EP2307306B1 - Filling system for filling bottles or similar containers, and filling machine - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling system for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid filling material according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a filling machine with a plurality of filling elements on a rotor about a vertical axis rotatably driven rotor according to the preamble of claim 6.

Filling systems for filling bottles or other containers, especially for filling with beverages and especially with carbonated drinks are known in various designs and for a variety of procedures. In particular, also Follsysteme, in which the filling height is controlled by a filling into the respective container and designed as a tube with a probe channel probe, in particular characterized in that at least at the end of the filling or the filling phase from the in sealing position With the filling element arranged container displaced by the inflowing filling gas displaced gas, for example inert gas or CO2 gas via the probe channel from the container and thereby the filling or the Füllphese is automatically interrupted when the protruding into the container probe end in the Füligut mirror immersed in the container. This is followed by a Follhöhenkorrektur by acting in the container above the Follgutspiegels not occupied by the contents of the container interior with a sterile gas and / or vapor medium, such as inert gas or CO2 gas with a slight overpressure, so that excess contents through the probe channel is pushed back into the reservoir or ring boiler, so that the level of contents has then lowered to the level of the open probe end or slightly below this level.

Both in a non-pressurized filling, as well as a Druckfollen it is common in this known under the name "Trinox process" method to evacuate each arranged in sealing position on the filling container before the actual filling to remove existing air and then with to fill a sterile gas or inert gas from the gas space of the reservoir or ring tank of the filling machine and indeed via the probe channel. Although the pressure equalization or biasing via the probe channel of the probe to a considerable simplification of the filling elements in particular with regard to the required Control means and also lead to a simplification of the tax burden of the corresponding filling machine, this procedure has certain disadvantages, namely the fact that a dry pressure compensation and in particular but a dry tempering of the container before the actual filling is not possible. Rather, in particular in connection paths between the probe channel and the reservoir from a previous filling phase or the local Füllhöhenkorrektur remaining Füllgutreste be blown in the container during pressure equalization and in particular during the preloading in the next filling phase together with the, the pressure equalization or biasing causing gas as an aerosol , Such Füllgutreste then favor especially when filling a carbonated filling material as maternal embryo leakage of CO2 from the contents, so that it comes at the end of the respective filling phase to excessive foaming in each container. Although these disadvantages could be counteracted in principle by extending the calming and relief periods in each case at the end filling phase. Such an extension means, however, for a given size of a filling machine, a reduction in the rotational speed of the rotor and thus the performance of the filling machine or at a given power of the filling machine, an enlargement of the machine or the diameter of the rotor. Also for other reasons, a dry pressure equalization and in particular a dry bias of the container is desired, ie a Druckausglelch or a biasing without entrained, derived from the Füllhöhenkorrektur Füllgutreste.

pamphlet DE 203 19 619 U1 discloses a filling machine and a filling system according to the preamble of claim 1. The provided for filling the container filling elements have two gas channels, wherein provided in a gas pipe first gas channel is connected to a gas space provided in the Füllgutraum and another gas channel with a separate from the Füllguttank Ring channel is connected, which provides an inert gas.

Furthermore, from the publications DE 38 29 081 A1 and US 5,082,033 A Filling devices for filling containers known.

The object of the invention is to show a Füllsyatem which allows while maintaining a simplified construction of the at least one filling element and a reduced control effort a dry pressure compensation and in particular a dry biasing of the container to be filled. To the solution This object is a filling system according to the patent claim 1 is formed. A filling machine is the subject of patent claim 5.

The filling system according to the invention not only has the advantage that with it a dry pressure compensation and especially during pressure filling a dry biasing of the container with the sterile gas or inert gas is possible, but by the separation of the connection or flow paths for pressure equalization or bias and for the return of excess contents in the filling height correction, it is possible, the effective flow cross sections of these communication paths to the respective process step or optimally adapted to their function, ie to make the effective flow cross-section of the connection path for pressure equalization or for biasing as large as possible, in any case greater than the effective flow cross-section of the connection path for returning the excess contents in the Füllhöhenkorrektur. This design leads to a significant reduction in the times required for the pressure equalization or the biasing and the filling height correction, wherein the reduced flow cross-section of the flow path, which is used for the return of excess contents in the Füllhöhenkorrektur, also ensures that in the probe channel no or but at most absolutely negligible Füllgutreste remain.

In one embodiment, which is not part of the invention, the probe channel is preferably connected via a control valve to separate communication paths, to a first communication path for returning the excess contents in the Füllhöhenkorrektur and to a second communication path for pressure equalization or biasing. At least one control valve in the form of a check valve is provided in both flow paths, in the form that the check valve arranged in the first connection path for a flow out of the probe channel and the check valve arranged in the second connection path for a flow into the probe channel, but block both check valves for a flow in the opposite direction.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures.

Fig. 1

in vereinfachter Darstellung und im Schnitt ein Füllelement einer Füllmaschine umlaufender Bauart zum Füllen von Flaschen oder dergleichen Behältern mit einem flüssigen Füllgut, die kein Teil der Erfindung ist.

Fig. 2

in vergrößerter Teildarstellung das Füllelement der Figur 1;

Fig. 3

eine Darstellung ähnlich Figur 1 bei einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform.

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 and in section a filling element of a filling machine of rotating design for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid product, which is not part of the invention.

Fig. 2

in an enlarged partial view of the filling element of FIG. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a representation similar FIG. 1 in an embodiment of the invention.

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 1 is a filling element of a filling system for filling bottles 2 or other containers with a liquid filling material, for pressure-free filling but also for pressure filling. The filling element 1 is part of a filling machine of rotating design and in this case provided with a plurality of similar filling elements on the circumference of a rotatable about a vertical axis of the machine rotor. From this, only a reservoir or ring tank 3 is shown, which is partially filled during filling with the liquid contents and in which therefore a not occupied by the contents gas space 3.1 and underlying lying occupied by the contents liquid space 3.2 are formed. The gas space 3.1, for example, filled with an inert gas, for example with a CO2 gas and pressurized when pressureless filling, for example, with a pressure corresponding to the atmospheric pressure P1 and pressure-filled with pressure pressure applied to the filling pressure P1 corresponding pressure.

In the illustrated embodiment, two ring channels 4 and 5, which are also common to all filling elements 1 of the filling machine, are formed in the rotor or ring bowl 3, of which the ring channel 4 is the so-called Trinox channel, the inert gas, for example CO 2 gas during the filling operation with a pressure P2 slightly larger than the pressure P1 leads and of which the annular channel 5 is connected as a vacuum channel with a vacuum or vacuum source, not shown, for example, vacuum pump. How the particular FIG. 2 shows very clearly, in the housing 6 of each filling element, inter alia, a liquid channel 7 is formed, which communicates in the region of its upper end with the liquid space 3.2 and at the bottom of the filling element 1 forms a discharge opening 8, on the during filling the liquid product is introduced into the bottle to be filled 2, which is during filling in sealing position with the filling element 1, that is pressed with its mouth of the bottle 2.1 via a gasket formed by a centering 9 9 against the filling element 1.

For the controlled delivery of the liquid contents a liquid valve 10 is provided in the liquid channel 7, which is essentially formed by a cooperating with valve surfaces of the liquid channel 7 valve body 11 on a tubular, coaxial with the Füllelementachse FA arranged return gas pipe or valve tappet 12, the opening and closing of the liquid valve 10 in Direction of Füllelementachse FA controlled by a control device 13 is movable.

In the interior of the valve stem 12, a, a filling height determining and, for example, height adjustable probe 14 enclosing annular gas channel 15 is formed, which is open at an over the valve body 11 downwardly continued extension 12.1 of the valve stem 12 and at an upper end of the valve stem 12 and there in a gas space 16 formed within the housing 6 opens. This is controlled by in the housing 6 and control valves 17, 18 and 19 having gas paths for different, required when filling the bottles 2 process steps connected to the ring channels 4 and 5 connectable.

The probe consists of a tube forming a probe channel 20 and is passed through the tubular valve stem 12 to form the gas channel 15 such that the probe protrudes with its lower probe end 14.1 over the extension 12.1. The probe channel 20 is open at this probe end 14.1. The probe 14 is further sealed passed through the gas space 16 and connected at its upper, protruding from the housing 6 end with its there open probe channel 20 to a terminal 21.1 of a control block 21, with two further terminals 21.2 and 21.3 via two separate lines or flow connections 22 and 23 connected to the gas space 3.1 of the ring boiler 1. Inside the control block 21, two flow paths 24 and 25 are provided, each with a check valve 24.1 and 25.1, which are connected via a common control valve 26 to the terminal 21.1 and of which the flow path 24 the port 21.2 and the flow path 25 forms the port 21.3 , The non-return valve 24.1 provided in the flow path 24 is designed such that it opens for a flow from the control valve 26 to the port 21.2 and blocks it for a flow in the opposite direction. The check valve 25.1 in the flow path 25 is designed so that it opens for a flow from the port 21.3 to the control valve 26 and blocks for a flow in the reverse direction. The flow paths 24 and 25 and the connections 22 and 23 connected to these flow paths or the corresponding connections 21.1 and 21.3 have a different flow cross-section, in such a way that the flow cross-section of the flow path 24 and the associated connection 22 is significantly smaller than that Flow cross-section of the flow path 25 and the connection 23rd

With the filling element 1 or with the filling system formed by this filling element u.a. a non-pressurized filling or a pressure filling possible, with the method steps given below, each of the closed state, all valves, in particular the liquid valve 10 and the control valves 17 - 19 and 26 is to go out, unless expressly mentioned the open position of one of these valves is. Furthermore, the respective bottle 2 is with its mouth of the bottle 2.1 in sealing position on the filling element 1. Furthermore, both the gas channel 15 and the probe channel 20 are constantly during filling with the interior of the bottle 2 in combination.

1. Pressure-free filling

• 1.1 Pre-evacuation by opening the control valve 18 for connecting the gas channel 15 with the annular channel. 5
• 1.2 pressure equalization between the bottle 2 and the ring bowl 3 by opening the control valve 26 via the probe channel 20 and the control block 21 and the check valve 25.1.
• 1.3 filling the bottle 2 by opening the liquid valve 10 while displacing the gas volume from the bottle 2 via the probe channel 20, the open control valve the flow path 24 in the control block 21, the check valve 24.1 and the connection 22 in the gas space 3.1.
• 1.4 Terminate the filling by immersing the probe end 14.1 in the increased up to the level N1 Füllgutspiegel in the bottle 2 with still open liquid valve 10 and control valve 26th
• 1.5 filling height correction by opening the control valve 19 and connecting the gas channel 15 and thus the interior of the bottle 2 with the annular channel 4 with the liquid valve 10 and the open control valve open 26. In this way, contents on the probe channel 20, the flow path 24, the check valve 24.1 and the connection 22 pushed back into the ring bowl 3 until the level of contents in the bottle 2 is lowered to the level N2 of the probe end 14.1 and thus the exact filling level is reached.

2. pressure filling

• 21 Pre-evacuation of the bottle 2 by opening the control valves 17 and 18 and connecting the gas channel 15 and thus the interior of the bottle 2 with the annular channel. 5
• 2.2 biasing the bottle 2 with the standing under the filling pressure P1 inert gas from the gas space 3.1 by opening the control valve 26 via the connection 23, the check valve 25.1, the flow path 25 and the probe channel 20th
• 2.3 filling the bottle 2 with open control valve 26 and opened liquid valve 10, wherein the displaced from the bottle 2 by the inert gas inert gas via the probe channel 20, the open control valve 26, the flow path 24 with check valve 24.1 and the connection 22 returned to the gas space 3.1 becomes.
• 2.4 Terminate the filling by immersing the probe end 14.1 in the level of contents in the bottle 2 with the liquid valve 10 still open and open control valve 26th
• 2.5 filling height correction with closed liquid valve 10 and open control valve 26 by opening the control valve 19 and connecting the bottle interior above the Füllgutspiegels via the gas channel 15 with the inert gas leading to the pressure P2 annular channel 4. Here again, filling material from the container via the probe channel 20, the flow path 24, the associated check valve 24.1 and the connection 22 pushed back into the ring vessel until the probe end 14.1 has emerged from the level of contents in the bottle and thus the required filling level is reached.

The peculiarity of the filling element 1 is that when unpressurized filling a dry pressure equalization, but especially during pressure filling a dry biasing of the respective bottle 2 via a connection from the gas space 3.1 of the ring boiler takes place (Verbindungsweg) at least a considerable part length, namely one of the compound 23, the flow path 25 and the check valve 25.1 formed part length is separated from the flow path via the in the filling height correction, the return of excess contents from the respective bottle 2 in the ring bowl 3. With this dry pressure equalization or prestressing, therefore, no, or only very small, residues of filling material from the filling height correction of a previous filling will become or filling phase introduced into the bottle 2 and thus avoided the associated disadvantages.

The filling element 1 also has the advantage that the effective cross-section of the flow paths for the prestressing and for the filling height correction are optimally adapted to the requirements of these method steps, i. both formed within the control block 21 flow path 24 and the connection 22 each have a reduced flow cross-section, as is necessary for a quick return of the excess contents in the filling level correction, while the flow path 25 in the control block 21 and the connection 23 an enlarged flow cross-section have, as is necessary for a rapid biasing of the respective bottle with the inert gas from the gas space 3.1. As a result, the times required for the biasing and the filling height correction are significantly shortened and thus significantly increased the performance of the filling elements 1 having a filling machine for a given machine diameter.

Another advantage of the filling element is that the pressure equalization as well as the biasing done via the probe channel 20, resulting in a particularly simple design of the filling element 1 also in terms of the cost of control valves and a simplified control of the filling elements 1 having filling machine.

The FIG. 3 shows a filling system according to the invention with a filling element 1 a, which differs from the filling element 1 essentially in that is dispensed control block 21 and at the upper end of the probe 14 of the probe channel 20 via a connection 27 with a control valve 26 corresponding control valve 28th is in communication with the gas space 3.1. A further control valve 29 is provided on the filling element 1a, in addition to the valves 17-19, which continuously controls the gas space 16 via the gas channel 15 with the bottle 2 provided in the sealing position on the filling element 1 a via a connection 30 the gas space 3.1 of the ring boiler 3 connects.

The filling element 1a is also suitable, for example, for pressureless filling and for pressure filling of the bottles 2 with the liquid contents from the ring bowl 3. The process steps are similar to the process steps described above for the filling element 1, ie the filling height correction takes place both in the unpressurized filling and in the pressure filling in each case by opening the control valve 19 and by pressurizing the space above the Füllgutspiegels N2 formed in the respective bottle space with the pressure P2 of the inert gas from the annular channel 4 and by displacing the excess contents via the probe channel 20th , the open control valve 28 and the connection 27 in the ring vessel 3 until the emergence of the probe end 14.1 from the level of the contents, ie until reaching the level N2.

In the pressure filling takes place a dry biasing of the respective bottle 2 via a completely separate flow path, namely by opening the control valve 29 and by introducing the inert gas under pressure P1 from the gas space 3.1 via the connection 30, the open control valve 29, the gas space 16 and the gas channel 15 in the bottle. 2

The filling element 1 a has the advantage over the filling element 1 that an absolutely dry tempering of the respective bottle 2 is possible solely by the use of a single further control valve 29.

Above, it was assumed that in the pressure filling of the bottles 2 using the filling element 1 or 1 a, the dry biasing takes place respectively from the gas space 3.1 of the ring boiler. Of course, there is also the possibility for biasing the rotor or the ring bowl 3, a further channel, for example, in the FIG. 3 Provided with 31 designated channel, which is common to all filling elements 1a of the filling machine and the inert gas with the pressure P1 and this is connected to a connection 32 through which the gas space 3.1 of the annular boiler 3 is pressure-controlled with the inert gas. The connection 30 of each filling element 1a in this embodiment is not connected to the gas space 3.1 of the ring vessel 3, but to the additional annular channel 31, so that there is an even further separation between the connections used for biasing and Füllhöhenkorrektur connections and spaces.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1a

filler

2

bottle

2.1

bottle mouth

3

ring bowl

3.1

headspace

3.2

liquid space

4

Ring channel or Trinox channel

5

Ring channel or vacuum channel

6

Filling element housing

7

Liquid channel in the housing 6

8th

discharge opening

9

centering bell

10

liquid valve

11

valve body

12

Valve tappet or return gas pipe

13

actuator

14

probe

14.1

probe end

15

Gas or return gas channel

16

headspace

17, 18, 19

control valve

20

Probe channel of the probe 14

21

control block

21.1, 21.2, 21.3

connection

22, 23

External connection or line

24, 25

Flow paths within the control block 21st

24.1, 25.1

check valve

26

control valve

27

External connection

28

control valve

29

control valve

30

connection

31

annular channel

32

Connection for pressure-controlled supply of inert gas or CO2 gas

FA

filling element

N1, N2

level

Claims (5)

1. A filling system for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid filling material, comprising a storage container or storage tank partially filled with the filling material, at least one filling element (1a) for the controlled discharging of the filling material into the container (2) disposed on the filling element (1 a) in the sealing position, a sensor (14) for determining the filling level during filling, said sensor having a sensor end (14.1) that projects into the respective container (2) during filling and at least one sensor channel (20) that is open at the sensor end (14.1) and is connected in a controlled manner by a controlled flow path (27, 28) to at least one gas chamber (3.1) of the storage container or storage tank (3) that is partially filled with the liquid filling material, being for the purpose of returning surplus filling material to the storage container (3) in the event of a filling level correction by applying to the respective container (2) at the end of filling the pressure of a gaseous and/or vaporous medium, preferably an inert gas, for example, CO₂ gas, as well as a controlled flow path (30) for equalising the pressure between the container (2) that is to be filled and the storage container or storage tank (3) or for pre-tensioning the container (2) that is to be filled, the flow path (30) for pressure equalising or pre-tensioning being separate from the flow path (27) for returning surplus filling material for filling level correction, characterised in that the flow path (30) is connected to the gas chamber (3.1) of the storage container (3) for pressure equalising or pre-tensioning.
2. The filling system of claim 1 wherein at least one controlling valve such as an electrically and/or pneumatically controllable control valve (28, 29) is provided in the flow paths or connections for returning the surplus filling material during the filling level correction and/or for pressure equalising or pre-tensioning.
3. The filling system of claim 2 wherein an independent controlling valve (28, 29) is provided in each of the separate flow paths.
4. The filling system of any one of the preceding claims characterised by a valve block or control block that is provided on the height-adjustable sensor (14).
5. A filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid filling material having a filling system according to any one of the preceding claims with a plurality of filling elements (1 a) provided around the periphery of a rotor which can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis.

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