EP3589577A1

EP3589577A1 - Device for filling a container with a sterilised filling product

Info

Publication number: EP3589577A1
Application number: EP18709979.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Holger Mueller; Josef Doblinger; Juergen Soellner; Sebastian Baumgartner
Original assignee: Krones AG
Current assignee: Krones AG
Priority date: 2017-03-01
Filing date: 2018-03-01
Publication date: 2020-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-01
Also published as: EP3589577B1; CN110582460A; SI3589577T1; WO2018158373A1; DE102017104313A1; JP7097377B2; US20200017344A1; CN110582460B; JP2020508941A; US11014799B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for filling a container (100) with a sterilised filling product, preferably for filling a beverage container with a sterilised beverage in a beverage container filling facility, said device comprising a sterilisation device (2) for sterilising the filling product, a sterile tank (22) for buffering receiving of the filling product sterilised in the sterilisation device (2), and a filling device (3) with a filling valve for filling the container (100) to be filled, the filling valve being a proportional valve (4) for controlling and/or adjusting the flow of the filling product into the container (100) to be filled, and the proportional valve (4) being connected to the sterile tank (22) in a buffer-free manner.

Description

Device for filling a container with a sterilized filling product

Technical area

The present invention relates to a device for filling a container with a sterilized filling product, in particular for filling a beverage container with a sterilized filling product in a beverage filling plant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In beverage bottling plants, it is known to sterilize drinks before the actual filling into the respective containers, in order to improve their shelf life or, in the first place, to enable a reliable packaging of the beverage in beverage containers.

Sterilization of the filling product is understood here to mean that the filling product is treated in such a way that no germs capable of propagation in the filling product are left after the sterilization. In particular, this means that, based on the respective filling product,

product-damaging germs are absent or no longer capable of reproduction. In other words, a sterilized filling product is understood as meaning a safe absence of pathogenic and toxin-forming microorganisms, as well as a

Absence of other microorganisms and enzymes which would unreasonably degrade the product under the normal conditions of the envelope.

In part, the term "sterif" is used synonymously with aseptically in the food industry, but aseptically in the pure definition refers to the absolute absence of microorganisms and spores. In the present case, however, the term "sterile" is also understood to mean an aseptic expression of the respective filling product.

For sterilizing the respective filling product, it is known, for example, to physically, in particular thermally, or chemically sterilize the filling product prior to filling. In the Physical sterilization is a thermal sterilization is known in which the filling product is heated, for example using a heat exchanger, and then maintained at a predetermined target temperature for a defined period of time to obtain the desired biological safety of the filling product by the corresponding heat treatment. In addition to this heat treatment of the filling product, for example, physical sterilization methods are known which carry out a germ killing by UV irradiation or plasma treatment.

As a chemical sterilization process, for example, the treatment with chemical disinfectants is known, for example with hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, chlorine dioxide or ozone. Usually, however, the chemical sterilization is only used to treat plant components or the packaging material - but not to sterilize the filling product itself, so as not to alter the flavor properties of the filling product.

In the heat treatment, in particular the short-time heating (KZE) is known, in which the filling product is treated with a temperature above a product-related reference temperature for a predetermined time to achieve the appropriate microbiological safety. Short-term heating systems are used, for example, in breweries when bottling beer as a biological safety level, with the short-term heating system followed by a buffer tank, which is also referred to as a sterile tank, which provides buffering of the

Filling product between the short-term heating system and the actual filling device allows for a temporary storage of sterilized filling product

Allow for variations in acceptance by the filling device.

When bottling non-alcoholic soft drinks or fruit juices, short-term heating serves to achieve the necessary biological shelf life of the respective filling products. Here is also a buffer tank between the short-term heating plant and the filling device

provided for intermediate storage of sterilized filling product

Allow for variations in acceptance by the filling device. The buffer tank between the short-term heating plant and the actual filling device is necessary to provide a continuous flow of product through the heat exchanger of the

To ensure short-term heating system, even if a failure occurs at the filling device. Otherwise, the residence time of the filling product within the heat exchanger of the

Short-term heating plant depending on the instantaneous decrease by the downstream Filling device vary. This could result in the residence time of the filling product in the short-time heating plant possibly becoming too long, which may then lead to a deterioration of the filling product, for example a change in taste. In the filling device, for example, a filler carousel, the filling product is then buffered again in a Füllproduktkessel, which is usually operated without pressure, and then brought via individual filling valves on each container to be filled. In this case, for example, a volumetric filling system is used, which requires that the

The filling product boiler of the filler is operated without pressure to ensure the filling accuracy of the volumetric filling system. Accordingly, the present in the buffer tank of the short-term heating system under pressure filling product must be transferred without pressure to the Füllproduktkessel the filling device. Thus, the buffer tank of the short-term heating system of the

Füllproduktkessel be decoupled, and then to be able to fill in accordance with pressure from the Füllproduktkessel.

This decoupling of the buffer tank of the short-term heating system from the filling product boiler of the filling device causes the corresponding media, such as compressed air, nitrogen, C0 ₂ , steam as well as cleaning, disinfection and sterilization media necessary for a cleaning, disinfection and sterilization must be fed twice , On the one hand, the media are supplied to the sterilization device and corresponding to the short-term heating system and the downstream buffer tank, and secondly, the media of the

Filling device and the filling product boiler supplied.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for filling containers with a sterile filling product, which has an improved structure. This object is achieved by a device for filling a container with a sterile

Filling product with the features of claim 1 solved. Advantageous developments emerge from the subclaims, the present description and the figures. Accordingly, a device for filling a container with a sterilized

A filling product, preferably for filling a beverage container with a sterilized beverage in a beverage filling plant, which comprises a sterilization device for sterilizing the filling product, a sterile tank for buffering the sterilization device sterilized filling product, and a filling device with a filling valve for filling the container to be filled , According to the filling valve is a proportional valve for controlling and / or regulating the filling product flow of the filling product in the container to be filled and the proportional valve is buffer-free connected to the sterile tank. Due to the fact that the filling product is transferred buffer-free from the sterile tank to a proportional valve for controlling and / or regulating the filling product flow in the container to be filled, the system can be continuously operated buffer-free from the sterile tank of the sterilizing device to the container to be filled and in particular under the in of the

Sterilization device present pressure. A decoupling of the sterilization device from the filling device is therefore no longer necessary and the system can be constructed overall simpler and more compact.

At the same time a reliable filling of a predetermined amount of sterilized filling product in the container is possible. This is possible because by means of the proportional valve corresponding pressure fluctuations or pressure differences in the provision of the filling product can be compensated so that still a reliable filling of the container with the desired Füllproduktmenge, in particular the desired Füllproduktvolumen, the desired Füllproduktgewicht or the desired Füllproduktfüllstand within the container , can be achieved.

A proportional valve is understood here to mean that the filling valve, which has the

Füllproduktstrom controls in the respective individual container and / or controls, not only in an open and a closed switching position can be operated, but also in at least one other, intermediate switching position, in which a relation to the fully open switching position reduced Füllproduktstrom is achieved. Accordingly, the product flow passing through the proportional valve product flow can be varied by means of the corresponding control and / or regulation of Füllzeugstoms, so that an adjustment of the inflowing into the container Füllproduktstroms can be achieved depending on the pressure present upstream of the proportional valve in this way. Preferably, the proportional valve occupy more than an intermediate position and can particularly preferably perform a step-shaped or continuous control and / or regulation of the Füllproduktstroms between a fully open switching position and a fully closed switching position.

The proportional valve can be designed, for example, so that a valve cone in several stages or continuously can be lifted out of a valve seat and varies according to the cross section of the formed between the valve seat and the valve cone annular gap and then varies with this cross section of the flowing through the proportional valve product flow can be.

Buffer-free is understood here to mean that there is no buffer device which enables the buffering reception of filling product, for example during production pauses or in the case of faults in the filling device. As a buffer device, however, in particular not the present pipelines are understood, through which the filling product flows and which either over its entire cross-section or at least over a part of its

Cross-section filled with the filling product. Also a ring line in one

Filler carousel, which supplies the respective filling valves with filling product, is not a buffer device according to the present understanding. Rather, a buffer device is understood to mean only a buffer reservoir dedicated as such, which provides a corresponding buffer volume. Accordingly, the buffer device can receive a substantial amount of additional filling product, which occurs in production breaks or plant malfunctions and is not removed directly from the filling device. In a preferred embodiment, the proportional valve comprises a flow meter or is directly coupled with a flow meter such that a control of the Füllproduktvolumenstroms, which passes through the proportional valve can be controlled directly by means of a control electronics on the proportional valve itself. This makes it possible in a simple manner, by means of a corresponding volume flow specification or a predetermined volume flow profile to achieve a filling of the respective container to be filled on the Füllerkarussell, regardless of the present upstream of the proportional valve pressure of the filling product. Furthermore, it is possible by the described design of the device with a buffer-free transfer of the filling product from the sterile tank to the proportional valve to dispense with the Füllproduktkessel on the filler itself. Accordingly, the Füllproduktkessel can be saved here. Thus, on the one hand, the investment costs can be reduced and on the other hand, the operating costs can be reduced due to the reduced mass of the filler carousel, since both drive energy due to the smaller moving mass and cleaning costs due to the unnecessary cleaning a Füllproduktkessels can be saved on the filler carousel. Furthermore, it can be dispensed with the provision of a control valve for filling the Füllproduktkessels on the filler carousel, since the filling level in the non-existent

Füllproduktkessel accordingly no longer needs to be adjusted or regulated. Rather, it is possible by means of the proportional valve to respond to the different levels or pressures within the sterile tank so that a reliable filling of the container to be filled with the filling product is made possible.

In particular, the proportional valve is able to respond to varying filling levels within the sterile tank, which are caused by different take-off volumes at the filling device itself. The different filling heights result in different pressures upstream of the proportional valve, which would lead to different filling product streams at a constant cross section of the annular gap of a filling valve. By means of the

Proportional valve, the cross section can be adjusted accordingly, so that a desired Füllproduktstrom or volume flow can be achieved or maintained. In particular, it is advantageous if the sterilization device and therefore a

Short-term heating plant is operated continuously in order to comply with a predetermined exposure time of the heat to the filling product and at the same time Abnahmeschwankungen of the

Füllerkarussells, for example, in the event of production disturbances, intercept or buffers by means of the sterile tank.

Preferably, between the sterile tank and the proportional valve, a rotary distributor for transferring the sterilized filling product to a filler carousel carrying the proportional valve

Filling device provided. Particularly preferred are then between the rotary distributor and the proportional valve before only pipes. In this way, a particularly simple construction of the filler carousel can be achieved and dispensed with a filler tank. Thus, the mass of the filler carousel can be kept smaller and the device can be made more compact overall. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sterile tank is positioned in a Füllproduktabfüllanlage stationary above the filler carousel, so that the sterilization device can bring the sterilized filling product in the sterile tank above the filler carousel. The filling product then flows from the sterile tank directly over the rotary distributor onto the filler carousel. Thus, the lengths of the cable routes can be reduced, which further reduced

Investment costs, and further reduced operating costs due to the reduced, to be cleaned or disinfected and / or sterilized, product-contacting surfaces of the device result.

Due to the possible reduction in the length of the line paths to be used, it is also possible to use the media feeds used for the sterilization device and in particular the short-time heating, for example nitrogen, C0 ₂ , compressed air, steam, as well as cleaning or sterilization media, also in the filling device, and in particular to use the filler carousel. In this way, the known from the prior art double provision of the respective media can be reduced or completely dispensed with a double provision.

The possibility of shared media usage also results from the fact that the same pressure ratios may be present in the sterilizer and the filler, and yet a reliable one due to the use of the proportional valve

Filling result can be achieved.

Furthermore, the sterile tank and / or the sterilization device can be integrated into the cleaning and / or disinfection and / or sterilization process of the entire filling system, so that a time-efficient and resource-saving cleaning, disinfection and sterilization can be carried out here and the corresponding cleaning and / or or disinfection and / or sterilization media can be used for the whole device.

Preferably, the sterilization device comprises a heat exchanger for heating the

Filling product and is particularly preferably designed as a short-term heating device. Instead of said thermal sterilization device, another sterilization device, for example, for carrying out a different physical

Sterilization be provided, for example by means of UV irradiation or a plasma treatment.

Preferably, the sterile tank is the only buffering device in the device. Thus, via a single buffer device to the different supply quantities of the sterilized

Fill product and the different quantities of the filling device to be reacted and with a compact system construction, a reliable filling of the container to be filled with the then sterilized filling product can be achieved.

In order to achieve a filling of the container to be filled with a carbonized sterilized filling product, a clamping gas is preferably transferred from the sterile tank to the filling device to bias the containers to be filled with the clamping gas, the clamping gas preferably via a rotary distributor to a filler carousel carrying the proportional valve the filling device is handed over.

Thus, a common use of the clamping gas or the corresponding medium can be achieved both in the sterilization device and in the filling device.

Preferably, a cleaning device is provided with a cleaning medium supply, by means of which a cleaning medium is supplied both to the sterile tank and to the filling device, preferably to the product-contacting paths of the filling device. In this way, by means of a common use of the cleaning medium and in particular also one

Disinfection medium and / or sterilization medium, a cleaning and / or disinfection and / or sterilization of the device can be achieved to the device for the

Prepare production plant.

Particularly preferably, the cleaning device is designed to additionally supply the cleaning medium to a heat exchanger of the sterilization device. Thus, an efficient use of the cleaning medium is made possible even further. In an advantageous development, the filling device is accommodated in an insulator and the cleaning device is designed to additionally use the cleaning medium for cleaning the insulator. In the cleaning and / or disinfection and / or Stenlisationsprozess the device, the cleaning of the filling line and the filling valves from the preferably above the Füllerkarussells arranged sterile tank takes place simultaneously with the cleaning of the filling line and the filling valves. The cleaning medium can then be returned to the sterile tank via a CIP recycling, for example a CIP return from the isolator, in which the filler carousel is arranged, wherein preferably a cleaning medium preparation is interposed.

Accordingly, a circulation of the cleaning, disinfecting or sterilizing media can be achieved here in order to provide in this way a closed cleaning, disinfection or sterilization cycle in which both the filling device and the sterilization device and the sterile tank are efficiently cleaned, disinfected and sterilized ,

Especially when filling carbonated filling products, a common media supply to the sterilizing tank as well as via a rotary distributor to the filling carousel can continue to take place, with correspondingly the respective media and in particular the clamping gas needing to be provided only once, and not, as known from the prior art , separately for the sterilization device and the filling device. Accordingly, the pressure present in the sterilizing device and the sterile tank to prevent outgassing of the C0 ₂ in the filling product can also be used to bias the respective container to be filled in order to be able to fill in the prestressed container, so that To enable efficient and frothing-reducing filling of the filling product into the respective container.

Preferably, a subsequent relieving the prestressed and then filled with the sterilized and carbonated filling product container to the ambient pressure also takes place via a rotary distributor, so that a targeted removal of the clamping gas and in particular the C0 ₂ can be achieved from the filling device.

Another advantageous effect of the use of the proportional valve is that can be filled according to an increased pressure and the filling product which upstream of the proportional valve, may be present under an increased pressure.

Accordingly, it is possible, the filling product under increased pressure by the

Proportional valve push through, and in this way to achieve an increased volume flow and thus a faster filling of the container to be filled with the filling product. Thus, with the same system dimensioning, for example with regard to the filler diameter, an increased throughput can be achieved or the entire system can be made more compact at a given throughput.

Due to the elimination of components, for example, by the elimination of the Füllproduktkessels on the rotating part of the filler and by the corresponding waiver of additional media supplies the reliability of the entire system can be further increased. The control of the sterile tank or its filling level or the control of the sterilization device can continue to be taken over by the Füllproduktabfüllanlage and in particular the filler, so that there is no coordination between two previously separate parts of the system and in this way an efficient system structure can be realized.

Preferably, the proportional valves designed as a filling valve are the only product control valves in the device. For the respective strand between the sterile tank and the filling valve, there is thus only a single valve with which the product flow can be regulated, namely the proportional valve. Thus, on the one hand, a clear and simple regulation of

Product flow can be achieved because no interactions between sequential control valves must be considered. On the other hand, the device can be constructed as a whole simpler and with fewer components, which has a beneficial effect on the cost and cleanability.

The sterile tank is preferably arranged on a plane lying above the filler plane formed by the proportional valves. This can on the one hand shorter ways of

Füllproduktleitung be achieved, so that the investment costs and cleaning costs can be reduced. For others, a residual emptying of the sterile tank can be reliably achieved by allowing the sterile tank to drain via the proportional valves, which are correspondingly below the sterile tank. Brief description of the figures

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

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the proposed device for filling non-carbonated filling products and

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the proposed device for filling of

carbonated filling products.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

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

FIG. 1 schematically shows a device 1 for filling schematically illustrated containers 100 with a sterilized filling product. The device 1 comprises a

Sterilization device 2 and a filling device 3. The sterilization device 2 has a heat exchanger 20, in which via a filling product supply line 1 10 supplied filling product is heated to a predetermined sterilization temperature and sterilized in this way. The sterilized filling product is after treatment in the heat exchanger 20 of the

Sterilization device 2 via a sterile product supply line 10 to a transfer valve 120 and passed from the transfer valve 120 to a sterile tank 22.

The filling product stream supplied via the filling product supply line 110 is correspondingly thermally sterilized in the heat exchanger 20 of the sterilizing device 2 and can then be buffered in the sterile tank 22 when the filling product flow is supplied via the sterile product supply line 10 and the transfer valve 120. By means of the sterile tank 22 can accordingly

Variations in the supplied amount of filling product on the sterile product supply line 10 and variations in the decrease of the sterile filling product are compensated by the filling device 3. Instead of the thermal sterilization device shown here with the heat exchanger 20, another sterilization device can also be provided, for example for carrying out a different physical sterilization method, for example by means of UV

Irradiation or a plasma treatment.

Via a filling product line 14, the sterile filling product is then supplied from the sterile tank 22 of the filling device 3. The filling device 3 comprises a filler carousel 30 which is rotatable about a rotation axis R. The transfer of the sterile filling product from the standing

Filler product line 14 on the rotating Füllerkarussell 30 takes place via a rotary distributor 16, which in a conventional manner the filling product from a stationary part on a rotating part passes.

At Füllerkarussell 30 of the filling device 3, a plurality of filling valves are provided on the circumference, which each introduce the Füllproduktstrom from the supplied via the rotary distributor 16 Füllproduktstrom in the respective, the respective filling valve associated, to be filled container 100. The filling valves are each designed as a proportional valve 4, so that the inflowing into the container to be filled 100 Füllproduktstrom can be controlled and / or regulated.

The proportional valve 4 accordingly makes it possible to not only switch the filling product flow which flows into the container 100 to be filled, between an open state and a closed state, but also other product flow rates are adjustable by means of the proportional valve. In particular, it is possible to vary the filling product flow between zero and a complete flow which corresponds to a completely open filling valve 4, preferably substantially continuously or at least in a plurality of stages.

Preferably, the proportional valve 4, in addition to the possibility of varying the valve position, for example, by a variation of the annular gap between a valve seat and a

Poppet, also a volumetric flow sensor, allowing easy control of the

Proportional valve 4 can be made to the effect that a desired volume flow is adjusted and then adjusted automatically by means of a control electronics of the proportional valve 4.

Accordingly, as can be seen from FIG. 1, it is possible to fill containers 100 to be filled, irrespective of the respective filling level or filling state of the sterile tank 22 or regardless of which pressure in the filling product line 14, which leads the filling product from the sterile tank 22 to the rotary distributor 16, is present. By means of the

Proportional valve 4 can be compensated according to the pressure present in the filling product line 14 and a desired filling amount of sterile filling product in the container 100 can be achieved.

In order to achieve a short length of the filling product line 14 and a reliable leakage of the sterile tank 22, the sterile tank 22 is preferably above the filler level, which through the

Proportional valves 4 is formed. As a result, the outlet from the sterile tank 22 into the filling product line 14 lies on top of the filler level formed by the proportional valves 4. In this case, the sterile tank 22 is particularly preferably arranged on a stage above the filler carousel 30.

For a cleaning process of the device 1, a cleaning device is provided, which comprises a cleaning medium supply 5, which also for cleaning, disinfection

or sterilization of an insulator 6, in which at least the filler carousel 30 of the filling device 3 can be arranged, can serve. For this purpose, spray nozzles 52 are provided on the insulator 6 or in the insulator 6, by means of which a cleaning, disinfection or sterilization medium can be applied to the surfaces of the insulator 6 to be treated.

The cleaning and / or disinfecting and / or sterilizing medium supplied via the cleaning medium supply 5 can furthermore be used via a sterile tank cleaning nozzle 54 for cleaning the sterile tank 22. From the sterile tank 22, the respective cleaning,

Disinfection and / or sterilization medium then on the filling product line 14 and the

Rotary distributor 16 are brought to the filler carousel 30, then to exit at the filling valves and in particular the proportional valves 4, preferably in the insulator 6. Accordingly, by means of a single Reinigungsemedienzulaufs 5, cleaning, disinfection or sterilization of the product wetted areas and in particular the sterile tank 22, the

Füllproduktleitung 14, the rotary distributor 16, the filling product contacted areas of the filler 3 and the filling valves 4 can be achieved.

The cleaning device can be provided in particular in the form of a CIP cleaning (cleaning in place cleaning), in which all components of the device 1 during the Cleaning, disinfection or sterilization can remain installed in the ready status and disassembly of the device 1 for cleaning, disinfection or sterilization is not necessary. The cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization media are supplied in the form already mentioned and can then via a CIP feedback and a

Media preparation of the cleaning media supply 5 are fed again.

Furthermore, a cleaning of the heat exchanger 20 of the sterilization device 2 via a cleaning medium supply line 56 is possible, so that also here the product-contacting areas with the cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization medium can be flowed through.

Alternatively to the illustrated embodiment, in the cleaning, disinfection and / or

Sterilization media are provided via the Reinigungsemedienzuleitung 56 from Reinigungsemedienzulauf 5 to the sterilization device 2, the cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization media in a manner not shown also on the Füllproduktzuleitung 1 10 provided on the sterilization device 2 and a cleaning medium supply line 56 into the cleaning medium supply fifth be fed. As a result, the cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization media, for example, already an upstream

Have cleaned product preparation system. In addition, the separate media supply to the cleaning media supply 5 can be saved.

At the transfer valve 120, a separation coming from the heat exchanger 20

Sterilproduktzuleitung 10 and the sterile tank 22 are made. Accordingly, a cleaning of the sterilization device 2 and in particular of the heat exchanger 20 can be carried out, wherein the cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization medium is then returned via a sterile product return line 12 while still filling the buffered in the sterile tank 22 sterile filling product on the Proportional valves 4 is performed. The sterile separation between the sterile product supply line 10 and the sterile tank 22 is assisted at the transfer valve 120 by a vapor barrier, which receives the required steam via a steam supply 8 and a vapor barrier line 80. Thus, the filling process from the sterile tank 22 and the cleaning of the sterilization device 2 can be temporally decoupled from each other.

The steam supplied via the steam supply 8 can also be used to treat the remaining system components for their sterilization, for example by supplying them to the system components to be sterilized by means of a sterile steam line 82. In case of a fault on the filling device 3, for example, an exchange of a

Proportional valve 4 makes it necessary to discard the still present in the sterile tank 22 sterile filling product, a check valve 140 is provided in the filling product line 14, with which the sterile tank 22 can be separated from the filling device 3.

The device 1 shown in Figure 1 is used in particular for filling of silent filling products, ie in particular those filling products which are not carbonated. Here, a bias of the container to be filled 100 is not necessary and both in the sterile tank 22 and in the filling product line 14, the rotary distributor and lying upstream of the proportional valve 4 areas of the Füllproduktzufuhr it does not matter which pressure is present.

In particular, no minimum pressure must be maintained in the sterilization device 2, which would be necessary in the case of filling carbonated filling products in order to prevent or reduce outgassing or release of the C0 ₂ . The sterile tank 22 may "breathe" into the isolator 6 via a breathing valve 220 to provide substantially constant atmospheric pressure in the headspace of the sterile tank 22, even though different levels of filling are achieved in the sterile tank 220.

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the device 1 which can also be used for filling carbonated sterile filling products. Here, it is important that the signal supplied via the Füllproduktzuleitung 1 10 filling product, which is supplied to the heat exchanger 20 of the sterilization apparatus 2, is always under a pressure which debonding or outgassing of the C0 ₂ from the carbonated filling product largely prevented. Within the heat exchanger 20 of the sterilization device 2, this outgassing would cause foaming to occur within the heat exchanger 20, so that reliable heating of the filling product and thus the achievement of microbiological safety could not be ensured. Accordingly, the pressure must be regulated both in the heat exchanger 20 and in the downstream sterile tank 22 to a level which is above the saturation pressure for the C0 ₂ in the filling product.

In order to allow here a biasing of the container to be filled with the clamping gas, so that the filling product can be filled into the prestressed container 100, to avoid excessive debindering of the C0 ₂ during the filling process, in addition to the

Filling product line 14 from the sterile tank 22, a span gas line 70 is provided, which For example, with span gas from the headspace of the sterile tank 22 may be fed. The head space of the sterile tank 22 is acted upon, for example via a clamping gas supply 7 with compressed air, nitrogen and / or C0 ₂ to provide a corresponding bias voltage. Alternatively, the biasing gas for biasing the container to be filled 100 may also be provided directly from a clamping gas supply 7. Preferably, this clamping gas supply 7 and the clamping gas supply 7, which supplies the sterile tank 22. As a result, additional valves and similar fittings can be saved and the structure of the system is simplified.

Both the filling product line 14 and the span gas line 70 are transferred via the rotary distributor 16 to the rotating part of the filler 3, so that both a filling of the sterile filling product by means of the proportional valve 4, as well as a previously performed biasing the container 100 with the over the span gas line 70 supplied clamping gas can be performed via a corresponding clamping gas valve 72 on the rotating part of the filler 3.

After carrying out the filling process, the pressure present in the head space of the then filled container 100 must be relieved of pressure to ambient pressure. For this purpose, a further rotary distributor 18 is provided, via which a discharge of the filled container 100 can be achieved via a corresponding relief valve 74, wherein the then transferred via the rotary distributor 18 gas mixture and possibly filling product residues in the form of foam of a controlled disposal can be supplied. Preferably one opens on the

Rotary distributor 18 following discharge line (not shown) in a sterile area, particularly preferably the sterile insulator 6. Thus, no contamination or contamination in the filling valve can be introduced by this line backward and the microbiological safety is increased.

During the cleaning process can turn on the cleaning media supply 50

Cleaning medium the isolator nozzle 72, the sterile tank 22 via the sterile tank nozzle 54 and the cleaning medium supply line 56 and the heat exchanger 20 with the corresponding

Cleaning disinfectant and / or sterilization medium are applied.

Furthermore, in addition to the filling product line 14, the span gas line 70, the

Tensioning gas valves 72 and the relief valves 74 including the rotary distributor 18 are treated in order in this way a complete cleaning, disinfection and / or sterilization to achieve both the insulator interior 6 and all gefüllproduktberührter ways and the Spanngaswege.

Where applicable, all individual features illustrated in the embodiments may be combined and / or interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1 Device for filling a container with a filling product

10 sterile product supply line

12 sterile product return

14 filling product line

16 rotary distributor

18 rotary distributor

1 10 filling product supply line

120 transfer valve

140 stop valve

2 sterilization device

20 heat exchangers

22 sterile tank

220 Breathing valve of the sterile tank

3 filling device

30 filler carousel

4 filling valve

5 Cleaning media supply

52 insulator cleaning nozzle

54 Sterile tank cleaning nozzle

56 cleaning medium supply line to the heat exchanger

6 insulator

7 tension gas supply

70 span gas line

72 clamping gas valve

74 relief valve

8 steam supply

80 vapor barrier line

82 Sterilization steam line

100 containers

Claims

claims

Device (1) for filling a container (100) with a sterilized filling product, preferably for filling a beverage container with a sterilized beverage in a beverage filling plant, comprising a sterilizing device (2) for sterilizing the filling product, a sterile tank (22) for buffering reception in the

Sterilization device (2) sterilized filling product, and a filling device (3) with a filling valve for filling the container to be filled (100), characterized in that the filling valve is a proportional valve (4) for controlling and / or regulating the

Filling product flow of the filling product into the container to be filled (100) and the proportional valve (4) is buffer-free connected to the sterile tank (22).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that between the

Steriltank (22) and the proportional valve (4) a rotary distributor (16) for transferring the sterilized filling product to a proportional valve (4) carrying Füllerkarussell (30) of the filling device (3) is provided.

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that between the

Rotary distributor (16) and the proportional valve (4) only pipes are present.

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sterilizing device (2) comprises a heat exchanger (20) for heating the filling product.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sterile tank (22) is the only buffer device in the device (1).

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that span gas from the sterile tank (22) is transferred to the filling device (3) to bias the container to be filled (100) with the clamping gas, wherein the clamping gas preferably via a rotary distributor (16) to a filler carousel (30) carrying the proportional valve (4) is transferred to the filling device (3).

Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cleaning device with a cleaning medium supply (50) is provided, by means of which a cleaning medium both the sterile tank (22) and the

Filling device (3), preferably the product contacting paths of the filling device (3), is supplied.

Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the

Cleaning device is adapted to additionally supply the cleaning medium to a heat exchanger (20) of the sterilization device (2).

Device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the

Filling device (3) is accommodated in an insulator (6) and the cleaning device is adapted to use the cleaning medium in addition to the cleaning of the insulator (6).

Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proportional valves (4) are the only product control valves in the device (1).

Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sterile tank (22) is arranged on a plane lying above the filler plane formed by the proportional valves (4).