Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/22—Details
  • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
  • B67C3/2614—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks specially adapted for counter-pressure filling
  • B67C3/2617—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks specially adapted for counter-pressure filling the liquid valve being opened by mechanical or electrical actuation
  • B67C3/2622—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks specially adapted for counter-pressure filling the liquid valve being opened by mechanical or electrical actuation and the filling operation stopping when probes, e.g. electrical or optical probes, sense the wanted liquid level
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/22—Details
  • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
  • B67C2003/2602—Details of vent-tubes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/22—Details
  • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
  • B67C2003/2685—Details of probes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a filling valve for filling a container with a pourable product.
• the present invention relates to a filling valve for filling a container with a pourable food product, e.g. a carbonated pourable food product, such as beer or mineral water.
• a pourable food product e.g. a carbonated pourable food product, such as beer or mineral water.
• Filling machines typically comprise a filling station, to which empty containers are fed and which supplies, as its output, containers filled with a pourable food product.
• Most filling stations basically comprise a carousel conveyor rotating about an axis of rotation; a tank containing the pourable food product; and a number of filling valves fluidically connected to the tank and fitted to the conveyor, arranged radially outwards relative to the axis of rotation of the conveyor.
• the conveyor comprises a number of container supports for positioning the mouths of the containers beneath respective valves , and for moving the containers integrally with their respective valves along an arc-shaped path about the axis of rotation.
• Each filling valve substantially comprises a fastening body for attachment to the conveyor and which defines a ' filling chamber fluidically connected to the tank; and a filling head movable towards and from the fastening body in a respective direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the conveyor, so as to move from and towards the relative container.
• Each filling head comprises a stopper movable inside the chamber between a closed position cutting off flow of the pourable food product to the mouth of the relative container, and an open position fluidically connecting the chamber to the mouth, thereby enabling the flow of the food product into the container.
• each container When filling containers with a carbonated pourable food product, during the filling process each container has first to be pressurised to the same pressure as the pourable food product. More specifically, the container is pressurised by feeding a pressurisation fluid, e.g. carbon dioxide, into it, with the filling head stopper in the closed position.
• a pressurisation fluid e.g. carbon dioxide
• the stopper of the relative filling valve is then moved to the open position, and the container is filled.
• each filling valve may comprise a first fast-rate filling step and a second slow-rate filling step immediately after the first step.
• each filling valve also comprises means for detecting the level of the pourable food product inside the container, which very often comprise a probe as sensing means.
• the probe may be an inductive probe which projects into the container once the latter is positioned beneath its relative filling valve.
• Filling may be interrupted upon the pourable food product reaching the probe.
• a first fast-rate filling step may terminate when the pourable food product level reaches the height of the probe, whereas a second slow-rate filling step is started upon the pourable food product level reaching the probe, and continues as long as necessary to fill the container with a given amount of pourable food product.
• each container whilst being filled with the pourable liquid, each container is progressively depressurised, so that the pressure above the pourable food product level equals atmospheric pressure. Depressurisation is achieved through progressive expulsion of the carbon dioxide used to pressurise the container .
• a filling valve of the type described above is disclosed in EP1860057.
• a filling valve comprising a level probe consisting of a long and thin stem made of an electrically conductive material, which is preferably not coated with an electrically insulating material.
• Said level probe protrudes relative to an inner duct of the valve and projects into the container to be filled to the height that has been selected as the container threshold filling level.
• the level probe is attached to the head of the plug and is operatively connected to a control and command unit, which is responsible for detecting the signal from the level probe and sending correspondingly open/close commands to the actuator of the plug.
• centring means for the level probe need to be provided, preferably moulded as one piece with the inner duct, or applied within the valve inner duct at a later stage. Either way, the centring means are positioned such as to prevent the level probe from contacting the valve inner duct, ideally in a retracted position relative to the bottom end of the valve inner duct, so that they are protected from potential damages caused by a bottle burst or excessive foaming of the carbonated pourable product.
• US5501253 discloses a filling valve of the type described above. More particularly, US5501253 describes a level probe comprising a wire, preferably of a non-corrosive metal, the tip of which extends into the container through a gas tube of the filling valve. Only the tip of the level probe is bare and conductive relative to the liquid product being poured into the container or other ground point, whereas the rest of it is insulated.
• centring/spacing member has to be provided to fix the probe at a central position within the gas tube.
• the centring/spacing member is designed so as to maintain a sufficiently large channel around the insulation material surrounding the wire, so that the gas may flow through it.
• the centring/spacing means can only be arranged at a somewhat retracted position, i.e. such that the tip of the wire extends outside the centring/spacing means.
• the tip of the wire may still bend due to interaction with a container imprecisely aligned with the filling valve, or in case of breakage of a container and so forth. Since reading of the level reached by the pourable liquid in the container is based on the liquid itself closing the electric circuit upon contacting the wire tip, bending of the wire shall result in the liquid systematically getting to a level greater than the one originally set.
• the overall quality and precision of the filling operation shall be adversely affected at least until the first scheduled maintenance.
• FIGS 1- and 2 show schematic sectional views of a filling valve in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and a neck portion of a container to be filled with a pourable liquid in the closed (pressurisation) and open (filling) position.
• Number 1 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates as a whole a filling valve designed to form part of a filling station of a filling machine for filling containers 2 with a pourable product.
• the pourable product is a carbonated pourable food product, non-limiting examples of which are beer and mineral water.
• Non-limiting examples of the material of which containers 2 are made are glass, plastic or cardboard.
• the filling station is supplied with empty containers 2, and fills containers 2 with the pourable food product.
• the filling station substantially comprises:
• a tank containing the pourable food product (not shown), and a fluid, e.g. carbon dioxide (shown by bubbles in Figures 1 and 2) , for pressurising containers 2 before they are filled; and
• a fluid e.g. carbon dioxide (shown by bubbles in Figures 1 and 2)
• each support being mechanically linked to a respective actuator (not shown) for moving the support and, hence, the container 2 to and from the at least one filling valve 1 along a vertical axis thereof .
• the filing valves 1, as well as their respective supports and actuators are fixed on a carousel conveyor (not shown) forming part of the filling machine, rotating about a respective vertical axis, and from which the filling valves 1 and the supports project.
• filling valves 1 and supports are borne by the carousel conveyor, so that filling valves 1 are rotated by the conveyor, and supports are moved to and from filling valves 1 along respective vertical axes by respective actuators.
• the machine generally comprises only one first tank and one second tank, which are annular, so that all the filling valves 1 comprised in the station can be connected to the first tank and to the second tank.
• each container 2 comprises: - a mouth 7, through which container 2 is filled by the filling machine, and the food product is subsequently poured from container 2 ;
• Filling valve 1 substantially comprises a fastening body 11 for attachment to the conveyor (not shown) and stopper means 12 that slides to and from container 2 along an axis A inside fastening body 11.
• stopper means 12 comprises a plug.
• the fastening body 11 comprises an annular wall 13, of axis A, internally defining a cavity 14 connected fluidically to the tank. Furthermore, the wall 13 comprises a shoulder 15 facing axis A.
• shoulder 15 comprises a substantially truncated-cone-shaped portion 16; a cylindrical portion 17, of axis A; and a beveled connection portion 18 interposed between portions 16,17.
• the cylindrical portion 17 defines a circular opening 19 defining the bottom of cavity 14, and the portion 16 tapers towards the opening 19.
• the connection portion 18 typically cooperates with an annular seal 23 designed to rest on the mouth 7 of the container 2.
• the stopper means 12 substantially comprise:
• the projection 22 comprises a wall 24 sloping relative to axis A, projecting from the body 20 towards the wall 13, and tapering towards the opening 19.
• the tubular body 20 of the stopper means 12 internally defines a cavity 26, preferably extending substantially along axis A, which cavity 26 is fluidically connected to the tank.
• stopper means 12 are movable, upon operation of the actuator mentioned above, between:
• the filling valve 1 also comprises a second tubular body 27, of axis A, projecting from the bottom end portion 21 to the container 2 and loosely through the opening 19. More specifically, the tubular body 27 extends coaxially inside the stopper means 12, within the cavity 26.
• the tubular body 27 internally defines a tubular conduit 28 comprising a cylindrical portion 29 of axis A that extends between a bottom opening 30 and a top opening 31 opposite the bottom opening 30. More precisely, the bottom opening 30 faces, and is fluidically connected to, the inside of the container 2, when the container 2 is in a filling position with the mouth 7 resting against the filling valve 1 (see Figure
• the tubular body 27 is movable along with the stopper means 12 between a filling position (see Figure
• the filling valve 1 further comprises an annular conduit 32 of axis A, bounded radially between the body 20 and the body 27, and comprising an opening 33 that faces the inside of the container 2, when the container 2 is in the filling position with its mouth 7- resting against the filling valve 1.
• the tubular body 27 extends through opening 33, and the axial distance between openings 30 and 19 is greater than the axial distance between openings 33 and 19.
• the opening 30 is lower than the opening 33 inside the container 2 in all operating configurations (see Figures 1 and 2) .
• the filling valve 1 therefore comprises a first flow line, which is defined by the tank and the cavity 14, and is connectable selectively by stopper means 12 to the mouth 7 of the container 2, and which serves to fill the container 2 with the pourable food product.
• the filling valve 1 also comprises a second flow line, which is at least partly defined by the annular conduit 32, along which carbon dioxide may be fed from the tank into the container 2 in order to pressurise the latter before it is filled with the pourable food product .
• the filling valve 1 comprises a third flow line, which is at least partly defined by the second tubular body 27, along which at least the carbon dioxide excess supplied during the pressurisation phase (Figure 1) may be expelled upon filling ( Figure 2) the container with the pourable food product.
• the" tubular body 27 is made of an electrically conductive material, preferably a metallic material, such as stainless steel or other non-corrosive metal.
• the bottom end 34 of the tubular body 27 which extends into the container 2 through the mouth 7 is bare and conductive relative to the pourable food product or other ground point. Except for the bottom end 34, the tubular body 27 is insulated where it runs upwardly through the stopper means 12.
• the tubular body 27 has a non-insulated top end (not shown) that projects into an electrical connector plug. At its top end, the tubular body 27 is operatively connected with a control and command unit 35 for example by means of a suitable wiring, or by wireless systems. In other words, the tubular body 27 is adapted to function as a probe for detecting the reaching of a predetermined level of pourable food product in the container 2 being filled.
• control and command unit 35 is configured to detect a signal from the tubular body 27. In response to detecting this signal, the control and command unit 35 is configured to send a suitable open/close command to the actuator responsible for lifting/dropping the stopper means 12.
• control and command unit 35 is adapted to detect a -variation of an electrical entity, such as a current or a voltage, which occurs upon the pourable food product contacting the bare bottom end 34 of the tubular body 27, and, accordingly, provide for the actuator to drop the stopper means 12 and interrupt the flow of pourable food product into the container 2.
• an electrical entity such as a current or a voltage
• carbon dioxide flows from the tank along the annular conduit 32 and into the container 2 through the opening 33, so as to fill the container 2 and bring it to the same pressure at which the pourable food product is kept in the first tank 3.
• fluidic connection of the third flow line (the tubular conduit 28) with the tank is interrupted.
• the pourable food product is driven to flow adjacent to the edge of the container 2 at its neck portion 9 as it fills the body 10 of the container 2.
• the fluidic connection of the second flow line with the tank may be maintained.
• the carbon dioxide accumulated in the container 2 escapes through both conduits 28 and 32.
• the bottom end 34 of the tubular body 27, when raised together with the stopper means 12 in the filling position defines a threshold level at which filling of the container 2 is interrupted.
• the filling valve 1 provides for determining when the pourable food product reaches a given level inside container 2 with increased accuracy with respect to other known filling valves, because the probe function is served by the tubular body 27, which has a remarkably greater rigidity than a metallic wire, hence its position inside the container 2 being filled cannot be affected by bending caused e.g. by interaction with a container 2.
• the filling valve 1 provides for separate flow lines for introduction and expulsion of the pressurizing gas, which is fed into the container 2 along the annular conduit 32 and expelled, for the most part, during the filling phase, through the tubular conduit 28.
• foam When filling a container 2 with a carbonated food product, foam often forms within the container 2. If, whilst filling a container 2, this foam accumulates on the pressurisation ducts, the successive filling of another container 2 may be adversely affected in terms of precision, because the flow of pressurisation fluid would basically spray the foam into the empty container just placed in its filling position.
• the filling valve 1 of the invention is particularly advantageous because three separated flow lines are provided for filling the container with the pressurisation fluid; for introducing the food product.; and for expelling the pressurisation fluid, respectively.
• the pressurisation fluid is fed into the empty container 2 through the second flow line, hence the likelihood of foam contamination is greatly reduced.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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Family

ID=43626939

Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (9)

• 2010
  • 2010-06-21 EP EP10747957.8A patent/EP2582612A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-06-21 WO PCT/IT2010/000275 patent/WO2011161705A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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