FR2769303A1 - DEVICE FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH LIQUID LEVELING IN SAID BOTTLES, WITHOUT LOSS OF LIQUID - Google Patents

Abstract

The bottle filler consists of a nozzle (120) connected to a container (110) of the liquid (112) and containing an air return tube lying coaxially with its cannula (126) inside the nozzle and having a radial aperture (125) adjacent to the nozzle tip. The outlet end of the cannula is situated at one height (Ho), while the aperture (125) in the air return tube (124) is situated at a second height (H1) above it. Both the cannula and air return tube are at atmospheric pressure.

Description

DEVICE FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH LEVELING

  LIQUID IN SAID BOTTLES, WITHOUT LOSS OF LIQUID

  The present invention relates to a device for filling bottles with a liquid and for leveling this liquid in these bottles, without

loss of fluid.

  There is known a filling spout such as that shown for information in Figure 1. This spout of the prior art comprises in a simplified manner a tank 10 in which is stored the liquid 12 which must be filled

bottle 14.

  The bottle 14 is brought under the spout for its filling. It is noted that in this type of spout of the prior art, the spout is fixed and the bottle is movable in vertical translation to cause filling as will be

explained later.

  As shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, the spout comprises a cannula 16 for air return and guide, fixed in translation with a nozzle 18 and its end 19, attached to the lower end of this cannula, a body 20 spout, coaxial with the cannula and movable between two positions relative to said cannula, a first position in which this body cooperates in a sealed manner with the nozzle 18, preventing any flow and a second position in which this body is lifted by compared to

  the nozzle 18, letting the liquid flow.

  In addition, flexible connection means 22 with elastic return, are interposed between the tank and the spout body, in this case, an elastomer membrane. These connecting means have a double function, the first to allow continuity of flow between the tank and the bottle and the second to recall the spout body so that its end is pressed against

  sealingly against the nozzle 18 outside the filling phases.

  The spout of the prior art further comprises an air return tube 24 which makes it possible to eliminate the random side of the leveling at the end of filling. This return air tube opens out through an opening 25

in the wall of the spout body 20.

  This tube has an industrial drawback, that it must be housed between the cannula and the nozzle body, in a relatively narrow space. Its manufacture and its installation are quite delicate. We also note that there can be friction between the cannula 16 and the air return tube 24 because

  the operating clearances are very small as explained above.

  During operation, there is also a functional problem of

Upgrade.

  Indeed, especially in the field of mineral water, very large quantities of bottles are filled and the upgrade poses a

  problem because it causes water loss.

  In fact, when filling takes place, the bottle is raised until its neck 26 comes to bear sealingly against a

  flange 28, integral with the body 20 of the spout.

  The lifting of this flange and therefore of the spout body causes the liquid contained in the tank to flow by gravity into the bottle, until the level is such that this liquid obstructs the outlet 25

  of the air return tube 24. Therefore, the liquid is located at a level H1, high.

  The bottle is lowered to allow the connecting and return means to stop the flow and the neck 26 of the bottle to

  take off from the collar 28. The orifice 25 is no longer obstructed.

  A slight depression is generally maintained above the level of the liquid in the tank and the cannula opens into this sky in slight depression. This therefore makes it possible to exert this slight depression in the bottle, through the cannula, which has the effect of sucking the liquid through the cannula 16, the sucked liquid then flowing in the tank at the outlet of the upper end of said cannula. This aspiration continues until the level of the liquid is at H0, that is to say at the level of the lower end of the cannula. Therefore, the level of the liquid is identical for all

  bottles since the nozzle 18 is fixed.

  It is noted that, in this arrangement, the aspirated liquid has been in contact with the ambient air and that ambient air is also aspirated by the return tubes

  air at the end of the so-called equalization leveling operation.

  This is of no consequence for certain liquids but poses problems in particular in the case of mineral water because it is desirable neither to mix the water drawn from a bottle nor to bring the ambient air into contact with the water contained in the tank and from the water supply, to avoid

contamination issues.

  The solution currently consists of sucking water in and discharging it, which causes significant water losses, while

  must manage the quantities used as accurately as possible.

  The device according to the invention allows filling of bottles, in particular with mineral water, which avoids any loss of water, which makes it possible to keep the same leveling for all bottles, especially when this device is mounted on carousels of high-speed machines, which eliminates the delicate mounting of the air return tube between the body of the nozzle and the cannula, which is more adaptable on existing machines and which avoids mixing and / or contacts

air / water mentioned above.

  To this end, according to the invention, the device for filling bottles of the type comprising a filling spout connected to a tank containing a liquid to be bottled by connecting means, this spout comprising a cannula with a fixed tip in translation relative to a spout body movable in translation between a first position in which the liquid can flow between said spout body and the nozzle, and a second position in which said spout body is in sealed contact with the nozzle , characterized in that it comprises an air return tube which is coaxial with the cannula and inside the nozzle body and which opens by at least one radial opening, substantially at right angles to

  the nozzle and up to the end of the tube of the nozzle body.

  According to another characteristic, the air return and guide cannula opens at a height Ho and the opening of the free air return tube opens at a height H1 situated above that of the cannula. As for the opening of the air return tube, it opens substantially radially and that of the cannula opens vertically through an opening and

  constitutes the low point Ho of the nozzle and the spout.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the cannula and the return tube

  of air are at atmospheric pressure.

  The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the various figures represent FIG. 1, a view of the prior art previously described, FIG. 2A, a view of a nonlimiting embodiment of a filling spout according to the invention during the first phase of a block diagram of the filling device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2B to 2F, the following steps of the block diagram of the operation of the filling device according to the present

invention.

  In FIG. 2A, there is shown a spout whose identical parts or at least which play the same role, have the same references as those

  in Figure 1 but increased by 100.

A tank is referenced 110.

  On the other hand, the air return tube 1 24 is arranged differently.

  In fact, this air return tube 124 is mounted coaxial outside the cannula 116, also fixed in translation like said cannula and inside the nozzle body 120. The lower end 130 of this air return tube 124

  opens laterally through three openings 125, in the end piece 1 18, au-

  above the lower end 119 of the cannula. The upper end of this

  tube 124 opens into the open air, in a known manner.

  We notice the body 120 of spout which seals tightly

  the opening 125 of the air return tube 1 24, in the low position.

  In FIG. 2A, the end 119 of the cannula 116 is in position Ho.

  The end of the neck 126 can take at least three positions: H2 waiting, H3 contact and H4 filling. In the case of the phase shown in FIG. 2A, the neck of the bottle is in the standby position H2, the spout is closed because the body 1 20 of the spout is in the low position and comes into tight contact with the nozzle 118 Similarly, it can be seen that the opening 125 of the air return tube 124 is

closed.

  During the phase of FIG. 2B, the bottle 114 has its neck 126 which is brought to level H4, after having come into contact with the flange 128 at H3, which causes the body 120 to be raised from the spout and the flow of the contents of the tank inside the bottle, provided

i15 the tank is full.

  The neck 126 being in leaktight contact with the collar 1 28, the air return openings 116 and 125 ensure the evacuation of the air contained in the bottle, thus allowing gravity filling, without any brake on the flow. When the liquid filling is such that this liquid reaches substantially the level Hl, the liquid remains at constant level in the bottle and rises in the air return tube 1 24 and in the air return cannula 116 then l flow stops by balancing pressures. This is the position of the

Figure 2C.

  In FIG. 2D, the flow of the tank is stopped by lowering the neck 126 to the level H3, which brings the body 1 20 of spout back into its sealed closing position by also closing the opening 125 and preventing any

  flow of the liquid contained in the air return tube 124.

  In this case, it should be noted that the phenomenon of bubble formation capable of going up in the annular space defined by the body 120 of spout on the outside and the tube 124 of return air inside, through the flowing fluid is impossible. This is security for the pollution of the

  tank by air having been in contact with a bottle.

  This position, with the neck 126 still in contact with the collar 128, also prevents any flow of the liquid contained in the cannula 1 1 6. In FIG. 2E, as soon as the neck 126 is detached from the collar 128, the liquid contained in the cannula 116 flows by gravity into the bottle while the liquid contained in the air return tube 124 is still retained in this tube. The leveling, therefore the level adjustment, must take into account this residual liquid contained in the cannula 1 16 to reach the final HF level desired in the bottle at the end of filling. This HF level is

  obtained by the height position of the collar 128 on the body 120 of the spout.

  In FIG. 2F, it can be seen that the filled bottle can be brought back to its position H2 ready to be capped thereafter by any suitable means. It is noted that the air return tube 124 always contains the liquid which flows into the next bottle treated by the same spout from the start of filling,

  which does not disturb the leveling in the next bottle.

  The device according to the present invention has a definite advantage with regard to industrial manufacturing since the assembly of coaxial tubes with a radial outlet is relatively simple and, moreover, the venting is carried out by means of a section greater than that of the small tube of the prior art this

  which promotes flow and avoids any torch spout.

  The problems of dripping of the air return tube of the prior art, in particular due to its small section and capillary phenomena are also resolved simultaneously since on the one hand the section is increased

  and that on the other hand the opening is closed during the intermediate phases.

  Note that the filling takes place without loss of water, by simple gravity. The device which has just been described can be put into service identically in a filling system using a

  pressure / vacuum in controlled atmosphere for leveling.

  The filling speed can be adjusted by variations in the loading height or by variations in pressure / vacuum in the case o

  the layout uses them or by combined adjustment of these various parameters.

Claims (5)

  1. Device for filling bottles of the type comprising a filling spout connected to a tank (110) containing a liquid (112) to be bottled by connecting means (122), this spout comprising a cannula (116), with a nozzle (118) fixed in translation relative to a spout body (120) movable in translation between a first position in which the liquid can flow between said nozzle body and the nozzle, and a second position in which said nozzle body is in tight contact with the nozzle, characterized in that it comprises an air return tube (124) which is coaxial with the cannula (116) and inside the nozzle body (120) and which opens out by at least one radial opening (125), substantially in line with the tip and up to the end of the spout body tube (120).   2. Filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cannula (116) for air return and guide opens at a height Ho and the opening (125) of the tube (124) for air return leads to a height H1   located above that of the cannula.   3. A filling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the opening (125) of the air return tube (124) opens out substantially radially. 4. Filling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cannula (116) opens vertically through an opening (119) and constitutes the low point H0 of the nozzle and the spout.   5. Filling device according to any one of claims 1 to   4, characterized in that the cannula (1 16) and the air return tube (124) are atmospheric pressure.