EP4676870A1

EP4676870A1 - Dosing valve for aroma with magnetic coupling

Info

Publication number: EP4676870A1
Application number: EP24703200.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luca Salvarani
Original assignee: Sidel Participations SAS
Current assignee: Sidel Participations SAS
Priority date: 2023-03-09
Filing date: 2024-02-05
Publication date: 2026-01-14
Also published as: IT202300004350A1; WO2024183993A1

Abstract

Valve (1) for dosing aromas in containers, comprising: a motor (2); a motor-driven shaft (61), said motor (2) being able to produce an axial movement of the shaft (61); an outlet opening (5) for discharging an aroma, said opening being delimited by at least one wall (51); an axially 5 movable closing member (3) for regulating a flow of aroma in output from said outlet opening (5), said motor (2) being configured to axially move the closing member (3) by means of the axial movement of said shaft (61); wherein said valve comprises a magnetic coupling (4) between closing member (3) and shaft (61), so that said axial movement of the shaft (61) 10 causes a corresponding axial movement of the closing member (3), said magnetic coupling (40 being configured to allow a relative transverse movement of shaft (61) and closing member (3) [Fig. 1] 15

Description

DESCRIPTION

Dosing valve for aroma with magnetic coupling

The present invention relates to a dosing valve for dosing an aroma in a container, and a dosing machine comprising the valve.

In the sector relating to the packaging of pourable products by means of containers it is known that there exists the need to dose an aroma inside the container, by means of a dosing valve, before or after filling the container with the main pourable product, for example, the main pourable product may be water, and the aroma may be a specific aroma associated with a specific flavour.

The need to insert a small amount of an aroma requires the use of a motor which has a high degree of precision, but does not produce an excessive force in order to reduce the risk of an excessive backflow of the aroma which could risk causing an overspill of product and/or aroma outside of the container.

The valve comprises a shutter which regulates the flow by means of a head. The motor, in order to open and close the valve, axially moves the shutter so that the head is pressed, in the closed position, against a wall which delimits the outlet opening of the valve. The motor could be axially misaligned with respect to the shutter, owing to the tolerances of the various constructional components of the valve and/or owing to imperfect assembly, resulting in a consequent misalignment of the shutter, and therefore a non-aligned closure of the valve. This results in a reduction of the closing precision of the valve and therefore a serious risk of leakages.

This effect cannot be easily compensated for by increasing the axial force of the motor, since a greater force could cause the aroma to flow out too rapidly.

US7717396B2 discloses a filling valve for fluids with a shutter, a shaft, and a magnetic coupling between the shutter and the shaft.

A dosing valve according to the present description and/or according to one or more of the attached valve claims is able to dose with precision the aroma, reducing the risk of leakages due any axial misalignment of the motor, without having to impart an excessive closing force, and therefore without an increase in the risk of overspill of the main pourable product and/or aroma.

A dosing machine according to the present description and/or according to one or more of the attached machine claims comprises a valve according to the present description and/or according to one or more of the attached valve claims.

The characteristic features of a valve according to the present description and a machine according to the present description will become clear from the following detailed description relating to respective examples of embodiments of such a valve and such a machine. Below, such an embodiment of the valve will be referred to more simply as valve and such an embodiment of the machine will be referred to more simply as machine. The following detailed description relates to the attached drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine with some components removed;

- Figure 2 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the valve;

- Figure 3 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the valve, viewed from closer than in Figure 2;

- Figure 4 is a detailed view of a part of the valve;

- Figure 5 is a detailed view of the head of the shutter of the valve, in the open position.

The valve 1 is designed to dose aromas in containers. These containers may be the bottles indicated by B in Figure 1 .

The valve comprises a motor 2.

The valve 1 comprises a motor-driven shaft 61 . The motor 2 may produce an axial movement of the shaft 61 .

The valve comprises an outlet opening 5 for discharging an aroma. The opening 5 is delimited by at least one wall 51 .

The valve 1 comprises a shutter 3 which is movable axially in order to regulate a flow of aroma through the opening 5. The motor 2 is configured to axially move the shutter 3 by means of the axial movement of the shaft 61.

The axial direction is indicated by means of the axis X in Figure 2.

The valve 1 comprises a magnetic coupling 4 between shutter 3 and shaft 61 , so that the axial movement of the shaft 61 causes a corresponding axial movement of the shutter 3. Said magnetic coupling 4 is configured to allow a relative transverse movement between shaft 61 and shutter 3. Figures 2 and 3 show the shutter 3 in the closed position. Figure 5 relates to a situation in which the shutter 3 assumes an open position. In Figure 5 the flow of aroma is indicated by means of the arrows F. The aroma is preferably an aroma in liquid form and therefore said flow is preferably a liquid flow.

The axial direction is indicated by X in Figure 2.

Said transverse movement could comprise at least one translation component which is perpendicular to the axial direction X.

Owing to the possibility of the shutter 3 to move transversely with respect to the shaft 61 , transverse and/or lateral uncoupling between shutter 3 and shaft 61 occurs, this having the effect that any misalignment of the motor 2 and/or the shaft 61 is not transmitted to the shutter 3 or is transmitted less to the shutter 3. In this way, the closed position of the shutter 3 is more precise and the risk of leakage is reduced.

The magnetic coupling 4 comprises a first magnet 41 integral with the shaft 61 and a second magnet 42 integral with the shutter 3.

The shutter 3 comprises a stem 31 which supports a head 32. The head 32 defines the degree of opening of said valve in order to regulate the flow. Said degree of opening may for example be defined by a distance between head 32 and wall 51 .

The valve 1 is configured so that the closing movement of the head 32 occurs in a direction away from the motor 2 so that said head 32, in the closed position, presses against said at least one wall 51. The stem 31 allows a reduction in the overall weight of the shutter 3 so as to reduce the amount of energy used and/or the overall dimensions, but may increase the impact of any misalignment of the motor 2 on the precision of the closing effect of the head 32. In fact, the stem-like form 31 causes an amplification on the head 32 of any transverse “displacement” of the shaft 61.

By means of the magnetic coupling 4 it is possible to use a stem 31 in order to reduce the total mass to be moved and also the overall dimensions, and it is also possible to obtain an improved closing effect by the head 32, despite any axial misalignment of the motor 2 and/or the shaft 61 .

Said magnets have respective axially facing opposite poles. This means that the negative pole of the first magnet 41 is axially facing, along a direction parallel to the axis X, the positive pole of the second magnet 42 or vice versa. The opposite poles of each magnet are arranged axially in sequence. This means that, for each of the magnets 41 and 42, the respective positive pole and the respective negative pole are arranged one after the other along a direction parallel to the axis X. This magnetic configuration results in an optimum engaged condition for transmission of the axial movement, without interfering with the possibility of the stem 31 moving transversely with respect to the shaft 61 .

Therefore, the risk of a leakage of aroma in the closed position is reduced, while maintaining stable axial engagement between shaft 61 and shutter 3.

The coupling 4 comprises a first housing 41 a which receives the first magnet 41 and is situated on a first axial end 61 a of the shaft 61. The coupling 4 comprises a second housing 42a which receives the second magnet 42 and is situated on a first axial end 31 a of the stem 31 . The first axial ends 31a and 61 a axially face each other. The first axial end 31 a of the stem 31 is situated opposite a second axial end 31 b of the stem 31. The head 32 is situated on said second axial end 31 b of the stem 31 .

The first housing 41 a is axially closed by means of a first cover 41 b and said second housing 42 is axially closed by means of a second cover 42b. The covers 41 b and 42b face each other axially and are in mechanical contact with each other. In this way the magnets may be positioned axially very close to each other and the production and/or assembly of the valve is simplified since the magnets may be inserted inside the respective housings with the covers removed.

At least one of the covers 41 b and 42b has an at least partially rounded external form. For example, the second cover 42b has an at least partially rounded external form.

In this way, there is a mechanical contact engagement which, owing to said rounded form, accompanies any transverse movement which is in turn permitted by the magnetic coupling, so as to reduce the risk of a sudden transverse movement occurring during the axial movement of the shaft 61 . In fact, the rounded form allows essentially the shutter 3 to rotate in the plane of the axis X with respect to the shaft 61 so that the transverse movement of the shutter 3 with respect to the shaft 61 is guided since it is part of a guided rotary movement of the shutter 3 with respect to the shaft 61.

The motor 2 is of the electric and/or electromagnetic kind. Such a type of motor increases the precision and enables a high precision to be obtained also with a smaller force, so that the aroma does not flow out too rapidly.

Therefore, having a coupling which allows a relative transverse movement of shutter 3 and shaft 61 is particularly useful with a motor of this kind, since the effect of an imperfect closure of the valve owing to a misalignment between the motor and/or the shaft 61 could be difficult to compensate by increasing the force of the motor without the further risk of leakage of the main product and/or aroma owing to an excessive backflow. The valve 1 comprises a guiding system 7 for guiding the axial movement of the shutter 31. The guiding system 7 is structurally separate from the shaft 61 and the motor 2 and is axially arranged between the motor 2 and the opening 51. The guiding system 7 is configured to guide the axial movement of the shutter 3 by means of mechanical contact.

The guiding system 7 does not make mechanical contact with the shaft 61 . In this way the guiding system 7 may axially guide the shutter 31 independently of the shaft 61 such that said relative transverse movement of shaft 61 and shutter 31 is allowed and is taken up at least partly by the guiding system 7. The guiding system 7 could in fact be at least partially elastic and/or flexible. The guiding system 7 comprises at least one bush 71 and/or gasket 72 which slides inside an axial channel 73.

Each of said bush 71 and gasket 72 may be at least partially flexible and/or elastic.

The machine 10 is intended to dose aromas in the containers.

The machine may comprise one or more valves, each of which have one or more of the aforementioned characteristic features or all of the aforementioned characteristic features.

The machine 10 comprises a conveyor for conveying the containers B.

The machine 10 is configured so that each valve doses the aroma sequentially inside the conveyed containers B.

Said conveyor may be a conveyor belt or a star wheel.

Owing to the presence of several valves 1 , the containers B may be conveyed at a greater conveying speed since, for the same total amount of aroma to be inserted inside each container B, each value 1 may insert a smaller partial quantity of aroma.

Said conveyor is not shown in Figure 1 .

Claims

1. Valve (1 ) for dosing aromas in containers, comprising:

- a motor (2);

- a motor-driven shaft (61 ), said motor (2) being able to produce an axial movement of the shaft (61 );

- an outlet opening (5) for discharging an aroma, said opening being delimited by at least one wall (51 );

- a shutter (3) movable axially so as to regulate a flow of aroma in output from said outlet opening (5), said motor (2) being configured to axially move the shutter (3) by means of the axial movement of said shaft (61 ); wherein said valve comprises a magnetic coupling (4) between shutter (3) and shaft (61 ), so that said axial movement of the shaft (61 ) causes a corresponding axial movement of the shutter (3), said magnetic coupling (4) being configured to allow a relative transverse movement between shaft (61 ) and shutter (3); wherein said magnetic coupling (4) comprises a first magnet (41 ) integral with the shaft (61 ) and a second magnet (42) integral with the shutter (3); characterized in that: said shutter (3) comprises a stem (31 ) which supports a head (32), said head (32) defining the degree of opening of said valve in order to regulate said flow; wherein said valve is configured so that the closing movement of the head (32) is performed in a direction away from the motor (2), so that said head (32), in the closed position, presses against said wall (51 ); wherein said coupling (4) comprises a first housing (41 a) which receives the first magnet (41 ) and is situated on a first axial end (61 a) of the shaft (61 ) and a second housing (42a) which receives the second magnet (42) and is situated on a first axial end (31 a) of the stem (31 ), said first axial ends (31a, 61 a) facing each other axially and said first axial end (31 a) of the stem (31 ) being opposite a second axial end (31 b) of the stem on which said head (32) is situated; wherein said housing (41 a) is axially closed by means of a first cover (41 b) and said second housing (42) is axially closed by means of a second cover (42b), said covers (41 b, 42b) facing each other axially and being in mechanical contact with each other; wherein at least one (42b) of said covers (41 b, 42b) has an at least partially rounded external form.

2. Valve (1 ) according to Claim 1 , wherein said magnets (41 , 42) have respective opposite axially facing poles, the opposite poles of each magnet (41 ; 42) being arranged axially one after the other.

3. Valve (1 ) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said motor (2) is of the electric and/or electromagnetic kind.

4. Valve (1 ) according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a guiding system (7) for guiding the axial movement of the shutter (3), wherein said guiding system (7) is structurally separate from the shaft (61 ) and the motor (2) and is axially arranged between the motor (2) and the opening (51 ), said system (7) being configured to guide the axial movement of the shutter (3) by means of mechanical contact; wherein the guiding system (7) does not make mechanical contact with the shaft (61 ).

5. Valve (1 ) according to Claim 4, wherein said guiding system (7) comprises: a gasket (72) integral with the stem (31 ), axially sliding inside a channel (73); and/or a bush (71 ) for axially guiding the stem (31 ), said stem (31 ) being arranged axially across said bush (71 ).

6. Dosing machine (10) for dosing aromas in containers, comprising: one or more valves, each according to one or more of the preceding claims; a conveyor for conveying the containers (B); the machine (10) being configured so that each valve dispenses the aroma sequentially inside the conveyed containers (B).