of the bottle abuts.
Means for returning the discharge port 17 to the closure position on the flow control body 28 are associated with the translational means 34 and are constituted by a spring 37, which is arranged coaxially to the lower body 13 and to the sleeve 15 between a first annular abutment 38, formed on the lower body 13, and a second annular abutment 39, associated with the sleeve 15.
In particular, the second annular abutment 39 is constituted by an annular body 39a, which is arranged in abutment against two half-rings 39b which are inserted in corresponding annular slots formed on the outer surface of the sleeve 15.
The maximum relative translational motion between the sleeve 15 and the tubular stem 14 is equal to the distance between the lower body 13 and the annular abutment 39.
The flow control body 28 has, for a portion of its rotation about the axis of the tubular stem 24, a portion 40 for blending with said tubular stem which tapers upward so as to form a chute for conveyance toward the wall of the bottle for the liquid that exits from the filling duct 21.
A rib 42 is provided on the angular blending portion between the flow control body 28 and the tubular stem 24 which is not tapered and has a radial extension equal to the distance between the lateral surface of the tubular stem 24 and the internal surface of the sleeve 15 (as clearly shown in Figure 2, in which the flow control body is shown in cross-section with respect to a plane which is perpendicular to the sectional plane of Figure 1).
The vent hole 29 is provided on the face of the rib 42 which is directed toward the sleeve 15.
The rib 42, conveniently blended with the tubular stem 24, prevents the liquid being discharged from blocking the vent hole 29.
The flow control body 28 has an annular shoulder 43, which is formed below the blending portion 40 and against which the discharge port 17 of the sleeve 15 abuts for closure; a gasket 44, for example of the O-Ring type, is provided at the annular shoulder 43.
Advantageously, guiding wings 45 protrude from mutually opposite portions of the outer lateral surface of the tubular stem 24 and have a radial dimension which is substantially equal to the distance between said outer lateral surface of the tubular stem 24 and the inner surface of the sleeve 15.
The operation of the valve is as follows.
The upper body 11 is fixed to a supporting and movement structure, while the sleeve 15 abuts against the discharge port 17 on the flow control body 28 (which is rigidly coupled to the upper body 11) by way of the thrust of the spring 37; the sleeve 15 is connected to the upper body 11 by the annular membrane 18.
A bottle B is moved below the valve 10; said valve is lowered, moving the sleeve 15 into the mouth of the bottle and arranging the abutment ring 35 on the rim of said mouth of the bottle.
The descent of the valve continues for a certain extent, so that the rim of the mouth of a bottle pushes against the abutment ring 35 by way of the contact with the gasket 36, with the consequence of producing the upward translational motion of the sleeve 15 with respect to the lower body 13 and therefore with respect to the upper body 11 with the tubular stem 24; accordingly, said sleeve rises from the flow control body 28, thus opening the discharge port, with the consequent descent of liquid.
Opening occurs by virtue of the very weight of the valve 11 which, being supported by the bottle B, overcomes the force of the spring 37.
The descent of the liquid continues until it reaches the vent hole 29.
At this point, dispensing is interrupted and the excess product flows out, through the vent hole 29, from the liquid venting and/or recovery system, thus determining the level inside the bottle.
Once filling has ended, the valve 10 is raised and the sleeve 15, by virtue of its own weight and of the return spring, returns to the closure condition on the flow control body.
In practice it has been found that the invention thus described solves the problems noted in known types of filling valve; in particular, the present invention provides a bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages which allows to avoid entraining gems and bacteria into the filling duct.
By way of the annular membrane which connects the chamber to the sleeve, a relative movement of the two parts of the duct is obtained without however forming any interface which might constitute a preferential path for the penetration of germs into the duct.
The structure of the valve is further extremely simple, facilitating its production and maintenance.
The shape of the flow control body and the size of the interior 30 of the tubular stem 24 further allow to optimize the flow of liquid that enters the bottle, with a considerable increase in the filling rate with respect to known valves.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2006A000015 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A bottle filling valve to be used in aseptic industrial bottling systems for juices, beverages and in general for so-called still beverages, characterized in that it comprises a filling duct (21), which is substantially straight and is constituted, from the top downward, by an upper body (11), in which there is a chamber (12) which is open downward and is connected to a liquid supply system, and by a sleeve (15) to be inserted in a bottle (B) to be filled, said sleeve (15) having, at its upper and lower ends, respectively an opening (16) for connection to said chamber (12) and a port (17) for discharge into the bottle, said chamber (12) and said sleeve (15) being mutually connected by means of a connecting member formed by an annular elastic and impermeable membrane (18), which is fixed by means of its outer perimetric portion (19) to the lower rim of said chamber (12) and by means of its inner perimetric portion (20) to the upper rim of said sleeve (15), a tubular stem (24) being provided inside said filling duct (21) and being fixed in an upper region on the top of said chamber (12) and having, at its lower end, a flow control body (28) for said discharge port (17) of said sleeve (15), a vent hole (29) being provided in said flow control body (28) and being connected to the inside of said tubular stem (24), which in turn is connected to an external system for venting and/or recovering liquid, said sleeve (15) comprising means (34) suitable to allow it to perform a relative translational motion with respect to said tubular stem (24) from a position in which the discharge port (17) is closed onto said flow control body (28) to a position in which said discharge port (17) is raised from said flow control body (28) when said sleeve (15) is inserted in the bottle to be filled, means for the return to the closure position of said discharge port (17) on said flow control body (28) being associated with said means for translational motion (34).
The bottle filling valve according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular stem (24) is coaxial to said sleeve (15) and in that said flow control body (28) has, for a portion of its rotation about the axis of said tubular stem (24), a portion (40) for blending with said tubular stem (24) which tapers upward so as to form a chute for conveyance toward the wall of the bottle (B) for the liquid that exits from said sleeve (15), a rib (42) being provided on the angular blending portion between said flow control body (28) and said tubular stem (24) which is not tapered, said rib having a radial extension whose dimensions are equal to the distance between the lateral surface of said tubular stem (24) and the internal surface of said sleeve (15), said vent hole (29) being provided on the face of said rib (42) which is directed toward said sleeve (15).
The bottle filling valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a lower tubular body (13), which is fixed to said upper body (11) at the lower rim of said chamber (12), below said chamber (12), in a position which is partially internal and coaxial to said lower body (13), there being said sleeve (15), said outer perimetric portion (19) of said annular membrane (18) being locked in a sandwich-like fashion between the lower rim of said chamber (12) and an annular ridge (22) which is provided on the upper part of said lower body (13).
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tubular stem (24) is locked by inserting the head (24a) of said tubular stem (24) in a seat (25) provided in said upper body (11) and by reversible locking in said seat by coupling to a fork-like pin (26) which can be extracted and can be arranged outside said upper body (11).
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interior (30) of said tubular stem (24) ends on a transverse hole (31) provided in said head (24a) of said tubular stem (24), which in turn is open onto an annular slot (32) which is formed in said seat (25) and is insulated upward and downward by gaskets, a connecting duct (33) being open on said annular slot (32) for connection to said external system for venting and/or recovering liquid.
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (34) suitable to allow it to perform a relative translational motion with respect to said tubular stem (24) consist of the cylindrical guide formed by the internal surface of said lower body (13) and of an abutment ring (35) which is fixed coaxially to the portion of said sleeve (15) which protrudes from said lower body (13), said abutment ring (35) being provided internally with an annular gasket (36) against which the rim of the mouth of the bottle abuts.
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means for returning to the closure position said discharge port (17) on the flow control body (28) are constituted by a spring (37), which is arranged coaxially to said lower body (13) and to said sleeve (15) between a first annular abutment (38), provided on said lower body (13) and a second annular abutment (39), which is associated with said sleeve (15).
The bottle filling valve according to claim 7, characterized in that said second annular abutment (39) is constituted by an annular body (39a) which is arranged in abutment on two half-rings (39b), which are inserted in corresponding annular slots provided on the outer surface of said sleeve (15).
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rib (42) is blended with said tubular stem (24).
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that guiding wings (45) protrude from mutually opposite portions of the outer lateral surface of said tubular stem (24) and have, in a radial direction, dimensions which are substantially equal to the distance between said outer lateral surface of said tubular stem (24) and the internal surface of said sleeve (15).
The bottle filling valve according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that said flow control body (28) has an annular shoulder (43), which is formed below said blending portion (40), against which said discharge port (17) of the sleeve (15) abuts for closure, a gasket (44) being provided at said annular shoulder (43).