EP2455325A1 - Method and device for filling containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has a filling element (6) filling a container (10) with fluid, and a transport device (2) for transporting the container along a predetermined transport path (T). A pressurization device (4) pressurizes the container with a flowing medium i.e. nitrogen. The pressurization device is arranged in such a manner that the flowing medium from the pressurization device strikes on an inner wall or a surface of a deflecting plate before the flowing medium reaches the fluid in the container. The pressurization device comprises a nozzle and a spray head. An independent claim is also included for a method for filling containers with fluids.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for filling containers. Such filling devices have long been known from the prior art. In this case, the containers are usually along a predetermined transport path, for example, a circular arc-shaped transport path, transported, and filled during this transport with liquid and in particular a drink. It is also known from the state of the art in recent time to introduce liquid nitrogen into plastic containers in order to improve various properties of the container. So z. B. the mechanical load capacity (topload, transportability on belt conveyors, handling, etc.) can be improved. Also, the shelf life of the product can be improved by displacing oxygen from the headspace of the container. Also the feel, d. H. the grip and other properties can be improved. Such devices for introducing liquid nitrogen are referred to as "nitrogen dropper", the process itself as "droppings".

From the EP 1 106 510 A1 For example, a method and an apparatus for producing packaging containers with overpressure are known. In this case, liquid nitrogen is injected into the container.

From the US, 6,698,467 B2 An apparatus for reinforcing containers is also known. In this case, an injection device is known, which is arranged at a predetermined angle to the containers to be filled.

The US 4,407,340 describes a device for pressurizing containers. In this case, a predetermined amount of liquid gas is introduced into the containers.

More recently, methods and devices have become known with which heated liquids are filled into the containers. At the same time, for these hot-filled containers of PET, a nitrogen overpressure in the head space of the bottle is produced by blowing nitrogen into the container before closing and evaporating the nitrogen after closing. This overpressure is used to compensate for the volume shrinkage of the hot material as it cools, so that the bottle does not collapse and preferably retains an overpressure, which, as mentioned above, u. a. improves the mechanical and haptic properties of the container.

Such pressurization of hot liquids has been used in the past for cans of the same background. In the prior art, nitrogen is introduced directly into the liquid as a full jet and with a distinct overpressure which is built up and maintained in the nitrogen dropper and metering head. This method is mainly suitable for use with cold products and has been well tested as such.

This Bedroppelung is problematic with hot contents, since it can come here to the penetration of the nitrogen into the product. The liquid nitrogen vaporizes upon contact with the hot contents and can cause spilling over, as formed under the liquid surface of the gas bubble from the nitrogen pushes the contents of the container. This can also occur with cold contents, but is reinforced by the higher temperature difference with hot contents. This undesirable effect has also been confirmed experimentally.

Furthermore, a device is known from the prior art, which has a nozzle which has a plurality of outlet openings, through which the nitrogen is rain-like divided into droplets. Furthermore, the nitrogen is released only under the hydrostatic pressure of a device held on the nitrogen reservoir. The nozzle is a production-technically complex component and accordingly represents a considerable cost factor. Furthermore Experience has shown that if necessary. Several such nozzles are required to pressurize various containers sufficiently with pressure.

Furthermore, especially for the hot filling process, the distance between the dropper and the condenser is an important factor. As the liquid nitrogen vaporizes faster, some nitrogen is lost on the line to the condenser (which evaporates into the environment). The limiting factor here is essentially the space around the capper. The metering head of the nitrogen dropper can only be set to a certain extent to the capper, as the cap feeder and other components take the optimum position.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a method for filling containers, which allows an improved supply of a flowable medium, in particular nitrogen. This is achieved according to the invention by a device and a method according to the independent claims.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention for filling containers with liquid has at least one filling element which fills the containers with the liquid. Furthermore, the device has a transport device for transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path, and a further loading device, which acts on the containers filled with the liquid with another flowable medium.

According to the invention, the loading device is arranged such that the flowable medium dispensed by the loading device at least partially and preferably completely first meets or is directed onto a predetermined surface before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container or when it enters the container ,

The predetermined surface is advantageously spaced from the loading device, ie, the flowable medium first exits the loading device and then occurs on the said surface.

The predetermined surface is preferably an inner wall of the container or a further surface lying outside the container. It would also be possible for the medium to strike an outer surface of the container as well as (subsequently) an inner wall of the container.

Furthermore, it would be conceivable that during the application of said area (if necessary, even slightly) is retracted into the container.

So it would also be possible that the nitrogen jet can be atomized at an additional baffle plate. This additional plate can be heated or unheated and have different geometries. Thus, again, the nitrogen jet is sputtered on at least one surface after it has exited (e.g., from a nozzle and before hitting the filled liquid). When using an additional baffle plate, it would also be possible that the jet exits from a nozzle from below the mouth of the container.

It is therefore proposed according to the invention, the impingement device, which is designed for example as a nozzle, so designed that a beam exiting therefrom, for example, nitrogen jet, first on the said predetermined surface - preferably an opposite inner wall of the container and in particular meets the opposite wall of the mouthpiece and bounces off from there. Upon rebounding on the mouth, the flowable medium is atomized into smaller drops which, as in the prior art described above, exhibit less product penetration. This sputtering is additionally supported by the relative to the liquid nitrogen and its boiling temperature warm plastic surface.

Preferably, the device has a plurality of filling elements which fill the containers with a liquid and in particular with a beverage. Advantageously, the transport device transports the containers during filling. Furthermore, the transport device also advantageously transports the containers during the application of the flowable medium. Advantageously, the flowable medium is nitrogen. In a further advantageous embodiment, the application device has a nozzle, from which the flowable medium emerges with a jet direction which is oblique or perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the containers. Advantageously, the nozzle itself is tilted. Furthermore, the oblique position is advantageously selected such that the jet direction or the jet always impinges on an inner wall of the container independently of a relative position between the container and the nozzle, and in particular a direct impact of the jet on the surface of the liquid is avoided. So it is possible that when passing through the nitrogen jet at the mouth of the jet during the first contact with the mouth inner surface is tangent to this. Here, it is assumed that the evaporation tendency of the nitrogen also leads to a sputtering.

So far, it had been assumed that by pressurizing the inner wall with nitrogen excessive cooling of the plastic and thus embrittlement of the mouth and as a result damage to the first mechanical stress of the closing process can occur. For this reason, the devices known from the prior art attempt to avoid loading the wall of the plastic container with nitrogen. However, it has been found in extensive studies that even the brief application of the inner wall does not lead to damage to the mouth region or the thread of the plastic container.

Furthermore, it would also be possible to selectively direct the flowable medium tangentially to a container inner surface and not to the mouth edge itself, in order to avoid in this way a deep penetration into the product by distribution over a wide area. Furthermore, it would also be conceivable that the plastic container is rotated during its application with the flowable medium about its longitudinal direction, so that in this way a larger area of the mouth is exposed to the nitrogen.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the loading device is arranged stationary relative to the transport path of the container. Preferably, the loading device is arranged stationary in particular during the working operation and the containers move with respect to the loading device.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the loading device is arranged such that the flowable medium is injected against the direction of movement of the containers in this. In other words, the movement of the jet has at least one component which runs counter to the movement of the containers. In this way, a higher pulse is achieved when the jet impinges on the container inner wall, and thus a better atomization effect.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it would also be conceivable that the flowable medium is injected transversely to the direction of movement of the containers in this. An injection angle relative to the direction of movement of the containers is between 30 ° and 150 °, preferably between 45 ° and 135 °, preferably between 60 ° and 120 °, more preferably between 70 ° and 110 °, particularly preferably between 80 ° and 100 ° and particularly preferred at about 90 °. In principle, it would be possible for the flowable medium to be introduced into the container from any direction relative to the mouth of the container, as long as the flowable medium still impinges on at least one further surface before it enters the liquid.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the introduced or to be introduced amount of nitrogen is regulated by increasing the injection pressure. After bouncing off the opposite orifice wall, the velocity of the incident (nitrogen) jet is reduced via the central component, and thus the jet strikes a substantially reduced vertical velocity, and additionally individual droplets, as opposed to a vertical (ie along the longitudinal direction of the vessels) on. It has been found that the said vertical speed is now no higher than in the soft can system described above, i.e. Overpressure nitrogen is now accelerated only during the fall distance to the filling level in the container. With a vertical jet, increasing the injection pressure would significantly increase product penetration.

Furthermore, it would also be possible that the "angle of attack" or the angle of incidence of the flowable medium is adjustable. This angle can optionally be adjusted depending on a mouth geometry and a machine performance. The greater the power, ie the faster the containers move past the nozzle assembly, the more larger can be the angle of attack. This is especially true when the nozzle assembly tilts in or against the direction of the transport path.

If a wide mouth exists, for example, 38 mm neck / mouth diameter, you can set - as is clear from geometric considerations - a larger angle of attack. With a neck / mouth diameter of 28 mm, the angle of attack should be smaller (i.e., steeper).

Preferably, the choice of the angle is such that the jet does not impinge too deeply (directly into the filled liquid) and does not hit too high up (nitrogen spills out of the bottle unused).

Furthermore, it is possible by the inventive arrangement of the loading device (in particular in a mounting position transversely to the transport direction or in the transport direction) to put a dosing much closer to the Verschliesser, so that the transport path that covers the container after the injection of nitrogen to the Verschliesser still , is very short. This reduces the losses due to evaporation of the introduced medium into the environment. In other words, nitrogen can still be introduced here if dropping would no longer be possible in the case of a conventional vertical position of the loading device due to the limited installation space.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the filling element fills the liquid in the heated state in the containers. Thus, a so-called hot-fill method is described here, in which heated liquid is filled into the containers and then the head space is still charged with liquid nitrogen.

The present invention is further directed to a method for filling containers with liquids, wherein in a first process step, the containers are filled with liquid and in a second process step, the container filled with the liquid is acted upon by a further flowable medium by means of a loading device. According to the invention, the flowable medium initially strikes a predetermined surface before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container. It is possible that the medium on an inner wall of the container, in particular an inner wall of an orifice of the container is applied to from there (at least partially, ie in particular the not yet vaporized portion) to reach the liquid or in the headspace of the container.

Thus, it is also suggested on the procedural side that the flowable medium is initially applied selectively to a predetermined surface, in particular the inner wall of the container, in order to reach the bottled liquid only from there.

In a further advantageous method, the liquid is introduced into the containers in the heated state. This method is particularly suitable for the invention described here introducing the flowable medium.

In a further advantageous method, the container is moved during the filling with the liquid and / or during the application of flowable medium. However, it is possible that the filling elements move in sections with the containers to be filled with.

Preferably, the flowable medium contains nitrogen, in particular liquid nitrogen.

In a further advantageous method, the flowable medium is introduced obliquely or perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal direction of the containers in this. In this case, preferably, an application device is inclined, but it would also be possible to make the containers themselves temporarily during the application obliquely. In this case, the said inclined position is preferably chosen so that the flowable medium always acts on an inner wall and in particular a mouth inner wall of the container during the entire loading process. However, it could also be provided spray heads, from which the flowable medium fully exits such that it first strikes the inner wall of the container or the mouth.

In a further advantageous method, the application takes place in discrete dosages. This pulsed application is controlled by a control device which processes a sensor signal, which sensor signal is generated by a sensor which detects that a container is in the position which is optimal for application. As a result, the flowable medium is introduced exclusively in the containers and no Flowable medium is wasted because it is injected next to the containers.

Fig. 1a

eine schematische Darstellung einer Anlage zum Befüllen von Behältnissen;

Fig. 1 b

eine weitere schematische Darstellung einer Anlage zum Befüllen von Behältnissen;

Fig. 2a, 2b

zwei Darstellungen von Vorrichtungen nach dem Stand der Technik;

Fig. 3

eine Darstellung zur Veranschaulichung der vorliegenden Erfindung; und

Fig. 4

eine weitere Darstellung zur Veranschaulichung der vorliegenden Erfindung.

Fig. 5

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung; und

Fig. 6a-6b

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings. Show:

Fig. 1a

a schematic representation of a system for filling containers;

Fig. 1 b

a further schematic representation of a system for filling containers;

Fig. 2a, 2b

two illustrations of prior art devices;

Fig. 3

a representation for illustrating the present invention; and

Fig. 4

another illustration to illustrate the present invention.

Fig. 5

a further embodiment of a device according to the invention; and

Fig. 6a-6b

a further embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Fig. 1a shows a rough schematic representation of a device 1 for filling containers. In this case, empty containers of the device 1 for filling containers are supplied by means of a feeder 12 in the form of a transport star. This device 1 in this case has a plurality of filling elements 6, which are arranged here on a transport device 2, wherein the transport device is designed here as a rotatable carrier. The individual containers 10 (only one shown schematically) are filled during their transport along the transport path T with a liquid and in particular with a drink. At the end of the transport path T is a loading device 4 is provided, which acts on the containers during their movement with a flowable medium, ie here with nitrogen. It is possible that the loading device permanently emits nitrogen, but it would also be possible for a control device is provided, which releases an admission only in each case when a container is within reach of the loading device.

The device 1 is immediately followed by a closing device 20, which closes the filled and nitrogen-loaded containers with closures. In this case, this closing device is preferably arranged in the immediate vicinity of the device 1, so that a closure of the containers can take place substantially immediately after the application of nitrogen.

Alternatively and preferably, it is possible that the device 1 transfers the containers filled with liquid to a transport star, which is part of the transport path, and which in turn transfers the filled containers to a closing device. An application device 4 can then be arranged on the transport star. Preferably, the loading unit arranged on the transport star is arranged directly upstream of the closing device with respect to the direction of movement of the containers on the transport path.

Fig. 1b shows a further schematic representation of a system according to the invention. The bottles are first supplied via a bottle inlet 34 and a Einteilstern 36 and an inlet star 38 a rinser 30. The reference numeral 28 refers to doors which facilitate the accessibility of the system. About an outlet star 44, the containers are removed from the rinser 30. The reference numeral 32 denotes an optional partition, which is particularly advantageous for sterile applications.

The reference numeral 46 designates a transfer star which transfers the containers to the feed device 12, ie a filler starter. After the filling process, the containers are transferred to the discharge device 17 or the filler outlet star. In the area of this filler outlet star and the loading device 4 is arranged. Via a further feed device 52 and a so-called pick-and-place wheel 54, the closures 20 are supplied with the container closures. About an outlet star 58, which may also be designed as Absenkrad and a conveyor belt 62, the sealed containers are removed.

During the exemplary filling process, the abbreviation AN denotes the pressing of a bottle onto a filling element, the abbreviation S / V the rinsing and / or prestressing of the containers, the abbreviation SF a fast filling process, the abbreviation LF a slow filling process, the abbreviation B / E the calming and Relieve the containers and the abbreviation AB lowering the containers. Preferably, a container 10 is filled with a quiescent, ie non-carbonated liquid, wherein usually at least the pressing steps mentioned above, pressing on, pretensioning and relieving, are dispensed with.

In this way, the loading device 4 can advantageously be arranged on the transport device 17 and in front of the capper 20, and particularly advantageously as close as possible to the capper 20. The individual transport devices can have gripping elements for gripping the individual containers.

The device 1 can continue to have a reservoir for a liquid to be filled with liquid, especially a drink.

The Fig. 2a and 2b show two possible known from the prior art procedures in the loading of containers 10 with nitrogen. At the in Fig. 2a a variant shown, a nitrogen jet 14 which extends in the longitudinal direction L of the container and which acts directly on the liquid 5 within the container with the nitrogen. However, with this procedure there is a risk of the nitrogen entering the liquid.

At the in Fig. 2b In the embodiment shown, the nitrogen is applied to the liquid like a rain, so that the risk of penetration into the liquid 5 does not exist. However, the in Fig. 2b shown device relatively expensive.

Fig. 3 shows a device according to the invention for charging the containers 10 with the liquid medium. In this case, a nitrogen jet 14 also forms here, which, however, is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction L of the container by an angle a. This angle a is preferably between 20 ° and 90 °, more preferably between 30 and 70 ° and particularly preferably between 40 and 70 °. The angle is dependent on a mouth geometry of the containers ie in particular their diameter and height. By this inclination is achieved that the flowable medium 7, ie, the nitrogen, not directly into the liquid 5, but first to an inner wall 10a of the container 10. In this way, the nitrogen is atomized to this inner wall 10a and only then enters the liquid 5. The reference T refers to the Transport direction of the containers. However, the transport direction can also run, for example, perpendicular to the plane of the figure. It can be seen that the nitrogen jet 14 extends counter to the transport direction (but it would also be possible transverse to the transport direction or along the transport direction), or meets the nitrogen with a velocity component v1 on the wall 10 a, which the transport direction of the containers or the transport speed of the containers is opposite. In this way, the impact velocity of the nitrogen on the wall 10a can be increased.

However, it would also be possible for a nozzle arrangement to protrude into the mouth of the container during the application.

Fig. 4 shows additional details of in Fig. 3 shown device. As an illustration, another position of the nitrogen jet 14 is shown here, more precisely at a time when the container is in a different position. In this case, the inclination of the nitrogen jet 14 is preferably selected such that also in the in Fig. 4 Dashed position shown the beam still hits the inner wall 10a of the container and not on the liquid. With a slightly lower inclination, it would be conceivable here that the nitrogen in turn (unwantedly) injected directly into the liquid 5. The loading device has at least one nozzle 9.

The reference numeral 20 denotes here the closing device. One recognizes furthermore that the in 3 and 4 shown inclined position additional space can be obtained so that the capper 20 can be arranged even closer to the loading device 4.

Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention 1. In this embodiment, the device has no inclined nozzle, but one arranged at the lower end of the spray 15 spray head 18. From this spray head 18 emerges the jet S of the flowable medium in a substantially radial direction and thus also initially meets the wall 10a of the container 10. It would be possible that the flowable medium ie the nitrogen exits fully from the spray head 18, but it would also be conceivable that the exit takes place only in a radial direction. It would also be possible that the spray head 18 is designed such that it rotates as a result of the flow with the flowable medium about the longitudinal direction L, so that in this way the container wall 10a is circumferentially applied with the nitrogen. It would also be possible that the nitrogen is not sprayed exactly in the radial direction shown, but, for example, slightly obliquely downward or obliquely upward. When spraying obliquely downward, it would also be possible that the spray head is always located above the mouth of the container 10 and therefore does not have to be lowered.

Fig. 6a shows a further advantageous embodiment of a loading device 4. Here comes the exiting nitrogen jet 14 first to a surface 16 and a baffle plate 16 and from there into the container 10. In this embodiment, therefore, the beam from below hits the baffle plate and is from there deflected into the container 10. The angle of attack a is here greater than 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the container.

As mentioned above, this baffle plate 16 may be heated by a heater (not shown) to prevent ice formation and to achieve better atomization of the liquid nitrogen. In Fig. 6b Two possible embodiments of such a baffle plate or surface are shown. In this case, the beam 14 can hit a curved or angled surface 16a. In addition, it would also be possible that the baffle 16, unlike in Fig. 6b shown tilted to improve the rebound effect.

In addition, it would also be possible for the nitrogen to first strike a surface of the container closures to be supplied in order to get into the containers from there. Also in this way a metering of the nitrogen is possible shortly before closing the containers.

The loading of the containers with liquid nitrogen takes place continuously, that is, a metering valve, not shown, is constantly open during the act of loading. In this case, the throughput of nitrogen can be regulated and changed by a control device, not shown, for example, the system performance. Alternatively and preferably, it is possible that, likewise regulated by a suitable control device, a pulsed admission takes place. In this case, it is detected, for example, by a sensor, not shown, that a container is in the optimal position for the application and processed by the control device generates a signal from the sensor, whereby an admission of the container located in the optimum position is caused.

The Applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

transport means

4

loading device

5

liquid

6

infill

7

flowable medium

9

jet

10

containers

10a

inner wall

12

feeding

14

nitrogen jet

16

given surface, baffle plate

16a

Surface of the baffle plate

17

removal device

18

spray nozzle

20

closing

30

rinser

32

partition wall

34

bottle infeed

36

Einteilstern

38

feed star

44

outlet star 46 transfer stars

52

feeding

54

Pick and place bike

58

outlet star

62

conveyor belt

a

angle

L

longitudinal direction

T

Transport path, transport direction

v1

velocity component

S

beam direction

AT

Pressing the bottle

S / V

Rinsing and / or tempering

SF

fast Fill

LF

slowly filling

B / E

Calm and relieve

FROM

Lowering the containers

Claims (11)

Device (1) for filling containers (10) with liquids, with at least one filling element (6) which fills the containers (10) with the liquid, with a transport device (2) for transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path (T) and with a further admission device (4), which loads the containers (10) filled with the liquid with another flowable medium,
characterized in that
the loading device (4) is arranged such that the flowable medium exiting from the loading device (4) initially strikes a predetermined surface (10a, 16) before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the predetermined surface (10a, 16) is an inner wall of the container (10) or a surface (16) lying outside the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the loading device (4) has a nozzle (9, 18) from which the flowable medium emerges with a jet direction (S) which is oblique with respect to a longitudinal direction of the containers (10). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the loading device (4) is arranged stationary relative to the transport path (T). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the loading device (4) is arranged such that the flowable medium is injected against the direction of movement of the containers (10) in this. Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the filling element (6) fills the liquid in the heated state in the containers. Method for filling containers (10) with liquids using the steps - filling the container (10) with the liquid and - Subjecting the filled with the liquid container (10) with another flowable medium by means of a loading device (4);
characterized in that
the flowable medium first encounters a predetermined surface (10a, 16) before it reaches the liquid arranged in the container (10). Method according to claim 6,
characterized in that
the liquid is introduced into the containers (10) in the heated state. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the container (10) is moved during the filling with the liquid and / or during the application of the flowable medium. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the flowable medium contains nitrogen. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the flowable medium is introduced obliquely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the containers (10) in this.

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