EP2614004B1 - Device for dosing products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for dosing products, which are supplied in a predefined amount of packaging, wherein the device comprises at least one valve which controls or regulates a product flow by opening and closing a delivery path and having a valve housing in which at least one Barrier element is arranged positionable in the conveying path and in which at least one Schliesspositionierung of the blocking element is predetermined by at least one stop.

Such devices are used for example for filling and / or quantity dosage of pourable, flowable or pasty products or products with lumpy proportions, especially of food products, such as beverages, other liquid or pasty foods, from lumpy Foods and / or mixtures or mixtures of the foods or products listed above. To fill such products usually has a large opening cross-section provided and when closing the valve, the product must be cut as possible. Such requirements are also present in particular in the field of aseptic filling of foodstuffs. For such aseptic applications often so-called pin spouts are used. In the non-aseptic field, it is known to use roller outlets or similar devices.

At least one of the locking elements used is typically provided with a tapered locking edge to assist in closing a separation or retention of solid components of the contents and to ensure a reliable complete closure. The problem with such tapering of the blocking element are excessive closing forces that can lead to deformation in the region of the taper. Taking into account the specific conditions of use, signs of wear and adhering particles, it is not possible to reliably predetermine the actual closing forces.

The hitherto known devices can not yet meet all the requirements that are placed on a fast, reliable and at the same time trouble-free filling.

A generic metering device is in the DE 3637550 A1 described.

Other devices for dosing are from the DE 10 2008 020 551 A1 as well as the US 2785840 A known.

Also is from the US 2663466 A already a device for dosing products known. The products are supplied in a pre-dosed amount of packaging. A delivery route can be opened and closed via a valve. In a valve housing in this case a blocking element is arranged, which is associated with a stop.

A similar device for dosing of products is also used in the US 5009345 A described. Again, a conveyor by a blocking element is closed and released.

Object of the present invention is to construct a device of the aforementioned type such that a quick and gentle filling of the product with a simple mechanical structure of the metering device and a long operability is supported.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

By using stop elements, excessive closing forces, which may occur in the area of the blocking elements, are avoided since they are received by the stop element. The stop element is advantageously positioned in such a way that, on the one hand, a complete and secure closing of the valve is ensured, but on the other hand, too high closing forces, which can lead to deformations of the blocking elements, are avoided. The stop element can be rigid or arranged as a damper.

There are thus permanently provided sharp closing edges, which lead to a clean separation and / or cutting the product and thereby the occurrence avoid bruising, which is particularly undesirable in the filling of food.

A collision of the sealing areas can be avoided by positioning the stop element in such a way that a stop function is active shortly before a maximum closure position is reached.

A compact embodiment is provided by the fact that the locking elements are each positioned by at least one rotary lever.

Advantageous leverage forces in the introduction of force are achieved in that the stop function is realized in the region of the rotary lever.

According to one embodiment, it is provided that at least one further stop for limiting an opening movement of the blocking elements is provided.

An arrangement of the stop element with a short distance to the locking elements can be achieved in that at least one stop element between a hinge of the rotary lever and the locking elements is arranged.

According to another embodiment, it is provided that at least one stop element is arranged in a region of the rotary lever facing away from the blocking elements.

A cutting action is assisted in that sealing areas of two blocking elements in the closure position are guided against each other.

An enlarged sealing effect can be achieved in that sealing areas of two blocking elements in a closure position are arranged so as to cover each other at least in regions.

A truncation of lumpy product portions is supported by the fact that the blocking elements have tapers in the region of their mutually facing boundaries.

A low-tolerance guidance of the locking elements is achieved in that the locking elements are guided by two rotary levers.

To provide a compact embodiment, it is proposed that the rotary levers of the locking elements are arranged to cross each other. A shield against penetration of germs is achieved in that an actuating element for actuating the blocking elements is arranged within a conveying path for the product to be dosed.

It also contributes to a compact construction in that the blocking elements are arranged in a rotatable manner in the region of the valve housing.

• Fig. 1 einen Querschnitt durch ein Ventil mit zwei schalenartigen Sperrelementen in einem teilweise geöffneten Zustand des Ventils,
• Fig. 2 die Anordnung gemäß Fig. 1 in einem geschlossenen Zustand des Ventils,
• Fig. 3 eine abgewandelte Ausführungsform mit Anschlagelementen sowohl für eine Öffnungs- als auch für eine Schließstellung,
• Fig. 4 die Anordnung gemäß Fig. 3 in einem geschlossenen Ventilzustand,
• Fig. 5 eine weitere Ausführungsform mit Anschlagelementen sowohl für die Öffnungs- als auch für die Schließstellung,
• Fig. 6 eine weitere Ausführungsform mit Anschlagelementen, die an Stellhebeln befestigt sind,
• Fig. 7 ein Ausführungsbeispiel für Verjüngungen im Bereich von Schließkanten der Sperrelemente,
• Fig. 8 eine abgewandelte Ausführungsform,
• Fig. 9 eine nochmals geänderte Ausführungsform,
• Fig. 10 eine Ausführungsform der Sperrelemente mit schräg zur Kraftbeaufschlagung angeordneter Dichtfläche und
• Fig. 11 eine gegenüber Fig. 10 abgewandelte Ausführungsform.

In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are shown schematically. Show it:

• Fig. 1 a cross section through a valve with two shell-like locking elements in a partially open state of the valve,
• Fig. 2 the arrangement according to Fig. 1 in a closed state of the valve,
• Fig. 3 a modified embodiment with stop elements for both an open and a closed position,
• Fig. 4 the arrangement according to Fig. 3 in a closed valve state,
• Fig. 5 a further embodiment with stop elements for both the opening and the closed position,
• Fig. 6 a further embodiment with stop elements which are attached to adjusting levers,
• Fig. 7 an embodiment for tapers in the region of closing edges of the blocking elements,
• Fig. 8 a modified embodiment,
• Fig. 9 a further modified embodiment,
• Fig. 10 an embodiment of the locking elements with obliquely arranged to apply force sealing surface and
• Fig. 11 one opposite Fig. 10 modified embodiment.

According to the embodiment in FIG Fig. 1 the device for dosing products is provided with a valve (1) which is arranged in the region of a conveying path (2). Within a valve housing (3), a first blocking element (4) and a second blocking element (5) are arranged. Relative to a transverse axis (6), the blocking elements (4, 5) extend essentially like a shell or as wall segments of a cylinder or a sleeve.

The arrangement of the components is in this case such that the valve housing (3) is positioned on the outside and the locking elements (4, 5) leads. The arrangement is in this case in particular such that the locking elements (4, 5) relative to the valve housing (3) are movably arranged. The mobility is realized here as a rotatability of the components relative to one another and around the transverse axis (6).

The blocking elements (4, 5) each have lateral surfaces (7, 8), which are contoured correspondingly by sections and segments of a cylinder wall.

In the operating position according to Fig. 1 the blocking elements (4, 5) are arranged in a partially open positioning and release an outflow opening (9) partially. The blocking elements (4, 5) are connected via schematically illustrated rotary levers (10, 11) with stop elements (12, 13).

According to the company positioning in Fig. 2 the blocking elements (4, 5) with their respective sealing regions (14, 15) are guided against each other. Also, in this operating state, the stop elements (12, 13) are in contact with each other and prevent excessive closing forces in the sealing areas (14, 15).

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment in which in addition to the stop elements (12, 13) for the closing positioning also more stops (16, 17) are provided for a maximum opening position. By the stop elements (12, 13) and the other stops (16, 17) in each case a movement path for the rotary lever (10, 11) is defined.

Fig. 4 shows the arrangement according to Fig. 3 in a closed valve position. The sealing areas (14, 15) of the locking elements (4, 5) are guided against each other.

According to the embodiment in FIG FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 the stop elements (12, 13) and the other stops (16, 17) are immovably connected to the valve housing (3).

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which further stops (16, 17) for specifying a maximum opening position of the locking elements (4, 5) also immovable are connected to the valve housing (3). Stop elements (12, 13) to prevent excessive closing forces in the sealing areas (14, 15), however, are connected to the rotary levers (10, 11). In the illustrated embodiment, the stop elements (12, 13) in the region of the locking elements (4, 5) facing away from the rotary lever (10, 11) are positioned. The rotary levers (10, 11) intersect here in the region of a rotary joint (18), which in the region of the transverse axis (6) according to Fig. 1 is localized.

According to the embodiment in FIG Fig. 6 the stop elements (12, 13) are positioned locally between the pivot (18) and the locking elements (4, 5). The stop elements (12, 13) move together with the rotary levers (10, 11) and limit pressing forces in the sealing regions (14, 15).

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the locking elements (4, 5), wherein the locking elements (4, 5) facing each other tapers (19, 20). The tapers (19, 20) provide cut edges (21, 22). The cut edges (21, 22) are hereby positioned in a radial direction with respect to the rotary joint (18) in the region of an average extent of the blocking elements (4, 5).

Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which the tapers (19, 20) overlap each other in regions., By this embodiment, a generation of unacceptably large pressing forces in the region of abutting tapers (19, 20) is already avoided constructively.

Fig. 9 shows an embodiment similar to Fig. 7 , but with a radially outward positioning of the cut edges (21, 22). The cut edges (21, 22) are at least approximately positioned as extensions of the outer lateral surfaces (7, 8).

According to the embodiment in FIG Fig. 10 Are sealing surfaces spanned by the sealing areas (14, 15) arranged obliquely to the radial direction with respect to the rotary joint (18). There are also tapers (19, 20) of the locking elements (4, 5) are provided, but they are guided flat against each other. One over the embodiment in Fig. 10 modified embodiment, in which also arranged obliquely to the radial direction sealing surfaces are provided in Fig. 11 illustrated.

Claims (12)

1. Device for metering products which are fed in a predefined quantity to a package, wherein the device has at least one valve (1) which controls or regulates a product flow by opening and closing a delivery path (2) and which has a valve housing (3) in which two blocking elements (4, 5) are arranged so as to be positionable in the delivery path (2), and wherein at least one closed position of the blocking elements (4, 5) is defined by at least one stop, characterized in that the blocking elements (4, 5) extend in a shell-like manner, substantially as wall segments of a sleeve, about a transverse axis (6) within the valve housing (3) and are guided by the valve housing (3), wherein the blocking elements (4, 5) are rotatable about the transverse axis (6), and wherein the blocking elements (4, 5) each have lateral surfaces (7, 8) which are contoured in a manner corresponding to segments of a wall of the sleeve, and in that the at least one stop is configured as a stop element (12, 13).
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the stop element (12, 13) is positioned such that a stop function is effective shortly before a maximum closed position is reached.
3. Device according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the blocking elements (4, 5) are each positionable by a rotary lever (10, 11).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the stop function is realized in the region of the rotary lever (10, 11).
5. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one further stop (16, 17) for limiting an opening movement of the blocking elements (4, 5) is provided.
6. Device according to either of Claims 3 and 4, characterized in that at least the stop element (12, 13) or a further stop (16, 17) is arranged between a pivot joint (18) of the rotary lever (10, 11) and the blocking elements (4, 5).
7. Device according to either of Claims 3 and 4, characterized in that at least the stop element (12, 13) or a further stop (16, 17) is arranged in a region of the rotary lever (10, 11) that is remote from the blocking elements (4, 5).
8. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that sealing regions (14, 15) of the blocking elements (4, 5) have been guided against one another in the closed position.
9. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that sealing regions (14, 15) of the blocking elements (4, 5) are arranged in an at least regionally overlapping manner relative to one another in the closed position.
10. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the blocking elements (4, 5) have narrowed portions (19, 20) in the region of their mutually facing boundaries.
11. Device according to one of Claims 3, 4, 6 and 7, characterized in that the rotary levers (10, 11) of the blocking elements (4, 5) are arranged in an intersecting manner relative to one another.
12. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a control element for actuating the blocking elements (4, 5) is arranged within a delivery path (2) for the product to be metered.

Images