EP3683185A1 - Device and method for filling a container with a filling product - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (1) and method for filling a container (2) with a filling product which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component, preferably in a beverage filling system, the device (1) comprising: a base reservoir (10) which is set up to to provide the base liquid; a filling valve (11) which is arranged to introduce the filling product into the container (2); a base line (20) with a base line (21) which brings the base reservoir (10) into fluid connection with the filling valve (11), a flow meter (22) connected to the base line (21) between the base reservoir (10) and the filling valve (11) is arranged and set up to determine the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter (22) in the base line (21), and a metering space (23) which is arranged between the flow meter (22) and the filling valve (11); at least one dosing branch (24) of the baseline, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space (23) of the baseline; at least one secondary line (30) with a line (31) which brings the base reservoir (10) into fluid communication with the dosing chamber (23) of the base line via a valve (36), a flow meter (32) connected to the line (31) is arranged and set up between the base reservoir (10) and the valve (36) in order to determine the amount of fluid passing in the line (31) through the flow meter (32) of the secondary line, and a metering space (33) which is between the flow meter (32 ) the secondary line and the valve (36) is arranged; and at least one dosing branch (34) of the secondary line, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space (33) of the secondary line.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for filling a container with a filling product which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component. The device and the method are used, for example, in a beverage filling system for filling multi-component beverages, such as soft drinks, juices or carbonated filling products.

State of the art

In order to mix and fill filling products consisting of several components, various technologies for dosing the individual components are known, which are briefly introduced below:
The desired components can be dosed and filled individually, for example, via separate dosing stations, such as from US 2008/0271809 A1 emerges. However, the use of separate dosing stations for a large number of components leads to a complex system structure and process flow, since the filling of each container is divided into several separate dosing / filling stations, at which the container must be positioned for the respective dosing times. In principle, it is possible to meter the multiple components into the containers simultaneously via separate lines and dispensing openings and at a common filling station, but this is limited by the size of the bottle or container mouth.

Alternatively, the components can be brought together in a common filling valve, cf. for example EP 0 775 668 A1 and WO 2009/114121 A1 . The metering of a component to be added to a basic fluid takes place before the filling valve outlet, the desired amount being determined, for example, by volume measurement using a flow meter ( EP 0 775 668 A1 ) or by another volumetric dosing technology ( WO 2009/114121 A1 ), for example by means of a metering piston and / or a diaphragm pump.

High dosing accuracies can be achieved with a dimension using a flow meter. This measures the volume or mass to be metered and closes a shut-off valve in the metering line when a threshold value is reached. Other volumetric dosing methods, such as the use of pumps or the time / pressure filling, often have greater uncertainties and tend to be more sensitive to changes in the dosing medium, for example changes in pressure, temperature or composition. This results in frequent calibration, especially when changing the dosage medium. Gravimetric measurement of the dosages is hardly feasible due to the large differences between the dosages in small quantities (µl) and the container weight.

The technologies set out above are characterized in that the components are used at a late point in time, i.e. either during or shortly before filling. An advantage of the late addition of components, in contrast to the usual industrial mixing of large quantities and subsequent filling, is that intensive aromas, which migrate into seals, for example, and cannot be completely removed from the seals by cleaning, are avoided can. If the components are transported separately from one another to the container mouth and the dosage remains drip-free, carryover of components or their aroma substances can essentially be ruled out.

However, late blending is also associated with technical difficulties. A time optimization of the filling process is not possible without further ado, since the metering process cannot be accelerated as desired using a flow meter, for example. The time that the container remains under the dosing point is directly proportional to the performance of the filling line. If there is a higher power requirement, either the dosing time and thus the dosing range must be reduced or a second parallel dosing line must be set up. The possible dosing range depends on the dosing time available and thus on the line output.

In addition, late mixing results in a considerable structural complexity. In the case of small container mouths, it is difficult to fill a moving container with a fixed dosing head. Therefore either Move the dosing head with the container (for example as a rotary machine) or the container under the dosing head for the dosing and filling process, as with a linear cycle machine. If a large number of different dosage components are now to be available at the same time, due to the large number of filling points and / or dosage components on the filling valve, both solutions are complex in terms of mechanical engineering, costly and maintenance-intensive and require a large amount of installation space.

Those metering techniques that simultaneously determine the volume and convey the medium, for example by means of pumps or piston metering devices, have a disadvantage in that no feedback can be given to the control system about the volume actually introduced into the container. This applies equally to the time / pressure filling. If a valve does not open or the line is blocked, this cannot be recognized immediately by the system. Since a subsequent quality control of the filled container with individual filling with several components is not possible or can only be carried out with great effort, it is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, to report back to the dosing system about the quantity actually dosed.

The technical problems described above have led to a further development of the dosing / filling process, for example from the EP 2 272 790 A1 and DE 10 2009 049 583 A1 emerges. In this case, the components of the filling product are dosed directly during filling by means of a flow meter and jointly introduced into the container to be filled, a main component being displaced backwards by the added component during dosing. The displaced volume of the main component is determined by means of the flow meter, and thus the volume of the component added is also known and controllable. During the subsequent filling of the filling product into the container, the main component together with the metered-in component is completely rinsed out of the filling valve into the container, the total filling quantity being able to be determined simultaneously with the same flow meter. In the next filling cycle, the filling quantities and also the metered component quantities can be redetermined. This enables highly flexible filling of individualized beverages without changeover times.

However, a technical problem of metering by backward displacement using a flow meter concerns the limits of the metering range. The dosing range can be influenced both by the dosing time available and by the volume flow of the medium to be dosed. Because each flow meter is below the specific one If the measurement limit, ie below a design-related minimum speed, does not indicate any flow and the maximum speed is determined by the quadratic pressure loss, the volume flow can only be changed within limits using a pre-pressure control or a proportional valve. With the selection of the nominal sizes of the lines, instruments and valves, a dosing range is defined. With regard to the dosing time as a further parameter for determining the dosing range, the maximum possible dosing quantity is limited by the maximum time available for dosing. The minimum possible dosing time is technically limited by the reaction time of the flow meter, the dosing valve and the control. With short dosing times (e.g. <2 s), the dosing quantity can only be influenced via the dosing time. With longer dosing times (for example> 2 s) it is also possible to regulate the flow via a control valve and a flow meter. In addition to adjusting the dosing time, the flow can be regulated for long dosing times, which is why the dosing range is significantly larger in this case than for short dosing times.

This means that when a flow meter is used to meter the components, the minimum volume that can be added is limited or is accompanied by a considerable increase in the metering time. Especially in the case of individualized drinks or in the area of individualized pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, the largest possible dosing range is aimed at, i.e. it should be possible to measure very small as well as very large quantities of the component (s) to be dosed, without the process efficiency suffering.

Presentation of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device and an improved method for filling a container with a filling product which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component, preferably in a beverage filling system, in particular to improve the dosage flexibility and / or to increase the dosage range .

The object is achieved by a device with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 10. Advantageous further developments follow from the subclaims, the following illustration of the invention and the description of preferred exemplary embodiments.

The device according to the invention is set up for filling a container with a filling product consisting of a base liquid and at least one dosage component. The filling product is accordingly a multicomponent filling product composed of at least two components, one of the components for linguistic differentiation being referred to herein as "base liquid" and preferably functioning as the main component. In addition to the filling of the filling product, the device is set up to bring together or mix the components and, in this respect, takes over at least part of the manufacturing process of the filling product to be filled. The base liquid is, for example, water. The dosage component (s) may include, for example, syrup, pulp-containing liquids, pulp, flavors, etc. However, since the device is not only suitable for filling beverages in the food sector, but also, for example, for mixing / dosing and filling pharmaceuticals, paints and other liquids, including highly viscous and pasty liquids, the choice of base liquid and dosage component (s) is not restricted in a special way.

The device has a base reservoir that is set up to provide the base liquid and a filling valve that is set up to introduce the filling product into the container. The term "base reservoir" as used herein includes any source for providing the base liquid. For example, the base reservoir can be realized by a tank or container, as well as by a pipe or hose line which supplies the base liquid from an external system. This applies analogously to any dosage reservoirs (described below) for the provision of dosage components.

The device comprises a base line with a base line which brings the base reservoir into fluid connection with the filling valve, a flow meter which is arranged and set up on the base line between the base reservoir and the filling valve in order to determine the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter in the base line, and a dosing chamber which is arranged between the flow meter and the filling valve.

To determine the amount of fluid, the flow meter can measure the volume flow, the transported mass or some other physical variable from which the amount of fluid flowing through can be concluded. The flow meter preferably works without contact. Furthermore, the flow meter is preferably arranged in such a way that only the base liquid flows through it, ie any metered-in dosage components (described below) do not reach the flow meter. This means that the media properties on the flow meter do not change, and the line system is not contaminated by different fluids in these areas.

The device also has at least one dosing branch of the base line, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space of the base line. The dosing chamber thus serves to mix one or more dosing components into the base liquid and, in the simplest case, can be a line section of the base line. For this purpose, the dosing branch preferably has a dosing reservoir that provides the dosing component, a dosing line that is in fluid communication therewith, and a dosing valve that switchably connects the dosing line to the dosing chamber in fluid communication.

The device further comprises at least one secondary line with a line which brings the base reservoir into fluid communication with the dosing chamber of the base line via a valve, which is preferably designed as a shut-off valve, a flow meter which is arranged and set up on the line between the base reservoir and the valve is to determine the amount of fluid passing in the line through the flow meter of the secondary line, and a metering space which is arranged between the flow meter of the secondary line and the valve.

The line (s) of the one or more secondary lines draw the base liquid as well as the base line from the base reservoir, for example by connecting them to the base reservoir or branching off the base line upstream of the flow meter of the base line. Of course, the base line and the secondary line (s) can draw the base liquid from different reservoirs; in this case the feature "base reservoir" denotes the entirety of all reservoirs that provide the base liquid.

The flow meter of the secondary line, like the flow meter of the base line for determining the amount of fluid, can measure the volume flow, the transported mass or some other physical quantity from which the amount of fluid flowing through can be concluded. The secondary line flow meter preferably works without contact. Furthermore, the flow meter of the secondary line is preferably arranged in such a way that only the base liquid flows through it, i.e. any added dosage components do not reach the flow meter. This means that the media properties on the flow meter do not change, and the line system is not contaminated by different fluids in these areas.

The device also has at least one dosing branch of the secondary line, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space of the secondary line. The dosing space of the secondary line thus serves, like the dosing space of the base line, for mixing one or more dosing components into the base liquid and, in the simplest case, can be a line section of the secondary line. The dosing branch of the secondary line preferably has one for this purpose Dosing reservoir of the dosing branch of the secondary line, which provides the dosing component, a dosing line of the dosing branch of the secondary line, which is in fluid communication therewith, as well as a dosing valve of the dosing branch of the secondary line, which brings the dosing line of the dosing branch of the secondary line to the dosing chamber of the secondary line in a switchable fluid connection.

It should be noted that the terms "base" and "dosage" do not contain any statements about the type, quality or quantity of the relevant sections and filler product components. In the first place, they serve to linguistically differentiate.

The above-described device for filling a container with a multi-component filling product from a base liquid and at least one dosage component provides various technical contributions and advantages over conventional concepts:
Filling the container completely with several components at a single filling position (the position of the filling valve) thus simplifies the handling of the containers. Furthermore, no container has to be under the filling valve during the dosing phase, since the dosing is not carried out during filling but in the dosing rooms. The time for dosing can be used synergistically for container transport. The concept presented here can thus be used both for linear cycle machines with one or more filling points and for rotary machines. In the case of rotary machines, the containers can leave the carousel after only a small angle of rotation. In the case of filling machines which are set up for filling carbonated beverages, any relief time can be used synergistically for the dosing phase of the subsequent container.

An important technical contribution is that by using one or more secondary lines, which flow into the dosing chamber of the base line like dosing branches, the dosing range can be increased and the accuracy of the dosing can be significantly improved, especially when large and small dosing quantities are mixed in at the same time. A further increase in the metering range and / or optimization of the metering time also results from the fact that at times when metering components of one type are not metered in a line, metering components of another type are metered therein, i.e. can be prepared for later filling, for example. This leads to a significant increase in the flexibility of the device.

The mechanical engineering effort to implement the device is comparatively low, since the line system through pipes or hose lines with few valves and only one single flow meter per line is feasible. No complicated geometries have to be installed, which makes the device easy to clean and maintain. The risk of constipation is low. The device is also suitable for dosing highly viscous fluids. A carryover of intensive aroma substances, which migrate into seals, for example, and cannot be removed from the seals by cleaning, is minimized because the lines are only brought together shortly before the filling valve and the filling products from the secondary lines are only filled into the flowing flow of the Baseline.

The dosing branch of the base line and the dosing branch of the secondary line are preferably set up in order to introduce the same dosing component into the associated dosing chamber. For this purpose, the dosing branch of the base line preferably has a dosing reservoir of the dosing branch of the base line and the dosing branch of the secondary line has a dosing reservoir of the dosing branch of the secondary line, both of which contain or provide the same dosage component. According to this embodiment, the device permits particularly precise, individualized metering in a wide metering range, since, depending on the area in which the desired metering quantity is located, the baseline, the secondary line or a combination of both lines can be used. For this purpose, a control device can be provided which not only regulates the metering of the metering component (s) into the metering rooms, but also specifies by which lines or by which combination of lines the desired metering amount can be metered most accurately and / or most efficiently.

The different dosage regimes of the base and secondary line (s) can be realized by different nominal sizes or nominal sizes of the components involved. Thus, the dosing space of the base line preferably has a different, preferably larger, internal volume than the dosing space of the secondary line. As an alternative or in addition, the flow meter of the base line is preferably set up to determine other, preferably larger, flow rates than the flow meter of the secondary line. Alternatively or additionally, the line cross sections of the two metering spaces and / or flow meters and / or line sections upstream of the flow meters can differ.

It should be noted that the terms "downstream" and "upstream" herein refer to the fill direction, i.e. the direction in which the filling product flows when emptying the dosing spaces to fill the container.

Preferably, the flow meter of the base line and / or the flow meter of the secondary line is set up to measure the amount of fluid that flows through or flows in the filling direction and / or to determine the direction opposite to the filling direction. Here, the “backflow measurement”, ie the determination of the volume of the base liquid displaced backwards out of the metering space by the introduced metering component, is particularly preferred, since in this way the mixing ratio can be determined in a mechanically simple, compact and reliable manner. In particular, only a single flow meter is installed per line in order to measure both the base liquid and the dosage component (s) and thus to determine their ratio.

The device preferably has at least two dosing branches of the base line, which are set up to introduce several, preferably different, dosing components into the dosing space of the base line, and / or at least two dosing branches of the secondary line, which are set up to carry out several, preferably different, dosing components in initiate the dosing room of the secondary line. In this way, several dosage components can be mixed with the base liquid without the overall structure of the device being significantly complicated.

The device preferably comprises a second secondary line with a line which brings the base reservoir into fluid communication with the metering space of the base line via a valve, which is preferably designed as a shut-off valve, a flow meter which is arranged and set up on the line between the base reservoir and the valve is in order to determine the amount of fluid passing through the line of the flow meter of the second branch line, and a metering space which is arranged between the flow meter of the second branch line and the valve of the second branch line. According to this particularly preferred embodiment, the device also has at least one dosage branch of the second secondary line, which is set up to introduce a dosage component into the dosage space of the second secondary line. By providing a further secondary line, the device can distinguish three dosage regimes, which brings about a significant improvement, particularly when mixing small and very small quantities that are difficult to dose.

For this purpose, the nominal widths or nominal sizes of the two secondary lines can be designed accordingly. The metering space of the first secondary line preferably has a different, preferably larger, internal volume than the metering space of the second secondary line. Alternatively or additionally, the flow meter of the first secondary line can be set up to determine different, preferably larger, flow rates than the flow meter of the second secondary line. Alternatively or additionally, the line cross sections of the two Distinguish dosing rooms and / or flow meters and / or line sections upstream of the flow meters. However, it should be pointed out that several secondary lines with the same nominal widths or dosing ranges can also be provided, provided that the dosing ranges or number of dosing components require this.

Preferably, one or more of the metering branches each have a metering reservoir, a metering line that is in fluid communication therewith, and a metering valve that switchably connects the metering line with the associated metering chamber in fluid communication. In this way, the dosing components can be mixed into the corresponding dosing spaces in a technically simple, flexible and reliable manner.

The device preferably has one or more metering valves, which are particularly preferably magnetically switchable, and which, viewed in the filling direction, are each arranged directly downstream or upstream with respect to an associated flow meter. According to this particularly preferred embodiment, the metering valves are located in particular upstream of the feed lines of the corresponding metering branches (and in the case of the base line upstream of the valves of the secondary line (s)). In this way, the reaction time between the flow rate detection and the stop of the introduction of the metering component (s), in particular the fluctuations in the reaction time, can be reduced compared to switching the shut-off valves of the respective metered component, which further improves the metering accuracy. This is particularly useful when dosing small and very small quantities.

The metering valves are preferably designed to be continuously adjustable or controllable, so that different flow cross sections can be set. This means that different flow rates can be achieved during dosing, and the dosing range is further enlarged.

The shut-off valves of the metering branches, on the other hand, preferably comprise only two states, open and closed.

The above-mentioned object is further achieved by a method for filling a container with a filling product which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component. The method uses the device according to one of the described embodiments and has: providing the base liquid through the base reservoir; Filling the base liquid from the base reservoir into the dosing space of the base line; Filling the base liquid from the base reservoir into the dosing space of the secondary line; Filling the Dosing component from the dosing branch of the base line into the dosing space of the base line, the flow meter of the base line determining the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter in the base line for the dosing of the dosage component; Filling the dosing component from the dosing branch of the secondary line into the dosing chamber of the secondary line, the flow meter of the secondary line determining the amount of fluid passing through the secondary line's flow meter in the line of the auxiliary line for metering the dosing component; and emptying the dosing space of the base line and the dosing space of the secondary line into the container via the filling valve. The dosing chamber of the base line and the dosing chamber of the secondary line are preferably emptied essentially simultaneously. This can be achieved by opening the filling valve and the branch line valve at the same time.

The features, technical effects, advantages and exemplary embodiments that have been described in relation to the device apply analogously to the method.

The base liquid from the base reservoir is preferably filled essentially simultaneously into the dosing space of the base line and the dosing space of the secondary line. Likewise, the dosage components are preferably introduced simultaneously into the dosing space of the base line and into the dosing space of the secondary line. In this way, the different dosage regimes can be implemented without increasing the total dosage time required for the introduction and dosing of the dosage components.

When the dosage component is poured from the dosage branch of the base line into the dosage space of the base line, the flow meter of the base line preferably determines the amount of fluid displaced from the dosage space of the base line in the opposite direction to the filling direction. Alternatively or additionally, when filling the dosing component from the dosing branch of the secondary line into the dosing chamber of the secondary line, the flow meter of the secondary line preferably determines the amount of fluid displaced from the dosing chamber of the secondary line opposite to the filling direction. In this way, the mixing ratio can be determined in a mechanically simple and reliable manner.

In particular, only a single flow meter is required per line in order to measure both the base liquid and the dosage component (s) and thus to determine their ratio. This can be achieved in that when the base liquid is poured from the base reservoir into the dosing space of the base line, the flow meter of the base line determines the amount of fluid entering the dosing space of the base line in the filling direction. As an alternative or in addition, the flow meter of the secondary line can be determined when filling in the base liquid Determine the amount of fluid entering the dosing chamber of the secondary line from the base reservoir into the dosing chamber of the secondary line.

In the case of a second secondary line, the method preferably further comprises: filling the base liquid from the base reservoir into the metering space of the second secondary line; Filling the dosing component from the dosing branch of the second sub-line into the dosing space of the second sub-line, the flow meter of the second sub-line determining the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter of the second sub-line in the line of the second sub-line for the dosing of the dosing component; and emptying the metering space of the second secondary line into the container via the filling valve. The emptying of the dosing space of the base line, the dosing space of the first secondary line and the dosing space of the second secondary line is preferably carried out essentially simultaneously. This can be achieved by opening the filling valve and the valves of the secondary lines at the same time. By providing a further secondary line, the device can distinguish three dosage regimes, which brings about a significant improvement, particularly when mixing small and very small quantities that are difficult to dose.

If the device has one or more metering valves, these are preferably opened for metering the metering component into the corresponding metering chamber and closed when the desired metering quantity is reached. In this way, the reaction time between the flow rate detection and the stop of the introduction of the dosage component (s), in particular the fluctuations in the reaction time, can be reduced, which further improves the dosage accuracy. This is particularly useful when dosing small and very small quantities. The metering valves are preferably designed with continuous position control for controlling or regulating the flow rate.

Further advantages and features of the present invention can be seen from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments. The features described there can be implemented alone or in combination with one or more of the features set out above, provided that the features do not contradict each other. The following description of preferred exemplary embodiments takes place with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the figures

• The Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus for filling a container with a multi-component filling product.
• The Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a device for filling a container with a multi-component filling product according to a further embodiment.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Preferred exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Identical, similar or equivalent elements are provided with identical reference numerals in the figures, and a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

The Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a device 1 for filling a container 2 with a multi-component filling product.

The device 1 has a base reservoir 10 for a base liquid, which can also be regarded as the main product, and a filling valve 11. The base liquid and dosage components which are mixed in via a fluid system described below are introduced into the container 2 via the filling valve 11. The base liquid is, for example, water. The dosage components can include, for example, syrup, pulp-containing liquids, pulp, flavors, etc. However, since the device 1 is not only suitable for filling beverages in the food sector, but also, for example, for mixing / dosing and / or filling pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints and other liquids, including highly viscous and pasty liquids, the choice of the base liquid is and Dosage component (s) not particularly restricted.

The device 1 has a base line 20 and, in the present exemplary embodiment, two secondary lines 30, 40, which are set up for mixing dosage components of different amounts and / or a larger number into the base liquid.

For this purpose, the base line 20 has a base line 21, which extends from the base reservoir 10 to the filling valve 11. The base line 21 is equipped with a flow meter 22 of the base line. The flow meter 22 is preferably a non-contact, such as an inductive, measuring device for determining the liquid flow, volume flow, the mass being transported, or the like, which passes through the flow meter 22. This also applies to the flow meters 32, 42 of the secondary lines described below.

The section of the base line 21, which is located between the flow meter 22 and the filling valve 11, is referred to as the dosing space 23 of the base line 20 or contains one. According to the present exemplary embodiment, two metering branches 24, 25 open into the metering chamber 23. The two metering branches 24, 25 each have a metering reservoir 24a, 25a, a metering line 24b, 25b in fluid communication therewith and a metering valve 24c, 25c, which brings the associated metering line 24b, 25b to the metering chamber 23 of the base line in a switchable manner.

With the selection of the nominal diameters of the dosing chamber 23, the flow meter 22 and / or the dosing branches 24, 25, a dosing range for the base line 20 is defined, which according to the present exemplary embodiment is preferably designed for comparatively large dosing quantities.

For the dosing of other, preferably smaller, quantities, the device 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment has a first and a second secondary line 30, 40, which for example can be designed accordingly for the dosing of small quantities and very small quantities. The first secondary line 30 has a line 31 of the first secondary line, which is equipped with a flow meter 32 of the first secondary line. Analogously, the second branch line 40 has a line 41 of the second branch line, which is equipped with a flow meter 42 of the second branch line.

The lines 31 and 41 of the two secondary lines 30, 40, like the base line 21, draw the base liquid in that they are connected to the base reservoir 10 or branch off from the base line 21 upstream of the flow meter 22. Both lines 31, 41 open into the metering chamber 23 of the base line 20 via a corresponding valve 36, 46 of the first and second secondary lines, which are preferably designed as shut-off valves. Analogous to the base line 20, there is a metering space between the flow meters 32, 42 and the associated valves 36, 46, which are referred to herein as the metering space 33 of the first secondary line and the metering space 43 of the second secondary line. It should be noted that the base line 20 and the secondary lines 30, 40 can obtain the base liquid from different reservoirs, even if in the Figures 1 and 2nd only one base reservoir 10 is shown for the sake of clarity.

Two dosing branches each open into the dosing spaces 33, 43 of the secondary lines, which, while continuing the terminology selected here, designates the first dosing branch 34 of the first secondary line, second dosing branch 35 of the first secondary line, first dosing branch 44 of the second secondary line and second dosing branch 45 of the second secondary line are. The metering branches 34, 35, 44, 45 the secondary lines each have a dose reservoir 34a, 35a, 44a, 45a, a dose line 34b, 35b, 44b, 45b in fluid communication therewith, and a dose valve 34c, 35c, 44c, 45c, which also carries the dose line 34b, 35b, 44b, 45b brings the associated metering chamber 33, 43 switchable in fluid communication.

The first dose reservoirs 24a, 34a, 44a preferably provide a first dose component and the second dose reservoirs 25a, 35a, 45a preferably provide a second dose component that differs from the first dose component, so that in principle the same dose components in the secondary lines 30, 40 can be added to the base liquid as in the base line 20, but optimized for different dosage amounts or dosage regimes. However, such a correspondence is not absolutely necessary. Thus, the dosage reservoirs 24a, 34a, 44a, 25a, 35a, 45a of the base and secondary lines 20, 30, 40 can also contain different dosage components, which can increase the flexibility of the system, for example by pre-metering currently unnecessary dosage components for later use become.

The dosing and filling process is described below using the device 1 according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG Figure 1 described:
All lines, ie the base line 20 and the two secondary lines 30, 40, are rinsed with the base liquid at the beginning of each filling cycle, as a result of which the associated metering spaces 23, 33, 43 are filled with the base liquid when the filling valve 11 and valves 36, 46 are closed. When the metering spaces 23, 33, 43 are filled, the associated flow meters 22, 32, 42 can measure the flow of base liquid in the forward direction, ie the filling direction. In this way, the desired total filling volume of the corresponding dosing chamber 23, 33, 43 can be determined and set.

The metering components are then introduced into the metering chambers 23, 33, 43 by opening the corresponding metering valves 24c, 25c, 34c, 35c, 44c, 45c. The dosage components can be introduced simultaneously or one after the other. The introduction of the dosage components causes part of the base liquid to be displaced backwards out of the dosage spaces 23, 33, 43. The backward flow is detected by the corresponding flow meters 22, 32, 42. The metering valves 24c, 25c, 34c, 35c, 44c, 45c, which can be designed as pure shut-off valves or as adjustable shut-off valves, remain open until the desired volume of the metering component (s) has been filled into the metering chambers 23, 33, 43 . For this purpose, the flow meters 22, 32, 42 as well the valves of the device 1 are communicatively connected to a control device (not shown in the figures) which, on the basis of the detection results of the flow meters 22, 32, 42, determines the time of opening / closing or generally the switching behavior of the components involved. It should be pointed out that the amount of each individual dosage component can be determined precisely by introducing different dosage components of a line one after the other.

In the subsequent filling phase, all metering spaces 23, 33, 43 are emptied into the container 2 simultaneously or successively via the filling valve 11, as a result of which the lines are completely rinsed. The filling volume thus results from the sum of the filling volumes of all dosing spaces 23, 33, 43.

The reservoirs 10, 24a, 25a, 34a, 35a, 44a, 45a for the base liquid and the dosage components can each be acted upon separately or together with a gas pressure in the head space in order to ensure the necessary pressure difference for the delivery of the corresponding fluids. Due to an individual adaptability of the delivery pressure, the flow rate can be varied and adjusted even with different media with varying densities and / or viscosities.

By designing the nominal widths of the dosing chambers 23, 33, 43 to the desired dosing quantities and flow rates, an exact dosing and an optimal rinsing out with the basic liquid can be achieved. The device 1 also permits precise, individualized metering in a very wide metering range, since the small and very small quantities which are difficult to meter are outsourced to optimized secondary lines 30, 40. Depending on the desired dosage quantity, the control device can now determine through which line or through which combination of lines the desired filling product can best be produced.

The merging of the lines shortly before the filling valve 11 leads to a carryover-free filling due to the metering into a flowing flow during the filling phase.

It should be pointed out that neither the number of lines nor the number of dosing branches flowing into the individual lines are particularly restricted, as long as it is ensured that at least two lines, preferably optimized for different dosing quantities, are installed.

The duration of the dosing phase specifies the maximum dosing time available for one dosing component, in the event that the other dosing components of the corresponding line do not have to be dosed. Likewise, no container 2 under the filling valve 11 is necessary during the metering phase. The dosing phase can thus be used synergistically for container transport.

Another exemplary embodiment takes into account the fact that the reaction times between the flow rate detection by means of the flow meters 22, 32, 42 and the switching of the metering valves 24c, 25c, 34c, 35c, 44c, 45c, in particular the fluctuations in the reaction times, also determine the accuracy of the metered amount. In the food sector, pneumatic valves are predominantly used for product-contact applications. However, these tend to have the technical disadvantage of longer reaction times compared to solenoid-operated valves and can therefore lead to a reduction in dose accuracy.

For this reason, it is useful, particularly when filling filling products in the food sector, to arrange metering valves in the vicinity of the flow meters 22, 32, 42, preferably directly behind the flow meters. The Figure 2 is a schematic representation of such a device 1 according to a further embodiment.

There is a metering valve 27, 37, 47 immediately downstream of the flow meters 22, 32, 42. The metering valves 27, 37, 47 are preferably magnetically switchable in order to optimize their response time. The metering valves 27, 37, 47 react very quickly with a magnetic drive and can be designed both as pure shut-off valves, in particular for short metering times, and as shut-off and control valves, in particular for longer metering times. If the metering valves 27, 37, 47 are also installed and set up such that only the base liquid, for example water, flows through them, the requirements for hygiene and rinsing behavior are lower than for the filling valve 11 and the valves 36, 46 of the secondary lines 30 , 40, which are also flowed through by the dosage components.

It should be noted that it is not absolutely necessary for every line to be equipped with a metering valve 27, 37, 47. Since the aim is to improve the metering accuracy, in particular for small and very small quantities, it may be sufficient, for example, if one or more of the secondary lines 30, 40 has a metering valve 37, 47.

The rest of the structure of the device 1 according to the Figure 2 does not differ from that in the Figure 1 shown device 1.

The device 1 and the method for producing a multicomponent filling product from a base liquid and at least one dosage component mixed therein and filling the filling product according to the exemplary embodiments set out here provide various technical contributions and advantages over conventional concepts:
Completely filling the container 2 in a single position thus simplifies the handling of the containers 2. Furthermore, no container 2 has to be under the filling valve 11 during the metering phase, since the metering is not carried out during filling but in the metering spaces 23, 33, 43. The time for dosing can be used synergistically for the container transport. The concept presented here can thus be used both for linear cycle machines with one or more filling points and for rotary machines. In the case of rotary machines, the containers 2 can leave the carousel after only a small angle of rotation. In the case of filling machines which are set up for filling carbonated beverages, any relief time can be used synergistically for the dosing phase of the subsequent container 2.

An important technical contribution is that by using one or more secondary lines 30, 40, which open into the dosing chamber 23 of the base line 20 like dosing branches, the dosing range is increased and the accuracy of the dosing, in particular when large and small dosing quantities are mixed in at the same time, can be improved. A further increase in the dosing range and / or optimization of the dosing time also follows from the fact that other components can be dosed at times when certain dosing components are not dosed in a line. This leads to a significant increase in the flexibility of the dosing system.

The flow meters 22, 32, 42 and any associated metering valves 27, 37, 47 are always only from the base liquid, i.e. in most cases water. This means that the media properties do not change and the line system is not contaminated by different fluids in these areas.

The mechanical engineering outlay for realizing the device 1 is low, since the line system can be implemented by pipes or hose lines with a few valves and only a single flow meter per line. No complicated geometries need to be installed, which makes the device 1 easy to clean and maintain. The risk of constipation is low. The device 1 is also suitable for dosing highly viscous fluids. A carry-over of intense aroma substances that migrate into seals, for example, and not through cleaning from the seals can be minimized since the lines are only brought together shortly before the filling valve 11 and the filling products from the secondary lines 30, 40 are also only introduced into the flowing flow of the base line 20 during filling.

As far as applicable, all individual features that are shown in the exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another and / or exchanged without leaving the scope of the invention.

Reference list

1

Device for filling a container

2nd

container

10th

Base reservoir

11

Filling valve

20

Baseline

21

Baseline of the baseline

22

Baseline flow meter

23

Dosing room of the baseline

24th

First dosing branch of the baseline

24a

Dose reservoir of the first dosing branch of the baseline

24b

Dosing line of the first dosing branch of the baseline

24c

Dosing valve of the first dosing branch of the baseline

25th

Second dosage line of the baseline

25a

Dosing reservoir of the second dosing branch of the baseline

25b

Dosing line of the second dosing branch of the baseline

25c

Dosing valve of the second dosing branch of the baseline

27

Dosing valve of the baseline

30th

First branch line (e.g. for small quantities)

31

Head of the first branch line

32

Flow meter of the first branch line

33

Dosing room of the first secondary line

34

First dosage branch of the first branch line

34a

Dose reservoir of the first dosing branch of the first secondary line

34b

Dosing line of the first dosing branch of the first secondary line

34c

Dosing valve of the first dosing branch of the first secondary line

35

Second dosage branch of the first branch line

35a

Dose reservoir of the second dosing branch of the first secondary line

35b

Dosing line of the second dosing branch of the first secondary line

35c

Dosing valve of the second dosing branch of the first secondary line

36

First branch line valve

37

Dosing valve of the first branch line

40

Second branch line (e.g. for very small quantities)

41

Head of the second branch line

42

Second sub-line flow meter

43

Dosing room of the second branch line

44

First dosing branch of the second branch line

44a

Dose reservoir of the first dosing branch of the second secondary line

44b

Dosing line of the first dosing branch of the second secondary line

44c

Dosing valve of the first dosing branch of the second secondary line

45

Second dosage branch of the second branch line

45a

Dose reservoir of the second dosing branch of the second secondary line

45b

Dosing line of the second dosing branch of the second secondary line

45c

Dosing valve of the second dosing branch of the second secondary line

46

Second branch line valve

47

Dosing valve of the second branch line

Claims (15)

Device (1) for filling a container (2) with a filling product, which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component, preferably in a beverage filling system, which has: a base reservoir (10) configured to provide the base liquid; a filling valve (11) which is arranged to introduce the filling product into the container (2) to be filled; a base line (20) with a base line (21) which brings the base reservoir (10) into fluid connection with the filling valve (11), a flow meter (22) connected to the base line (21) between the base reservoir (10) and the filling valve (11) is arranged and set up to determine the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter (22) in the base line (21), and a metering space (23) which is arranged between the flow meter (22) and the filling valve (11); at least one dosing branch (24) of the baseline, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space (23) of the baseline; at least one secondary line (30) with a line (31) which brings the base reservoir (10) into fluid communication with the dosing chamber (23) of the base line via a valve (36), a flow meter (32) connected to the line (31) is arranged and set up between the base reservoir (10) and the valve (36) in order to determine the amount of fluid passing in the line (31) through the flow meter (32) of the secondary line, and a metering space (33) which is located between the flow meter (32 ) the secondary line and the valve (36) is arranged; and at least one dosing branch (34) of the secondary line, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space (33) of the secondary line. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the dosing space (23) of the base line has a different, preferably larger, internal volume than the dosing space (33) of the secondary line and / or the flow meter (22) of the base line for determining other, preferably Larger, flow rates is set up than the flow meter (32) of the secondary line. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flow meter (22) of the baseline and / or the flow meter (32) of the secondary line is set up to the amount of fluid passing in a filling direction and / or a direction opposite to the filling direction determine. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dosing branch (24) of the base line and the dosing branch (34) of the secondary line are set up to introduce the same dosing component into the associated dosing chamber (23, 33), preferably the The dosing branch (24) of the base line has a dosing reservoir (24a) of the dosing branch of the base line and the dosing branch (34) of the secondary line has a dosing reservoir (34a) of the dosing branch of the secondary line, both of which provide the same dosage component. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that these at least two dosing branches (24, 25) of the base line, which are set up to introduce several, preferably different, dosing components into the dosing space (23) of the base line, and / or has at least two dosing branches (34, 35) of the secondary line, which are set up to introduce several, preferably different, dosing components into the dosing space (33) of the secondary line. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises: a second secondary line (40) with a line (41) which brings the base reservoir (10) in fluid communication with the dosing chamber (23) of the base line via a valve (46), a flow meter (42) connected to the line (41) is arranged and set up between the base reservoir (10) and the valve (46) in order to determine the amount of fluid passing in the line (41) through the flow meter (42) of the second secondary line, and a metering space (43) which is located between the flow meter ( 42) the second branch line and the valve (46) of the second branch line are arranged; and at least one dosing branch (44) of the second secondary line, which is set up to introduce a dosing component into the dosing space (43) of the second secondary line. Apparatus (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the metering chamber (33) of the first secondary line has a different, preferably larger, internal volume than the metering chamber (43) of the second secondary line and / or the flow meter (32) for the first secondary line Determining other, preferably larger, flow rates than the flow meter (42) of the second secondary line is set up. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more of the dosage branches (24, 25, 34, 35, 44, 45) each have a dosage reservoir (24a, 25a, 34a, 35a, 44a, 45a), the provides the corresponding dosing component, has a dosing line (24b, 25b, 34b, 35b, 44b, 45b) in fluid communication therewith and a dosing valve (24c, 25c, 34c, 35c, 44c, 45c) which connects the dosing line (24b, 25b, 34b, 35b, 44b, 45b) with the associated metering chamber (23, 33, 43) in a switchable manner. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has one or more metering valves (27, 37, 47), preferably magnetically switchable, which, viewed in the filling direction, each directly downstream or upstream with respect to an associated flow meter (22, 32 , 42) are arranged. Method for filling a container (2) with a filling product, which has a base liquid and at least one dosage component, preferably in a beverage filling system, by means of a device according to one of the preceding claims, the method comprising: Providing the base liquid through the base reservoir (10); Filling the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) into the dosing space (23) of the base line; Filling the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) into the dosing space (33) of the secondary line; Filling the dosing component from the dosing branch (24) of the base line into the dosing space (23) of the base line, the flow meter (22) of the base line determining the amount of fluid passing through the flow meter (22) in the base line (21) for the dosing of the dosage component; Filling the dosing component from the dosing branch (34) of the secondary line into the dosing space (33) of the secondary line, the flow meter (32) of the secondary line passing through the flow meter (32) of the secondary line passing through the line (31) of the secondary line for the dosing of the dosage component Fluid quantity determined; and Emptying the dosing space (23) of the base line and the dosing space (33) of the secondary line via the filling valve (11) into the container (2), preferably emptying the dosing space (23) of the base line and the dosing space (33) of the secondary line is carried out simultaneously. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) is poured into the metering chamber (23) of the base line and the metering chamber (33) of the secondary line substantially simultaneously, and / or the metering components from the metering branch (24) of the base line (20) and the metering branch (34) of the secondary line (30) are introduced into the associated metering space (23, 33) essentially simultaneously. A method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that
when filling the dosing component from the dosing branch (24) of the base line into the dosing space (23) of the base line, the flow meters (22) of the base line determine the amount of fluid displaced from the dosing space (23) of the base line against the filling direction, and / or
when filling the dosing component from the dosing branch (34) of the secondary line into the dosing chamber (33) of the secondary line, the flow meters (32) of the secondary line determine the amount of fluid displaced from the dosing chamber (33) of the secondary line against the filling direction. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that
when filling the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) into the dosing space (23) of the base line, the flow meters (22) of the base line determine the amount of fluid entering the dosing space (23) of the base line, and / or
When filling the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) into the dosing chamber (33) of the secondary line, the flow meters (32) of the secondary line determine the amount of fluid entering the dosing chamber (33) of the secondary line in the filling direction. Method according to one of Claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the device (1) further comprises: a second secondary line (40) with a line (41) which connects the base reservoir (10) to the metering chamber (10) via a valve (46) 23) brings the base line into fluid connection, a flow meter (42) which is arranged and arranged on the line (41) between the base reservoir (10) and the valve (46), around which the flow meter (42 ) to determine the amount of fluid passing the second secondary line, and a metering space (43), which is arranged between the flow meter (42) of the second branch line and the valve (46) of the second branch line; and at least one dosage branch (44) of the second secondary line, which is configured to introduce a dosage component into the dosage space (43) of the second secondary line; and wherein the method further comprises: Filling the base liquid from the base reservoir (10) into the metering space (43) of the second secondary line; Filling the dosing component from the dosing branch (44) of the second secondary line into the dosing space (43) of the second secondary line, the flow meter (42) of the second secondary line being used for metering in the dosing component, the flow meter (42 ) determines the amount of fluid passing through the second secondary line; and Emptying the dosing chamber (43) of the second secondary line via the filling valve (11) into the container (2), preferably emptying the dosing chamber (23) of the base line, the dosing chamber (33) of the first secondary line and the dosing chamber (43) of the second Secondary line is performed essentially simultaneously. Method according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the device (1) has one or more metering valves (27, 37, 47), preferably magnetically switchable, which, viewed in the filling direction, each directly downstream or upstream with respect to an associated flow meter ( 22, 32, 42) are arranged, the metering valves (27, 37, 47) being opened while the metering component is being metered into the corresponding metering chamber (23, 33, 34) and being closed when the desired metering amount is reached.

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