EP2536487B1 - Device for batchwise mixing of additive components for blended products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

For the production of mixed products, in particular also for the production of beverages or mixed drinks, e.g. Soft drinks or sodas, each comprising a base component (e.g., water) and at least one of e.g. flavoring and / or coloring and / or preserving additive component, which in turn is prepared by mixing several individual components, methods and mixing plants are known, which are also referred to as a mixer and u.a. a plant component, e.g. a tank for degassing the base component (water), one or more metered additions and / or mixing lines for metered mixing of the at least one additional component, a device for carbonizing the consisting of the main component and the at least one additional component mixed product and a device for buffering the mixed product.

The additional component, which is also referred to as syrup in the case of beverages, is usually premixed in a separate pre-mixing chamber (also syrup) from the individual components and then mixed in the mixing device with the degassed main component (water) or diluted with this main component to the final concentration ,

For the pre-metering or mixing of the additional components in the separate pre-mixing chamber (syrup space) methods and devices are known in which the individual components are each metered into an associated batch tank, controlled by flow meters or load cells. For example, very large storage tanks or two parallel batch tanks are used alternately. The disadvantage here is, inter alia, that all incoming or outgoing lines including fittings, mixing pump, mixing technology must be performed twice or in even greater numbers. The batch tanks are usually designed so large volume that they contain such a large volume that an uninterrupted filling tent of at least 15 minutes is achieved. During this time, the parallel provided another batch tank is refilled. Due to these requirements and the resulting container volumes result in high investment costs.

Such a device has been exemplified by the DE 2 220 224 B1 known. This document provides that components are conveyed to or after the mixing by the effect of negative and / or pressure from one tank to the next. This approach is expensive because of the high cost of generating negative pressure.

Also known was a device according to the WO 99/410002 A2 , This document provides for a promotion of the components required for the production of a mixed product by means of pumps. This procedure is disadvantageous because any pumping operation can damage the pumped product. Also disadvantageous are the high energy costs.

Also known was a device according to the WO 2005/018788 A1 , This document also provides for a promotion by means of pumps, so that also apply the aforementioned disadvantages.

Also known are methods and mixing devices or mixers, which are designed for inline dosing and in which the individual components are introduced in parallel dosed inline into the main component (water) within the mixer. A disadvantage of this method is a significant design effort, since for each component a separate Dosierstrang u.a. with flow vessel, with level measurement, with inlet control, with pump, with flow meter, with flow control valve etc. required. Another disadvantage is that by the metered addition of the individual components continuously or constantly working pumps undesired heating of the individual components, especially those of individual components, which are present as small components only with a small mass or proportion in the final product. This warming can lead to significant product damage.

A further disadvantage of known methods for in-line metering is that a frequently assured, ie redundant, measurement of the metered individual components, ie in particular control and / or verification of the measured values of metering devices used for metering (bulk metering), is often desired. and / or volumetric flow meter) and / or scales as well as inline control measurement methods for detecting erroneous measurements or dosages are not possible or very complicated.

The object of the invention is to provide a device with which the investment cost of an entire system for producing mixed products, especially mixed drinks is substantially reduced. To solve this problem, a device according to the patent claim 1 is formed.

A general feature of the invention is that the device for mixing or producing the respective additional component from its individual components is an integral part of the mixing device or the mixer, in which the admixing of this additional component to the basic or main component (eg water) , Alone through this training results in a significant reduction in the investment volume of an entire system by eliminating a separate premix or syrup room and the local facilities.

For the additional component, e.g. when mixed products in the form of drinks, it is, for example, a flavoring and / or coloring and / or preserving component.

A special feature of the invention further consists in that only one single batch tank is provided for blending the additional component from the individual components into which all individual components required for the respective formulation are metered during each metering cycle and preferably introduced at least partially one after the other. At the end of each dosing cycle, the individual components or the additional component composed thereof are discharged into the buffer tank via a fluid connection, in free fall, so that intensive mixing of the individual components takes place already in the fluid connection.
For the purposes of the invention, "batchwise blending of the additional components" is thus to be understood as meaning that at least all the individual components forming the respective additional component are metered into each metering cycle the batch tank are introduced and that this batch tank is then emptied into the mixing and buffer tank.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

Fig. 1

in einem vereinfachten Funktionsdiagramm eine Mischanlage oder - vorrichtung (Mixer) zum Mischen oder Vermischen einer flüssigen Grundkomponente (Wasser) mit einer flüssigen Zusatzkomponente ZK (Sirup), die ihrerseits beispielsweise durch Mischen aus wenigstens zwei Einzelkomponenten K1 - K5 hergestellt ist;

Fig. 2

in schematischer Funktionsdarstellung ein Kreuzventil im geschlossenen Zustand (Position a) bzw. im geöffneten Zustand (Position b).

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

Fig. 1

in a simplified functional diagram, a mixing plant or apparatus (mixer) for mixing or mixing a liquid base component (water) with a liquid additive component ZK (syrup), which in turn is prepared for example by mixing at least two individual components K1 - K5;

Fig. 2

in a schematic functional representation of a cross valve in the closed state (position a) or in the open state (position b).

The in the Fig. 1 generally designated 1 (mixer) is used to produce mixed products in the form of drinks by mixing a liquid base component GK, namely usually water, with an additional component ZK (blended syrup), which as flavoring and / or coloring and / or preserving Component in turn is produced by mixing several individual components K1 - K5, as well as for carbonizing and buffering the respective mixed product. For this purpose, the mixing device 1 can be functionally subdivided into a plurality of device or plant sections 1.1 - 1.4, of which the section 1.1 for the treatment of the basic component GK or of the water by degassing and the Plant section 1.2 for the metered admixing of one or more additional components ZK to the basic component GK and the system section 1.3 for providing the additional component ZK by mixing this component from the individual components K1 - K5 according to the respective prescribed recipe. The section 1.4 is used for carbonization and intermediate storage of the mixed product.

The plant section 1.1 essentially comprises a tank 2 to which the water is supplied in the required amount during operation of the mixing device 1, in such a way that the tank 2 is partially filled with the basic component GK, so that in the tank 2, a lower liquid space 2.1 and lying above a gas space 2.2 are formed. The gas space 2.2 is for the degassing of the basic component GK via a line 3 with a vacuum source (vacuum pump) in combination. Via a basic component GK and then the mixing product leading line 4, the tank 2 is connected to a buffer tank 5, which communicates via a product line 6 with a filling machine, not shown, for filling the mixed product or beverage in bottles or in other containers.

In line 4, in the illustrated embodiment in the flow direction from the tank 2 to the buffer tank 5, a connecting valve 7, via which a concentrated aqueous sugar solution (eg 70% sugar solution) can be introduced into the basic component GK for sweetening the mixed product, as well as a another connection valve 8 is provided, via which the additional component ZK is introduced into the basic component GK.

Following in the direction of flow to the connecting valve 8, the line 4 in a line section in front of the buffer tank 5 a Karbonisierungsstrecke, which is indicated in the figure with the arrow 9 and in the inter alia, a flow meter 10 and following this, a flow control valve 11 in the line 4 is provided are. In the flow direction of the mixed product before the flow meter 10 opens via at least one nozzle opening a CO 2 line 12, which with a CO2 gas pressurized, not shown, CO2 source is connected and in which a flow meter for measuring the line 12 flowing through the amount of CO2 gas and a metering valve CO2 14 are provided. Control electronics, not shown controls, taking into account the measurement signals of the flow meter 10 and 13, for example, the metering valve CO2 14 in the form that after in-line carbonation or after the Karbonisierungsstrecke 9, the mixed product has the required or predetermined CO2 content.

For metered addition of the sugar or the sugar concentrate at the opened connection valve 7, a line 15 is provided which communicates with a source for providing the sugar concentrate and in which a flow meter 16, a metering valve sugar / large component 17, the connection valve 7 and a lock - or drain valve 18 are provided, with which the other end of the line 15 can be opened and closed to a sequence 18.1 and which is of course during the admixture of the sugar to the basic component GK in the closed state, but for example, for rinsing or cleaning the Line 15 is opened. By admixing the liquid sugar via the connection valve 7 directly into the basic component GK, the performance design of the system section 1.3 is substantially reduced.
Alternatively, the liquid sugar can also be metered in section 1.3, for example, as a single component K5.

The system section 1.3, in which the metered mixing of the additional component ZK from the individual components K1 - K4 takes place, comprises, inter alia, two metering lines 19 and 20, of which the metering line 19 has a plurality of separate connections for the individual components K1 - K4 each formed by a separate valve 21 , The individual components K1 - K4 are, for example, small components which are contained in the additional component ZK possibly with a small mass or proportion and of which, for example, the individual component K1 may also be water, preferably degassed water from the tank 2.

The metering line 20 has a port formed by the valve 22 for supplying the single component K5, which is a large component, i. a component which is contained in the additional component ZK with the largest mass or proportion. In the metering 19 and 20 flow meters 23 and 24 (mass and / or volumetric flow meter) are provided. Furthermore, in the metering 20 in the flow direction in front of the local flow meter 24, for example, a metering and delivery pump 25 is provided.

The two metering lines 19 and 20 are connected in the flow direction of the components K1 - K5 to the flow meter 23 and 24 via valves 26 to a main line 27, which in turn a lower inlet and outlet of a collection or batch tank 28 with a below this container arranged mixing and buffer tank 29 for the additional component ZK connects. In the trunk line 27, a check valve 30 is further provided, between the connection of the lines 20 and 27 and the mixing and buffer tank 29th

At the output of the mixing and buffer tank 29, the additional component ZK leading line 31 is connected in the starting from the mixing and buffer memory 29, a metering or circulation pump 32, a flow meter 33 (mass and / or volume flow meter), a metering valve Concentrates 34, the connecting valve 8 and a locking or drain valve 35 are arranged, with which the mixing and buffer memory 29 remote end of the line 31 can be closed or opened to a sequence 35.1 out.

The delivery rate of the dosing or circulating pump 32 is adjusted so that the volume flow generated by this pump is greater than the maximum amount of additive component ZK to be admixed to the basic component GK. Via a line 31.1, the unnecessary subset of the additional component ZK is returned to the mixing and buffer tank 29. The mixing of the Additional component ZK to the basic component GK takes place when the connection valve 8 is opened by activating the metering valve concentrates 34 from the control electronics as a function of the signals from the flow meter 33 and a further flow meter provided in the line 4, for example the flowmeter 10.

The peculiarity of the mixing device 1 consists in the system components serving for blending the additional component ZK and the special control of the blending process. The latter takes place in such a way that in the respective metering cycle the individual components K1-K5 are metered one after the other or introduced into the batch tank 28 as a function of the measuring signals of the flow meters 23 and 24 in the batch tank 28 corresponding to the respective recipe, namely at least for one of the components K1 - K4 for gentle treatment by suction with negative pressure. For this purpose, the batch tank 28 is connected via a vacuum regulating valve 37 having a vacuum line 36 to the gas space 2.2 of the tank 2, u.a. with the advantage that an additional vacuum source is not required and in particular aroma losses or losses of individual components are avoided, since these are washed out again in the tank 2 and thus ultimately fed into the mixed product.

If a separation of the individual components in the lines 19 and 27 is desired or necessary during the metering cycle, for example, one of the individual components K1 - K4 is water, so that by briefly opening the associated valve 21 of this component a separating "water plug" through the lines 19 and 27 can be funded in the batch tank 28.

The metered introduction of the component K5 in the batch tank 28 is carried out with the pump 25 and possibly supported by negative pressure. Basically, however, it is possible to dispense with the pump 25 and also introduce the individual component K5 dosed into the batch tank 28 by suction.

The use of a separate metering line 20 for the larger individual component K5 has the advantage that u.a. By appropriate design of the flow meter 23 and 24, the metering of the smaller individual components K1 - K4 can be done with higher accuracy, Furthermore, there is the possibility that the dosage of the individual component K5 performed in parallel with the metering of the individual components K1 - K4 by the use of the metering line 20 can be.

At the end of each dosing cycle, i. after the introduction of all, according to the recipe necessary individual components K1 - K5 in the batch tank 28, the contents of this container is emptied by blocking the valves 26 and opening the valve 30 into the mixing and buffer tank 29. The arrangement is such that after the opening of the valve 30, the contents of the batch tank 28, the trunk line 27 in free fall or flow, can flow through and this is already a mixing of the individual components. The trunk line 27 is designed for this purpose with a correspondingly large cross-section. During this emptying, the batch tank 28 is brought to ambient pressure by opening a venting valve 38. It is also possible to pressurize the batch tank 28 for accelerated evacuation.

It is particularly advantageous to design the batch tank 28 with means which enable a redundancy measurement and / or redundant checking of the metering of the individual components and, in particular, also of the smaller individual components K1-K4. For this purpose, for example, at the inlet / outlet of the batch tank 28, a further flow meter and / or a level measurement 39 is provided and / or the batch tank 28 is equipped with a weighing device, with then also introduced into the batch tank 28 amounts of the individual components K1 - K5 can be determined for a redundancy measurement. Furthermore, a level measurement of Flossigkeitsspiegels in batch tank 28 is possible. In this case, to increase the accuracy of measurement, individual sectors of the bakery tank 28 may be formed with different diameters, as shown in the figure. The redundancy measurement can be used in all cycles for all Single components K1 - K5 are performed. To save time, but this can also be done at intervals, for example, per batch or cycle only for the first introduced individual component, the temporal order of introducing the individual components in the batch tank 28 is arbitrarily or rotationally changing selected.

The batch tank 28 has a reduced volume, so that very short cycle times, for example cycle times of less than five minutes, can be achieved for the respective metering cycle consisting of the metering phase and the emptying of the batch tank 28 into the mixing and buffer tank 29.

The interior of the mixing and buffer tank 29 is preferably designed, for example, divided by dividing sheets, that it has a ridge-first-in / first-out characteristic and in this tank by the return of the partial flow via the line 31.1 the mixing of the individual components is further increased, so that with suitable products for complete mixing of the additional component ZK mechanically moving mixing and / or stirring elements are not required.

The connection valves 7 and 8 are preferably designed as cross valves, with the in the Fig. 2 schematically illustrated training, in the open state (position b of Fig. 2 ) the connection between the line 16 and 31 and the line 4 consists. In the closed state of the respective connection valve 7 or 8 (position a of Fig. 2 Not only is this connection blocked, but it is also possible, for example, during a working cycle of the mixing device 1, in which the connection is not needed, the line 16 and 31 to flush after opening the drain valve 18 and 35 respectively.

At the end of the filling of a specific product or a specific product batch, the additional component ZK for the next product batch can already be prepared in the batch tank 28 during the emptying of the mixing and buffer tank 29 according to the new formulation and then after the complete Emptying or emptying the mixing and buffer tank 29 are drained into this.

With the mixing device described, mixing products of the basic component GK and of at least one individual component K1-K5 can be prepared in the respectively required formulation, all individual components K1-K5 being available at the corresponding connections of the metering lines 19 and 20 by controlled opening of the valves 21 and 22, however, only those individual components K1 - K5 are introduced into the batch tank 28, which are actually required for the current formulation.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

mixing device

1.1 - 1.4

contact section

2

tank

2.1

liquid space

2.2

headspace

3, 4

management

5

Buffer tank for mixed product

6

product line

7, 8

Connection valve, e.g. cross valve

9

carbonation

10

Flowmeter

11

Flow Control Valve

12

CO2 line

13

Flowmeter

14

Metering valve CO2

15

management

16

Flowmeter

17

Metering valve for sugar / large component

18

Gully valve

18.1

outflow

19, 20

management

21, 22

Valve

23, 24

Flowmeter

25

pump

26

Valve

27

management

28

Collection or batch tank

29

Mixing and buffer storage

30

Valve

31, 31.1

management

32

Dosing or circulation pump

33

Flowmeter

34

Metering valve concentrates

35

Gully valve

35.1

outflow

36

vacuum line

37

vacuum regulator valve

38

vent valve

39

Flow meter / level meter

K1 - K5

Single component

ZK

mixed additional component

GK

Basic or main component

Claims (10)

1. Device for the mixing of additive components (ZK) from individual components (K1 - Kn) for mixed products containing these additional components (ZK), and for the buffering of the respective additive components (ZK), wherein it is part of a mixer for the formation of mixed products by mixing of at least one additive component (ZK) with at least one base component (GK), and comprises one single batch tank (28), which, for the metered introduction of the individual components (K1 - K5), is connected via control and/or metering valves (21, 22, 26) to the connections providing the individual components (K1 - Kn) and for the buffering of the mixed additive components (ZK), is connected to a mixing and buffer tank (29) for the respective mixed additive components (ZK), characterized in that the mixing and buffer tank (29) is arranged on a level below the batch tank (28), and that the device is arranged in such a way that the individual components (K1 - K5) can be drained out of the batch tank (28) via a liquid connection into the mixing and buffer tank (29) in free fall such that a mixing of the individual components already takes place in the liquid connection.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is arranged for a conveying of the individual components (K1 - Kn) into the batch tank (28) by vacuum or underpressure and/or for a vacuum-supported conveying of the individual components (K1 - Kn) into the batch tank (28).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it is arranged for a temporally-displaced introduction of at least a part of the individual components (K1 - Kn) required in each case during a metering cycle, and that, for this purpose, the connections of at least two individual components (K1 - K4), comprising a valve (21) in each case, are provided at a common metering line (19) for the temporally-displaced metered introduction of these individual components (K1 - K4) into the batch tank (28).
4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an independent metering line (20) is allocated to at least one individual component (K5), preferably at least one individual component (K5) which in the mixed additive component (ZK) forms the larger proportion in comparison with the other individual components.
5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by a circuit, which includes the mixing and buffer tank (29) and comprises a metering or circulating pump (32), for the additive component (ZK), wherein the metering or circulating pump (32) is preferably such as to convey the additive component (ZK) to a mixing stretch or mixing position (8) for the admixing of the additive component (ZK) to the base or main component (GK).
6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an inlet and outlet of the batch tank (28) is connected via a controlled liquid connection (27, 30) to the mixing and buffer tank (29), and that the metered conveying of the individual components (K1 - K5) into the batch tank (28) during the respective metering cycle and the draining of the individual components (K1 - K5) out of the batch tank (28) at the end of the respective metering cycle takes place via the controlled liquid connection (27, 30).
7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by means (23, 24) for the detection and/or measurement of the quantity of each individual component (K1 - K5) introduced into the batch tank (28) during a metering cycle, wherein, with the use of at least one metering line (19, 20), these means are formed by a measuring device arranged in the metering line (19, 20), for example in the form of a flow meter (23, 24).
8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the batch tank (28) is provided with an independent measuring device for the detecting and/or measurement of the quantity of at least one individual component introduced into the batch tank (28) during the respective metering cycle.
9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the underpressure for the conveying of the individual components (K1 - K5) into the batch tank (28) is drawn from a function element (2) of the mixer (1), serving to degas the base or main component (GK), and that, for this purpose, the interior of the batch tank (28) is preferably in connection, via a controlled connection (36, 37) with an interior space (2.2) of the system component (2) serving to carry out degassing.
10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the mixing and buffer tank (29) is in connection, via a connection valve (8) formed as a cross-valve, with the mixing position or mixing stretch for mixing into the main or base component (GK).

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