EP2996980A1

EP2996980A1 - Filling system and filling machine for filling containers

Info

Publication number: EP2996980A1
Application number: EP14721205.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ludwig Clüsserath; Manfred Härtel; Bernd Bruch
Original assignee: KHS GmbH
Current assignee: KHS GmbH
Priority date: 2013-05-14
Filing date: 2014-04-19
Publication date: 2016-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 2034-04-19
Also published as: SI2996980T1; EP2996980B1; DE102013104938A1; WO2014183827A1; US20160115009A1; US9856125B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a filling system for filling containers (9) with a liquid product, comprising at least one filling element (2, 2a-2g), a filling element housing (6) which is arranged below or laterally of a filling product reservoir (3) relative to a vertical filling-element axis (FA), and a liquid-carrying duct (7) formed in the filling element housing (6), said duct communicating with the filling product reservoir (3) and defining on a lower side of the filling element housing (6) at least one filling product discharge opening (8). The filling system further comprises at least one liquid valve (10) arranged in the liquid-carrying duct (7).

Description

Filling system and filling machine for filling containers

The invention relates to a filling system according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a filling machine according to the preamble of claim 18.

Specifically, the invention relates to a filling system in which the at least one filling element is preferably arranged directly on the underside of a filling material providing Füllgutkessels and the controlled opening and closing of the arranged in a liquid channel of the filling liquid valve by a above the Füllgutkessels and outside of the boiler interior , ie, for example, arranged at the top of the product vessel actuator. Filling systems of this type are known (DE 10 2006 014 103 A1, EP 1 586 533 A1). In many cases, it is also necessary for filling systems of this type to provide controlled gas paths, via which, for example, when filling from the container interior through the filling displaced back gas is discharged and / or the container interior evacuated before filling and / or with a purge gas or inert gas (eg CO ₂ gas and / or nitrogen) and / or biased with a biasing gas or inert gas.

The object of the invention is to provide a filling system with the features of the preamble of claim 1, which at high reliability and which a reduced design and control effort at least one controlled gas path for evacuation and / or rinsing and / or for applying the Container interior provides a pressure corresponding to the pressure in the Füllgutkessel filling pressure. To solve this problem, a filling system according to the patent claim 1 is formed. A filling machine is the subject of patent claim 18.

All embodiments of the invention have in common in common that via the actuating device, which generates at least for opening and closing the liquid valve of the filling element, an axial movement preferably in the direction of a Füllelementachse, with this axial movement at the same time also the first control erventil is actuated for opening and closing and / or the actuating device is designed to generate at least two defined axial strokes, namely for generating at least a first smaller axial stroke and a second larger stroke. With the first stroke, the first control valve and with the second stroke, the liquid valve is opened or closed. The second stroke preferably superimposes the first stroke such that only with the second stroke and the first control valve is opened or closed.

"Container" are in the context of the invention in particular cans, bottles, each made of metal, glass and / or plastic.

In the context of the invention, the container in sealing position with the filling element means that the respective container, in the manner known to the person skilled in the art, bears against the filling element and / or a gasket there tightly with its container mouth.

The expression "essentially" or "approximately" in the sense of the invention means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant for the function.

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 depicted features, alone or in any combination, are the subject matter of the invention, regardless of their combination in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Figures 1 and 2 respectively in a simplified representation and in section a filling position of a filling system or a filling machine according to the invention, together with a, provided at the filling position container in the form of a bottle, with different design of the filling element. 3 shows an enlarged view of a detail of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 - 9 representations similar to Figure 1 further embodiments of the filling position of the filling system according to the invention. The generally designated 1 in Figure 1 filling system consists of a plurality of similar filling elements 2, of which only one is shown and which is respectively provided directly on the bottom of a common for all filling elements 2 ring boiler 3. The ring-shaped vessel 3 is part of a rotor 4 which is rotatable about a vertical machine axis MA. The ring-type vessel 3 is further subdivided by a horizontal or substantially horizontal dividing wall 5 into an upper annular chamber 3.1 and a lower annular chamber 3.2, which latter during filling operation Partially filled the liquid contents.

In a housing 6 of the filling element 2, a liquid channel 7 is formed, which communicates with its upper end with the annular chamber 3.2 in connection, i. at the bottom of this annular chamber opens into the liquid space occupied by the contents. On the underside of the filling element 2, the liquid channel 7 forms a Füllgutabgabeöffnung 8 in the region of a tubular housing portion designed as a filling 6.1, via which the liquid product flows to the container 9 during filling, which is exemplified in the figures as a bottle. In the liquid channel 7, a liquid valve 10 with a valve body 11 is provided in the flow direction of the filling material in front of the Füllgutabgabeöffnung 8. The latter is formed on a return gas tube 12 serving as a valve tappet and arranged coaxially with a filling element axis FA. FIG. 1 shows the liquid valve 10 in the closed state. By axial lowering of the return gas pipe 12, the liquid valve 10 is opened.

At its lower end, the return gas pipe 12 is widened like a umbrella at 12.1, so that when the liquid valve 10 is closed, this end 12.1 abuts against the opening edge of the housing section 6.1 and thereby additionally closes the liquid channel 7 annularly surrounding the return gas pipe 12 in the region of the product discharge opening 8. The return gas pipe 12 extends through the annular chamber 3.2 and an opening in the partition wall 5 into the annular chamber 3.1 and is there formed at its upper open end, inter alia, with a valve seat 3 for a valve body 14 which forms a control valve 15 together with the valve seat 13 , The valve body 14 is provided at the lower end of a valve stem 16 arranged coaxially with the filling element axis FA which, with its ends having the valve body 14, extends from above into an extension of the return gas pipe 2, through an opening through which the in Return gas pipe 12 formed gas channel 17 with open control valve 15 with the annular chamber 3.1 is in communication and the opening cross-section is greater than the cross section of the valve stem 16. The valve stem 16 is part of an outside of the ring vessel 3 arranged at the top of actuator 18, for an axial movement of the valve stem 16 is formed in two strokes H1 and H2 of different sizes and for this purpose consists of two actuators in the form of pneumatic cylinders 18.1 and 18.2. The passage of the valve stem 16 through the top of the ring vessel 3 is sealed with a bellows seal 19. On the valve stem 16, a driver 20 is further provided above the upper end of the return gas tube 12, which is formed in the illustrated embodiment of at least two radially projecting from the valve stem 16 wing arms. Furthermore, between the upper end of the return gas pipe 12 and the partition wall 5, a compression spring 21 surrounding the return gas pipe, through which the valve body 11 of the liquid valve 10 is biased in the closed position.

22 denotes a carrier or a plate through which the housing section 6.1 extends and which has a seal 23 surrounding the housing section 6.1 on its underside. By means of an actuating element, for example with the actuating element designated in FIG. 4 with 22.1, the plate 22 can be raised and lowered in the direction of the filling element axis FA. With the filling element 2 or with the filling system 1 formed by these filling elements different filling methods are possible, with all these methods always the lower, the Füllgutabgabeöffnung 8 having end of the housing section 6.1 extends through the container opening into the headspace of the container 9. FIG. 1 also shows the control valve 15 in the closed state. By actuating the pneumatic cylinder 18.1 or by the smaller stroke H1 of the valve tappet 16, the control valve 5 can be opened by lowering the valve body 14 or the connection between the return gas channel 17 and the annular chamber 3.1 can be established, with the liquid valve 10 still closed. for example, to pressurize the interior of the container 9 via the gas channel 17, for example with the pressure or negative pressure of the ring vessel 3 or to empty the return gas channel 17 of contents after filling a container in the next, to be filled container.

By activating the pneumatic cylinder 18.2 and by the larger stroke H2 generated thereby, which overlaps the stroke H1, the liquid valve 14 is opened in addition to the control valve 15, namely by the driver 20 coming into abutment against the upper end of the return gas pipe 12 and this moves together with the valve body 1 1 against the action of the compression spring 21 down to the open position. To complete the filling or the filling phase, the pneumatic cylinder 18.2 is deactivated, so that the liquid valve 10 closes. With the pneumatic cylinder 18.1 still activated, the control valve 15 remains open so that the return gas tube is discharged into the filled container, i. the contents, which has risen during the filling phase in the gas channel 17 can flow into the filled container. If closing of the liquid valve 10 by activating the pneumatic cylinder 18.1 and the control valve 15 is closed, then filling remains in the return gas pipe 12 and is then emptied by opening the control valve 15 in the next, to be filled container. By a return spring 24, the valve stem 16 is biased in its raised starting position.

At least during the application of pressure and during filling, the plate 22 is lowered onto the container 9, which is raised with its base on a container carrier, not shown, so that the seal 23 bears tightly against the container mouth and this seal at the same time also the gap between the container Plate 22 and the outer surface of the housing section 6.1 seals, the container 9 is thus in sealing position on the filling element 2. The during the filling (filling phase) from the interior of the container 9 displaced by the inflowing medium return gas is returned via the gas channel 17 and the open control valve 15 in the ring vessel 3. The inflow of the liquid filling material is automatically terminated when the liquid valve 10 is not yet open when the lower end of the return gas tube 12 has been immersed in the level of contents in the container 9 and the liquid contents have risen up to a certain level in the gas channel 17. For example, time-controlled, at least the pneumatic cylinder 18.2 is deactivated to close the liquid valve. FIG. 2 shows, as a further possible embodiment, a filling element 2a, which differs from the filling element 2 only in that the carrier 20 does not act directly on the upper end of the return gas tube 12 in the filling element 2a, but via a further compression spring 24.1 is dimensioned such that the axial movement of the return gas pipe 12 for opening the liquid valve 10 takes place only when the control valve 15 has actually been opened. In FIG. 3, the control valve 15 and the elements surrounding this valve are again shown in detail.

FIG. 4 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling element 2b, which differs from the filling element 2 essentially in that the valve tappet 16 extends into the region of the underside of the housing section 6.1 and the valve body 14 is provided at the local end of the valve tappet 16 interacts with the lower opening edge of the return gas pipe 12 as a valve seat, the control valve 15 is thus designed as a foot valve.

FIG. 5 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling element 2c, which differs from the filling element 2 essentially in that valve tappet 16 is formed by a tube 16c arranged coaxially with the filling element axis FA, which is open on valve body 14 of the control valve 15. The upper end of the tube 16b opens into a space 25 which acts between a piston acting as a piston

Diaphragm of the pneumatic cylinder 18.2 and an additional sealing membrane is formed and is connected via a further control valve 26 with a common for all filling elements 2c of the filling system 1 and provided on the ring bowl 3 annular channel 27 in conjunction. Shown in FIG. 5 is also a schematic of a each filling element 2b independently provided control valve assembly 28 with a plurality of electrically controlled pneumatic valves for controlling the two pneumatic cylinders 18.1 and 18.2 and the likewise pneumatically controllable control valve 26th

With the filling element 2c or with the filling systems having a plurality of filling elements, in turn, for example, a vacuum filling of the container 9 or filling at atmospheric or ambient pressure is possible, in which case the ring bowl 3 is acted upon in accordance with negative pressure or with ambient pressure. In addition, flushing of the interior of the containers 9 prior to actual filling with a purge gas, for example with an inert gas, e.g. CO2 gas or nitrogen possible. For this purpose, the annular channel 27, the purge gas under slight overpressure. During the lifting movement of the container 8 towards the filling valve, a short horizontal course of the curve responsible for the bottle stroke ensures that the container lingers for a short time, ie without sealing, against the seal 23. Plate 22 with seal 23 is used in their altitude only the default of the level and is fixed during the filling process in position.

By opening the control valve 26, the purge gas is centrally supplied via the tube 16b and the gas channel 17 into the container 9, i. blown in the region of the filler element axis FA and, together with displaced air from the container interior in the region of the container mouth at the annular gap formed between the container inner surface and the housing section 6.1 (open rinsing). This is followed by the complete stroke of the container 8 and the sealing to seal 23rd

In principle, the filling element 2c can also be designed such that the tube 16c extends to the underside of the housing section 6.1. In this embodiment, with the filling element 2c is also a rinsing of the container 9 in such a way possible that with lowered plate 22 and against the seal 23 adjacent container mouth the flushing out of the container interior purge gas on the pipe 16c then annularly enclosing gas channel 17th and the open control valve 15 is passed into the annular chamber 3.1 (closed rinsing). In this case, the passage of the return gas tube 12 through the dividing wall 5 is preferably preceded by a passage. suitable seal 28.1, for example, sealed by a diaphragm seal, so that the back led flushing purge gas does not come with the recorded in the annular chamber 3.2 filling material into contact. Basically, but can be dispensed with the seal 28.1. The recirculated into the ring vessel 3 purge gas or return gas is then indeed in contact with the contents. The advantage of this procedure, however, lies in the fact that the gas space not occupied by the contents in the ring vessel 3 accumulates with inert gas, which leads to a reduction in the oxygen uptake. In general, in particular the closed rinsing has the advantage that after rinsing the introduction of the filling material in a 1Ö0% inert gas atmosphere, eg C0 ₂ atmosphere takes place, resulting in many products, such as white wine to a frequently desired slight Aufkarbonisierung, but in particular it also prevents the naturally occurring CO2 in a product from being lost.

Furthermore, with the filling element 2c after filling, i. after completion of the filling phase the not occupied by the contents of the headspace of the container via the pipe 16b and controlled by the control valve 26 to vent with inert gas.

FIG. 6 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling system 1.1 with filling elements 2d for filling containers 9 in the form of bottles. This filling system differs from the filling system 1 of Figures 1 - 5 initially characterized in that the ring bowl 3 on the rotor 4 only the ring chamber 3.2 corresponding annular chamber, which in turn is partially filled with the liquid contents during the filling operation. The filling element 2d differs from the filling element 2 essentially in that the upper open end of the return gas pipe 12 extends into a gas space 29 and cooperates there to form a control valve 30 with an annular valve seat 30.1 concentrically enclosing the filling element axis FA, for example a ring seal is formed. The passage of the return gas tube 12 into the gas space 29 is sealed by a membrane seal 31 or other suitable seal. Furthermore, the gas space 29 is formed in a housing 32, which is provided on the upper side of the annular vessel 3 and in which also the actuator 18 d for opening and closing the Liquid valve 10 is housed. The filling system 1 .1 furthermore has the ring channel 27 common to all filling elements 2d as well as the control valve 26 which is part of a controlled gas path which opens via a throttle 33 in the middle of the annular valve seat 30.1.

With the filling element 2d, for example, a flushing of the interior of the container to be filled with a purge gas or inert gas, for example C0 ₂ gas or nitrogen from the annular channel 27 is possible, namely with the liquid valve 10 and control valve 30 closed or against the valve seat The purge gas then flows via the throttle 33 throttled into the return gas channel 17 and from this centrally into the interior of the container 9. When not sealed container mouth, the backgas displaced from the container interior of the purge gas can flow into the environment. By the throttle 33 is avoided that even at a higher pressure of the purge gas in the annular channel 27 contents, which remains in the return gas pipe 12 from a previous filling a container 9, sprayed sprayed into the new container to be rinsed and thereby exiting through the out of the container Rear gas areas outside of the container 9 are polluted by sprayed filling. The need for a throttle 33 could be avoided with a correspondingly low flushing pressure in the annular channel 27.

To fill the then in sealing position on the filling element 2d arranged container 9, the liquid valve is opened by lowering the return gas pipe 12 when the control valve 26 is closed. As a result, the return gas displaced from the interior of the container by the filling material can flow away via the return gas pipe 12, via the open control valve 30 and via the gas space 29 into the space of the ring tank 3 not occupied by the product.

FIG. 7 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling element 2e, which differs from the filling element 2d merely in that, in addition to the annular channel 27, a further annular channel 34 is provided, which, for example, is subjected to a negative pressure or vacuum during filling. This embodiment allows, among other things, in addition to an open flush, in which the resulting during flushing return gas is discharged into the environment, also a closed flush. Both ring Channels 27 and 34 are each connected via a separate control valve 26 and 35 connected to the closed at the liquid valve tight against the valve seat 30.1 adjacent return gas pipe 12. When flushing the interior of the arranged in sealing position on the filling element 2d container 9 is first evacuated via the return gas pipe 12 and the open control valve 35, for example, to a pressure of 100 mbar. Subsequently, the interior of the container 9 is filled with open control valve 35 by opening the control valve 26 with the purge gas, for example, to atmospheric pressure. The proportion of inert gas, for example C0 ₂ gas or nitrogen is then after this first flushing in the container interior already at least 95%. With a double repetition of this rinsing process, an inert gas concentration in the container 9 of up to 99% can be achieved without difficulty, the purge gas consumption being about 150 g inert gas / Hl.

FIG. 8 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling element 2f, which differs from the filling element 2d essentially only in that an additional control valve 36 is provided in the connection between the subspace of the annular vessel 3 not occupied by the filling material and the opening of the valve seat 30.1. The filling system 1.1 having the filling elements 1.1 can be u.a. can also be operated as a vacuum filling system and allows an open flushing of the container 9 with inert gas.

FIG. 9 shows, as a further embodiment, a filling element 2g which initially differs from the filling element 2e in that a further control valve 37 is provided in the connection between the gas space 29 and the subspace of the annular boiler 3 not occupied by the filling material. In addition, the filling element 2g has a gas pipe 38, which is enclosed by the return gas pipe 12 to form the gas channel 17 at a distance and is arranged coaxially with the Füllelementachse FA. The gas pipe 38 is open at the upper end and there connected via the control valve 35 connected to the annular channel 34. Only the annular channel 27 is connected via the control valve 26 with the opening surrounded by the valve seat 30.1.

With the filling element 2g, inter alia, a filling of the container 9 with differential pressure is possible, which is expedient for higher viscous products, such as liqueurs, syrups, etc., to higher Füllleistungen (amount of bottled product per unit time) However, this also requires that the product remaining after filling in the return gas pipe 12 and in the gas pipe 38 be emptied into the next container to be filled. Furthermore, the filling element 2g also allows a single or multiple rinsing of the container 9, which is arranged in a sealing position on the filling element 2g, in each case after previous evacuation. The evacuation takes place from the annular channel 34 by opening the control valve 35 via the gas pipe 38. The rinsing takes place from the annular channel 27 by opening the control valve 26 via the return gas pipe 12. During filling, the interior of the container 9 via the open control valve 35 with the vacuum of the annular channel 34 is applied. Before the desired filling level is reached, the control valve 35 is closed and the return of the return gas displaced from the contents from the container 9 then takes place only via the return gas channel 17 and the opened control valve 37, for example with a formal or reduced filling speed. Alternatively, the filling element 2g can also be used in a differential pressure method in which the ring bowl 3 is also subjected to vacuum, wherein the vacuum in the annular channel 34 is greater than the vacuum in the ring bowl 3, for example - 600 mbar in the vacuum channel 34 and - 400 mbar Ring bowl 3, in each case based on normal or atmospheric pressure.

The invention has been described above by means of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention. Thus, it is possible to form the upper annular chamber 3.1 in comparison with the annular chamber 3.2 with a reduced cross-section and thus with reduced volume, which is advantageous for rinsing in recycling the backgas displaced by the purge gas into the annular chamber 3.1. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1.1 filling system

2, 2a - 2g filling element

3 ring bowls

3.1, 3.2 ring chamber

4 rotor

5 partition

6 housing

6.1 Housing section

7 fluid channel

8 product discharge opening

9 containers

10 liquid valve

1 1 valve body

12 return gas pipe

13 valve seat

14 valve body

15 control valve

16 valve tappets

16b pipe section

17 gas channel

18 actuator

18.1, 18.2 pneumatic cylinder

19 seal

20 drivers

21 compression spring

22 carrier or plate

22.1 actuator

23 seal

24 return spring

24.1 compression spring

25 gas space

26 control valve 27 ring channel

28 control valve arrangement

28.1 seal

29 gas room

30 control valve

30.1 Valve seat

31 seal

32 housing

33 throttle

34 ring channel

35 control valve

36 control valve

37 control valve

38 gas pipe

FA filler element axis

MA machine axis

H1, H2 Hub

Claims

claims

1. filling system for filling containers (9) with a liquid product, with at least one filling element (2, 2a - 2g), with a relative to a vertical Füllelementachse (FA) below a Füllgutkessels (3) arranged Füllelementgehäuse (6), with a in the Füllelementgehäuse (6) formed liquid channel (7) which communicates with the Füllgutkessel (3) and at least one Füllgutabgabeöffnung (8) forms at an underside of the Füllelementgehäuses (6), with at least one in the liquid channel (7) arranged liquid valve ( 10), with a first gas channel (17) forming return gas pipe (12), which is in filling with a container interior of the container to be filled (9) in communication with an at least one relative to the Füllelementachse (FA) axial stroke (H1, H2) generating actuating means (18, 18d) for opening and closing the liquid valve (10), as well as with at least one gas space (3.1, 29) for discharging the back gas displaced from the contents of the container during filling of the container (9) and / or for pressurizing the container interior with a filling pressure and / or flushing the container interior with a purge gas and / or for evacuating the container interior, wherein the return gas pipe (12) is preferably serves as a valve tappet of the liquid valve and is moved axially by the actuating device (18, 18d) for opening and closing the liquid valve (10),

characterized,

that the actuating device (18) controls with its axial stroke at the same time at least one control valve (15, 30) which is arranged in the connection between the gas channel (17) of the return gas pipe (12) and a gas space (3.1, 29).

2. Filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating device (18) for generating a first axial stroke (H1), for opening or closing the first control valve (15) and for generating a second stroke (H2) for opening or closing the Liquid valve (10) is formed, wherein the second stroke (H2) preferably superimposed on the first stroke (H1) and thereby causes the opening or closing of both the first control valve (15), and the liquid valve (10).

3. Filling system according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating device (18) has two preferably designed as a pneumatic cylinder or acting actuators (18.1, 18.2), which are operatively arranged in series and of which an actuating element (18.1) the first stroke and a Actuator (18.2) generate the second stroke (H2).

4. Filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that the second or first actuating element (18.2, 18.1) has a with this actuator axially movable valve tappet (16, 16c) which acts on a valve body (14) of the control valve (15) or at this valve body (14) is provided, and that the first or second actuating element (18.1, 18.2) acts on the valve stem (14) axially.

5. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve body (14) of the first control valve (15) with a at an upper or lower end of the return gas pipe (12) formed valve seat (13) cooperates.

6. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by spring means (21) biasing the valve stem acting as a return gas pipe (12) and with this a valve body (11) of the liquid valve (10) in a preferably raised closed position, and that with the first Hub (H1) the first control valve (15) is opened and with the second stroke (H2) of the actuating device (18) with open first control valve (15) and the liquid valve (10) by overpressing the spring means (21) is opened.

7. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gas space is not occupied by the filling subspace (3.1) of the Füllgutkessels (3), and that the return gas pipe (12) extends with its upper end in this subspace (3.1) ,

8. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gas space (29) communicates with the space not occupied by the filling part (3.1) of the filling material boiler (3).

9. Filling system according to claim 8, characterized in that a control valve (37) is provided in the connection between the gas space (29) and the subspace of the filling material vessel (3) not occupied by the filling material.

10. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first control valve (30) of a valve seat (30.1), preferably of the Füllelementachse (FA) enclosing annular valve seat (30.1) is formed, with which the return gas pipe (12) with an edge of its opening at the top, the Füllgutabgabeöffnung (8) facing away from the end cooperates.

11. Filling system according to claim 10, characterized in that at one of the annular valve seat (30.1) surrounded area at least one flow path opens, which has a further control valve (26, 35) and with a further gas chamber (27, 34) is in communication ,

12. Filling system according to claim 11, characterized in that in which the further control valve (26) having flow path, the gas flow reducing or reducing throttle (33) is provided.

13. Filling system according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the further gas space (27, 34) serves to provide a purge gas, a vacuum or a biasing gas.

14. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the from a subspace (3.1) of the Füllgutkessels (3) formed gas space relative to a filling material providing further subspace (3.2) of the product container (3) is sealed.

15. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Füllgutkessel one for all filling elements (2, 2a - 2g) of the filling system (1, 1.1) common ring bowl (3) and the at least one further gas space one for all filling elements (2 , 2a - 2g) of the filling system (1, 1.1) common annular channel (27, 34).

16. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Füllelementgehäuse (6) with a filling in the container (9) extending into the tubular housing portion (6.1) is formed, on which the Füllgutabgabeöffnung (8) is provided.

17. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by one of the return gas pipe (12) and the gas channel (17) enclosed further gas pipe (16c, 38), which forms a further gas channel, at the lower end of the gas pipe (16c, 38 ) is open in the region of the filling material discharge opening (8) and can be connected via the further control valve (26, 35) to the further gas space (27, 34).

18. Filling machine for filling containers (9) with a filling element (1, 1.1) formed on a circulating transport element, for example on a rotor (4) which is rotatable about a vertical machine axis (MA), characterized in that

in that the filling system (1, 1.1) is designed according to one of the preceding claims.