EP2650253A1 - Multi-component filling machine for filling containers with liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

The filling apparatus (100) has two product storage containers (111,112) for storing the liquid, and an evenly distributed filling station (101) for filling the containers (150). Two filling pipes (105) are arranged in a filling pipe bundle of the filling station, such that the position of the container is maintained with respect to the filling station in a horizontal direction during the filling operation. An independent claim is included for method for filling liquid.

Description

The invention relates to a device and a corresponding method for filling containers with liquids, consisting of several components.

background

Rotary machines for multi-component products are already known from the prior art.

For example, shows the EP1362825B9 a carousel with a line to the filling element for a base product and other lines (three in total) for each additional components. The additional components, as in Fig. 2 of the document, first mixed with the main component and then filled into the container to be filled.

Furthermore, the shows DE102006006288A1 a device for dosing highly viscous liquids. In this case, a container to be filled is fixed at one position and successively different doser are brought into position to fill the liquid. These dispensers are on a kind of carousel, which is arranged offset to the container to be filled.

Likewise shows the US2988450 a pre-dose of flavors, colors or the like. In this case, before or after the container has been filled with the base component in a filling carousel, for example, on a linear filler in succession other components are introduced into the container. For each individual filling tubes and filling stations are provided, between which the containers are moved back and forth.

In addition, the shows W02005003017A1 a carousel filler, wherein a movement of the container between different Füllventilauslässen is achieved by pivoting the container on the container carrier.

task

The invention has for its object to develop a device for filling with containers with optionally multi-component liquids, the filling should be as effective as possible and save both time and space.

solution

This object is achieved by the device according to claim 1 and the method according to claim 9.

The subclaims include expedient embodiments of the invention.

The invention is characterized in that the filling of the liquids takes place at the filling machine, wherein the filling machine comprises at least two product reservoir, each with a liquid to be filled. Furthermore, a plurality of uniformly distributed filling stations for filling containers are preferably provided on the filling machine, wherein each of the filling stations has a Füllrohrbündel of at least two filling tubes. In this case, the filling tubes in the filling tube bundle of a filling station are in particular arranged so that the position of the container relative to the filling station in the horizontal direction during filling can be maintained. This allows a very flexible, fast and space-saving control of the filling and thus allows a high throughput.

In one embodiment, the device is characterized in that each of the filling stations further has a rotator which can rotate the filling tubes about an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry of the container to be filled. This makes it possible to position only individual filling tubes from the Füllrohrbündel over the container.

In a further embodiment, the Füllrohrbündel has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the opening of the container to be filled. This allows a miniaturization of the filling station and thus a considerable space savings.

In a further embodiment, the device has shut-off valves on each supply line from the product supply containers to the filling tubes of each filling station, wherein the shut-off valves can close the supply lines. This ensures a precise dosage of the liquids to be filled.

In a further embodiment, each product reservoir contains another liquid to be filled. Thus, the complexity of the filled liquid depends only on the number of product reservoir and each filled amount of the corresponding liquids, so that a high number of possible liquids to be filled can be achieved.

In a further embodiment, each of the filling stations has a motor, preferably an electric motor, the vertical distance of container to be filled and einzuahrendem Can change the filling tube. By retracting the filling tubes and possibly the whole Füllrohrbündels a loss of liquid, which may still remain in the filling tubes after completion of filling and exits more slowly, can be avoided. In addition, at the same time a drop of the container can be prevented during filling.

In another embodiment, one of the filling tubes of each filling station has a larger diameter than the remaining filling tubes at the corresponding filling station. For example, if it is provided that the liquid to be created consists of a main component and a plurality of secondary components with fewer volume fractions, the main component can be filled by the larger filling tube in the same or shorter time, even if the volume fraction of the main component in the total volume is much larger.

In a further embodiment, the filling tube with the larger diameter is surrounded by the remaining filling tubes of the filling station. Such an arrangement allows just when entering the filling tubes in the container to be filled, that no interference caused by optionally asymmetrically distributed filling tubes.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the filling stations are suitable for moving during the filling process at the same speed as the containers to be filled. That is, the container is on the conveyor during filling and while the corresponding filling station, for example, partially retracted or positioned in the container, moved on and the filling station moves at the same speed with the container to be filled with.

In a further embodiment, the apparatus is characterized in that it is adapted to bring the container to be filled to a filling station moving at a speed, to move along and to fill with this filling station at the speed and from the filling station moving at the speed lead away, wherein the speed at any time, in particular while the container is introduced, filled and led away, is different from zero.

By using, for example, this device, a method for filling containers with multicomponent liquids can be realized, wherein the filling of the containers takes place at a filling station through a filling tube bundle, which comprises at least two filling tubes, and each of these filling tubes is connected in each case to a product presentation container. Further, the filling is done so that the horizontal position of the container with respect to the filling station remains unchanged throughout the filling. This allows effective time and space-saving filling of containers with multi-component liquids.

In one embodiment, the method is characterized in that the filling tubes of each filling station rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry of the container to be filled. This makes it possible to ensure that only the required filling tube is positioned above the container in order to fill the corresponding component of the liquid.

In a further embodiment, the method is characterized in that at least one of the filling tubes is retracted into the container for filling. This makes it possible to avoid a loss of liquid outside the container after completion of the filling and a drop of the container to be filled during filling with the corresponding liquid component.

In one embodiment, the method is characterized in that different liquids or raw materials of the multicomponent liquid are passed through different filling tubes. This minimizes the cleaning effort, as each filling tube is used only for exactly one liquid component.

In a further embodiment, the method is characterized in that a main component of the liquid to be filled is filled through a filling tube with a larger diameter. This allows a filling of this main component in a short time when using a main component, which has a higher volume fraction than the other components of the liquid

In a further embodiment, the method is characterized in that the filling stations move during the filling of a container to be filled at the same speed as the container to be filled. This allows a fast and trouble-free filling of the container.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the container to be filled brought to a moving at a speed filling station, moved with this filling station with the speed and filled by them and is led away from the moving at the speed of filling station, the speed at any time Filling, in particular while the container is brought in, filled and led away, is different from zero. Thus, a time-saving filling of the containers to be filled can be ensured by avoiding unnecessary stops during the filling process.

Brief description of the pictures

Fig. 1:

Schematic representation of an embodiment of the device for filling containers.

Fig. 2:

Schematic representation of component allocation from different product precursor tanks.

3:

Schematic representation of the allocation of the liquid when using only one liquid component.

4:

Schematic representation of the filling process.

Fig. 5:

Schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the Füllrohrbündels.

Detailed description

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the device for filling containers with a multi-component liquid. The device comprises the filler 100 and a conveyor 140, on which the containers 150 to be filled are transported. The filler 100 shown here is a linear filler. However, the essential features of the invention can also be readily transferred to any other arrangements, in particular carousel fillers. The filler 100 further comprises the filling stations 101, a guide 120 for the filling stations and a liquid storage 110, which comprises the various product storage containers 111, 112, 113. The product reservoirs 111, 112, 113 contain the desired components of the liquid to be filled. These may be, for example, water and additives such as syrup or generally different viscous liquids or liquids with lumpy proportions. Furthermore, the filling stations 101 each comprise a holder 104 for attachment to the guide 120 and for connection to the product storage containers in the liquid storage 110 and a supply line 103, the filling tubes 105 and a filling head 106, which may optionally comprise further components, such as motors. However, as a special case of a "multi-component" liquid, the case in which all product presentation containers 111, 112, 113 contain the same liquid can also be considered in the context of the invention. The term then refers to the fact that a bottle-wise or batchwise filling of the same liquid takes place through different filling tubes 105. By using filling tubes with different diameters, the same liquid can then be filled at different flow rates depending on the diameters. The different ones However, flow rates may also be optionally or additionally achieved by different fill pressures in the respective product presentation containers 111, 112, 113.

To fill the container 150 to be filled, the containers 150 are moved on the conveyor 140 in the transport direction at a predetermined speed. The filling stations 101 move at the guide 120 of the filler 100 at the same speed. The system is preferably controlled so that a correct positioning of the filling stations 101 via a container 150 to be filled without further intervention, in particular changes in the speed profile of the filling stations 101, can be achieved. If the filling station 101 is positioned above the container 150 to be filled, the filling can take place through the filling tubes 105. Meanwhile, the container 150 to be filled is moved on the conveyor 140. After the container 150 to be filled with the filling station 101 has traveled a predetermined distance L and is completely filled, the filling station 101 is again removed from the filled container 150 and moved on the guide 120. The filled container 150 is then conveyed by the conveyor 140 to possibly further process sections. If a carousel filler is used, a guide 120 and a movement of the filling stations 101 relative to the carousel filler is unnecessary. Likewise, the conveyor 140 would preferably be replaced by diverter stars that transfer the containers 150 to the fixedly positioned filling stations 101 on the carousel filler. This would also make a control of the speed profile of the bottles 150 on the one hand and the filling stations 101 on the other superfluous.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the supply of the filling tubes with the liquid components from the product reservoirs 211, 212 and 213 via the line 203. In this case, an isolation of the individual liquid components from each other during the conduction through the line 203. This can for example be provided in the line 203 separating chambers or via hoses introduced in line 203. In any case, a separation of the individual components from the product reservoirs 211, 212 and 213 is provided so that it takes place continuously through the line 203 to the filling tubes 205, ie that no mixing of the components occurs before entering the container to be filled. For the final filling valves 226, 227, 228 are provided, is regulated by the opening / closing of the filling. The valves 226, 227, 228 are preferably independently controllable, so that a supply of the liquid components from the product reservoirs 211, 212, 213 can be made independently and thus the exact volume fraction of each liquid component can be adjusted.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the device, wherein only a Produktvorlagbehälter 311 is provided, which is connected via the line 303 with the filling tubes 305. This too can be understood in the sense of the invention as filling of a multicomponent liquid, since the filling continues to take place via different valves. Alternatively, several product reservoirs may be provided with the same liquid. Since it is in each case the same liquid in the product presentation containers or in the product presentation container 311, a separation of the liquids in the line 303 is no longer necessary. However, it may prove expedient to carry out a separation in line 303 even in this case. In the case of filling only one liquid component, the valves 326, 327 and 328 can either be opened alternately, for example with each new container another valve, or they are opened at the same time all at the same time. If the valves are opened alternately with each bottle or even alternately with each new production batch, a cleaning of the filling tubes 305 can be carried out even in the operating case of the device since the respectively unused filling tubes 305 or the last used filling tube 305 of the filling tube bundle can be cleaned, while another or the other filling tubes 305 are used to fill the containers. If, on the other hand, all the filling tubes are open at the same time, then the filling of the container can be carried out much more quickly and, for example, unwanted foam formations can also be suppressed.

Fig. 4 shows a detailed view of the filling process. At the filling station 400, one of the filling tubes 405 'is positioned out of the filling tube bundle above the opening of the container 450. Here, either only a selected filling tube 405 'or else the entire filling tube bundle can be positioned over the opening. This depends on the configuration of the Füllrohrbündels and the size of the openings of the container to be filled 450. The positioning takes place via a motor 421, which controls the rotation of the filling tubes or of the filling tube bundle. About another, not shown here engine, the vertical distance of the container to be filled 450 and the filling tubes 405 and the Füllrohrbündels can be changed appropriately. This can be done either by height adjustment of the Füllrohrbündels or individual filling tubes 405 or 450 to be filled container. A combination of both movements is conceivable.

If either the filling tube 405 'or the entire Füllrohrbündel brought into position over the opening of the container to be filled 450 or retracted into it, via line 403 and opening of one or more of the valves 426, 427, 428, the filling of the container to be filled 450 with the intended liquid components or the intended liquid. Preferably, the determination of the beginning and end of the filling via a load cell or a probe or flow meter or position or time measurements of the filled to be done Container 450 with suitable sensors, which are not shown in this figure and depending on the design would have to be attached to appropriate positions of the filling station and / or the filler and the conveyor.

Thus, at always the same liquid components and quantities to be filled, preferably at the beginning of in Fig. 1 represented distance L, a sensor may be provided which registers the entry of a container to be filled 450 in the filling. Since the speed of the conveyor is known at all times, and hence the speed of the container 450 to be filled, the total filling through the filling tubes 405 from the Füllrohrbündel at the filling station can be controlled so that until the end of the distance L from Fig. 1 the entire filling is completed. With constant flow and always the same speed in the conveyor weighing cells are thus unnecessary. Alternatively, however, load cells can also be used to compensate for variations in the fill.

In addition, it allows a suitable control of the filling stations and in particular of the Füllrohrbündels, for example, bottle-filling other liquids. Thus it can be provided that a total contingent of n product presentation containers is provided and a correspondingly equal number of n filling tubes 405 is attached to each filling station. Depending on the multicomponent liquid to be filled, only m ≤ n filling tubes 405 are then used. Accordingly, in the case of the remaining filling tubes, the valves remain closed and the control takes place such that only the filling tubes 40 necessary for the filling tube 405 are positioned above the opening of the container 450 to be filled. This allows a considerable flexibility of the filling process at the same time very high throughput.

In Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of the Füllrohrbündels each filling station shown. Each Füllrohrbündel consists essentially of the filling tubes 505. These are attached to the filling head 506, which is connected via connecting elements with the line 503.

If it is provided that the filling tubes 505 are not introduced at the same time but alternately into the container 550 to be filled, it can be provided that they are arranged at a distance d from one another so that the filling tubes 505 not currently used for filling complete the filling process, in particular retraction of the filling tube used 505 'not hinder. In this case, the Füllrohrbündel must be movably mounted. The simplest possible connection to the rigid conduit 503, through which, as described herein, the components of the fluids are provided in separate chambers 530, may be via the use of flexible tubing 522. If the motor 521, which is arranged in the filling head 506, turns the filling tube bundle, then the tubes 522 move accordingly.

If a rotatability of the filling tubes 505 is not provided, then the motor 521 can be omitted and the connection of line 503 and filling tubes 505 need not necessarily be done with flexible hoses 522 but can also be ensured by rigid connections.

Regardless of whether movable or fixedly positioned filling tubes 505 are provided, in addition to these a further central filling tube may be provided with an optionally larger diameter than the remaining filling tubes, which is mounted in the middle of the filling head 506. This can be used to fill a major component that has a greater volume fraction than the other components in the liquid. As indicated, the main component may be passed through the central circular aperture 531 within the conduit 503 through the bundle of fillets. During filling, this stuffing tube can then be permanently inserted into the container 550 to be filled, whereas the other filling tubes 505 can be brought by rotation into a suitable position, if provided. Regardless of movably or immovably arranged fill tubes 505, by opening the corresponding valves, the minor components may be added to the mixture. Thus, the main component can be filled into the container 550 throughout the filling process, whereas the secondary components are filled alternately for a period of time during filling.

Claims (15)

Filling machine (100) for filling liquids, in particular drinks and / or food, with
at least two product storage containers (111, 112) for each liquid to be filled, and
with one, preferably a plurality of uniformly distributed filling stations (101) for filling containers (150), wherein
each filling station (101) has a Füllrohrbündel of at least two filling tubes (105), and
wherein the filling tubes (105) are arranged in the filling tube bundle of a filling station (101) so that the position of the container (150) with respect to the filling station (101) in the horizontal direction during filling can be maintained. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each filling station (101) has a rotator (421) which can rotate the filling tubes (105) about an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry of the container (150) to be filled. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the Füllrohrbündel has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the opening of the container to be filled (150). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a shut-off valve (226, 227, 228) is provided on each supply line, which can close the supply line. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each product storage container (111, 112) contains another liquid to be filled. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each filling station (101) has a motor, preferably an electric motor, which can change the vertical distance between the container (150) to be filled and the filling tube (405 ') to be inserted. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one of the filling tubes of the filling station (101) has a larger diameter than the remaining filling tubes (105), wherein it can be provided that the filling tube with a larger diameter of the remaining filling tubes (105 ) of the filling station (101) is surrounded. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the filling stations (101) during the filling of a container to be filled (150) at the same speed as the container to be filled (150) can move. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the device is adapted to bring a container (150) to be filled to a speeding filling station (101) and to convey it at speed with the filling station (101) to fill the container (150) to be filled during transport through the filling station (101) and to remove the filled container from the filling station (101) moving at the speed, the speed being filled at all times, in particular while the containers are being filled and is led away, is different from zero. Method for filling liquids, in particular drinks and / or foods, characterized in that : the filling at a filling station (101) takes place through a filling tube bundle from at least two filling tubes (105), which are each connected to a product receiving container (150), and that the filling is carried out so that the horizontal position of the container (150) with respect to the filling station (150) remains unchanged during the entire filling. The method of claim 10, characterized in that the filling tubes (105) rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry of the container (150) to be filled. The method of claim 10 or 11, characterized in that at least one of the filling tubes (105) is retracted for filling in the container. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that different liquids / raw materials of the liquid to be filled are passed through different filling tubes (105), wherein it may be provided that the main component the liquid to be filled is filled through a filling tube with a larger diameter. Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the filling stations (101) move during the filling of a container to be filled (150) at the same speed as the container to be filled. Method according to one of Claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the container to be filled is brought to a filling station (101) moving at a speed, moved at this speed with the filling station (101) and filled by it and from which it is filled Moving speed filling station (101) is guided away, wherein the speed at all times, in particular while the container is introduced, filled and led away, is different from zero.

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