EP2583933B1 - Deflector for a gas return pipe for a container filling device - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a filling device comprising a filling member for filling containers, in particular beverage containers, a return gas pipe for a filling member, and a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm for a return gas pipe.

State of the art

In the field of filling containers, in particular in the field of beverage filling, different methods for introducing the liquid into the respective containers are known. A major part of the process has in common that a filling member is brought into contact with the respective container and via the filling member, the respective filling liquid is filled into the container. In this case, it is known, for example, to bring a filling element into contact with the filling opening of a container, for example the filling opening of a glass bottle, by means of a seal in a substantially tight manner and then to introduce the filling liquid into the container through a filling tube located in the center of the seal. The gas which is necessarily forced out of the container is conducted out of the container via a return gas pipe, which is usually arranged concentrically to the filling opening.

In order to calm the filling process, a liquid deflector is typically provided on the outside of the return gas pipe, which is designed such that the filling liquid flowing along the return gas pipe is deflected in the direction of the inner wall of the beverage container. Accordingly, the filling liquid, which flows in through the filling opening or a filling nozzle projecting into the container, which flows through the seal for sealing the filling opening of the container, is deflected to the side.

Such a filling device according to the preamble of claim 1 with a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm is in a specific embodiment in the DE 200 09 507 U1 shown.

The function of a liquid deflector is also in the DE 1 149 262 A shown, wherein this Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm is disposed on the return gas pipe and is shaped so that the flowing along the return gas tube filling material is flushed to the inner wall of the container to be filled.

During operation of a filling device, which uses such a filling member for filling the respective containers, damage to the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms and / or the seal for sealing the filling opening of the container may, for example, if a container is destroyed during the filling process. This may for example already be the case when the container is biased at the beginning of the filling process and is subjected to an internal pressure accordingly. When bursting the respective container can be damaged, for example, by around flying glass splinters Flüssigkeitsabweisschirme. By this damage, the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm from the respective component, ie in particular from the filler neck and / or the return gas pipe fall off, or it can get splinters or particles of the material of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms in a container to be filled or in an already filled container. This entry of the foreign body can be done either immediately upon breakage of the respective container, the damage to the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms can also be such that the corresponding parts fall off only during the subsequent filling or even later and then, for example, be washed away by the inflowing filling liquid, whereby components of the Transfer the liquid deflector into a completely filled container. The corresponding container is thereby contaminated.

In order to avoid placing such contaminated containers on the market, after closure, the containers are typically subjected to a so-called full bottle inspection in which the bottle is subjected to different inspection operations. The container is here, for example, irradiated with light, so as not to discover by optical means in the respective liquid belonging suspended matter or foreign bodies in the container. Furthermore, the containers are typically passed through a metal detector to detect located in the containers metal parts can.

The liquid deflector is typically made of an elastic material, such as rubber or plastic. A liquid deflector screen or parts thereof flushed into the filled container can correspondingly be optically detected during full bottle inspection if the particle size and the filling liquid permit this.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a filling device with a filling member, a return gas pipe and a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm, by means of which the reliability of the filling process is further increased. This object is achieved by a filling device with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims. Correspondingly, the filling member of a filling device for filling containers, preferably for filling beverage containers, has at least one return gas pipe comprising a liquid deflector, which can be inserted into the container for filling. According to the invention, the liquid deflector has a metal-detectable plastic.

The fact that the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm has a metal-detectable plastic, it can be achieved that in a destruction of Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms and subsequent entry of particles or components of Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms into a container, the corresponding foreign body can be detected not only by means of an optical detection method, but also by means a metal detector. As a result, the detection accuracy of such undesirable components in a fully filled container is significantly increased. In particular, in the case of very small components which can only be distinguished with difficulty from impurities in the container wall and / or gas bubbles in the filling liquid by means of an optical method, metal detection can provide a further increased safety here.

Furthermore, full bottle inspectors are relatively expensive. With the aforementioned embodiment of a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms or a seal such that they have a Having metal detectable plastic, but it is also possible to dispense with expensive optical inspection method, and only to use a much less expensive metal detector for detecting the possibly fallen seal or Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms. In some cases, optical detection can then be completely dispensed with.

Moreover, in the case of carbonated drinks, it is difficult to identify, by means of an optical detection method, small particles of particles which are of the same size range as the size of the gas bubbles. For such filling liquids, the proposed filling means provides a way to reliably detect contamination of a filled bottle by parts of the Füllschirmchens.

The liquid deflector is made entirely of metal-detectable plastic to allow reliable detection of even the smallest pieces of splinters coming from the liquid deflector.

As metal-detectable plastics, plastics based on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylenes (PE-UHMW), plastics based on POM and plastics based on PA6 are preferably used here. However, other metal-detectable plastics and in particular metal-detectable thermoplastics are also conceivable.

In a preferred embodiment, the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm on a body which is substantially conical, preferably truncated cone, and which has a conical surface for rejecting the filling liquid and which also provides a bore for receiving the return gas pipe in the center of the body. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the conical surface is concave, preferably with a radius which is greater than the largest diameter of the body of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms.

The filling member may further comprise a centering cone for centering the filling opening of the container during filling, wherein at least one filling tube for filling the container extends through the centering cone and wherein the centering cone has a metal-detectable plastic. Even the smallest fragments and particles of the centering cone in a container to be filled or filled, the centering cone preferably consists entirely of the metal-detectable plastic.

Depending on the design of the filling opening of the container to be filled, the centering cone is preferably substantially cone-shaped or truncated cone-shaped and is preferably provided for sealing the filling opening of the container in order to take over its centering function and a sealing function for the respective filling opening of the container.

The return gas pipe for the filling member has a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm which is received in a groove of the return gas pipe. According to the invention, the liquid deflector has a metal-detectable plastic.

Also in this way it can be ensured that parts or particles of a damaged or destroyed during the Befüllvorganges Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms, which reach a container to be filled or already filled container, can be detected with a simple metal detector. For the reasons already described the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm is made entirely of metal detectable plastic.

The Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm preferably has a body which is substantially conical, preferably truncated cone-shaped, and has a conical surface for rejecting the filling liquid, and which also provides a bore for receiving the return gas tube in the center of the body. The conical surface is preferably concave, preferably with a radius which is larger than the largest diameter of the body of the anti-liquid shield.

Brief description of the figures

Figur 1

schematisch eine Befüllvorrichtung mit einem Füllorgan zum Befüllen von Behältern;

Figur 2

schematisch einen Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm in einer Schnittdarstellung;

Figur 3

einen Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm in einer schematischen, perspektivischen Darstellung;

Figur 4

ein Rückgasrohr zum Einführen in einen Behälter in einer schematischen Schnittdarstellung; und

Figur 5

eine schematische Darstellung einer Befüllanlage.

Preferred further embodiments and aspects of the present invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

schematically a filling device with a filling member for filling containers;

FIG. 2

schematically a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm in a sectional view;

FIG. 3

a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm in a schematic, perspective view;

FIG. 4

a return gas pipe for insertion into a container in a schematic sectional view; and

FIG. 5

a schematic representation of a filling system.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

In the following, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the figures. In this case, identical, similar or equivalent elements are denoted by identical reference numerals and a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted in order to avoid redundancies in the description.

FIG. 1 shows a filling member 1 for a filling device for filling containers 2, wherein the container 2 shown here is a beverage bottle with an upwardly directed filling opening 20 which is to be filled with a beverage as filling liquid.

The filling member 1 has a filling nozzle 3, which serves to fill the container 2 with the filling liquid. The filling nozzle 3 comprises a filling tube 30 and a return gas tube 32 arranged concentrically to the filling tube 30. The filling liquid which is to be introduced into the container 2 flows in that provided between the filling tube 30 and the return gas tube 32 Intermediate space in the container 2. The respective control of the flow of filling liquid is carried out by means of a filling valve 34, which at the beginning of the filling process, the liquid flow and at the end of the filling process, the liquid flow stops again.

The return gas pipe 32 serves to avoid an excessive gas pressure in the container 2 during the filling and to avoid too high a pressure in the container 2. Gas can accordingly escape from the volume of the container via the return gas pipe 32. The return gas pipe 32 can also serve to control the closing time of the filling valve 34 in a specific embodiment of the filling valve 34.

The filling member 1 is typically part of a filling device 10, which in the FIG. 1 only schematically indicated. The filling member 1 can preferably be used in a carousel filler, which then represents the filling device 10.

Around the filling tube 30 around a centering cone 4 is provided, which centers the filling opening 20 of the container 2 with respect to the filling tube 30. The centering cone 4 is formed in the embodiment shown frustoconical in order to achieve the centering of the filling opening 20 of the vessel to the filling tube 30 around. The filling tube 30 extends through the centering cone 4 and projects slightly into the filling opening 20 of the container 2.

The centering cone 4 may also be formed over the actual centering function so that it substantially seals the filling opening 20 of the container. In this way, a gas and liquid exchange of the interior of the container 2 with the environment can be avoided, which for hygiene reasons and / or in the filling with a carbonated filling liquid may be of importance. During filling, the containers 2 are also biased in some filling process, that is pressurized to prepare the container 2 for filling and at the same time to test the container integrity and ensure.

On the return gas pipe 32, a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm 5 is provided, which is held in a groove 36 of the return gas pipe 32. The Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm 5 serves to deflect the incoming through the filling tube 30 and along the circumference of the return gas tube 32 flowing filling liquid to the inner wall 22 of the container 2 out. As a result, the filling process of the container 2 calms, since the filling liquid along the inner wall 22 of the container 2 flows down or slides on this. Accordingly, the liquid does not simply fall from the filling opening 20 of the container 2 into the volume of the container 2, but runs along the inner wall 22 of the container 2 along. Especially with foaming filling liquids results in this way due to the reduced foaming improved filling behavior and thus is a more accurate filling.

The liquid deflector 5 comprises a metal-detectable plastic. Also, the centering cone 4 may comprise a metal-detectable plastic. Liquid deflector 5 and / or centering cone 4 are completely formed from the metal-detectable plastic.

A metal-detectable plastic is a plastic which can be detected by means of a known metal detector. Depending on the sensitivity of the metal detector, it is also possible to detect small particles of the metal-detectable plastic. Preferably, the metal detectable plastic is formulated so that even small particles of a size of 3mmx3mmx3mm can be detected by the metal detector. Preferably, the metal detectable plastics have a food regulatory approval, for example, according to EU Directive 2002/72 / EC.

The metal-detectable plastic may be ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes (PE-UHMW) based plastic, POM based plastic, and / or PA6 based plastic. Other metal detectable thermoplastics and other metal detectable plastics are also useful.

By using the metal-detectable plastic for the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm 5 can be achieved that in case of damage or destruction of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5 and / or chipping small particles in a filled or already filled bottle registered components or particles of Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5 by means of a Metal detectors can be detected. Such components or particles of a damaged or destroyed Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5 can also be detected by means of optical detection method, for example in a full bottle inspection. However, these methods are technically complicated and correspondingly expensive. Furthermore, it is with optical Process difficult to detect suspended matter in fill liquids containing carbon dioxide. Particularly smaller suspended solids, and in particular suspended matter, which are in the size or volume area of the average bubble size of the carbonic acid in the filling liquid can not be reliably detected. By contrast, the respective particles, fragments or components can be detected reliably and independently of the composition of the filling liquid by means of a metal detector.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm 5. The Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm 5 has a body 50 which is formed substantially truncated cone-shaped. In the center of the body 50, a bore 52 is provided, through which the example in FIG. 1 shown return gas pipe 32 is guided. The conical surface 54 of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5, which serves to dissipate the filling liquid, is preferably concave, wherein the radius R of the concave shape is preferably significantly greater than the diameter D of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5. In this way, a smooth transition of the filling liquid to the respective inner wall of the container to be filled can be achieved.

The minor diameter d of the substantially frusto-conical shaped body 50 is preferably dimensioned with respect to the diameter of the bore 52, which is denoted by "b", such that the thickness of the annular frusto-conical surface 56 is dimensioned to be completely in the groove 36 of the Return gas pipe can be accommodated. In this way, a substantially smooth transition from the circumference of the return gas tube 32 in the region of the groove 36 to the conical surface 54 of the Flüssigkeitsabweisschirms 5 can be achieved. In other words, (d - b) / 2 approximately corresponds to the groove depth of the groove 36 of the return gas pipe 32.

The liquid deflector 5 is made entirely of the metal-detectable plastic, so that reliable detection of the fragments in a metal detector is also possible in the case of chipping of individual chips.

FIG. 3 shows the liquid deflector 5 again in a schematic, perspective view. Clearly visible is the body 50 with the bore 52, as well as a concave shape having conical surface 54. Also visible is the frustoconical surface 56, the thickness of which corresponds substantially to the groove depth of the groove 36 of the return gas pipe 32.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a return gas pipe 32 which is inserted into a container 2. Along the return gas pipe 32, the filling liquid flows until it encounters a liquid deflector 5, also shown schematically. The liquid deflector 5 directs the filling liquid flowing along the return gas pipe 32 to the inner wall 22 of the container 2 so that the filling liquid substantially slides down on the inner wall 22 of the container 2. In this way, the filling process can be significantly calmed.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the structure of a filling system in the form of a carousel filler 6. The carousel filler 6 has a Füllkarussell 60, which has a number of Füllorganen 1. In Füllkarussell 60, the individual containers 2 are filled with the filling liquid. The respective containers 2 are fed via a conveyor inlet 62 having a conveyor belt 62 to a conveyor star 64, which transfers the container 2 to the filling carousel 60. An outlet star 66 is provided which transfers the containers 2 to a container outlet 68, which likewise has a conveyor belt. At the container outlet 68, a metal detection station 7 is provided, which has an inlet 70, a metal detector 72 and an outlet 74. The arrangement of the metal detection station 7 directly on the container outlet 68 after the filling carousel 60 allows direct detection of metal detectable foreign bodies in the containers 2, which were filled in Füllkarussell 60. Depending on the configuration of the container inlet 62, it can thus be ensured that, when a detected foreign body occurs, it is actually a foreign substance introduced in the filling carousel 60.

According to the invention is an in FIG. 5 not shown, another metal detector is already provided in the container inlet 62, which serves to measure a characteristic of metal detection characteristic. This parameter is then stored for each container 2 and compared with the characteristic measured by the metal detector 72 located at the container outlet. At a deviation exceeding a predetermined value of the corresponding container 2 is discharged as faulty. In other words, a change in the characteristics of the container 2 characteristic of the metal detection is monitored during the filling process in order to be able to derive therefrom a possible contamination of a container 2 with components of the filling member 1. In this way it can also be ensured that the metallic foreign body possibly detected at the container outlet 68 in the metal detection station 7 originates from the filling carousel 60. Accordingly, based on this knowledge, the respective filling member or the filling carousel 60 immediately be repaired again and accordingly the plant filling capacity are operated substantially constant high.

In a further preferred variant, the metal detector 72 is already arranged locally prior to the transfer of the respective container 2 to the container outlet 68. This is particularly advantageous in the case of filling devices 10, which grip the containers 2 on the container neck in order to achieve a space-saving arrangement of the metal detection station 7.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Filling head

10

filling

2

container

20

Filling opening of the container

22

Inner wall of the container

3

filling

30

filling pipe

32

Return gas pipe

34

filling valve

36

Groove for holding a liquid deflector

4

Centering cone for centering the filling opening of the container

5

Flüssigkeitsabweisschirm

50

Body of the liquid deflector

52

Bore for receiving a return gas pipe

54

Conical surface

56

Truncated cone surface

6

filling station

60

filler carousel

62

container inlet

64

feed star

66

outlet star

68

container outlet

7

Metal detection station

70

Intake

72

metal detector

74

outlet

R

Radius of the groove of the conical surface

d

smallest diameter of the body of the liquid deflector

D

largest diameter of the body of the liquid deflector

b

Diameter of the hole

Claims (6)

1. A filling device (10) for filling containers (2), preferably for filling beverage containers, containing a filling organ (1) which comprises at least a return gas pipe (32) containing a liquid rejection screen (5), the return gas pipe (32) being insertable into the container (2) for filling,
   characterized in that
   the liquid rejection screen (5) entirely consists of a metal detectable plastic material, wherein a metal detector (72) for measuring a parameter which is characteristic for the detection of metal of the container (2) after filling and a further metal detector (62) for measuring a parameter which is characteristic for the detection of metal of the container before filling are provided such that a contamination of the container (2) with the liquid reflecting screen (5) or of a part thereof can be derived from a comparison of the measured characteristic parameters before and after filling.
2. The filling device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid rejection screen (5) comprises a body (50) which is substantially tapered, preferably truncated, and comprises a taper shell surface (54) for rejecting the liquid and which furthermore comprises a bore (52) for receiving the return gas pipe(32) in the center of the body (50).
3. The filling device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the taper shell surface (54) is concave, preferably having a radius (R) which is greater than the biggest diameter (D) of the body (50) of the fluid rejection screen (5).
4. The filling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a centering taper (4) for centering the filling opening (20) of the container (2) during filling is provided, wherein at least one filling pipe (30) for filling the container (2) protrudes trough the centering taper, wherein the centering taper (4) entirely consists of a metal detectable plastic material.
5. The filling device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the centering taper (4) is substantially tapered, preferably truncated, and is preferably provided for sealing the filling opening (20) of the container (2).
6. The filling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal detectable plastic material is a thermoplastic material, preferably a thermoplastic material based on ultra-high-molecular polyethylene (PE-UHMW), based on POM and/or based on PA6.

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