EP2346776B1 - Filling element and filling system comprising such a filling element - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling element according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a filling system according to the preamble of claim 17.

In many cases it is necessary to fill products for a hot sterile filling with an increased product temperature, for example with a product temperature in the range between 90 and 95 ° C. Problems with this hot filling or filling machines used for hot filling include u.a. in that the filling elements of a filling machine used for the controlled filling of the respective product or filling material must already have the increased product temperature before the start of the filling process, since only then can it be prevented that the fill elements, although supplied in the hot state, are there during filling cooled in an improper way. It is thus necessary to preheat the filling elements before starting the filling process. Analogous to this, both the contents, as well as the elements of a filling machine must be kept at the required target temperature, for example in the range between 90 and 95 ° C even during interruptions of a filling process, so that the filling after the termination of an interruption immediately with the can be added to target temperature filling elements.

To solve these problems, filling systems or filling machines are already known in which the filling elements are included in a so-called hot circulation, ie a partial flow of hot filling material in a closed loop, for example, a heating device is passed through the filling elements to heat them and / or on to keep the respective target temperature. A disadvantage of known filling systems or filling machines of this type, however, is, inter alia, that the control of the functions of filling and hot circulation extremely complex, prone and expensive valve assemblies are required.

A generic filling valve was through the US 3,589,410 presented. This document describes an apparatus in which an actuating lever is moved from a first, oblique orientation to a second, horizontal orientation by the lifting movement of the container to be filled. It is essential that when no container is at the filling position, the operating lever of the operating lever remains in the first, oblique orientation.

Subsequently, the actuating levers in horizontal alignment are moved by a stationary actuating cam, whereby the filling valve is opened and at the same time the Heizströmungsweg of the Follventils is closed.

This arrangement ensures that the filling valve is opened only when a container is at the filling position.

This device is complicated and mechanically vulnerable, which is to be regarded as a disadvantage.

The object of the invention is to show a filling element which is heated in a simplified design in the hot circulation. To solve this problem, a filling element according to the patent claim 1 is formed. A filling system is the subject of claim 17.

The particular advantage of the invention is that the liquid valve of the respective filling element and also formed in the respective filling element flow channel for the hot circulation are controlled solely by the movement of each container to be filled, i. opened the liquid valve by applying and / or pressing the container to the filling element and the flow path for the hot circulation here closed or throttled and vice versa when removing the filled container from the filling element whose liquid valve closed again and the flow path for the hot circulation are fully opened.

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 eine ein Füllelement aufweisende Füllposition einer Füllmaschine umlaufender Bauart, bei geschlossenem Füllelement, zusammen mit einem gegenüber dem Füllelement abgesenkten Behälter in Form einer Flasche;

Fig. 2

die Füllposition der Figur 1, zusammen mit der gegen das Füllelement angehobenen Flasche;

Fig. 3 und 4

jeweils in vergrößerter Detaildarstellung das Füllelement bei geschlossenem und geöffnetem Flüssigkeitsventil;

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt durch die Gehäuseteile des zweiteiligen Füllelementgehäuses entsprechend der Linie I - I der Figur 1.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a simplified representation, a filling element having a filling position of a filling machine of rotating design, with closed filling element, together with a relative to the filling element lowered container in the form of a bottle;

Fig. 2

the filling position of FIG. 1 , together with the bottle raised against the filling element;

3 and 4

in each case in enlarged detail the filling element with the liquid valve closed and open;

Fig. 5

a section through the housing parts of the two-part Füllelementgehäuses according to the line I - I of FIG. 1 ,

In the figures, 1 is one of the filling elements of a filling machine of rotating design for pressureless filling of containers in the form of bottles 2 with a hot liquid filling material, for example with a filling material, which for a hot filling (eg hot sterile filling) a temperature in the range between about 90 and 95 ° C has. The filling element 1 is provided with a plurality of similar filling elements 1 on the circumference of a rotatable about a vertical axis of the machine rotor 3. This shows u.a. a common for all filling elements 1 boiler 4, for example, ring boiler, which during the filling operation partially, i. level-controlled to level N is filled with the hot liquid contents, so that in the interior of the boiler 4, a lower, occupied by the hot liquid product liquid space 4.1 and lying above a filled example, with an inert gas gas space 4.2 are formed.

The filling elements 1 are each fastened with their Füllelementgehäuse 5 on the underside of the boiler 4. Each Füllelementgehäuse 5 is formed in two parts, consisting of a fixed to the rotor 3 and at the bottom of the boiler 4 housing part 5.1 and a movable housing part 5.2, which is movable relative to the housing part in the direction of a vertical Füllelementachse FA, between one in the FIG. 1 or 3 illustrated lower stroke position and one in the FIG. 2 or 4 illustrated upper stroke position. By acting between the housing parts 5.1 and 5.2 spring means, which are provided in the illustrated embodiment of a provided on the outside of the housing, the axis FA concentrically enclosing compression spring 6, the housing part 5.2 is biased in the lower stroke position.

The housing part 5.2 consists essentially of a valve plate 7, which is oriented with their surface sides perpendicular to the axis FA and against the top also the compression spring 6 is supported, and from a double-ended open filling pipe or filling tube 8, which penetrates the valve plate 7 sealed and extends with its upper Füllrohrabschnitt 8.1 in the housing part 5.1. With a lower Füllrohrabschnitt 8.2, the filling tube 8 projects beyond the underside of the valve plate 7 and forms at its lower end a discharge opening with a liquid valve 9 for controlled filling of the bottles 2 with the liquid product, as will be described in more detail below.

The liquid valve 9 is executed in the illustrated embodiment as a foot valve and consists essentially of a valve body 10 which is provided at the bottom, from the Füllrohrabschnitt 8.1 protruding end of a coaxially arranged with the axis FA return gas pipe 11 and with a valve body surface formed by a seal 12 cooperates with a valve surface formed by the lower opening edge of the Füllrohrabschnittes 8.2. The return gas pipe 11, which extends through the valve housing 5 and also sealed by the liquid chamber 4.1 of the boiler 4 into the gas space 4.2 there, forms a return gas channel 13, which in the illustrated embodiment at the bottom of the filling element 1, i. is constantly open at the valve body 10 as well as at the tube end extending into the gas space 4.2.

Within the filling tube 8, an annular channel 14 is formed between the inner surface of this filling tube and the outer surface of the return gas tube 11, which opens at the upper end of the filling tube 8 in a trained in the housing part 5.1 channel 15, which via an opening 15.1 with the liquid space 4.1 of the boiler. 4 in the area of the boiler floor. The channel 15 is also continued in an axis FA FA concentrically enclosing annular channel portion 16 which between the outer surface of the Füllrohrabschnittes 8.1 and the inner surface of the housing part 5.1 and in particular the inner surface of the Füllrohrabschnitt 8.1 by far enclosing tubular housing portion 5.1.1 of the housing part 5.1 is formed. At the bottom of the valve plate 7 adjacent opening edge of the housing section 5.1.1 is the channel section 16 via an axis enclosing the FA FA ring opening 17, which between this Opening edge and the top of the valve plate 7 is formed, with the housing portion 5.1.1 annularly surrounding annular channel 18 in connection, the outside sealed sealed to the environment by a wall which allows the relative movement of the housing part 5.2 to the housing part 5.1, ie in the direction the axis FA can be shortened and extended axially and which is formed in the illustrated embodiment of a bellows 19. At the upper end of the ring opening 17 remote from the annular channel 18 is connected to an annular channel 20 which is provided in or on the rotor 3 for all filling elements 1 of the filling machine or for each of a group of such filling elements 1 together.

At the over the underside of the valve plate 7 projecting Füllrohrabschnitt 8.2 a seal 21 is provided, which is supported by a spacer 22 against the underside of the valve plate 7 and projects beyond the Füllrohrabschnitt 8.2 8.2.2 with a Füllrohrteillänge down.

Each filling element 1 of the filling machine is associated with a container carrier 23, which is formed in the illustrated embodiment for a suspended attachment of the bottles 2 at its provided below the bottle mouth 2.1 muzzle bead 2.2. The container carrier 23 is guided by means of a guide rod 24 on the rotor 3 in the axis FA between a lowered stroke position ( FIG. 1 ) and a raised stroke position ( FIG. 2 ), controlled by a cam roller 25, which cooperates with a non-rotating with the rotor 3 control cam 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the respective container carrier 23, which forms a filling position 27 together with the associated filling element 1, biased by spring means not shown in the raised lifting position.

For filling, the containers or bottles 2 are fed to the individual filling positions 27 when the container carrier 23 is lowered, so that the bottle mouth 2.1 of the respective bottle 2 is initially at a distance below the relevant filling element 1. The container carrier 23 is then with the bottle. 2 raised so that it comes with their bottle mouth 2.1 against the seal 21 to the plant and the housing part is moved 5.2 via the bottle 2 and against the action of the spring means 6 upwards in the upper stroke position. In this case, the liquid valve 9 opens so that the liquid product can flow from the boiler 4 via the liquid channel formed by the channel 15 and the annular channel 14 and the opened liquid valve 9 in the bottle 2, wherein the displaced from the bottle 2 of the liquid product Air is discharged via the return gas channel 13.

The filling process is then automatically terminated as soon as the level of contents rising in the bottle 2 has reached the lower end of the return gas tube 11 introduced into the bottle 2 or this end is slightly immersed in the level of contents and the return gas channel 13 is closed. The filling level in each filled bottle 2 is determined by the Füllrohrteillänge 8.2.1 and can be adjusted by using spacers 22 with different axial dimensions. When lowering the respectively filled bottle 2, the liquid valve 9 is closed again by the lowering movement of the housing part 5.2, as is known to those skilled in the art.

The lower stroke position of the housing part 5.2 is defined by the fact that the Füllrohrabschnitt 8.2 rests with its lower edge against the valve body 10 and its seal 12. The upper stroke position of the housing part 5.2 is defined by the fact that the valve plate 7 rests against the lower edge of the housing section 5.1.1.

A special feature of the filling element 1 is that for heating the filling elements 1, a hot circulation of the liquid filling material from the liquid space 4.1 through the channel 15, the channel portion 16 and the annular channel 18 of each filling element 1 in the annular channel 20 and from this via a product pump 28 and a heater 29 back into the liquid space 4.1 of the boiler 4 is possible. By this hot circulation effective heating of the filling elements 1 is achieved so that they before the start of a filling process on the required, increased product temperature preheated and can be maintained at an interruption of the filling process to the required target temperature, ie at the beginning of each filling process, as well as a resumption of the filling after a break cooling of the hot filling material within the filling 1 is effectively avoided ,

Another special feature is that only by the raising and lowering of the respective bottle 2 not only the opening and closing of the liquid valve 9 is controlled in the manner described above, but also the hot circulation through the filling element. How a comparison in particular the Figures 3 and 4 shows is located in the lower stroke position housing part 5.2 and closed liquid valve 9, the annular opening 17 for the hot circulation or for the passage of the channel section 16 and the annular channel 18 with the hot medium completely open. With the lifting of the housing part 5.2 and the opening of the liquid valve 9, the annular opening 17 is increasingly reduced, ie the effective flow cross section of the channel section 16 and the annular channel 18 formed flow path is reduced, until finally the valve plate 7 completely against the lower edge of the housing section 5.1. 1 rests and thereby not only ends the lifting movement of the housing part 5.2 upward, but also the ring opening 17 is completely closed ( Fig. 4 ). During filling thus flows the entire, the respective filling element inflowing material in the interest of the shortest possible filling time and thus the highest possible performance of the filling machine (number of filled bottles 2 per unit time) on the open liquid valve 9 of the respective bottle 2, while closed Liquid valve 9, ie before and after the respective filling phase, the ring opening 17 is completely opened for the hot circulation.

In order to make the heating of the filling elements 1 with the partial flow of the liquid contents conveyed in the hot circulation particularly effective, ribs 30 projecting radially beyond this inner surface are provided on the inner surface of the housing part 5.1 and the tubular housing section 5.1.1 FIG. 5 is shown. By these ribs 30, which extend in the illustrated embodiment to the outer surface of the Füllrohrabschnittes 8.1, there is a significant increase in the inner surface, which is in contact with the hot, the channel portion 16 flowing through the product. Furthermore, a certain turbulence of the Füllgutstroms is achieved by the ribs 30, which also significantly improves the heat transfer from the contents of the housing 5.

Despite the heating of the filling element 1 by the controlled in hot circulation promoted filling of the associated advantages, the filling element has a simplified construction.

The heating of the filling element 1 by the conveyed in hot circulation product is particularly effective also in that this in the flow through the filling element 1 conveyed product in the channel section 16 initially relative to the axis FA axially towards Füllelementunterseite and then subsequently after flowing through the annular opening 17 axially flows in the direction of Füllelementoberseite, so in a compact and especially in the direction of the axis FA short construction of the filling element 1, a relatively long flow path for the filling element 1 heated filling in the housing 5 results.

The filling height of the filling material in the respective bottle 2 is thus determined by the length, with the Füllrohrabschnitt 8.1 protrudes beyond the bottom of the seal 21 and thus extends into the interior of the bottle 2 when filling through the bottle mouth 2.1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

filler

2

Container or bottle

2.1

bottle mouth

2.2

Mündungsflansch

3

rotor

4

boiler

4.1

Fluid chamber of the boiler 4

4.2

Gas chamber of the boiler 4

5

filling element

5.1,5.2

housing part

5.1.1

housing section

6

feather

7

valve plate

8th

filling pipe

8.1, 8.2

filling pipe

8.2.1

Füllrohrteillänge

9

liquid valve

10

valve body

11

Return gas pipe

12

poetry

13

Return gas channel

14

annular channel

15

channel

15.1

opening

16

channel section

17

ring opening

18

annular channel

19

movable wall or bellows

20

annular channel

21

poetry

22

spacer

23

container carrier

24

guide rod

25

follower

26

cam

27

filling position

28

product pump

29

heater

FA

filling element

N

level

Claims (18)

1. A filling element for filling systems for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a hot liquid product, comprising a liquid channel (14, 15) which is configured in the filling element (1), has a liquid valve (9) and forms at least one discharge opening through which the liquid product can be introduced into the container (2) by controlled opening and closing of the liquid valve (9), and comprising at least one flow path (16, 17,18) which is formed in the liquid valve (1) and which, to heat the filling element (1), can be connected to a hot circulation of the liquid product, with control means (5.2) for the liquid valve (9) being provided which are operable by a lifting movement of the container (2) that is to be filled and that is lifted up against the filling element (1), and which serve to open the liquid valve (9) and to block the flow path (16, 17, 18) for the hot circulation or to reduce the effective flow cross-section of this flow path (16,17, 18), characterised in that the control means are arranged in the filling element and, solely through the lifting movement of the container that is to be filled, open the liquid valve and block the flow path (16,17,18) for the hot circulation or reduce the effective flow cross-section of said flow path (16, 17,18).
2. The filling element of claim 1 wherein the flow path (16, 17, 18) of the hot circulation is completely blocked or sealed off by the lifting movement of the container to be filled.
3. The filling element of claim 1 or 2 wherein the control means are formed by a housing part (5.2) which is movable - preferably axially movable in a filling element axis (FA) - between at least one first and one second lifting position, which exhibits a container contact face and/or sealing face (21) for the respective container to be filled, and which moves with the latter when lifted.
4. The filling element of claim 3 wherein at least a partial length of the liquid channel (15, 14) is formed in and/or on the movable housing part (5.2) and/or in a filling tube (8) located there.
5. The filling element of claim 4 wherein there is configured in and/or on the liquid channel (14) and/or filling tube (8) a valve seat of the liquid valve (9) which (valve seat), when in the first lifting position of the movable housing part (5.2), lies against a valve body (10) of the liquid valve (9) so as to close that valve.
6. The filling element of any one of the preceding claims wherein the movable interaction with a further housing part (5.1) or housing section (5.1.1), for example with an annular surface of that housing section (5.1.1) which encircles the filling element axis (FA), forms at least one controllable opening (17) in the flow path (16, 18) of the hot circulation, which (opening) in the second lifting position of the movable housing part (5.2) is closed or exhibits the reduced flow cross-section.
7. The filling element of claim 6 wherein the controllable opening (17) is formed between the movable housing part (5.2) and a face of the further housing part (5.1) or of the housing section (5.1.1), against which face the movable housing part (5.2) is supported in its second lifting position.
8. The filling element of any one of the preceding claims wherein the movable housing part (5.2) extends by a first filling tube section (8.1) forming at least a partial length of the liquid channel (14) into a channel (15) configured in the further housing part (5.1), which channel is in connection with a reservoir or tank (4) for the liquid product, and wherein there is formed, between the outer face of the first filling tube section (8.1) and an inner face of the further housing part (5.1) or of the housing section (5.1.1) of that housing part (5.1), an annular channel section (16) which is part of the flow channel for the hot circulation.
9. The filling element of any one of the preceding claims wherein the flow path for the hot circulation is formed by at least two channels or channel sections (16, 18) which are configured inside the filling element (1) and preferably adjacent to one another via the controllable opening (17), and in such a way that direction of flow in the channel sections runs counter, preferably in each case relative to the filling element axis (FA).
10. The filling element of claim 9 wherein at least one channel or channel section (16) of the flow path for the hot circulation is in connection with a channel (15) which is in turn connected with the reservoir or tank (4) for the product, and at least one further channel or channel section (18) of the flow path for the hot circulation is connected with a delivery section which preferably exhibits a heating device (29) and which returns the product to the reservoir or tank (4).
11. The filling element of claim 8 wherein the filling tube (8) projects by a further filling tube section (8.2) out from a housing of the (5) of the filling element (1).
12. The filling element of claim 11 wherein, at its end, the further filling tube section (8.2) forms the valve seat of the liquid valve (9) executed as a foot valve.
13. The filling element of any one of claims 4-12 characterised by a return gas tube (11) which forms at least one return gas channel (13) and which is enclosed over at least part of its length by the filling tube (8) in such a way that the part of the liquid channel which is configured in the movable housing part (5.2) is an annular channel (14) enclosing the return gas tube (11).
14. The filling element of claim 13 wherein the valve body (10) of the liquid valve (9) is provided on the return gas tube (11).
15. The filling element of any one of the preceding claims wherein the flow path for the hot circulation is formed by at least one inner channel or channel section (16) and an outer channel or channel section (18) enclosing the inner, and wherein the outer channel or channel section (18) is limited by outer wall means, for example in the form of at least one bellows (19), extending between the movable housing part (5.2) and the further housing part (5.1) and enabling the movement of the movable housing part (5.2).
16. The filling element of any one of the preceding claims characterised in that, at least over part of the length of the flow path (16, 17, 18) for the hot circulation, the inner surface of this flow path is profiled, for example provided with ribs (30), to increase the surface area that comes into contact with the product and/or to create a turbulent flow of the product.
17. A filling system for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a hot liquid product, having at least one filling element (1), wherein the filling element (1) is configured according to any one of the preceding claims.
18. The filling system of claim 17 characterised by its configuration as a rotary filling machine exhibiting a plurality of filling elements (1) on a rotor (3) which can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis.

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