FR2852944A1 - Container e.g. bottle, filling procedure, involves establishing fluidic communication between cavity of tank and container, and allowing liquid to flow from cavity to container - Google Patents

Abstract

The procedure involves pouring a determined volume of liquid (5) from an enclosure (4) into a cavity (22) of a tank and up to the lowest level of upper edge (19) of tank. The liquid flow between the enclosure and cavity is stopped by filling the cavity fully. A fluidic communication is established between the cavity and a container. The liquid flows from the cavity to the container. The communication is interrupted when the cavity is empty. An independent claim is also included for a container filling device.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR VOLUMETRICALLY FILLING A CONTAINER SUCH AS A

BOTTLE USING LIQUID.

  The present invention relates to a method and a device for filling a container, such as a bottle, with a determined volume of a liquid.

  It is more particularly interested in such a process and in such a device which can be exploited on an industrial scale by authorizing high rates of filling of containers such as bottles presented successively at a filling station, either fixed or grouped with other identical filling stations 10 on a carousel whose containers being filled temporarily accompany the rotation by temporarily associating with one of the filling stations, respectively, and remaining open at atmospheric pressure during filling .

  Compliance with such high rates requires a high filling speed of each container such as a bottle. However, the higher the filling speed, the more difficult it is to control the quantity of liquid which is introduced into each container such as a bottle, whether in terms of compliance with a set volume or in terms of compliance with a set level, for many reasons among which we can cite the influence of the reaction times of the components of the filling device and, in the particular case of bottles which are filled by a neck relatively narrow, of a risk of backflow of the liquid at the end of filling, that is to say of a loss of liquid which is difficult to control quantitatively, also causing contamination of the container such as a bottle and of the filling device .

  To remedy this drawback, the Applicant 5 has proposed, in its European patent No. 0 268 524, to practice filling a bottle in two stages, namely a first stage at high filling speed or rapid flow at the start of filling, followed by a second time at a lower speed or slower flow rate 10 at the end of filling, to precisely reach a predetermined level of filling.

  This known technique gives all satisfaction with regard to the reproducibility of the dosage of the quantity of liquid introduced into each bottle, in this case in terms of compliance with a predetermined level, and allows high filling rates without causing loss liquid.

  However, it has a drawback in that it requires the use of complex and costly electronic means to control the command and control of the passage from one to the other of the filling regimes, as well as membrane valves. elastically extensible, vulnerable and offering a reduced lifespan, to ensure two successive different flow rates 25 through the same tube giving the container to be filled such as a bottle as well as the closing of this conduit.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a filling method and device which, while allowing high filling rates and strict compliance with a set volume for filling each container, make it possible to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks .

  To this end, the present invention provides a method of filling a container, such as a bottle, by means of a determined volume of a liquid, characterized in that a cup delimiting a liquid is produced or chosen. cavity having said determined volume up to the lowest level of an upper edge of the bucket, with reference to a determined orientation of use of the bucket, then, maintaining the bucket in its determined orientation, the succession is implemented steps consisting in: a) placing the bucket, empty, at least partially in an enclosure containing a volume of said liquid greater than said determined volume, under conditions such that the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket is less than the level of liquid in the enclosure and the liquid pours from the enclosure towards the bucket cavity, over the upper edge of the bucket, until filling the bucket cavity to the lowest level of the upper edge inside the cup, b) prohibit any possibility of liquid flowing between the enclosure and the cup cavity by leaving the cup cavity filled with liquid up to the lowest level of the top edge of the cup, c) establish a fluid communication, by gravity, between the lowest level of the bucket cavity and the container to be filled and let the liquid flow from the bucket cavity to the container, d) interrupt said fluid communication when the bucket cavity is empty, e) restore the possibility of liquid flow between the enclosure and the bucket cavity by inverting step b, the volume of the liquid in the enclosure being supplemented if necessary during one of said steps .

  It also proposes, for the implementation of this method, a device comprising in known manner: - an enclosure capable of containing a volume of said liquid greater than said determined volume, - a spout at least approximately vertical for filling the container, opening towards the bottom, and - means for taking a dose of liquid, having said determined volume, in enclosure 15 and for conveying the dose taken towards the filling spout, this device being characterized according to the invention in that the means for collecting and delivering the dose comprise: - a cup occupying a determined orientation and delimiting a cavity having said determined volume up to the lowest level of an upper edge of the cup, - controlled means for filling the bucket for, alternatively, placing the bucket and the enclosure in a first relationship in which the bucket is at least partially disposed in the enclosure, the level water at the bottom of the top edge of the cup is below the top level of the liquid in the enclosure and the liquid can flow from the enclosure to the cup cavity, over the top edge of the cup, until it fills the bucket cavity to the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket, and in a second relationship in which any possibility of liquid flow between the enclosure and the bucket cavity is prohibited, - controlled emptying means of the bucket for, alternatively, establishing or interrupting fluid communication, by gravity, between the lowest level of the bucket cavity and the filling spout, and - synchronized control means of the filling means of the bucket and the means emptying the bucket so that the fluid communication between the lowest level of the bucket cavity and the filling spout is interrupted when the bucket and the enclosure are placed in said first relationship, and that the cup and the enclosure are placed in said second relationship when the fluid communication between the lowest level of the cup cavity and the filling spout is established.

  Preferably, such a device comprises means for maintaining the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure between determined limits, which may consist simply of tolerance limits around a set level, during a determined phase of the operation of the device.

  A person skilled in the art will readily understand that the use of a cup whose at least the upper edge is immersed in the liquid inside and which fills with liquid by overflowing from the enclosure, during step a, for staying in this cup during step b and until the flow to the container to be filled is authorized, the liquid thus retained in the cup during step c allows a dosage to be obtained precise volumetric of the quantity of liquid which will be thus authorized to flow towards the container to be filled.

  A person skilled in the art will also easily understand that the filling of this container by gravity, during step c, makes it possible to obtain in the flow speed or in the flow rate towards the container a progressiveness making it possible to avoid any risk of backflow at the end of filling since: - at the start of filling, the height of fall of the liquid from the bucket cavity towards the container, i.e. the difference between the upper level of the liquid in this cavity and the level of the mouth of the filling spout corresponds to the difference between the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup and this level of the mouth of the spout in the container and can be high enough to correspond to a speed high or a high flow rate towards the container, whereas, - due to the gradual emptying of the bucket cavity towards the container, this drop height gradually decreases, which means that e the speed and the flow rate of the liquid from the cup cavity to the container also gradually decreases until, at the end of filling, that is to say when the cup cavity is practically empty , this velocity and this flow rate are considerably reduced, compared to what they were initially, before canceling out completely.

  This advantage is retained even if, according to an improved variant of the present invention, step c is carried out by driving the liquid from the cavity of the cup to the container, in addition to the action of gravity for this purpose , by providing that the device according to the invention comprises for this purpose controlled means for bringing the liquid to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, in the bucket cavity, at least 15 when the fluid communication between the lowest level of the bucket cavity and the filling spout is established, which makes it possible to accelerate the emptying of the bucket cavity and the filling of the container by helping the action of gravity for this purpose. A person skilled in the art 20 will readily understand that this aid to the action of gravity must then remain limited so that the action of gravity remains dominant, that is to say so that the advantage of the decreasing in speed or filling rate, which can easily be obtained by limiting the difference between the pressure at which the liquid is thus brought into the bucket cavity and the atmospheric pressure at which the container is placed. fill.

  The present invention can moreover know, with the same advantages, different modes of practical implementation, in particular with regard to step b during which it is prohibited, and this until the end of step d, any possibility of the liquid passing from the enclosure into the bucket cavity and vice versa to preserve the dosage of liquid obtained during step a by filling the bucket cavity to the lowest level of the upper edge of this, which will most often constitute the uniform level of a flat and horizontal upper edge of the bucket.

  Thus, in a presently preferred manner, stage b can be implemented by a relative variation between the level of the liquid in the enclosure and the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup, so that the level of the liquid in the enclosure becomes lower than the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket. To this end, in the device according to the invention, the controlled means for filling the bucket are controlled means for causing a relative variation between the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure and the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket, so that, in said second relationship, the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure is lower than the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup.

  Such a relative variation between the level of the liquid in the enclosure and the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket can itself be obtained in different ways, since: - step b can be used for this purpose by lowering the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure to below the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket, which can then be fixed relative to the enclosure, or else - it is possible to use the step b by raising the bucket in the enclosure until the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket is located above the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure.

  The first of these modes of implementation of step b is currently preferred to the second insofar as the latter requires ensuring a mechanical connection between the bucket and the driving means through a wall of the enclosure. In practice, if it is desired to keep the implementation of the method as small as possible in height, this requires the bucket to slide vertically in a lower orifice of the enclosure, and therefore to provide a 15 sealing at this level between the bucket and the enclosure, while no provision of this type is necessary when choosing the first of these two modes of implementation of step b.

  More precisely, when the second of these 20 modes of implementation is chosen, the device according to the invention is characterized in that the bucket is mounted movable in vertical translation relative to the enclosure and in that the means controlled to cause a relative variation between the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure and the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket are means controlled to cause a vertical translation of the bucket, relative to the enclosure, between a limit position low in which the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup 30 is lower than the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure and a high limit position in which the lower level of the upper edge of the cup is higher than the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure.

  On the other hand, when the first of these two modes of implementation of step b is chosen, the device 5 according to the invention is characterized in that the bucket is mounted fixed relative to the enclosure and in that the means controlled to cause a relative variation between the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure and the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket are means controlled to cause a variation of the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure between two levels limits respectively above and below the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket.

  In such a case, there remains a possibility of choice with regard to the means controlled to cause a variation in the upper level of the liquid in the enclosure, since one can choose in particular between: - mechanical means, comprising means 20 controlled to alternately vary the volume of a zone of the enclosure situated at a level below the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup, for example in the form of a flexible membrane grafted onto a wall of the enclosure or inside thereof and deforming under the action of a gas pressure, a jack or any other means, preferably without being subjected to extension during this deformation for reasons of longevity, either - pneumatic means, comprising an expansion vessel juxtaposed with the enclosure, permanently placed in communication with the enclosure by respective zones situated below the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket such that the same upper level of the liquid tends to be established in the expansion vessel and in the enclosure, and controlled means for, alternately, placing the expansion vessel or the enclosure in relative overpressure relative to to the enclosure or to the expansion vessel, respectively, it being understood that the same means can then constitute the means ordered to bring the liquid to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, in the bucket cavity, during the emptying of that this to the container to be filled in order to accelerate the emptying of the bucket cavity and the filling of the container.

  However, these examples of implementation of step b are in no way limiting and it is in particular possible to implement step b simply by applying to the upper edge of the bucket a cover possibly provided with means 'vent or introduction into the cup of the aforementioned overpressure, intended to accelerate the emptying of its cavity to the container to be filled.

  A suitable embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the bucket is mounted fixed relative to the enclosure, in a position in which the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket is permanently lower than the upper level liquid in the enclosure, and in that the controlled bucket filling means are controlled means for, alternatively, leaving the bucket cavity open upwards or applying a cover to the upper edge of the crucible to close the cavity of the bucket up.

  It will be observed that a device according to the invention, whatever its embodiment among those which have been indicated above, or others still, can easily be adapted to values different from the determined volume of liquid of which it is desired. fill containers.

  To this end, it is advantageously possible to provide means for introducing at will, into the bucket cavity, means for reducing the value of said determined volume to another value thereof.

  For example, in a particularly simple manner, the means for reducing the value of said determined volume can be constituted by a body having a volume of a value corresponding to the difference between said values of the determined volume, and the means for introducing them to will in the cavity of the bucket 20 may include means for lowering or lifting said body inside the enclosure, between a rest position in which it is integrally located at a level higher than the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup, plumb with the cavity thereof, and a limit position of use in which it is integrally located at a level below the lowest level of the upper edge of the cup, inside the cavity of it. It is understood that it is also possible to place said body in an intermediate position between the rest position and the limit position for use, so as to place only part of it at a level below the lowest level of the edge. upper bucket and thus limit the volume of the cavity thereof to an intermediate value between its maximum value, corresponding to the rest position of said 5 body, and its minimum value, corresponding to the limit position of use mentioned in wherein said body is integrally located at a level below the lowest level of the upper edge of the bucket, and thus access intermediate positions of use.

  A person skilled in the art will readily understand that the different variants of implementation of the device according to the invention which have just been described are compatible with any other known arrangement of a container filling device, namely in particular as well with a presentation in the form of a single device or a group of devices with fixed stations, for filling receptacles such as bottles which suitable transporters present successively and immobilize the filling time, or also in the form of a carousel grouping several devices filling a respective container brought in and then resumed in a continuous scrolling movement, during a joint rotation with this container.

  The invention will be better understood if reference is made to the description below, relating to nonlimiting examples of each of the abovementioned embodiments, as well as to the appended drawings which accompany this

description.

  Figure 1 shows a view of a device according to the invention according to the first embodiment, this device grouping four filling heads of a respective bottle and illustrated in an embodiment corresponding to a fixed station assembly, it being understood that such a device could also be provided in several copies around a carousel in a manner easily transposable by a skilled person, the device being seen partially in elevation and partially in section through a first vertical plane of general symmetry identified at II in Figure 2, in a configuration corresponding to the filling of four bottles.

  FIG. 2 shows a view of the same device, in the same configuration, in section through a second vertical plane of symmetry, perpendicular to the previous one and marked in II-II in FIG. 1.

  Figures 3 and 4 show, in sectional views similar to those of Figures 1 and 2, respectively, the same device in a cleaning, disinfection and sterilization configuration.

  Figures 5 to 7 illustrate, in schematic views, this device during three successive phases of its operation for the filling of bottles.

  FIG. 8 illustrates in a view similar to that of FIGS. 5 to 7, the same device in the cleaning, disinfection and sterilization configuration.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 show the same device in the same states as in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively, however with the presence of a device 30 for adjusting the useful internal volume of the bucket cavity.

  FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate three different adjustment possibilities, in views corresponding to those of FIGS. 5 and 9.

  Figures 14 to 17 illustrate, in schematic views corresponding respectively to those of Figures 5 to 8, another embodiment of a device according to the invention.

  Figures 18 to 21 illustrate, in views similar to those of Figures 5 to 8, respectively, yet another embodiment of a device according to the invention.

  Figures 22 to 25 illustrate, in views similar respectively to those of Figures 5 to 8, yet another embodiment of a device according to the invention.

  Reference will firstly be made to FIGS. 1 to 8, where 1 has been designated by 1 a station for filling four bottles 2 open at atmospheric pressure simultaneously, which filling station comprises for this purpose four filling heads 3 mutually identical, supplied in parallel from the same enclosure or tank 4 capable of containing a volume V1 of liquid for filling bottles 2 much greater than four times a determined volume V2 with which it is desired to fill each bottle 2 respectively, which volume V2 is itself slightly less than the internal volume V3 of each bottle 2.

  A person skilled in the art will readily understand that one could also realize a filling station 1 suitable for filling only one bottle 2 by means of a single filling head 3, in which case the volume V1 of liquid 5 likely to be contained in the tank 4 should be much greater than the volume V2, or any other number of bottles 2 via a respective head 3, in which case the volume V1 of liquid 5 likely to be contained in the tank 4 should be much greater than the volume V2 as many times as filling heads 3 or bottles 2 associated with filling station 1.

  In the example illustrated, the tank 4 has the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped defined by a set of flat walls, on the basis of a bottom bottom wall 6, horizontal, of four side walls 7, 8, 9, 10, vertical, perpendicular two by two and parallel two by two, advantageously made in one piece with the bottom wall 6, and with a cover wall 11, horizontal, meanwhile connected in a removable manner but preferably sealed at the side walls 7 to 10, for example by means of toggle latches 12.

  The tank 4 thus defined is impermeable to the liquid 5 as well as to gases such as air, even when brought to a pressure P1 slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure Pa of the ambient air 13.

  It has two mean planes of symmetry 25 each oriented vertically and intersecting each other at a right angle, on the basis of a plane 14 to which the side walls 9 and 10 are parallel and with respect to which these walls 9 and 10 are mutually symmetrical, and of a plane 15 to which the side walls 30 7 and 8 are parallel and with respect to which these walls 7 and 8 are mutually symmetrical.

  In relation to the simultaneous supply of four filling heads 3 from the tank 4, the latter has, along the plane 14, horizontal dimensions approximately four times greater than those 5 which it has along the plane 15, and each head 3 has in the plane 14 a respective axis 16 of symmetry of revolution. The axes 16 are vertical and regularly distributed in a horizontal direction in the plane 14, and they are mutually symmetrical with respect to the plane 15 on either side of which are disposed respectively two of these axes 16 or, more generally, two of the heads filling 3.

  Around each axis 16 is disposed, inside the tank 4 and integral with it, a respective bucket 17 delimited by a tubular side wall 18, internally and externally cylindrical of revolution around the axis 16 and having a free annular upper edge 19, plane, horizontal, located at a level lower than that of the cover wall 11 of the tank 4 in order to respect a vertical spacing with respect to this cover wall 11 to l inside 23 of the tank 4, and by a bottom wall 20, flat and horizontal, to which the peripheral wall 18 is connected downwards and which is integrated in a sealed manner in particular with the liquid 5 and the ambient air 13 in a respective hole 21 in the bottom wall 6 of the tank 4.

  The walls 18 and 20 of each cup 17 are sealed in particular with the liquid 5 and the ambient air 30 13 and connected to each other also in a sealed manner in particular with the liquid 5 and the ambient air 13, so as to delimit inside the cup 17 a cavity 22 open upwards, by the upper edge 19, inwards 23 of the tank 4 and having between its bottom 9 and this edge 19 a determined volume, in a manner which will appear by following, depending on the volume V2 of liquid 5 with which it is desired to fill each bottle 2.

  It will be observed that, as soon as the upper edge 19 of the side wall 18 of the bucket 17 forms an upward projection relative to the bottom wall 6 of the tank 10 4 inside 23 thereof remaining spaced from its cover wall 11, the bucket 17 could occupy a position different from that which has been described, with respect to the bottom wall 6 and, in particular, could be located entirely above it, including 15 by its own bottom wall 20, or on the contrary pass through this bottom wall 6, in a leaktight manner, by its side wall 18 so that its bottom wall 20 is located below the bottom wall 6. However, when several cups 17 are associated with the same tank 20 4 as in the example illustrated, the respective positions of these different cups 17 in the height direction are preferably identical so as to ensure identical filling conditions for the bottles 2 respectively associated es, under 25 conditions which will emerge from the rest of the

description.

  Along the axis 16, the bottom wall 20 of each 17 is connected in leaktight manner, by a hole not referenced, to an upper end of a vertical outlet tube 30 which thus protrudes from the tank 4 below the bottom wall 6 thereof and is connected by a lower end to a respective electropneumatic valve 29 which itself opens downward on an upper end of a tubular spout 30 for filling a respective bottle 2 .5 This spout 30 has a shape suitable for enabling it to engage without contact in a vertical neck 31 which the bottle 2 presents upwards, under conditions suitable for allowing the air included in this bottle 2 to be evacuated. As it is filled with liquid 5. Such a shape of the spout 30 is well known to a person skilled in the art and the spout 30 will not be described further.

  The outlet tube 28, the electropneumatic valve 29 and the spout 30 of each head 3 have the same symmetry of revolution about the respective axis 16 as the respective bucket 17, and the electropneumatic valve 29, of a type known in itself, is capable of opening, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 7, 8, or of closing, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a fluid communication between the associated outlet tube 28 and the spout associated. The outlet tube 28 must therefore be considered as an integral part of the bucket 17 for determining the dimensions and the volume thereof as a function of the volume V2, to which the delimited volume must be equal, between the upper edge 19 of the wall 18 of the cup 17 and the electropneumatic valve 29 considered in the closed state, by the wall 18 of the cup 17, by the wall 20 of the latter and by the outlet tube 28.

  For the supply of the tank 4 with liquid 5 from a reserve 27 not shown of such a liquid are provided in the example illustrated two intake orifices 32 arranged in the side wall 10 of the tank 4 to immediate proximity of the bottom wall 6, that is to say at a level much lower than that of the upper edge 19 of the cups 17, in positions that are mutually symmetrical with respect to the plane 15 and, more precisely, if one refers to a direction perpendicular to this plane 15, in an intermediate position between the respective positions of the two buckets 17 disposed on the same side of this plane 15 as the inlet port 32 considered. These orifices 32 have been illustrated opposite the wall 10 in Figures 5 to 8, for reasons of clarity of the drawing.

  Around each of these intake orifices 32 is connected in leaktight manner to the wall 10 of the tank 4, 15 a respective branch 33 of the same pipe 34 for connection to the aforementioned reserve 27 in liquid 5, which pipe 34 for supplying liquid 5 comprises an electropneumatic valve 35 making it possible to establish or interrupt a fluid communication between the reserve 27 and the interior 23 of the tank 4 in order, respectively, to supply the latter with liquid 5 or to interrupt this power supply, in a manner controlled by a central control unit 26 under conditions which will emerge from the following description and in particular as a function of indications given by a level probe 36 carried integrally by the cover wall 11 and penetrating at inside 23 of tank 4, outside of buckets 17. This probe 36 makes it possible in this case to detect, with limited tolerances, two limit positions of the upper level 37 of the liq uide 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 but outside of the buckets 17, namely an upper limit position illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the level 37 is situated considerably above the level of the upper edge 19 of the wells 17, so that the liquid 5 present inside 23 of the tank 4 can in particular be poured inside each cavity 22 over the edge 19 of each well 17 to fill this well 17 until at its upper edge 19, and a lower limit position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 but outside of the cups 17 is located at a level lower than that of the upper edge 19 of these cups 17, so that the liquid 5 cannot cross the edge 19 of the different cups 17 neither towards the inside of the corresponding cavities 22 15, nor towards the outside of these cavities 22 .

  In each of these limit positions, as well as in any intermediate position, remains inside the tank 4, above the upper level 37 of the liquid 5, a free volume 38 which can be placed at atmospheric pressure Pa of l ambient air 13 and, according to an option more particularly useful in the case of viscous liquid 5, such as oil, temporarily at the aforementioned pressure P1, slightly higher than atmospheric pressure Pa, under conditions which will emerge from the following from the description.

  The cover wall has, at the intersection between the planes 14 and 15 in the example illustrated, an orifice 39 for communication with the ambient air 13 through which a pipe 30 is connected in leaktight manner to this cover wall vertical 40 arranged upwardly projecting above the wall 11 and connected, by means of an electropneumatic valve 41, to a breathing filter 42 immersed in the ambient air 13 with which the valve 41, when it is open, allows the free volume 5 38 to be placed in communication, that is to say under pressure, while closing the valve 41 makes it possible to isolate the free volume 38 from the ambient air 13. So not shown in detail in Figures 1 to 4 but shown schematically in Figures 5 to 5, if one also wishes to be able to bring the free volume 38 to the pressure P1, through another orifice 43 of the cover wall 11 can lead into the free volume 38 of the tank 4 a pipe 4 4 for connection with a source (not shown) 25 of a gas such as air at pressure Pl, this pipe 44 also being provided with an electropneumatic valve 45 making it possible to establish or interrupt the communication between the aforementioned source and free volume 38.

  Of the pipe 40, between the orifice 39 of the cover wall 11 and the electropneumatic valve 41, as illustrated, or of the pipe 44 when it is provided, between the corresponding orifice 43 of the cover wall 11 and the corresponding valve 45, derives a line 46 returning to the reserve 27 of liquid 5, which line 46 is also provided with an electropneumatic valve 47 making it possible to establish or interrupt a fluid communication between the interior 23 of the tank 4 and the reserve 27 of liquid 5.

  In this exemplary implementation of the present invention, in association with the presence of the buckets 17, the upper edge 19 of which occupies a predetermined level inside the tank 4, means 48 are provided so that, when the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 occupies its upper limit position illustrated in FIG. 5, it is possible in a controlled manner to bring this level back to its lower limit position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, namely in this example by varying the volume d alternately an area of the interior 23 of the tank 4 situated at a level lower than that of the upper edge 19 of the cups 17.

  In the example illustrated, these means 48 have the form of a metering cylinder 49 grafted in a sealed manner on the wall 10 of the tank 4 in a zone 50 extending vertically from the immediate proximity of the bottom wall 6 to at a level below the lower limit of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the tank 4.

  In this zone 50 is pierced, in the wall 10 of the tank 4, a circular hole 51 of horizontal axis 52 located in the plane 15 at a level such that the orifice 51 20 is tangent, downwards, to the wall bottom 6 and culminates at said level below the lower limit of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the tank 4.

  At the periphery of the orifice 51 is sealingly connected to the wall 10 of the tank 4, a tubular wall 53, internally and externally cylindrical of revolution around the axis 52, and inside this wall 53 is arranged a piston 54 having towards the inside 23 of the tank 4 a flat wall 55 perpendicular to the axis 52 and in the direction of a distance from the inside 23 of the tank 4 a tubular skirt 56 , internally and externally cylindrical of revolution around the axis 52 and along the wall 53 opposite the interior 23 of the tank 4 with respect to the wall 55, leaving the wall with respect to 5 53 a set 57 annular, continuous, of revolution around the axis 52. In a manner known in itself, a seal is ensured between the piston 54 and the wall 53 by means of a flexible membrane 58, tight, retaining sealingly, by a peripheral bead 59, 10 annular of revolution around of the axis 52, in an annular groove 60 arranged in addition in the wall 53, which membrane 58 moreover has a central zone bearing flat on the wall 55 of the piston 54, on the side of this wall 55 facing inwards 23 15 of the tank 4, and engages between its peripheral bead and this central zone inside the set 57 so as to roll up or take place inside this set 57, without undergoing any significant extension when the piston 54 moves in one direction or the other in a direction defined by the axis 52.

  This displacement of the piston 54 can be caused by means of a pneumatic cylinder 61 of axis 52, of which a rod 62 of axis 52 is integrally connected to the wall 55 opposite the interior 23 of the tank 4, between two limit positions, namely a limit position illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the wall 55 of the piston 54 and the central zone of the diaphragm 58 are in the immediate vicinity of the hole 51, while remaining set back from the wall 10 inside the wall 53, and a limit position illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, in which the wall 55 of the piston 54 and the corresponding central zone of the membrane 58 are comparatively more distant from the wall 10, towards the outside of the tank 4.

  A person skilled in the art will readily understand that, by means of an appropriate dimensioning of the wall 53 in its section perpendicular to the axis 52 and of the stroke of the piston 54 between these two limit positions and starting from a state in which the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 is situated above the level of the upper edge 19 of the various cups 17, as illustrated in FIG. 5, while the piston 54 occupies its limit position closest to the tank 4, it is possible, by a movement of the piston 54 to its limit position furthest from the tank 4, to cause the descent of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 to below the level of the upper edge 19 of the buckets 17, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. During this movement, however, the level of the liquid inside each cavity 22 cannot drop below that of the edge 19 of the corresponding cup 17 if the electropneumatic valve 29 matches ante is closed, which ensures inside the cup 17 and the tube 28 the retention of the desired volume V2 of liquid 5, as shown in FIG. 6, and the subsequent opening of the electropneumatic valve 25, while the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 around the cups 17 remains at its lower limit, allows the volume V2 in question to be emptied into the bottle 2 respectively associated.

  More specifically, the operation of the device 30 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, for filling the four bottles 2 with a volume V2 of liquid 5, is as follows, it being understood that this operation is controlled by the central control unit 26 which is associated with the filling station 1 and the practical implementation of which falls within the normal abilities of a person skilled in the art: - during an initial phase, during which the wall 55 of the piston 54 occupies its limit position closest to the tank 4 and while the electropneumatic valves 29, 45 if it exists, and 47 are closed but the valve 41 open, valve 35 is opened if necessary to bring the upper level of the liquid 5 inside the enclosure 23, in its upper limit position, which is observed by the level probe 36 which then causes the closure of the valve 35 via the central unit 26, so that the filling station 1 is in the state illustrated in figur e 5 in which, in particular, the cavity 22 of each cup 17 is filled with liquid 5 because the latter can freely overflow over the edge 19 from the inside 23 of the tank 4; - the valve 35 thus being closed, the valves 29 and 47 and the possible valve 45 remaining closed while the valve 41 remains open, the central unit 26 causes by means of the pneumatic cylinder 61 a passage of the piston 54 to its position opposite limit, in which its wall 55 is furthest from the tank 4, which causes the descent of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the tank 4 to its lowest limit, below 30 from the upper edge 19 of the cups 17 which, however, remain respectively filled with the volume V2 of liquid up to their upper edge 19, as shown in FIG. 6; - then, the level probe 36 having found that the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 5 23 of the tank 4 around the cups 17 has reached its low limit, the central unit 26 opens the electropneumatic valves 25 leaving the valves 35 and 47 closed and the piston 54 in its limit position in which the wall 55 is furthest from the tank 4, that is to say leaving the possible valve 45 closed and the valve 41 open, to leave the free volume 38 at atmospheric pressure Pa, which then acts alone on the liquid 5 to cause it to descend inside each cup 15 17, that is to say the filling of the corresponding bottle 2 via the spout 30 corresponding, not illustrated in FIG. 7, or, as illustrated in FIG. 7, by closing the valve 41 and by opening the valve 45, which brings the free volume 38 to the pressure Pl, greater than the pressure Pa, to accelerate this emptying of each bucket 17 to the corresponding bottle 2 respectively; in both cases, the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 around the buckets 17 remains at its lower limit i - then, when the buckets 17 are empty, the central unit 26 closes the valves 29 and replaces the filling station 1 under the conditions described with reference to FIG. 5, unless it is a question of cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing the filling station 1 or, more generally, of the which it integrates and which further comprises the not shown reserve 27 of liquid 5.

  If this is the case, the valves 29 5 are left open and the bottles 2 are replaced with a collector 63 returning to the reserve 27, in which the liquid 5 is then replaced with a liquid 24 for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization . The valve 41 is then closed, the optional valve 45 and the valves 10 35 and 47 are opened, leaving the piston 54 in its limit position in which its wall 55 is furthest from the tank 4, which brings this liquid 24 inside 23 of the enclosure 4, up to the cover wall 11, and of the cavities 22 of the various buckets 17, and this liquid 24 returns to the reserve 27 respectively through the pipe 46 and through the manifold 63, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 8. Then, for a new bottle filling cycle 2, the reserve is again supplied with liquid 5 and the filling station 1 returned to its state described with reference to Figure 5.

  These operations can also be linked automatically under the command and control of the central unit 26.

  A person skilled in the art will readily understand that the means 48 used to vary the volume of the zone could be replaced by other means ensuring the same function, namely for example by a bladder housed inside a lower zone. from the interior 23 of the tank 4 and capable of being respectively inflated and deflated to respectively reduce and increase the volume available for the liquid 5 in this lower zone of the interior 23 of the tank 4.

  It will be observed that the cavity 22 of each cup 17, increased from the inside of the outlet tube 28, 5 has an immutable volume V2, so that the filling station 1 which has just been described does not authorize, as is , that the filling of bottles 2 or other receptacles by means of such a volume V2, unless the cups 17 are changed to replace them, for example, 10 by cups 17 having a different height between their upper edge 19 and their wall background 20.

  Such a replacement of the buckets 17 is however not essential insofar as one can, if necessary, have recourse to an alternative embodiment 15 of the filling station 1, a first example of which is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 and a second example in Figures 11 to 13.

  Reference will firstly be made to FIGS. 9 and 10, where there has been illustrated, in states corresponding respectively to those of FIGS. 5 and 6, a filling station 1 at all points identical to that which has just been described, except that along the axis 16 of each of the cups 17 is arranged, in the cover wall 11 of the tank 4, a respective hole 64 through which a straight rod 65 passes right through the cover wall 11, along the respective axis 16, and is guided in sliding along this axis relative to the cover wall 11.

  A seal 66, disposed inside the hole 64, around the rod 65, on the one hand seals the latter with respect to the cover 11 and on the other hand immobilizes it to the against sliding, in this case a fall, under the effect of gravity alone.

  However, one can voluntarily cause a vertical sliding of the rod 65 inside the hole 5 64, in order to adjust its vertical position between an upper limit position, not illustrated, in which it is entirely located above the upper edge 19 of the cup 17 respectively corresponding, and a lower limit position, illustrated, in which, thanks to an appropriate dimensioning of this vertical rod, this plunges into the cavity 22 of the cup 17 respectively corresponding, by a lower end zone 67, and therefore reduces, by the volume that this lower end zone 67 has below the level of the upper edge 19 of the cup 17, the volume available inside the cavity 22 of the latter for the liquid 5 is ie the value of the volume V2 of liquid 5 which, when the level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the volume 23 of the tank 4 passes from the upper limit position, illustrated in FIG. 9, to the position lower limit, illustrated in FIG. 10, remains trapped inside the cup 17 and the corresponding outlet tube 28, while the corresponding valve 29 is closed, to flow towards the inside of a respective bottle 2 after 25 the opening of this valve 29.

  Naturally, the volume of the lower end zone 67 thus situated below the level of the upper edge 19 of the cup 17 is proportional on the one hand to the depth of penetration of this lower end zone 67 into the cavity 22 in below the level of the upper edge 19 of the bucket 17 and on the other hand to the section that the rod 65 has perpendicular to the axis 16, in this zone 27.

  When this section is relatively small, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, only the lower limit position of the rod 65 corresponds to a significant reduction in the volume V2, that is to say is

exploitable.

  If, on the other hand, this section is larger, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13, at least with regard to the part of the rod 65 located under the cover wall 11, not only this lower limit position of the rod 65 corresponds to a significant reduction in the volume V2, that is to say constitutes a useful position of the rod 65 in the same way as its limit position in which it is located entirely above the upper edge 19 of the bucket 17, but intermediate positions between the two limit positions of the rod 65 may also be useful.

  Thus, FIG. 11 illustrates the upper limit position in which the rod 65 is integrally located above the upper edge 19 of the cup 17, the entire internal volume of the cavity 22 being added to that of the tube. output 28 to constitute volume V2. FIG. 13 illustrates the lower limit position, in which the entire lower end zone 67, then enlarged in its section perpendicular to the axis 16, is housed below the upper edge 19 of the bucket 17, which corresponds to a maximum reduction in the volume V2 available for the liquid 5 inside the cavity 22 and the outlet tube 28.

  FIG. 12 shows an intermediate position, in which this enlarged lower end zone 5 67 of the rod 65 is only half located at a level lower than that of the upper edge 19 of the cup 17, which does not reduce the volume the available volume V2 only by half compared to the reduction corresponding to the lower limit position illustrated in FIG. 13, it being understood that other intermediate positions could also be chosen, the degree of reduction of the available volume V2 can easily be made directly visible by graduations affixed on the rod 65 and scrolling, during the vertical sliding of the latter in the hole 64, in front of a mark carried integrally by the cover wall 11 outside the tank 4, that is -to say above it, in a way that is not represented but easily understood by a person skilled in the art.

  Naturally, the operation of the filling station 1 remains unchanged, in comparison with what has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, in the case of the variants illustrated respectively in FIGS. 9 and and in FIGS. 11 to 13.

  Figures 14 to 17 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the filling station 1 which has been described with reference to Figures 1 to 8, this alternative relating to the means used to place the upper level 37 of the liquid 5, inside 23 of the enclosure or tank 4, alternately in the upper limit position in which it is located above the upper edge 19 of the cups 17, to cause the filling of the latter with liquid 5, and below the level of these edges upper 19 to interrupt any possibility of passage of the liquid 5 between the cavity 22 of each cup 17 and the rest of the interior volume 23 of the tank 4.

  We find the same, in the same relative arrangement and under the same reference numerals, in Figures 14 to 17 the different components described with reference to Figures 1 to 8, and we could also find the components described in reference 10 Figures 9 to 13, except that the means 48 have been replaced, that is to say that the components or parts of components described respectively under the references 52 to 61 have disappeared.

  The hole 51 passing through the side wall 10 of the tank 4 has been kept, in a lower area 50 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, but it is limited to the immediate proximity of the bottom wall 6, that is to say has dimensions much smaller than those which it presents in the case of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In addition, the level probe 36 is replaced by a level probe 75 arranged differently and the lines 40, 44, 46 and the respective associated valves 41, 45, 47 are arranged differently, as will be described later. For reasons of clarity of the drawing, the orifice 32, which may then be unique, has been arranged differently for supplying the interior 23 of the tank 4 with liquid 5, but this arrangement is functionally identical to that which has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In this variant, the orifice 51 provides the fluid connection between the lower zone 50 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, outside of the buckets 17, and a lower zone 68 from the interior 69 of an expansion tank 70 juxtaposed with the tank 4 and delimited like this in a sealed manner in particular to the liquid 5 and 5 to the ambient air by a bottom wall 71 flat, horizontal, of level with the bottom wall 6, by a cover wall 72 flat, horizontal, level with the cover wall 11, and by a tubular side wall, vertical, 73 which may have in section by 10 a horizontal plane any desired section , not critical with regard to the present invention.

  The interior 69 of the expansion vessel 70 has a volume V4 which may be less than the volume V1 but is greater than the volume of liquid 5 which it is necessary to take from the interior 23 of the tank 4 to bring the level upper 37 of this liquid from its upper limit, situated above the level of the upper edge 19 of the cups 17, to its lower limit, which is situated below the level of the edges 19.

  The interior 69 of the expansion tank 70 and the interior 23 of the tank 4 are permanently placed in fluid communication, by their respective lower zones 68 and 50, so that, if they are placed in equipression, as it is illustrated in FIG. 15 or in FIG. 16, the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 and the upper level 74 of the liquid 5 inside the expansion tank 70 coincide, this which corresponds for the level 37 to its lower limit position, below the level of the upper edge 19 of the buckets 17, and for the upper level 74 to a high limit, that the level probe 75, plunging inside 69 of the expansion vessel 70 from the cover wall 72, so as to control the arrival of liquid 5 via the pipe 34, by controlling the operation of the valve 5 35 via the central unit 26, so that the upper level 74 of the liquid 5 inside Ior 69 of the expansion tank 70 cannot go higher in the latter.

  The passage of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the inside 23 of the tank 4 to its upper limit position, illustrated in FIG. 14, in which it is located above the upper edge 19 of the cups 17, is caused by a pressurization of an upper volume 76 free, inside 69 of the expansion vessel 70 70, above the upper level 74 of the liquid 5, in comparison with the pressure prevailing in the free volume 38 located, at the interior 23 of the tank 4, above the upper level 37 of the liquid 5.

  To this end, the 20 pipes 40 and 46 are identically found, opening into the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 by the wall 11 of the cover thereof, with the respective valve 41, 47, and the pipe 44 suitable for establishing a connection with a source 25 of pressure Pl greater than the atmospheric pressure Pa, in a manner capable of being interrupted by a valve 45 fitted in this pipe 44, but this pipe 44 opens out not in the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, but in the free upper volume 76 of the interior 69 30 of the expansion vessel 70. In addition, this is provided by its wall with cover 72 of pipes 77 and 79, capable of being opened or closed by a respective valve 78, 80 and opening into the free upper volume 76 from the interior 69 of the expansion tank 70, the pipe 77 also opening out to the air 13 5 through a filter not shown, identical to filter 42, while line 79 leads like line 46 to reserve 27, not shown, of liquid 5.

  The operation of this variant of the filling station 1 according to the invention is as follows ": - during an initial phase, illustrated in FIG. 14, the valve 35 for the arrival of the liquid 5 coming from the reserve 27 is closed, as are the valves 47 and 89 returning to the reserve 27 and 15 the valve 78 for placing the interior 69 in communication with the expansion tank 70 with the ambient air 13, while the valves 41 of communication of the interior volume 23 of the tank 4 with the ambient air 13 and the valve 45 for communication of the interior 20 69 of the expansion vessel 70 with the pressure source 25 Pl are open, the difference between the pressure P1 thus prevailing in the free upper volume 76 of the interior 69 of the expansion vessel 70 and the atmospheric pressure Pa thus prevailing in 25 the upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 being such that the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 is sufficiently raised , relative to the upper level 74 of the liquid 5 inside 69 of the expansion tank 70, 30 to be greater than the level of the upper edge 19 of each cup 17, so that each cup 17 is filled with liquid 5 by pouring of the latter over the respective edge 19; - During a following phase, illustrated in FIG. 15, atmospheric pressure Pa 5 is restored in the free upper volume 76 of the interior 69 of the expansion vessel 70 by closing the valve 45 and opening the valve 78 , the other valves initially remaining in the position described with reference to FIG. 14, which brings the respective upper levels 10 37 and 74 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 and inside 69 of the expansion vessel 70 in the same horizontal plane, in application of the principle of communicating vessels, then the valve 35 is opened to bring these two levels 37 and 74 to a set value, the achievement of which is noted by the probe 75 which then causes the valve 35 to close, this set value being easily determinable by a person skilled in the art so that the phase 20 described with reference to FIG. 14 can take place; naturally, this setpoint is such that, in particular, the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the tank 4 is lower than that of the upper edge 19 of the cups 25 17 so that, as shown in FIG. FIG. 15, each of these remains filled with the predetermined volume V2 of the liquid 5 and that this liquid 5 cannot spill over the edges 19 or of the cups 17 towards the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4, nor of the latter towards the buckets 17; - during a following phase, illustrated in FIG. 16 and while the valve 35 has been closed, the valves 45, 47 and 80 remain closed and the valves 41 and 78 open, which maintains the level identity upper liquid 5 inside 23 of tank 4 and inside 69 of expansion tank 70, but the valves 29 are opened, which causes the volume V2 of liquid 5 to flow towards each of bottles 2 , 10 respectively, then, after having closed the valves 29 while all the cups 17 are empty, the filling station 1 is brought back to the state described with reference to FIG. 14.

  Naturally, these different phases are carried out automatically under the command and control of the central unit 26 suitably designed and programmed for this purpose, which is within the normal abilities of a person skilled in the art.

  When it comes to cleaning the machine, and in particular the filling station 1, all the filling spouts 30 are closed on a collector 63, connected to the reserve 27 in which the liquid 5 is replaced by the cleaning, disinfection and sterilization liquid 24, as described above, 25 then, while the valves 41, 45, 78 are closed, the valves 29, 35, 47, 80 are opened to cause circulation of the liquid 24, preferably by alternating openings and closings of the valves 29 and 35 and of the valves 47 and 80 in order to cause as complete cleaning as possible of these various components of the filling station 1.

  These cleaning operations can also be commanded and controlled by the central unit 62.

  It will be observed that this way of temporarily establishing a difference between the respective upper levels 5 37 and 74 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 and inside 69 of the expansion tank 70, by temporarily differentiating the pressures carbonated gases prevailing in the upper free volumes 38 and 76 of the tank 4 and of the expansion tank 70, in order to fill the 10 cups 17 with liquid 5 by placing the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 above the upper edge 19 of the cups 17, before bringing this upper level 37 below the upper edge 19 of the cups 17 to prevent the liquid 5 from entering or leaving the cavity 22 of the latter, is only an example and that other means could be used for this purpose without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  Thus, in a manner not illustrated but easily deducible, by a person skilled in the art, from what has been described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, provision could be made for the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 which can be alternated at atmospheric pressure Pa and at a pressure Pl greater than this atmospheric pressure Pa, 25 and that the upper free volume 76 of the interior 69 of the expansion vessel 70 can only be placed atmospheric pressure By naturally outside the cleaning phases during which the tank 4 and the expansion tank 70 would be filled with liquid 24 for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization in circulation, under conditions similar to those which have been described with reference to FIG. 17. To this end, in comparison with what has been described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, it would suffice to unblock the pipe 44 for the arrival of the pressure Pl not 5 not in the free upper volume 76 of the expansion vessel 70 but in the free upper volume 38 of the tank 4.

  Then, the supply of the interior 23 of the tank 4 and of the interior 69 of the expansion vessel 70 with liquid 5 when their upper free volumes 38 and 10 76 are both exposed to atmospheric pressure Pa, s' would carry out, under the control of the level probe 75, until the upper levels 37 and 74, then coincident, of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 and inside 69 of the expansion tank 70 are located above the level of the upper edges 19 of the buckets 17.

  Then, a controlled passage of the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 from atmospheric pressure Pa to pressure P1 would cause the level 37 to descend to below the upper edge 20 19 of the buckets 17 to ensure retention of a volume V2 of liquid 5 in each well 19, under conditions similar to those which have been described with reference to FIG. 15, with the exception that the upper level 74 of the liquid 5 inside 69 of the vessel 25 expansion 70 would then be located above the level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4. Finally, the emptying phase of each of the cups 17 towards the inside of a respective bottle 2 would be carried out under conditions similar to those which have been described with reference to FIG. 16 with the same exception, the presence of the pressure P1, greater than atmospheric pressure Pa, in the upper free volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 alor s that each of the spouts 30 opens at atmospheric pressure inside the respectively corresponding bottle 2 causing 5 then an increase in the emptying rate of the cups 17 in comparison with the case described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, in which only the action of gravity causes the emptying of each cup 17 into the corresponding bottle 2 respectively when the valves 29 are open.

  Such a variant is therefore more particularly advantageous in the case of liquids 5 having a certain viscosity, such as oil, while liquids 5 of lower viscosity, such as water, generally flow sufficiently quickly under the action of gravity alone.

  Naturally, the variant embodiment of the invention which has been described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, and this other variant not illustrated, are compatible with the means for adjusting the available interior volume V2 as required, which have been described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 and 11 to 13.

  In all these embodiments, filling the cups 17 with liquid 5 from the interior 23 of the tank 4 and then isolating them from the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4 implements a variation of the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4, with respect to which the different cups 17 are fixed.

  It is also possible, for this purpose, for the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 to be substantially constant, and for the relative level variation with the upper edge 19 of the cups 17 to be effected by displacement of these back and forth vertically with respect to the tank 4, which is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 18 to 21 to which reference will now be made.

  We also find in this case the tank 4 as it was described with reference to Figures 1 to 8, with the pipes 34, 40, 44, 46 opening as has been described with reference to these figures and comprising the respective valves 35, 41, 45, 47 but, as described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17, the wall 10 of the tank 4 does not have an orifice 51 and the components or parts of components 52 to 62 described with reference to 15 Figures 1 to 8 are absent; the wall 10 is only pierced, in the immediate vicinity of its junction with the bottom wall 6, of one or more orifices 32 at the mouth of the pipe 34. We also find the level probe 36 provided in this case for detecting , with a determined tolerance, compliance with a single setpoint by the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside the tank 4, outside the cups 17.

  Finally, the buckets 17 are found identically, including as regards the integral connection of their bottom wall 20 with a respective outlet tube 28 defining with the internal cavity 22 of each bucket 17 the reference volume V2 of which it is desired to fill each bottle 2, this outlet tube 28 carrying itself in an integral manner an electropneumatic valve 29 in turn carrying in solidarity an filling spout 30.

  However, instead of being secured for example by its bottom wall 20 with the bottom wall 6 of the tank 4, each bucket 17 is, in this example, mounted in vertical sliding, by its side wall 18, in the 5 respective hole 21 in the bottom wall 6 of the tank 4, and this by means of a gasket 81, it being understood that the tube 28, the valve 29 and the spout 30 associated with a cup 17 accomplish the same vertical displacements as this one.

  The different buckets 17 of the filling station 1 are mutually connected in solidarity, below the bottom wall 6 of the tank 4 and for example at their bottom wall 20, by a yoke 82 also ensuring their kinematic connection with means 83, commanded and controlled by the central unit 26, for raising and lowering the set of buckets 17, in unison, with respect to the tank 4 between two limit positions, namely a lower limit position illustrated at FIG. 18, in which the upper edge 19 of the 20 cups 17 is located below the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4, which allows the filling of the internal cavity 22 of each cup 17 by liquid 5 by pouring over the edge 19, and a lower limit position illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, 25 in which the upper edge 19 of the bucket 17 is located above the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4, which inte prevents any spillage of liquid 5 both towards the inside of the cavity 22 and towards the outside of the latter.

  The operation of this embodiment of the invention is as follows: - in an initial state, illustrated in FIG. 18, the valves 29, 35, 45, 47 are closed and the valve 41 open, so that the atmospheric pressure Pa prevails in the upper free volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, and each cup 17 occupies its lower limit position, which allows its cavity 22 to be completely filled with liquid 5 by spillage above its upper edge 19; - during a following phase, illustrated in FIG. 10 19, the central unit 26 acts on the means 83 to bring each bucket 17 to its upper limit position, in which its upper edge 19 is located above the level upper 37 of the liquid 5 in the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4, the valves 15 29, 45, 47 remaining closed and the valve 40 open so that the atmospheric pressure Pa continues to reign in the free volume 38; the valve 35 is open in order to allow a supply of the interior 23 of the tank 4 with liquid 5, this supply being able to continue during the next phase, illustrated in FIG. 20, until the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 inside 23 of the tank 4 but outside of the cups 17 reaches the set value, as noted 25 by the level probe 76 which then causes the valve 35 to close by means of the 'central unit 26; - Then, as shown in Figure 20, each valve 29 is opened, which causes the descent, by gravity, of the liquid 5 contained in each cavity 22 to a respective bottle 2; for this purpose, while the valve 47 is closed and the valve 35 possibly still open and then closed, the atmospheric pressure Pa can either be exerted alone in the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 in leaving the valve 41 open and the valve 45 closed as illustrated in FIG. 20, or again, to help the action of gravity, close the valve 41 and open the valve 45 to allow the pressure Pl of s '' exercise in the 10 free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, position of the valves 41 and 45 which are maintained until each cavity 22 as well as the tube 28, the valve 29 and the spout filling 30 correspondents is completely emptied; then we return to the state described with reference to FIG. 18.

  The cleaning is carried out, as illustrated in FIG. 21, under the same conditions as with regard to the embodiment of the invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, that is to say - say by closing the filling spouts 30 on a collector 63, by closing the valves 41 and 45 and by opening the valves 29, 35 and 47 so as to circulate a liquid 24 for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization in particular 25 inside the filling station 1; advantageously, during this operation, a vertical back-and-forth of the buckets 17 is brought about with respect to the tank 4, leaving the spouts 30 closed on the collector 63, in order to practice cleaning as complete as possible.

  The different embodiments of the invention which have been described so far, with reference to Figures 1 to 21, involve alternating times during which the upper level 37 of 5 liquid 5 in the tank 4 is above the upper edge 19 of the cups 17 for filling them, and at times when the rim 19 of the cups 17 is above the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 in the rest of the interior 23 of the 10 tank 4, to prevent the spillage of liquid 5 towards the outside of the cavities 22 or towards the inside of these, in order to avoid respectively a loss of liquid relative to the set volume V2 before emptying of the cups 17 in the bottles 2 or any additional filling of the cups 17 during their emptying into the bottles 2.

  However, other means could be used for this purpose, and an example has been illustrated in Figures 22 to 25 which will now be referred to.

  We find in these figures the tank 4 as it has been described with reference to Figures 18 to 21, and the buckets 17 as they have been described with reference to all of the figures previously described, if not that, as in the case of the embodiments 25 described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 and 14 to 17, these cups 17 are fixed relative to the tank 4 and, in practice, rigidly connected to the bottom wall 6 of this , to which they are sealed. In this case there are also the valves 29, 35, 41, 45, 30 47, as well as the level probe 36 which, however, cooperates with the central unit 26 so as to maintain the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 to 1 inside the tank 4 permanently at a level higher than that of the edges 19 of the cups 17, by controlling the opening and closing of the valve 35 during any one of the 5 phases of operation of the filling station 1 for filling bottles 2.

  In order to temporarily isolate the cavity 22 and each cup 17 from the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4, each cup 17 is associated with a horizontal cover 10, plane 84 which is arranged above the upper edge 19 of the corresponding cup 17 and can occupy inside the tank 4 an upper limit position in which it is spaced vertically from the upper edge 19 of the corresponding cup 17, in order to establish a communication between the cavity 22 thereof and the interior 23 of the tank 4, as illustrated in FIG. 22, and a lower limit position, illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24, in which the cover 84 presses down, in a sealed manner, on the upper edge 19 20 of the corresponding bucket 17 so as to close the latter sealingly, vis-à-vis the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4.

  However, a vertical vent tube 85, integral with the cover 84 and forming an upward projection relative to the latter along the respective axis 16, opens on the one hand towards the cavity 22 of the cup 17 through the cover 84, through an axial opening 86 thereof, in particular when the cover 84 thus closes the bucket 17, and on the other hand towards the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, through an opening lateral 87 located high enough, relative to the cover 84, to be permanently above the upper level 37 of the liquid 5 while remaining below the cover wall 11. Thus, when the cover 84 seals a respective bucket 17, the cavity 5 22 thereof is placed at the same pressure as the upper free volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4, namely the atmospheric pressure Pa or the pressure Pl greater than this atmospheric pressure Pa , under the conditions which will be described by the following.

  The tube 85, in addition to its venting function, provides a rigid mechanical connection function between the cover 84 and a straight, coaxial rod 88 which extends the tube 85 upwards, above the lateral orifice 87, and passes through the cover wall 11 right through, through a coaxial orifice 89 thereof; a gasket 90 seals between the orifice 89 and the rod 88.

  Above the tank 4, the rod 88 is connected to motor means 91 controlled by the central unit 26 in a manner which will be described later, so as to place the cover 84 either in its upper limit position, either in its lower limit position.

  The operation of this embodiment of the invention is as follows: - in an initial phase, illustrated in FIG. 22, the valves 29, 45, 47 are closed, each cover 84 in the upper limit position and the valve 35 can be open or closed, under the control of the probe 76; the cavity 22 of each bucket 17 is then placed in communication with the rest of the interior 23 of the tank 4, by the rim 19 placed below the upper level 37 of the liquid 5, which allows each cavity 22 to be completely fill with liquid 5; the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 is placed at atmospheric pressure; - Then, as shown in FIG. 23, leaving the valves 29, 45, 47 closed, and the valve 35 open or closed under the control of the level probe 76, each cover 84 is brought into its lower limit position while by maintaining the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 at 10 the atmospheric pressure Pa, which thus also applies to the volume V2 of liquid 5 enclosed within each cavity 22 due to the presence of the vent tube 85; - then, as shown in FIG. 24, while the valves 45 and 47 remain closed and the valve 35 open or closed is the information provided by the level probe 76, the valves 29 are opened, leaving the valve 41 open, so that each cup 17 empties, towards a respective bottle 2, 20 of the liquid 5, the volume of which is elapsed is at all times compensated by the arrival of the ambient air 13 at atmospheric pressure; as a variant, it is possible, during this phase, to close the valve 41 and open the valve 45, which makes it possible to replace the atmospheric pressure 25 by the pressure Pl inside the free upper volume 38 of the interior 23 of the tank 4 and, via each vent tube 85, inside each cavity 22 to expose the liquid 5 therein and thus accelerate the emptying of liquid 5 therefrom to the respective bottle 2; during this phase, the cover 84 remains in the low position; then, to return the filling station 1 to the state described with reference to FIG. 22, the valve 45 is closed and the valve 41 is opened again to restore the atmospheric pressure Pa in the free upper volume 38 of the inside 23 of the tank 4 and in the cavity 22 of each cup 17, if necessary, then the cover 40 is replaced in the upper limit position and the various valves in the position described with reference to FIG. 22.

  The cleaning of this embodiment of the invention is carried out as illustrated in FIG. 25, under the conditions described above, except that in addition, the cover 84 is placed in its upper limit position. ; moreover, as described above, the various nozzles 30 are closed on a collector 63 and, after having closed the valves 41 and 45, the valves 35 and 47 and the valves 29 are opened to establish a circulation of the liquid 24 cleaning disinfection and sterilization between the filling station 1 and the liquid reserve 5, then emptied of its liquid 5 replaced by the cleaning liquid 24.

  It will be observed that this embodiment of the invention is, as much as those which have been previously described, compatible with the provision of means for reducing in a predetermined manner the available volume, inside each cavity 22 , for liquid 5, that is to say the volume V2 of this liquid 5 actually conveyed to each bottle 2. For this purpose, it is possible to provide means similar to those which have been described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 or 11 to 13, which must then pass through each cover 84 in a sealed manner, respectively.

  Those skilled in the art will readily deduce from the many embodiments of the present invention that have been described that other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of this invention.

Claims (17)

  1. Method for filling a container (2), such as a bottle, by means of a determined volume (V2) of a liquid (5), characterized in that a cup is made or chosen ( 17) delimiting a cavity (22) 5 presenting said determined volume (V2) up to the lowest level of an upper edge (19) of the bucket (17), with reference to a determined orientation of use of the bucket (17 ), then, keeping the cup (17) in its determined orientation, the succession of 10 steps is carried out consisting of: a) placing the cup (17), empty, at least partially in an enclosure (4) containing a volume (Vj) of said liquid (5) greater than said determined volume (V2), under conditions such that the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) is less than the level (37) of the liquid (5 ) in the enclosure (4) and that the liquid (5) pours from the enclosure (4) towards the cavity (22) of the bucket (17), over the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17) , up to fill the cavity (22) of the cup (17) 20 to the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), b) prohibit any possibility of liquid flow (5) between the enclosure (4) and the cavity (22) of the cup (17) leaving the cavity (22) of the cup (17) filled with liquid (5) to the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup ( 17), c) establish a fluid communication, by gravity, between the lowest level of the cavity (22) of the cup (17) and the container (2) to be filled and let the liquid (5) flow from the cavity (22) of the cup (17) towards the container (2), d) interrupting said fluid communication when the cavity (22) of the cup (17) is empty, e) restoring the possibility of liquid flow (5) between the enclosure (4) and the cavity (22) of the cup (17) by inversion of step b, the volume (Vj) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) being supplemented if necessary during the 'one of said 10 steps.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step b is implemented by a relative variation between the level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) and the most bottom of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), so that the level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) becomes lower than the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup ( 17).   3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that one implements step b by lowering the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) to below the level lower of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17). 25 4. Method according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that one implements step b by raising the cup (17) in the enclosure (4) until the level the lower of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) is located above the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4).   5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step b is implemented by applying a cover (84) to the upper edge (19) of the cup (17).   6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that step c is carried out by expelling the liquid (5) from the cavity (22) of the cup (17) towards the container ( 2).   7. Device for filling a container (2), such as a bottle, by means of a determined volume (V2) of a liquid (5) by the method according to any one   of claims 1 to 6, comprising:   - an enclosure (4) capable of containing a volume (Vy) of said liquid (5) greater than said determined volume (V2), - a spout (30) at least approximately vertical for filling the container (2), opening downwards , and - means (17, 29, 48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83, 91) for withdrawing a dose of liquid (5), having said determined volume (V2), in the enclosure (4) and for routing the withdrawn dose 25 to the filling spout (30), characterized in that the means (17, 29, 48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83, 91) for collecting and conveying the dose comprise: - a cup (17) occupying a determined orientation and delimiting a cavity (22) having said determined volume (V2) up to the lowest level d 'an upper edge (19) of the cup (17), - controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83, 91) for filling the cup (17) for, alternatively, 5 place the cup (17) and the enclosure (4) in a first relation d in which the cup (17) is at least partially disposed in the enclosure (4), the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) is lower than the upper level (37 of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) and the liquid (5) can flow from the enclosure (4) to the cavity (22) of the bucket (17), over the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17), up to '' to fill the cavity (22) of the cup (17) to the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), and in a second relationship in which any possibility of liquid flow (5) between the enclosure (4) and the cavity (22) of the bucket (17) is prohibited, - controlled means (29) for emptying the bucket (17) to, alternatively, establish or interrupt a fluid communication, by gravity, between the lowest level of the cavity (22) of the bucket (17) and the filling spout (30), and - means (26) for synchronized control of the means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83, 91) for filling the bucket (1 7) and means (29) for emptying the cup (17) so that the fluid communication between the lowest level 30 of the cavity (22) of the cup (17) and the filling spout (30) is interrupted when the cup (17) and the enclosure (4) are placed in said first relationship, and the bucket (17) and the enclosure (4) are placed in said second relationship when the fluid communication between the 5 highest level bottom of the cavity (22) of the cup (17) and the filling spout (30) is established.   8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises means (26, 36, 75) 10 for maintaining the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) between determined limits, during a determined phase of operation of the device.   9. Device according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 77, 78, 83, 91) for filling the bucket (17) are means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 77, 78, 83) controlled to cause a relative variation between the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) and the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), so that, in said second relationship, the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) is lower than the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17).   10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the bucket is mounted fixed relative to the enclosure and in that the controlled means (48, 70, 30 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83) to cause a relative variation between the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) and the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) are controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83) to cause a variation in the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) between two limit levels situated respectively above and below the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17).   11. Device according to claim 10, 10 characterized in that the controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83) for causing a variation in the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) include controlled means (48) for alternately varying the volume of a zone (50) of the enclosure (4) located at a level below the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17).   12. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the controlled means (48, 70, 40, 20 41, 44, 45, 77, 78, 83) to cause a variation in the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) comprise an expansion vessel (70) juxtaposed with the enclosure (4), permanently placed in communication with the enclosure (4) by respective zones situated below the lowest level the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) so that the same upper level (37) of the liquid (5) tends to be established in the expansion tank (70) and in the enclosure (4), and controlled means (40, 41, 44, 45, 77, 78) for, alternatively, placing the expansion vessel (70) or the enclosure (4) in overpressure relative to the enclosure (4) or to the expansion tank (70), respectively.   13. Device according to claim 9, 5 characterized in that the cup (17) is mounted movable in vertical translation relative to the enclosure (4) and in that the controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44 , 45, 77, 78, 83) to cause a relative variation between the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) 10 and the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17 ) are controlled means (83) for causing a vertical translation of the bucket (17), relative to the enclosure (4), between a lower limit position in which the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the bucket (17) is lower than the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4) and an upper limit position in which the lower level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) is higher than the level upper (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4). 20 14. Device according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the cup (17) is mounted fixed relative to the enclosure (4), in a position in which the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) is permanently lower than the upper level (37) of the liquid (5) in the enclosure (4), and in that the controlled means (48, 70, 40, 41, 44, 45 , 77, 78, 83, 91) for filling the cup (17) are controlled means (91) for, alternatively, leaving the cavity (22) of the cup (17) open upwards or applying a cover (84) on the upper edge (19) of the cup (17) to close the cavity (22) of the cup (17) upwards.   15. Device according to any one of claims 5 to 14, characterized in that it comprises controlled means (44, 45) for bringing the liquid (5) to a pressure P1 greater than atmospheric pressure P2, in the bucket cavity (22) (17), at least when fluid communication between the lowest level of the bucket cavity (22) (17) and the filling spout (30) is established.   16. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 15, characterized in that it comprises means (65) for introducing at will, into the cavity (22) of the bucket (17), means (67) for reduction of the value of said determined volume (V2) to another value thereof.   17. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the means (67) for reducing the value of said determined volume (V2) consist of a body (62) having a volume of a value corresponding to the difference between said values 25 of said determined volume (V2), and in that the means (65) for introducing them at will into the cavity (22) of the bucket (17) comprise means (65) for lowering or lifting said body (67) to the inside the enclosure (4), between a rest position in which it is integrally located at a level higher than the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), plumb with the cavity (22) thereof, and a limit position of use in which it is integrally located at a level below the lowest level of the upper edge (19) of the cup (17), inside the cavity ( 22) of it.