EP2534089B1 - Filling system for filling containers in a pressurized manner - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling system according to the preamble of claim 1. A generic method is known from EP 1 520 833 A1 known.

Processes and filling systems for filling containers and in particular also for pressure filling of containers (filling of containers under tension or filling pressure) with a liquid filling material, for example with a CO2-containing filling or beverage are known in different versions, especially in the form of Filling machines of rotating design. The respective container is at least during a phase of a filling process, in particular during the actual filling phase, in which the filling of the prestressed with the clamping or filling pressure container, and / or during a filling phase preceding clamping and / or prestressing phase with a his Container opening surrounding the mouth edge with a contact force tight or pressed in sealing position against the filling element in the region of a local discharge opening for the liquid product.

In particular, ( EP 1 520 833 B1 ), the contact pressure by a pneumatic device, for example in the form of a pneumatic piston-cylinder arrangement which is part of a lifting device for a respective container during the filling process supporting or receiving and pressing against the filling container container carrier and with the pressure (tension or filling pressure) of a gas used during the filling process. and / or vaporous process medium, in the form of an inert gas used as rinsing and / or clamping and / or biasing gas. The filling system or the corresponding filling machine have a plurality of filling elements, each with a container carrier and an associated lifting device.

A fundamental advantage of such a filling system is u.a. in a simplified control of the lifting devices for the container carrier and in particular in a reduction in the number and / or the load of filling element-side controls, such as cam rollers, in cooperation with at least one fixed cam the lowered state of the container carrier on the container inlet and the container outlet Make sure the filling machine for transferring the empty container to the filling elements or to the local container carrier and for the removal of the filled containers from the container carriers.

The disadvantage of such filling systems, however, is that the pressure of the rinsing and / or clamping and / or biasing gas by process parameters, in particular by füllgutspezifische parameters such as type, CO2 content and temperature of the contents, but also by machine-related parameters, such as power the filling machine (filled containers per unit time), etc.) specified and not or at most only conditionally changeable.

If containers with different orifice diameters, for example bottles with a mouth diameter of 28, 30 or 38 mm, are to be filled on one and the same filling machine, then it is necessary to design the pneumatic device, which generates the pressing force, in such a way that it takes into account the filling or Clamping pressure still provides the sufficient for the container with the largest orifice diameter clamping or contact force. However, this also means that this contact pressure for such containers with a smaller orifice diameter is far above the required level, with the result of unnecessarily high mechanical load of containers with a smaller orifice diameter due to the excessive contact pressure. In particular, in the case of thin-walled containers and / or plastic containers, this can lead to destruction, or at least damage to the containers.

The object of the invention is to show a filling system which, while retaining the fundamental advantages resulting from the generation of the contact force from the pressure of the gaseous and / or vaporous process medium, makes it possible to adjust or change or adapt the respective contact pressure. To solve this problem, a filling system according to the patent claim 1 is formed.

The gaseous and / or vaporous auxiliary medium, with which the further component of the respective contact force is generated and the pressure acting at least in the further pneumatic device is adjustable and / or variable, is for example air, preferably sterile air.

Of course, the auxiliary medium may also be a liquid, for example water, preferably sterile water or, in certain applications, even the filling material. Thus, in the context of the present invention, the term auxiliary medium expressly also always means a liquid auxiliary medium. Only to simplify the readability, but without limiting the scope of protection will be waived in each case to the express mention of possibly liquid auxiliary medium.

The gaseous and / or vaporous process medium is in the sense of the medium with which the containers are treated and / or acted upon during the filling process, for example the flushing and / or biasing gas in the form of inert gas, e.g. in the form of CO 2 gas or a gaseous or vaporous medium for sterilizing the containers prior to filling. However, the process medium in the sense of the invention is also a cleaning and / or sterilization medium which is used for a cleaning and / or sterilization of the filling system, preferably for a CIP cleaning and / or sterilization of the filling system.

Preferably, the filling system according to the invention is designed so that the first component of the contact pressure generated by the pressure of the process medium is greater than the component generated by the pressure of the auxiliary medium.

If the filling system is part of a filling machine of continuous design with a plurality of filling elements with associated container carriers, then the

Control, for example, in the form that the other pneumatic devices of all filling elements are constantly supplied with the desired or required clamping force supplied pressure of the auxiliary medium and the container carriers are moved to the container inlet and the container outlet against the action of further pneumatic devices by cams in a lower stroke position ,

The adjustment and / or regulation of the pressure of both the process medium and the auxiliary medium preferably takes place via electropneumatic control devices, for example as a function of data or programs stored in an electronic control device (eg process computer) of the filling system or the filling machine or in dependence on product and machine related parameters.

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

• Fig. 1 - 4 jeweils ein Füllelement eines Füllsystems oder einer Füllmaschine zum Druckfüllen von Behältern in unterschiedlichen Betriebszuständen;
• Fig. 5 in vereinfachter Teildarstellung ein Füllelement einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform.

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

• Fig. 1 - 4th in each case a filling element of a filling system or a filling machine for pressure filling of containers in different operating states;
• Fig. 5 in a simplified partial view of a filling element of an embodiment of the invention.

That in the Figures 1 - 4 generally designated 1 filling element is part of a filling system or a filling machine of rotating design for filling containers, namely, for example, bottles 2 under pressure with a liquid product, eg with a CO2-containing filling or beverage. The filling element 1 is arranged with a plurality of similar filling elements on the circumference of a rotatably driven at the vertical axis of the machine rotor, of which in the FIG. 1 only very schematically a Füllgutkessel or ring bowl 3 is shown. This is partially filled during the filling operation with the liquid to be introduced via the filling elements 1 in the bottles 2, so that in the interior of the ring bowl 3 a occupied by the contents lower liquid space 3.1 and an upper gas space 3.2 is formed. The latter is occupied by a gaseous or vaporous process medium, eg inert gas or CO2 gas, which is acted upon by a pressure P1 (clamping or filling pressure). In the interior of a housing 4 of the filling element 1, inter alia, a liquid channel 5 is formed, in which inter alia, a liquid valve 6 is formed for the controlled delivery of the liquid filling material into the respective bottle 2 and which in the flow direction of the filling material in front of the liquid valve 6 with the liquid chamber 3.1 of the ring vessel 3 is in communication and in the flow direction of the liquid filling material after the liquid valve 6 at the Bottom of the filling element 1 and the Füllelementgehäuses 4 opens into a discharge opening 7. The latter is surrounded by a arranged in a centering tulip 8, the Füllelementachse FA concentrically enclosing annular seal 9, against which the respective arranged with its axis of the bottle axis coincident with the axis FA bottle 2 pressed during filling with a surrounding the bottle opening mouth edge 2.1 pressed.

The pressure P1 is set and regulated as a function of the type and / or temperature of the filling material, for example as a function of the CO2 content of the filling material, for example by an electropneumatic control device as a function of data stored in an electronic control device (process computer) of the filling machine or programs.

Each filling element 1 is further associated with a container carrier 10, which is executed in the illustrated embodiment for a suspended support of the bottles 2, that is, for a mounting of the bottles 2 to a mouth flange 2.2. The container carrier 10 is attached at the lower end of two guide rods 11 connecting these, which are arranged with their longitudinal extent parallel to each other and also parallel to the axis FA on both sides of this axis and provided axially displaceable in Füllelementgehäuse 4. At the upper, over the Füllelementgehäuse 4 protruding end of the guide rods 11 are connected to each other via a bearing piece 12, on which a cam roller 13 is freely rotatable about an axis radially to the axis of rotation of the rotor or the annular bowl 3, for the interaction with a stationary, ie with the rotor or with On the bottom side facing away from the cam roller 13 acts on the bearing piece 12, a piston 15, which is designed as a stepped piston with two piston sections 15.1 and 15.2. Of these, the piston portion 15.1 with the smaller diameter in a cylinder space 16.1 and the piston portion 15.2 with the larger diameter in a piston portion 15.1 surrounding annular cylinder space 16.2 axially, ie slidably provided in the direction of the axis FA. The cylinder chamber 16.2 is in turn designed step-shaped, with a larger diameter in the upper region and a reduced diameter in the lower region, so that within the cylinder chamber 16.2 a stop or collar 17 is formed, against which the piston portion 15.2 at full in the direction of Füllelementunterseite lowered piston 15 abuts.

At least during the pressure filling of the respective bottle 2, the cylinder space 16.1 is acted upon by the pressure P1 from the gas space 3.2 of the ring vessel 3, so that the piston 15 is moved upwards or is biased by the pressure P1 prevailing in the cylinder space 16.1 and thereby the respective bottle 2 with its bottle mouth 2.1 is pressed against the ring direction 9, via the piston 15, the bearing element 12, the two guide rods 11 and the container carrier 10. In the cylinder chamber 16.1 opens and the upper open end of a coaxially arranged with the axis FA and at the same time as a valve tappet for the valve body of the liquid valve 6 serving gas pipe 6.1, which at its lower open end the interior of the in sealing position with the filling element located bottle 2 is sufficient, so that this is biased at least during filling with the inert gas pressure P1.

The pressure P1 is fixedly provided by various filling and / or system parameters, for example by the temperature and / or the type and / or the inert gas or CO2 gas content of the liquid filling material, so that the contact pressure, which of the from the piston portion 15.1 and The cylinder space 16.1 existing piston-cylinder arrangement is generated, is not freely changeable, especially not to adapt this contact pressure on containers or bottles with different diameters in the container or bottle mouth 2.1.

The piston section 15.2 together with the cylinder chamber 16.2 a piston-cylinder arrangement, which despite the constant or substantially constant pressure P1 allows a change or adjustment of the contact force with which the relevant bottle 2 pressed against its mouth edge 2.1 pressed against the seal 9 , The cylinder space 16.2 is for this purpose acted upon with a liquid and / or gas and / or vapor auxiliary medium, for example with air, preferably with sterile air with the variable pressure P2, so that the total contact pressure is a function of the pressures P1 and P2 and by changing the pressure P2 can be changed or adapted to the respective requirements, in particular also to the respective mouth diameter D1 of the container or the bottle 2 in the region of the bottle mouth 2.1.

By generating the contact force with which the respective bottle 2 is pressed against the ring seal 9 at least during the pressure filling, from the inert gas pressure P1, u.a. a simplified control and improved reliability for the filling elements 1. An advantage of the production of the preferably larger component of the contact pressure by the pressure P1 of the process medium (purge gas and / or clamping and / or biasing gas), e.g. Inert or CO 2 gas also consists in the fact that the respective cylinder chamber 16.1 is relieved in the region of the container or bottle inlet as well as in the region of the container and bottle outlet, so that a reduced load of the cam followers 13 cooperating with the control cam 14 with lowered container carriers 10 in the angular range of the rotational movement of the rotor between the container outlet and the container inlet results.

The FIG. 1 shows the filling element 1 together with a located in this sealing layer bottle 2 with a smaller mouth diameter D1, for example, a bottle with a mouth diameter D1 of 28mm. For pressing these bottles 2, for example, only the contact pressure generated by the pressure P1 (clamping or filling pressure) over the piston section 15.1 is used, if necessary with slight support of the contact pressure generated by the piston section 15.2.

The FIG. 2 shows the filling element 1 for filling bottles 2, which have at its mouth edge a much larger mouth diameter D2. For filling these bottles 2 are preferably the centering tulips 8 with the seal 9 exchanged against centering tulips 8a with ring seals 9a, which (centering tulips) have a slightly larger internal cross-section. For pressing the bottles 2 against the respective filling element 1 during pressure filling, the contact pressure generated by the piston section 15.1 and in addition the pressure generated by the piston section 15.2, wherein the cylinder chamber 16.2 is acted upon by pressure P3 of the vapor or gaseous auxiliary medium. In this case, the pressure P3 of the auxiliary medium can be both larger and smaller than the pressure P2. In any case, the pressure P3 is adjusted so that the force effect produced by it is so great as to produce the required additional contact force.

The FIG. 3 shows the filling element 1 in a CIP cleaning and / or disinfection of the filling system preparatory position in which are placed on the lowered container support 10 of the filling elements closing or flushing plates 18. By cooperating with the respective control roller 13 cam 14 ensures that the container carrier 10 of each filling element 1 when placing the closing or flushing plate 18 is in the lowest position in which the piston portion 15.2 abuts against the collar acting as a stop 17.

To accommodate the respective empty, to be filled bottle 2 at a bottle inlet of the filling machine and for removing the respective filled bottle at a bottle outlet of the filling machine, the jewellige container carrier 10 is lowered with the bottle, for example, in a position in which the piston 15 with his piston section 15.2 abuts against the collar 17. The lowered state is due to the interaction of the respective cam roller 13 with the control cam 14th achieved or ensured. Alternatively, the lowered state of the respective container carrier 10 can also be achieved or at least ensured that the cylinder chamber 16.2 is subjected to a negative pressure VAK. By doing so, the piston 15, as in the FIG. 3 shown in the lowest possible position.

The FIG. 4 shows the filling element 1 in a state in which the flow or flushing plate 18 with the aid of the raised container support 10 with its seal provided on the top plate sealingly abuts against the edge of the centering tulip 8a, namely to form a closed to the environment Spülraumes within the Centering tulip 8a. The required contact pressure is achieved here by the cylinder chamber 16.1 prevailing pressure P4 of the medium used for the CIP cleaning and / or disinfection and in particular by acting on the cylinder chamber 16.2 with the auxiliary medium pressure P5.

The FIG. 5 shows a schematic partial representation of an inventive filling element 1a, which differs from the filling element 1 essentially in that for generating the resulting from the pressure P1 component of the contact pressure, a bellows 19 is provided, which is acted upon during the pressure filling with the pressure P1 and between the top of the Füllelementgehäuses 4 and the underside of the bearing piece 12 acts. In addition to the bellows 19, a piston-cylinder arrangement 20 is provided for generating the component of the contact force resulting from the auxiliary medium pressure. In the In the illustrated embodiment, the piston-cylinder arrangement 20 consists of an annular annular piston 21 concentrically enclosing the axis FA and also the axis of the bellows 19, to which an annular cylinder space 22 is assigned. The latter can be acted upon by the pressure of the auxiliary medium, for example with the pressure P2, P3, P5 or with negative pressure VAK. Instead of the annular piston 21 and the annular cylinder chamber 22 in which the annular piston 21 axially, that is displaceable in the direction of the axis FA, in addition to the bellows 19 provided and also acting between the top of the Füllelementgehäuses 4 and the bearing piece 12 piston-cylinder assembly also be formed differently, for example, consisting of two opposite the bellows 19 radially offset circular cylindrical cylinder chambers with associated piston.

The invention has been described above by embodiments. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1a

filler

2

bottle

2.1

mouth edge

2.2

Mündungsflansch

3

ring bowl

3.1

Liquid or product space

3.2

headspace

4

filling element

5

liquid channel

6

liquid valve

6.1

Valve tappet or gas pipe

7

discharge opening

8, 8a

centering bell

9, 9a

ring seal

10

container carrier

11

guide rod

12

stock items

13

follower

14

cam

15

stepped piston

15.1, 15.2

piston section

16

stage cylinder

16.1, 16.2

cylinder space

17

Federation

18

Closing or flushing plate

19

bellow

20

Piston-cylinder arrangement

21

annular piston

22

cylinder space

FA

filling element

D1, D2

Mouth diameter

Claims (7)

1. Filling system for filling bottles, cans or similar containers (2) with a liquid product, comprising at least one filling element (1, 1a) having at least one dispensing opening (7) for introducing the product into the particular container (2) in a controlled manner, means (10) for retaining and pressing the particular container (2) having a container opening (2.1) in a sealing position against the filling element (1, 1a) in the area of the dispensing opening (7), at least a first pneumatic device (15.1, 16.1; 19), to which can be applied the pressure (P1) of a gaseous and / or vaporous process medium with which the containers can be treated and / or to which they can be exposed during the filling process, said pneumatic device producing at least one component of the press-on force, characterised by at least one further pneumatic device (15.2, 16.2; 21, 22), which can be exposed to a gaseous and / or vaporous auxiliary medium to generate a further component of the press-on force, wherein to change and / or adjust the press-on force the pressure of the auxiliary medium can be adjusted in the further pneumatic device (15.2, 16.2; 21, 22), wherein at least the first pneumatic device is formed by at least one bellows (19).
2. Filling system according to claim 1, characterised in that the vaporous or gaseous process medium is a process medium used to treat the containers and / or the filling system, for example a purging and / or tensioning and / or pre-tensioning gas, e.g. in the form of an inert or CO2 gas and / or that the process medium is a sterilisation medium used during the filling of the containers and / or a gaseous and / or vaporous sterilisation medium used during the cleaning and / or sterilisation of the filling systems.
3. Filling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a container carrier (10) is assigned to the filling element (1), wherein the particular container (2) is held on said carrier at least during the filling process, and that the first pneumatic device (15.1, 16.1; 19) and the at least one further pneumatic device (15.2, 16.2; 21, 22) is part of a lifting device to generate a relative movement between the filling element (1) and the container carrier (10), or to press the particular container (2) against the filling element (1), preferably to generate a lifting movement of the container carrier (10) relative to the filling element (1).
4. Filling system according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that at least one pneumatic device is a piston-cylinder arrangement (15, 16; 20) with at least one cylinder space (16.1, 19.2) which can be exposed to the process medium or the auxiliary medium, wherein preferably the pneumatic devices for the process medium and the auxiliary medium are formed by a common piston-cylinder arrangement with step-shaped pistons (15) and step-shaped cylinders (16), this being with an outer annular cylinder space (16.2) adjacent to an outer piston section (15.2), of which preferably the inner cylinder space (16.1) can be exposed to the process medium, and the outer cylinder space (16.2) can be exposed to the auxiliary medium.
5. Filling system according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that in the pneumatic device for the auxiliary medium is formed by at least one piston-cylinder arrangement (20), for example a piston-cylinder arrangement (20) having an annular cylinder space (22) with annular pistons (21) and for example enclosing the at least one bellows (19).
6. Filling system according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it is part of a filling machine with a multiplicity of filling elements (1), preferably a filling machine of a rotary kind.
7. Filling system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the inside of the pneumatic device (15.1, 16.1, 20) which can be exposed to the process medium is connected to a gas path formed inside the filling element (1, 1a) or is part of a gas path of this kind.

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