FR2788509A1 - VOLUMETRIC FILLING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The filling device comprises a metering device (1), a filling spout (2) connected to the metering device (1), and a support device (3) located under the filling spout (2) and receiving the container to be filled. (4). According to the invention, the support device (3) is completed by a sleeve or bell (29) movable vertically, under the action of control means (30, 32) for example of the cylinder type, to come in leaktight contact via its upper part (37) with a complementary part (36) belonging to the filling spout (2), so as to define a sealed enclosure (40) enclosing the container (4). Application: filling of flasks, bottles and other containers.

Description

The present invention relates to a volumetric filling device

  of flasks, bottles or other similar containers, to be filled

  with a liquid product, whether or not containing gas.

  In known volumetric filling installations, the bottle to be filled comes into contact with a filling valve, the seal between the bottle and the valve being ensured by a seal. For some products, a vacuum must be created before filling; however it is impossible, in the case of plastic bottles of a certain

  flexibility, to create a vacuum during this phase without deformation of the bottle.

  When filling bottles with a gaseous product, the bottle

  may burst or break under pressure.

  In known filling installations known as "level", the degree of filling is defined only by the level of product reached in the bottle. The actual quantity of product introduced into each bottle therefore varies, depending on the deformation of the bottle or according to the dimensional tolerances of the glassware. It can therefore not be guaranteed that the filling of each bottle is carried out with a quantity of product

constant and precise.

  Furthermore, in many cases, the opening of the filling valve is carried out by a mechanical valve controlled from the outside by a controlled key or a cam, which involves numerous seals and other mechanical components, such as springs, which make the

  disinfection of the difficult and imperfect filling valve.

  The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of current filling installations, by providing a volumetric filling device which mainly allows filling under pressure or with a vacuum phase, this device also ensuring the filling of each container with a dose constant and precise, and

can be easily cleaned.

  To this end, the invention essentially relates to a device for volumetric filling of flasks, bottles and other receptacles, comprising a dosing device, a filling spout connected to the dosing device, and a support device located under the filling spout and receiving a container to be filled, characterized in that the support device is completed by a sheath or "bell" movable vertically, under the action of control means, and capable of coming into tight contact, by its free upper or lower part , with a complementary part belonging to the filling spout or to the support device, so as to delimit a closed enclosure trapping the container to be filled placed on

the support device.

  In a particular embodiment, the sheath has a free upper edge, cooperating with a peripheral flange formed at the base of the filling spout, in particular around a valve.

  filling, an annular seal being inserted under the flange.

  Advantageously, the sleeve is slidably mounted in a vertical direction in a cylindrical jacket of the support device, the lower part of the sleeve being provided with a piston and the support device being thus shaped as a jack, to control the vertical movement of the sleeve. Other control means, in particular mechanical such as cam and / or spring, are also conceivable for moving vertically

1 5 said sheath.

  This sheath or bell, which in particular in the high position comes into tight contact with the periphery of the filling valve, delimits an enclosure or chamber in which the container to be filled is trapped and can thus be filled, under gas pressure or not, without contact. with the filling spout. When the barrel is put in the low position, there is room to insert the container, still empty, under the filling valve, or to remove the container from there.

once it is filled.

  This device can, moreover, be used for the sterilization of the container to be filled, as well as of the filling member, by providing that are associated, with the support device with sheath and / or with the filling spout, means for the injection of steam or other sterilizing gas into the enclosure delimited by the sheath held in particular in the high position. According to another characteristic of the invention, the metering device comprises on the one hand a buffer tank, designed to be filled in

  liquid to be dosed up to an intermediate level, the internal volume located above

  above this level being filled with air or gas, and on the other hand a cylindrical metering device, open at its upper part and communicating through its lower part with a flow channel formed inside the filling spout, the cylindrical dispenser being housed at least partially in the buffer tank, and mounted sliding in a vertical direction, control means being provided for moving said dispenser between a low position, in which its open upper part is immersed in the liquid contained in the tank -stamp, and a high position in which its upper part penetrates into the volume of air or gas present above

  of the liquid level, so as to isolate a dose of liquid.

  Thus, going up a few centimeters to the top of the cuvetampon, the upper edge of the dispenser, previously immersed in the liquid, ensures the separation of the liquid contained in the doser (and reaching said upper edge), relative to the rest of the liquid contained in the tank. The quantity of liquid, thus isolated in the dispenser, can then flow by gravity, through the filling spout (the

  valve is then open), up to the container to be filled.

  A constant and precise dose of liquid can thus be drawn into the buffer tank, and delivered into each container. However, according to an advantageous arrangement, the bottom of the cylindrical metering device is constituted by an internal piston whose position is vertically adjustable, so as to allow selection or adjustment of the volume of liquid.

  can be isolated, at each operating cycle, by said metering device.

  According to a particular embodiment, the cylindrical metering device is guided, in vertical translation through a circular opening

  formed in the lower wall of the buffer tank.

  The control means, moving the metering device vertically, can be constituted in the form of an autonomous actuator, such as a jack. However, according to a particularly advantageous arrangement, the filling spout is fixed by its upper part to the lower part of the cylindrical metering device, and the vertical movement of this cylindrical metering device is controlled from the vertical movement of the sheath associated with the support device, this through the filling spout. This saves an additional cylinder, or other means of actuation

special, for the dispenser.

  According to yet another characteristic, the filling spout carries, at its lower end, a filling valve including a shutter valve produced by a membrane in particular in the form of a hollow body, of elastically deformable material, means being provided for the admission of compressed air or another pressurized gas inflating said shutter valve so as to apply it against an internal wall of the filling valve and thus seal the outlet of the liquid flow channel. In particular, when the filling spout is arranged coaxially with the buffer tank, there is advantageously provided, on said buffer tank, a controlled valve connected to an external source of compressed air or other pressurized gas, the same valve ensuring the admission of air or gas to the upper volume of the buffer tank, as well as, by at least one vertical tube passing through the filling spout,

  towards the inflatable shutter valve.

  The same controlled valve can also be used to communicate with the open air the enclosure delimited by the sheath, this by

  through channels passing through the spout and the filling valve.

  On the whole, a filling device is thus obtained which has the following advantages: -Filling of the containers is carried out without contact with the filling valve, and the spout has no seal in

contact with liquid.

  -The device applies to all liquids, containing or not containing gas, and it makes it possible to withdraw, inter alia, oils without

low pressure.

  -Filling the containers is possible under a controlled atmosphere. - This filling is possible, under vacuum or under pressure, without deformation for plastic containers, and without

  risk of bursting for glass containers.

  - Cleaning the spout is possible without using a "fake bottle", the sheath acting here as a fake bottle. - Filling is possible very precisely, with regard to the volume of liquid introduced into each container, this volume being nevertheless adjustable within wide limits (by

example from 10 to 150 centiliters).

  - The shutter valve is made without mechanical components

  internal, so simple and easy to clean.

  - The overall structure of the device remains simple, because it requires a single actuator of the jack type, and a single

  valve controlled, for all functions.

  In any case, the invention will be better understood using the

  description which follows, with reference to the attached schematic drawing

  representing, by way of example, embodiments of this volumetric filling device: FIG. 1 is an overall view, in vertical section, showing a volumetric filling device in accordance with the present invention, at the start of the filling a bottle; Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure 1, illustrating successive phases of the filling cycle; Figure 6 is a detail view, in section and on an enlarged scale, of the single cylindrical metering device, showing its adjustment possibilities; Figure 7 and 8 are detailed views, in section and on an enlarged scale, of the filling valve, respectively with inflated and deflated shutter valve; Figure 9 is an overall view, in vertical section, of another embodiment of this filling device, designed to carry out sterilization by steam injection Figure 10 shows, on an enlarged scale, the detail of the valve

  ordered associated with the buffer tank.

  The volumetric filling device, shown as a whole in FIG. 1, comprises from top to bottom three main parts, namely a metering device 1, a filling spout 2 with shutter valve, and a support device with bell 3, this last recipient

  a bottle 4 (or other container) to be filled with a liquid.

  The metering device 1 comprises a buffer tank 5 of cylindrical shape, and of vertical axis 6, delimited by an upper horizontal wall 7, a lower horizontal wall 8 and a side wall 9. The buffer tank has at its top a valve 10 ordered by a

  rotary cam 11 and connected to a compressed air supply. This tank

  buffer 5 also includes, at its upper part, orifices 12 for supplying the product to be dosed. In use, the buffer tank 5 thus contains a certain amount of liquid 13 to be dosed, and above the

  level 14 of this liquid, an air volume 15.

  The bottom wall 8 of the buffer tank 5 is pierced with a large circular opening, in which is slidably mounted, along the vertical axis 6, a metering device of generally cylindrical shape 16, open at its upper part. The lower part of the metering device 16 is shaped externally as an annular piston 17, mounted to slide in a cylindrical jacket 18 fixed coaxially under the bottom wall 8 of the buffer tank 5 - see

also figure 6.

  The filling spout 2 comprises a vertical tube 19, mounted along the aforementioned vertical axis 6 and fixed, by its upper end, under the metering device 16. At its lower end, the tube 19 carries a filling valve 20 whose element active is a shutter valve 21, made as an inflatable membrane, of elastically deformable material, forming a kind of hollow body. In the inflated state, the shutter valve 21 cooperates with the internal wall of the filling valve 20, in order to close the outlet of the liquid flow channel 22 delimited by the tube 19. FIG. 7 shows, in more detail, the obturator valve 21 in the inflated state, while FIG. 8 shows the same obturator valve 21 in the deflated state, then authorizing the flow of the liquid through the valve

filling 20.

  The shutter valve 21 is connected to the upper valve 10 by two coaxial tubes 23 and 24, with telescopic structure, arranged according to

vertical axis 6.

  The support 3 is located under the filling valve 20, along the vertical axis 6. It comprises a base 25, a vertical rod 26 fixed to the center of the base 25, and an upper circular plate 27, mounted at the top of the rod 26 and serving as a bearing surface for the bottle 4 to be filled. The base 25 also supports an outer cylindrical jacket 28, coaxial with the central rod 26. In the outer jacket 28 is slidably mounted a cylindrical sheath 29, also called "bell", guided vertically by the jacket 28 and passing around the plate

higher 27.

  The lower part of the sheath 29 is integral with an annular piston 30, slidably mounted around the central rod 26. Thus, the support with bell 3 is shaped as a jack, with two chambers 31 and 32 defined respectively above and above below the piston 30, and with arrivals / departures of control fluid 33 and 34 for supplying and purging the two chambers 31 and 32, the supply to the upper chamber 31 being effected by means of a channel 35

formed in the central rod 26.

  The filling valve 20 has a peripheral collar 36, located opposite the free upper edge 37 of the sleeve 29, an annular seal 38 being inserted under the collar 36. As specified below, these arrangements allow interaction of the sleeve 29, of the spout filling 2 and metering unit 1-16, thus avoiding, in particular, the installation of an additional cylinder to control the raising and lowering of the metering unit

cylindrical 16.

  At the start of an operating cycle, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the valve 20 of the spout 2 is closed by the pressure of the air admitted into the shutter valve 21, the metering device 16 occupies a low position and is immersed in the liquid 13 contained in the buffer tank 5, partially filled, the liquid level 14 being continuously monitored and maintained, in a known manner. The bottle 4 to be filled is deposited, by any gripping device (not shown), on the upper plate 27 of the support 3, the sheath 29 of which initially occupies a low position,

retracted into the folder 28.

  Then, by supplying the lower chamber 32 of the jack formed by the support 3, and as shown in FIG. 2, the sleeve 29 is moved upwards, in the direction of the filling valve 20, and it then surrounds the bottle 4. At a given moment, the upper edge 37 of the sheath 29 abuts against the flange 36 of the valve 20. Under the vertical thrust of the sheath 29, which continues to rise, the entire beak of

  filling 2 rises, carrying with it upwards the metering device 16.

  By rising, the metering device 16 manages to protrude above the level 14 of the liquid 13, in the air volume 15. The liquid 39, contained

  in the metering device 16, is then isolated from the rest of the liquid 13 of the tank-

  buffer 5. The upper valve 10 is then actuated, to send part of the air 15 from the tank to the sheath 29, through the tube 23 which is extended by a channel formed in the body of the valve 20. This valve discharges at the same time (via the tube 24) the compressed air contained in the shutter valve 21, so that the latter returns to its original shape and

  frees the passage of the liquid through the filling valve 20.

  The liquid 39, isolated in the metering device 16, can then flow through the channel 22, escape from the spout 2 through the open filling valve 20, and flow into the bottle 4, the opening of which is located under the orifice. Release

  of said valve 20 - see Figure 3.

  During this filling phase, the sheath 29 is kept raised and applied against the valve 20, with the interposition of the seal 38, and it traps in a sealed manner the bottle 4 between the plate 27 and said valve 20. In the sealed enclosure 40 thus delimited, it is possible to execute operations such as vacuuming or

  pressure, sterilization, etc ... (see also below).

  When the metering device 16 has emptied its entire volume of liquid 39 in the bottle 4, the valve 10 is again actuated to send compressed air into the shutter valve 21, which inflates and thus closes the filling valve 20 - see Figure 4. Using the same valve 10, the enclosure 40 delimited by the sheath 29 is also placed in communication with the open air, so that it recovers atmospheric pressure. The upper chamber 31 of the jack formed by the support 3 is then supplied, to allow the lowering of the sheath 29 inside the jacket 28 see FIG. 5. At a certain moment of this lowering movement, the upper edge 37 of the sheath 29 separates from the filling valve 20 integral with the metering device 16, this occurring when the piston 17 abuts at the base of the jacket 18. The metering device 16 thus resumes its position immersed in the liquid 13 of the buffer tank 5, and it fills

again of this liquid.

  When the sleeve 29 reaches its lower end-of-travel position, the filled bottle 4 is evacuated, and a new bottle to be filled is brought to the plate 27, the same filling cycle then being able to take place.

repeat identically.

  Thus, each bottle 4 receives a constant and precise quantity of liquid, determined by the characteristics of the dispenser 16. However, this quantity is adjustable, by providing that the bottom of the useful volume of the dispenser consists of an annular piston 41, of adjustable position vertically, from the outside, relative to the cylindrical body of said metering device 16. As shown in FIG. 6, the annular piston 41 is integral with the upper end of the tube 19 of the filling spout 2, this tube 19 being linked, by via an internally threaded ring 42, to an externally threaded flange secured to the base of the metering device 16. The rotation of the ring 42 thus makes it possible to control the raising or lowering of the piston 41 relative to the metering unit 16. Furthermore , the ring 42 can be positioned at different levels, relative to the tube 19, by means of multiple annular grooves 43 formed on the tube 19. The rise of the piston 41, for the passage of a pos ition adjustment to another, can be controlled by compressed air, injected through an orifice 44, in the manner of a

  cylinder. This allows fine and coarse adjustment.

  FIG. 9 illustrates a variant of the filling device described above, specially equipped for carrying out a sterilization phase of the bottle 4 to be filled, when the latter is isolated in the sealed enclosure 40 delimited by the sheath 29 in the high position . An inlet for superheated steam 45 is provided on the filling valve 20, and makes it possible to inject this steam into the enclosure 40. A tube 46, starting from the plate 27 and directed downwards, through the piston 30 and

  the base 25 of the support 3, ensures the outlet of the condensed steam.

  FIG. 10 shows the detail of the controlled valve 10, which can be used in the case of the two embodiments previously described. The body 47 of the valve 10 has internal channels 48 and

  49, in connection with the arrival of compressed air, with the interior of the tank

  buffer 5, and with the upper parts of the vertical tubes 23 and 24. The rotating part 50 of the valve 10, linked to the control cam 11, comprises other channels such as 51 and 52, which depending on the angular position of this rotating part 50 allow various combinations, necessary

  upon execution of the operating cycle previously described.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this volumetric filling device which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle. In particular, we would not depart from the scope of the invention: - by using any actuation means to vertically move the sleeve associated with the support device - by moving this sleeve from top to bottom, and not by bottom up, to trap the container to be filled; - By placing the metering device elsewhere than above the support device and the filling spout, in which case the metering device is connected to the filling spout by rigid and flexible piping, and has its own actuation means; - by replacing the air in the metering device with another gas, such as carbon dioxide - by using the various constituents described above together or separately, for example by combining the metering device and / or the support device with bell a conventional filling valve; - by mounting the volumetric filling device, object of the invention, on machines of all types, in particular

rotary or linear.

Claims (7)

  1 - Device for volumetric filling of vials, bottles and other receptacles, comprising a metering device (1), a filling spout (2) connected to the metering device (1), and a support device (3) located under the spout filling (2) and receiving a container to be filled (4), characterized in that the support device (3) is completed by a sheath or bell (29) movable vertically, under the action of control means (30 to 34 ), and capable of coming into tight contact, by its upper (37) or free lower part, with a complementary part (36, 38) belonging to the filling spout (2) or to the support device (3), so as to delimit a closed enclosure (40) trapping the container to   fill (4) placed on the support device (3).   2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheath (29) has a free upper edge (37), cooperating with a peripheral flange (36) formed at the base of the filling spout (2), especially around a filling valve (20), a seal   sealing ring (38) being inserted under the flange (36).   3 - Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeve (29) is slidably mounted in a vertical direction in a cylindrical jacket (28) of the support device (3), the lower part of the sleeve (29) being provided of a piston (30) and the support device (3) being thus shaped as a jack, for controlling the vertical movement of the scabbard (29).   4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that the support device (3) with sheath (29) and / or the filling spout (2) are associated with means (45, 46) for injecting steam or other sterilizing gas into the enclosure (40) delimited by the sheath (29) held in particular in the high position, in view of the   sterilization of the container to be filled (4).   - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the metering device (1) comprises on the one hand a buffer tank (5), intended to be filled with metering liquid (13) to an intermediate level (14), the internal volume (15) located above this level (14) being filled with air or gas, and on the other hand a cylindrical metering device (16), open at its upper part and communicating by its lower part with a flow channel (22 ) formed inside the filling spout (2), the cylindrical metering device (16) being housed at least partially in the buffer tank (5), and mounted sliding in a vertical direction, control means being provided for moving said metering device (16) between a low position, in which its open upper part is immersed in the liquid (13) contained in the buffer tank (5), and a high position in which its upper part enters the volume of air or gas (15) present above the liquid level (14),   so as to isolate a dose of liquid (39).   6 - Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the bottom of the cylindrical metering device (16) consists of a piston (41) whose position is vertically adjustable, so as to allow selection or adjustment of the volume of liquid (39 ) can be isolated by said metering device (16). i15 7 - Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the cylindrical metering device (1 6) is guided in vertical translation through   a circular opening in the lower wall (8) of the tank buffer (5).   8 - Device according to any one of claims 5 to 7,   characterized in that the filling spout (2) is fixed, by its upper part, to the lower part of the cylindrical metering device (16), and in that the vertical movement of this cylindrical metering unit (16) is controlled from the displacement vertical of the sheath (29) associated with the support device   (3), this via the filling spout (2).   9 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized in that the filling spout (2) carries, at its lower end, a filling valve (20) including a shutter valve (21) produced by a membrane, in particular in the form of a hollow body, made of elastically deformable material, means (10,24) being provided for the admission of compressed air or another pressurized gas inflating said shutter valve (21) so as to apply it against an internal wall of the filling valve (20) and shut off thus the outlet of the canal liquid flow (22).   - Device according to all of claims 5 and 9,   characterized in that the filling spout (2) is arranged coaxially with the buffer tank (5), and in that there is provided, on said buffer tank (5), a controlled valve (10) connected to a external source of compressed air or other pressurized gas, the same valve ensuring the admission of air or gas to the upper volume (15) of the buffer tank (5), as well as, by at least a vertical tube (23,24) passing through the filling spout (2), towards the inflatable shutter valve (21). 11 - Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the controlled valve (10) is also used to put in communication with the open air the enclosure (40), delimited by the sheath (39), this via of channels passing through the spout (2) and of the filling (20).