EP3587341B1 - Filling station and method for filling a product in a container - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a filling element for filling a filling product into a container, preferably for filling sauces into bottles, and a corresponding method.

State of the art

It is known to use rotary fillers with pneumatically operated filling elements to fill filling products, for example beverages or flowable foods such as soups or sauces, in particular barbecue sauces or ketchup.

It is known to provide single-acting pneumatic cylinders for opening and closing the filling elements, which cylinders are designed to close compressed air and open by spring force - or vice versa. In such filling organs, among other things, in the supply lines between a product tank and the actual filling valves, which can be designed as shut-off valves or also diaphragm valves with a fixed throttle bore in the valve seat, control valves can be provided that change the supply line cross-section by appropriately opening and closing an application-specific fast or slow filling is possible with the filling valve open. Membrane valves can also be used in the case of filling elements with a filling tube outlet by means of volume work, i.e. partial enlargement of the filling tube cross-section or the cross-section in the product line in front of the filling tube, e.g. by switching the membrane valve in the appropriate direction, to hold back product residues and drops at the outlet of the filling tube , or to suck back into the filling pipe, which increases the quality of the filling in terms of avoiding contamination of the container to be filled.

The pneumatic cylinders are usually always opened and closed at the same speed at constant working air pressures. Depending on the rheological properties of the flowable filling products to be filled, the shut-off device may close slowly, for example with a forward-closing valve, and a slow changeover from fast to slow filling, for example with a diaphragm valve in a product line, can be advantageous for low-viscosity products in order to avoid excessive acceleration of the filling product during the switching process. On the other hand, fast (forward) closing can be beneficial in the case of highly viscous filling products in order to optimize the product jet tearing off at the outlet of the filling elements. For application-dependent adjustment of the opening or closing speed of shut-off valves or other functional units in the filling element controlled by a pneumatic working cylinder, fixed supply air and / or exhaust air screens are therefore usually installed in the supply lines and exhaust air ducts in order to convey the supply air or the exhaust air to the working cylinder to throttle so that the opening or closing speed can be adjusted to suit the application. In this way, sufficient control dynamics of the pneumatic components in the filling elements are achieved for individual applications, for example for a product group to be filled with approximately identical rheological properties.

Since the filling elements described are equipped with fixed supply air or exhaust air throttles to control the pneumatic cylinders, when filling a range of products with widely varying rheological properties on a filling machine, for example filling products with widely differing viscosities, filling products with and without solid components and / or particles, Newtonian as well as non-Newtonian fluids, filamentous filling products and / or filling products with rheological yield point result in an increased conversion effort for the respective adaptation. In particular, in order to convert from one product group to another, the supply air and / or exhaust air panels must be exchanged.

In the case of low-viscosity filling products, for example, closing the pneumatic cylinder too quickly to switch from fast filling to slow filling and closing the cones of the shut-off valves too quickly have a negative effect. The low-viscosity filling product is greatly accelerated by the closing pulse, which can cause the filling jet to oscillate at the exit of the shut-off valve. Since the forward closing valve cones of the shut-off valves accelerate the filling product beyond the actual exit speed of the filling jet, the jet is compressed and thickened or it also starts to oscillate. With the often narrow mouth cross-sections of the containers to be filled, these phenomena can lead to the filling jet no longer being able to hit the container mouth properly, product loss, dirty outside of the container and mouths or threads, strong Foaming or even foaming over from the containers, as well as product splashes out of the containers, are possible consequences.

In the case of highly viscous filling products, on the other hand, which have a tendency to stick or thread or have a rheological yield point, a fast closing speed of the shut-off valves has a positive effect. On the other hand, if the closing speed is too low, the filling product may stick to the outlets of the shut-off valves when closing, build up, drip off in an uncontrolled manner and thus contaminate the containers to be filled at critical points or pull threads that can also contaminate the containers. In free-jet filling, filling products with a rheological yield point must also be accelerated at the end of filling in order to allow the filling jet to be completely immersed in the filling level, since on the other hand, product cones can form on the surface of the filling goods, which may protrude beyond the container mouth and thus the container mouth and closure can pollute.

If functional units operated by a pneumatic working cylinder are used, e.g. membrane valves in filling organs with a filling pipe outlet for droplet retention, the filling product to be retained can also be sucked in too quickly by increasing the cross-section and volume represented by the membrane valves too quickly, which increases the risk of being sucked in Air yields. If air has been sucked in, the filling tube can run empty, which has a negative effect in that the container is overfilled or soiled by dripping product. Depending on the rheological properties of the media to be filled in combination with the cross-sections of the filling pipe, it makes sense to adapt the switching speed of the pneumatic functional units used.

For the filling of a wide range of products, a compromise design of supply air and exhaust air throttles for the shut-off valves of the filling elements and the other pneumatic functional units used is difficult to achieve. For the widely differing filling products, this usually results in a significant deterioration in the filling process for each of the products. In order to be able to optimally fill a wide range of products, with the existing filling element and control technology, only the time-consuming and labor-intensive replacement of supply air or exhaust air throttles is possible in order to display the respective optimal control dynamics of the valves or pneumatic functional units for filling products with different rheological properties.

The JP H10 59491 A describes a filling valve that is opened and closed by operating an air cylinder. Further devices for filling containers with a filling product go from the DE 10 2014 117 831 A1 , FR 2 791 033 A1 , U.S. 5,287,997 A and U.S. 5,137,187 A emerged.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved filling element for filling a filling product into a container, preferably for filling sauces into bottles, and a corresponding method.

The object is achieved by a filling element for filling a filling product into a container, preferably for filling sauce into bottles, with the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments emerge from the subclaims, the present description and the attached figures.

Accordingly, a filling member for filling a filling product into a container, preferably for filling sauces into bottles, is proposed, comprising a valve for influencing a filling product flow and a working cylinder switchable via an actuating fluid for specifying the switching positions of the valve. According to the invention, a pressure regulating device is provided, via which the actuating fluid can be discharged from the working cylinder in a controlled manner.

In order to support the pressure regulation by the pressure regulation device, the pressure regulation device has a buffer store for buffering actuating fluid.

Because the actuating fluid can be discharged from the working cylinder in a regulated manner via a pressure regulating device, different filling products can be filled with the same filling element, whereby the filling products can have widely differing rheological properties, e.g. strongly differing viscosities, content of solid constituents and / or particles, as well as Newtons 'cal and non-Newtonian fluids, thread-pulling products and products with rheological yield point, without having to make mechanical changes to the filling element or having to convert the filling element, for example in the form of replacing orifices or a valve cone.

In other words, the switching speed, and therefore the opening and closing speed, of the valve can be adapted or optimized to the respective product properties without mechanical intervention, for example an exchange of exhaust air throttles become. This makes it possible on a filling machine to fill filling products with a wide variety of rheological properties via the same filling element with parameters adapted to the respective filling product. Low-viscosity filling products are preferably filled with a slow closing speed of the valve and / or high-viscosity filling products are filled with a fast closing speed.

A switching speed, preferably an opening speed and / or a closing speed, of the valve is preferably individually controllable / regulatable by the pressure regulating device.

The switching speed of the valve can be specified by means of a corresponding counterpressure setting in the pressure regulating device and adapted accordingly. The higher the setting of the back pressure in the pressure regulating device, the slower the resulting switching speed.

In the present case, actuating fluid is understood to mean a fluid which is supplied to the working cylinder for actuating a piston of the working cylinder on at least one side of the working cylinder with respect to the piston, which divides the interior of the working cylinder into two chambers and which thereby acts on the piston. The working fluid is preferably gaseous, particularly preferably a gas, a gas mixture, compressed air, or liquid, particularly preferably a hydraulic fluid, preferably a hydraulic oil.

In a preferred further embodiment, the pressure in the pressure regulating device can be changed in relation to the switching position or in relation to a position of a piston of the working cylinder, and is therefore adaptable or adjustable. The switching speed can thus be adjusted along the path of the piston in the working cylinder. In particular, if the working cylinder is designed to be single-acting and the chamber of the working cylinder opposite the compressed air side is spring-loaded, a change in the pressure on the pressure side by the pressure regulating device can act on a spring force acting on the piston, which increases with increasing travel of the piston in the working cylinder the decreasing compression of the spring is reduced, compensated.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the supply of actuating fluid supplied to the working cylinder takes place in an unthrottled manner. As a result, the speed is controlled and / or regulated solely via the pressure regulating device when the actuating fluid is discharged. A filling member designed in this way accordingly has a simple and at the same time robust structure.

The pressure can be regulated particularly precisely if, according to a further preferred embodiment, the pressure regulating device has a regulating valve, preferably a proportional regulating valve.

The buffer store is preferably arranged between the working cylinder and the control valve.

In a further preferred embodiment, the pressure regulating device can have an OR valve or a shuttle valve. As a result, it is possible, when the working cylinder is pressurized, to guide the inflowing actuating fluid past those parts of the pressure regulating device which regulate the residual pressure of the actuating fluid when the actuating fluid is discharged. A separate channel can thus be provided for supplying the actuating fluid. To discharge the actuating fluid, a further channel can be provided, via which the residual pressure can be regulated during discharge. The two channels can alternately be connected to the working cylinder or a connecting line to one side of the working cylinder through the OR valve. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the working cylinder is designed as a pneumatic cylinder, the actuating fluid preferably being compressed air. As a result, the filling element can be used in common filling systems, which are usually operated with compressed air, without major changes to the filling system being necessary.

A particularly simple construction of the filling element can be achieved if the working cylinder according to a further preferred embodiment is a single-acting working cylinder, preferably a single-acting pneumatic cylinder. The working cylinder is preferably designed to close compressed air and open by spring force, or to open compressed air and close by spring force.

If the working cylinder is designed as a double-acting working cylinder, preferably as a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, it is possible to let the pressure regulating device exert an influence on both chambers of the working cylinder. In other words, at least one pressure regulating device can be connected to the working cylinder in such a way that a pressure regulating device is connected to one of the two chambers of the cylinder when actuating fluid, preferably compressed air, is to or will be discharged from this. As a result, exhaust air and compressed air control can alternate on both sides, so that the switching speed can be individually adjusted in both switching directions. The back pressure provided can be different for both switching directions, which results in different switching speeds. In the other chamber, which alternates is accordingly not connected to a pressure control device and on which the working cylinder is supplied with operating fluid under pressure which is higher than the pressure specified by the pressure control device, the supply can in each case be unthrottled. There is consequently no need to provide throttle orifices on the feed side either.

A particularly robust and easy-to-interconnect filling element can be implemented in that the double-acting working cylinder has two connections, each of the connections being connectable to a separate drain guide having a pressure regulating device, or the two connections, preferably via a valve, particularly preferably a 5- 2-way switching valve, are alternately connectable to a common drainage guide having the pressure regulating device.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the valve is designed as a filling valve for providing and for interrupting a flow of filling product from the filling element. As a result, a filling product from the filling element can be provided to a container to be filled, controlled / regulated and interrupted.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the valve is designed as a diaphragm valve or throttle valve for setting a passage cross section of a filling product line of the filling element. As a result, a volume flow of filling product in the filling element can be controlled / regulated.

In a further preferred embodiment, the residual pressure set by the pressure regulating device is changed in relation to the position of the piston in the working cylinder along its longitudinal axis, so that, for example, near the end switching positions, the differential pressure between the pressure supply side and the side from which actuating fluid is discharged via the pressure regulating device , is low, and a higher pressure difference is set between these end positions and the piston moves correspondingly faster. In this way, for example, a type of "stop damping" can also be provided for the end positions.

The object set above is also achieved by a method for controlling / regulating a filling element for filling a filling product into a container with the features of claim 11. Advantageous developments of the method emerge from the present description, the subclaims and the figures.

Accordingly, a method for controlling a filling element for filling a filling product into a container is proposed, comprising the steps of subjecting a first chamber of a working cylinder of a valve of the filling element to an actuating fluid to achieve a first switching position of the valve, and of discharging the actuating fluid via a pressure regulating device for reaching a second switching position of the valve.

A switching speed of the valve can preferably be individually controlled / regulated by setting a pressure by the pressure regulating device.

The advantages and effects described with regard to the filling element are achieved analogously by the method.

Brief description of the figures

Figur 1

schematisch ein Ventil mitsamt Arbeitszylinder eines Füllorgans;

Figur 2

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform;

Figur 3

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform;

Figur 4

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer dritten Ausführungsform;

Figur 5

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer vierten Ausführungsform;

Figur 6

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer fünften Ausführungsform; und

Figur 7

schematisch einen Schaltplan eines Füllorgans gemäß einer sechsten Ausführungsform.

Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Show:

Figure 1

schematically a valve together with the working cylinder of a filling element;

Figure 2

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a first embodiment;

Figure 3

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a second embodiment;

Figure 4

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a third embodiment;

Figure 5

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a fourth embodiment;

Figure 6

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a fifth embodiment; and

Figure 7

schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a sixth embodiment.

Detailed description of preferred exemplary embodiments

Preferred exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Identical, similar or identically acting elements are provided with identical reference symbols in the different figures, and a repeated description of these elements is in some cases dispensed with in order to avoid redundancies.

In Figure 1 a filling element 1 for filling a filling product into a container with a valve 2 for influencing a filling product flow of the filling product flowing into the container, preferably for filling sauce into bottles, is shown schematically.

The filling element 1 has a working cylinder 20 by means of which the valve 2 can be switched. The working cylinder 20 can be switched via an actuating fluid, in the present case in the form of compressed air. For this purpose, the working cylinder 20 has a piston 21 which divides an interior of the working cylinder 20 into a first chamber 23 and a second chamber 24. In the present case, the working cylinder 20 is designed as a double-acting pneumatic cylinder. Alternatively, the working cylinder 20 can also be designed as a single-acting and / or as a single-acting or double-acting hydraulic cylinder.

In the present case, the valve 2 is designed as a shut-off free-jet valve. Alternatively, the valve 2 can also have a different shape and be designed, for example, as a diaphragm valve or throttle valve for varying the flow of filling product.

The switching positions of the valve 2 can be specified via the switching position of the working cylinder 20. For this purpose, the piston 21 is connected via a piston rod 22 to a valve cone 25 of the valve 2, which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the valve 2 via the movement of the piston 21. In a closed switching position of the valve 2, the valve cone 25 is in contact with a valve seat 26. To open it, the valve cone 25 is lifted out of the valve seat 26 by a movement of the piston 21, so that a corresponding passage cross-section or annular gap between the valve cone 25 and valve seat 26 arises through which the filling product can flow. By lowering the valve cone 25 into the valve seat 26 and lifting it out of it, the flow of filling product can be controlled accordingly.

Figure 2 shows schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element 1 according to a first embodiment. The filling member has a valve 2 with a working cylinder 20 accordingly Figure 1 on.

Both chambers 23, 24 of the double-acting working cylinder 20 are each supplied with compressed air from a compressed air supply 4 via a 3/2-way valve 5. For this purpose, the compressed air supply 4 branches in parallel to the two 3/2-way valves 5. One of the 3/2-way valves 5 leads via a connecting line 27 to the first chamber 23 of the working cylinder 20. The other of the two 3/2-way valves 5 leads via an OR valve 30 into a connecting line 28 to the second chamber 24 of the double-acting working cylinder 20th

The OR valve 30 is in the present case in the form of a quick exhaust valve based on a normal OR valve, which is combined with a ventilation function for venting into the environment.

The connecting line 28 is also connected to a pressure regulating device 3 via the OR valve 30. This has a buffer 32 and a proportional control valve 31. The pressure regulating device 3 is designed such that the actuating fluid can be discharged from the working cylinder 20 in such a way that a switching speed, in this case a closing speed, of the valve 2 can be individually controlled / regulated by setting a (counter) pressure by the pressure regulating device 3.

In Figure 2 the switching valves 5 are shown switched in such a way that the second chamber 24 is supplied with compressed air, for example at a pressure of 6 bar, and the first chamber 23 is connected directly to the environment via an exhaust air 7, so that the air from the second chamber 23 can therefore be drained essentially unthrottled. The piston 21 lies on the first side in the direction of the first chamber 23 and therefore the valve 2 is in a first switching position, which in the present case corresponds to an open position of the valve 2.

In order to bring the working cylinder 20 and thus also the valve 2 into the other switching position, the switching valves 5 are each brought into their other switching position so that the first chamber 23 is then supplied unthrottled with compressed air, for example again with a pressure of 6 bar , and the second chamber 24 is connected via the OR valve 30 of the pressure regulating device 3 to the buffer 32 and then in series with the proportional control valve 31.

The pressure in the supply line 28 and thus in the second chamber 24 is kept at a predetermined level, for example a pressure of 4 bar, via the proportional control valve 31. The buffer 32 is used to support the pressure control.

The switching speed at which the piston 21 and thus the valve cone 25 moves is controlled by setting the residual pressure or the remaining back pressure in the second chamber 24 by the pressure control device 3, the first chamber 23, which in this switching position is the closing stroke side acts, compressed air unthrottled via a 3/2-way valve 5 is supplied.

The exhaust air from the second chamber 24, which accordingly corresponds to the opening stroke side of the double-acting working cylinder 20, is consequently discharged into the pressure-regulated counterpressure channel via the pressure regulating device 3. The higher the counter pressure set by the pressure regulating device 3 and consequently the lower the pressure difference between the first chamber 23 and the second camera 24, the lower the switching speed, here the closing speed, of the working cylinder 20, and thus also the closing speed of the valve 2.

To return the working cylinder 20 and thus the valve 2 to the in Figure 2 To move back the switching position shown, the 3/2-way valves 5 must each correspondingly return to the in Figure 2 position shown can be moved. The movement of the piston 21 then takes place in an uncontrolled manner, since the connecting line 27 is connected directly to the exhaust air 7 and the connecting line 28 is connected directly to the compressed air supply 4. In this way, the movement of the working cylinder will take place at a higher speed than in the case of the opposite movement, in which the piston is moved against the counter pressure or residual pressure.

In Figure 3 a circuit diagram of a filling element 1 according to a second embodiment is shown schematically. The filling element 1 in turn has a valve 2 accordingly Figure 1 on.

In this second embodiment, a 5/2-way valve 6 supplies both chambers 23, 24 of the double-acting working cylinder 20, whereby when the valve 2 is closed, the exhaust air of the second chamber 24 is in turn fed into a pressure control device 3, comprising a proportional control valve 31 and a buffer 32 , pressure-controlled duct is discharged. The closing speed will be like to Figure 2 described by the counter pressure set by means of the pressure regulating device 3 individually set and controlled / regulated, whereas the control and the exhaust air routing of the first chamber 23 and the application of compressed air to the chamber side 24 to open the valve 2 are not throttled via the 5/2-way valve 6 are implemented.

Figure 4 shows schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element 1 according to a third embodiment. Here, both the first chamber 23 and the second chamber 24 are each connected to their own pressure regulating device 3, as they are specifically with regard to FIG Figure 2 for the second chamber 24 is described.

In this third embodiment, exhaust air from both chambers 23, 24 of the double-acting working cylinder 20 is made possible via a pressure-regulated exhaust air duct each provided via a proportional control valve 31 of the respective pressure control device 3, each with a buffer 32, with the control air for both chambers 23, 24 each via a 3/2-way valve 5 is supplied and the exhaust air is discharged via an OR valve 30 each into a pressure-controlled channel provided via the respective pressure control device 3. Depending on the counter pressures set for each return air duct, this design allows individual control of the valve piston speed on the opening side as well as on the closing side.

Since two pressure regulating devices 3 are provided, the residual pressure when the pressure is removed from the first chamber 23 and the residual pressure when the pressure is removed from the second chamber 24 can be specified independently of one another. The control / regulation effort is therefore very low in this embodiment. However, individual opening and closing speeds can be provided.

Figure 5 shows schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element 1 according to a fourth embodiment, in which the exhaust air from both chambers 23, 24 is also carried out via a separate pressure regulating device 3 each, but both chambers 23, 24 are supplied with compressed air via a common 5/2-way valve 6 and a common compressed air supply 4 which, depending on the switching position of the 5/2-way valve, is connected to either the first chamber 23 or the second chamber 24, takes place.

Figure 6 shows schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element 1 according to a fifth embodiment. The filling element 1 essentially has the structure of the filling element according to the first embodiment, such as Figure 1 describe on.

In contrast to the first embodiment, the working cylinder 20 in the fifth embodiment is designed as a single-acting working cylinder 20, the first chamber 23 having a spring 8 and being spring-actuated accordingly. The working cylinder 20 and correspondingly the valve 2 are therefore designed to open compressed air and to close by spring force. After the second chamber 24 has been acted upon with actuating fluid, the latter, after the 3/2-way valve 5 into the in Figure 6 Switch position shown was switched, accordingly again via the pressure control device 3 from the second chamber 24 via the connecting line 28, the OR valve 30, the buffer 32 and the proportional control valve 31 to the exhaust air 7, again via the proportional control valve 31 the residual pressure in the chamber side 24 of the working cylinder 20 is set to a predetermined value.

In the present case, the value set by the proportional control valve 31 is dependent on a position of the piston 21 in the working cylinder 20. Since the spring force of the spring 8 on the piston 21 becomes weaker as the distance between the piston 21 and the first chamber 23 increases, the residual pressure in of the second chamber 24 is regulated down accordingly via the pressure regulating device 3, so that the piston 21 moves into the closed position at a substantially constant speed.

Figure 7 shows schematically a circuit diagram of a filling element according to a sixth embodiment, which essentially corresponds to the fifth embodiment, but the working cylinder is designed to close by spring force and closed by compressed air. Accordingly, in the sixth embodiment, an opening switching speed can be set individually via the pressure regulating device 3.

List of reference symbols

1

Filling organ

2

Valve

20th

Working cylinder

21

piston

22nd

Piston rod

23

First chamber

24

Second chamber

25th

Valve cone

26th

Valve seat

27

Connecting line

28

Connecting line

3

Pressure regulating device

30th

OR valve

31

Proportional control valve

32

buffer

4th

Compressed air supply

5

3/2-way valve

6th

5/2-way valve

7th

Exhaust duct

8th

feather

Claims (12)

1. Filling device (1) for filling a filling product into a container, preferably for filling of sauces into bottles, comprising a valve (2) for affecting a filling product flow, and an operating cylinder (20) switchable via an actuating fluid for specifying the switching positions of the valve (2), wherein
   a pressure regulating device (3) is provided via which the actuating fluid can be discharged from the operating cylinder (20) in a regulated manner,
   characterised in that
   the pressure regulating device (3) has a buffer store (32) for buffering of actuating fluid.
2. Filling device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that a switching speed, preferably an opening speed and/or a closing speed, of the valve (2) can be individually controlled/regulated by the pressure regulating device (3).
3. Filling device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a supply of actuating fluid supplied to the operating cylinder (20) occurs without throttling.
4. Filling device (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressure regulating device (3) has a regulating valve, preferably a proportional regulating valve (31).
5. Filling device (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the buffer store (32) is arranged between the operating cylinder (20) and the regulating valve.
6. Filling device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the operating cylinder (20) is configured as a pneumatic cylinder, the actuating fluid preferably being compressed air.
7. Filling device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the operating cylinder (20) is a single-acting operating cylinder (20), preferably a single-acting pneumatic cylinder.
8. Filling device (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the operating cylinder (20) is a double-acting operating cylinder (20), preferably a double-acting pneumatic cylinder.
9. Filling device (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the double-acting operating cylinder (20) has two connections, wherein each of the connections can be connected to a separate outlet guide having a pressure regulating device (3), or the two connections can be connected, preferably via a valve, most preferably a 5-2-way switching valve (6), alternately to a common outlet guide having the pressure regulating device (3).
10. Filling device (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the valve (2) is configured as a filling valve for providing and interrupting a filling product flow from the filling device (1), or in that the valve (2) is configured as a diaphragm valve or throttle valve for adjusting a passage cross-section of a filling product line of the filling device (1).
11. Method for controlling/regulating a filling device (1) for filling a filling product into a container, comprising the following steps:

    - applying an actuating fluid to a first chamber (23) of an operating cylinder (20) of a valve (2) of the filling device (1) to achieve a first switching position of the valve (2); and

    - discharging the actuating fluid via a pressure regulating device (3) to achieve a second switching position of the valve (2), wherein the pressure regulating device (3) has a buffer store (32) for buffering of actuating fluid.
12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that a switching speed of the valve (2) is individually controlled/regulated by setting a pressure through the pressure regulating device (3).

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