GB2207908A

GB2207908A - Filling a container with liquid

Info

Publication number: GB2207908A
Application number: GB08817516A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Volker Till
Original assignee: GEA Till GmbH and Co
Current assignee: GEA Till GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1987-07-25
Filing date: 1988-07-22
Publication date: 1989-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-22
Also published as: GB2207908B; DE3724733A1; IT8804845A0; IT1224925B; GB8817516D0

Description

UY 9 61 Method for filling a container with liquid, device for filling a

container with liquid and the use of such a device The invention concerns a method for filling a containery e.g. a keg, equipped with a filling mount preferably having a self-closing seat valve, with liquid containing suspended particles, particularly drinks such as fruit juice.

It is known that so-called kegs can be filled mechanically with beer by mounting the keg, with its filling mount facing downwards, on a charging head of filling device, whereby an outer current path arises from the filling lead directly into the inner chamber of the container and an inner current path arises from a piercing pin into a ventilation lead by interaction of the filling mount and charging head, a self-closing seat valve of the filling mount being opened by raising of the valve body from its valve seat. Filling methods and devices of this type have proved successful for beer.

It is the aim of the present invention to make a filling method and filling device of this type suitable for the filling-up of liquids containing suspended particles, such as fruit juices and the like. In these liquids, there is the risk of the suspended particles, for example the fruit pulp component, becoming squeezed on the valve seat upon closing of the seat valve when the container is removed from the filling mount. This causes a bridge between the surrounding and inner chamber of the container, which can lead to the drink being damaged. Sterile preservation of the drink cannot then be guaranteed& Proceeding from this, the set aim in a method of the type according to the preamble is achieved by filling the container up to a small residual volume with the liquid containing suspended particles and then filling up the residual volume via the valve seat with the previously filtered liquid. The suspended particles which have been deposited on the valve seat are thereby flushed into the container. The filling process can then be stopped and the seat valve closed without matter being squeezed on the valve seat. Sterile conditions for the drink inside the container can thereby be obtained.

A relatively small residual volume of between 1 and 5 % of the container volume is usually sufficient. This means that the overall consistency of the filledup drink is not substantially altered by the filling method according to the invention.

The invention also concerns a device for filling a container with liquid, particularly for implementing the method described above, in which the filling mount of the container can be connected with a charging head into which at least one filling lead discharges. This device for achieving the said aim is distinguished in that a filling lead (first filling lead) conducting the liquid containing suspended particles and then a filling lead (second filling lead) conducting the filtered liquid can be connected to the charging head. Thus, while the first filling lead is opened, the second filling lead is closed, and vice versa. In this way, the unfiltered.liquid is first conducted to the inner chamber of the container up to a small residual volume via the seat valve of the filling mount and the first filling lead. The first filling lead is then closed and the second filling lead opened so that the residual volume is filled up via the latter with filtered liquid, whereby the valve seat of the seat 1 valve of the filling mount of the container is flushed clean.

Z1 This device can have preferably two filling leads which can discharge into the charging head separately or, for a further simplification, via a common connecting lead, and which can each have one charging valve. The desired cleaning effect of the valve seat is thereby guaranteed with a small expenditure on construction.

It is also possible to connect the second filling lead to a supply of already filtered liquid. Corresponding to a special embodiment of the principle of the invention, however, it is easier in terms of constrIction and method if a filter device is arranged in the second filling lead itself, so that it is only necessn-ry to supply unfiltered liquid to the latter, as in the first filling lead.

In order to simplify further the construction of the de-.-ice, the second filling lead can branch off from the fi-st filling lead and be conducted via a filter device.

If- both filling leads discharge into the charging head v---a a common connecting lead, the second filling lead dIscharges into the first filling lead again beyond the filter device.

A further feature of the invention consists in the fact thlat the charging head has an annular valve channel, into which the first and/or second filling lead(s) discharge(s) and from which a waste lead having a stop valve branches off. This annular valve channel, from which the channel leading into the inner chamber of the container also branches off, can serve to lead away excess liquid and/or flushing liquid when t he 'stop valve is opened.

The invention also concerns the use of a device of the type outlined above for the filling-up of liquids which comprise two components and are only to be mixed in the filling process. This application is distinguished in that the first and/or second filling leads are opened simultaneously or consecutively. In this way, the desired mixing effect of the two liquid components can be achieved in a filling device with a simple construction. Obviously, this principle can be extended to more than two components conducted through more than two filling leads.

Further aims, features, advantages and possible applications of the present invention are given in the following description of one embodiment with the aid of the drawing. All the features described or diagrammatically represented therein form in themselves or in any appropriate combination the subject of the present invention, regardless of the way in which they are summarised in the claims or of the relation between the claims.

Fig. 1 Fig. 2 shows schematically a filling device containing the invention, with a mounted container, and shows schematically an alternative embodiment of such a filling device without a mounted container.

The filling device shown in Fig. 1 serves to fill a container 1, which has been mounted on a charging head 3 of the device with its filling mount 2 facing C --- downwards. After the mounting, a seat valve contained in the filling mount 2 is opened from the charging head 3, so that an outer current path is opened from a connecting lead 10 of the charging head 3 directly into the inner chamber of the container 1, and an inner current path is opened from a piercing pin of the filling mount 2 into a ventilation lead 5. Two filling leads, namely a first filling lead 8 and a second filling lead 9, discharge into the connecting lead 10.

The first filling lead 8 is intended for conducting an unfiltered liquid, such as fruit juice, containing suspended particles, and the second filling lead 9 for conducting this liquid after filtering. Respective charging valves 11 and 12 are contained in the filling leads 8 and 9.

1 In the filling process, the charging valve 11 and a stop valve 14 in the ventilation lead 5 are first opened. The liquid containing unfiltered suspended particles is thereby conducted to the inner chamber of the container 1, until only a small residual volume remains to be filled. Charging valve 11 is then closed and charging valve 12 opened. The residual volume is thereby filled up with filtered liquid and the valve seat of the seat valve of the filling mount 2 of the container 1 purified of deposited suspended particles. After filling-up of the residual volume, valves 11 and 12 are closed and the container 1 removed from the charging head 3, once the seat valve in the filling mount 2 has closed automatically by withdrawal of the corresponding actuating elements of the charging head 3; this can occur without the impairing effect of suspended particles being deposited on the valve seat.

Corresponding to the schematic representation, the connecting lead 10 discharges into an annular valve channel 4, from which the channel to the inside of the container branches off. A waste lead 7 which has a stop valve 13 and in which excess liquid or purifying liquid can be transported also branches off from this annular valve channel 4.

The alternative embodiment of the filling device according to the invention, which is shown schematically in Fig. 2, is differentiated from that in Fig. 1 only by the fact that the second filling lead 9 branches off from the first filling lead 8, is guided via a filter device 6 and charging valve 12 and discharges into the first filling lead 8 again beyond charging valve 11, in order to pass with the first filling lead into the connecting lead 10. In the filling process, valves 11 and 14 are first opened again, whereby the inner chamber of the container 1 is filled up to a reeidual volume with unfiltered liquid. Valve 11 is then closed and valve 12 opened. The unfiltered liquid is then conducted via the filter 2G device 6 arranged in he second filling lead 9 which is constructed as a by-pass lead, whereby only filtered liquid is conducted to the charging head 3 and hence to the container 1, in order to flush the valve seat of the seat valve in the filling mount 2 of the container 1. At the end of the filling process, valves 12 and 14 are also closed and the completely full container 1 removed after closure of the seat valve of the charging head 3, so that the device is available for the filling of a new container 1 The two filling devices shown can also be used to fill up liquids which comprise two components and are only to be mixed during ' the filling process.- For this purpose, the first and second-filling leads can open simultaneously, but also consecutively, so that the mixing of the two liquid components occurs either in the inner chamber of the container 1 or during the transportation of the two liquid components into the inner chamber of the container 1.

List of reference symbols:

1 Container (keg) 2 Filling mount (fitting) 3 Charging head 4 Annular valve channel Ventilation lead 6 Filter- device 7 Waste lead 8 First filling lead 9 Second filling lead Connecting lead 11 Cnarging valve 12 Charging valve 13 St-op valve 14 St-op valve t, 1 -g-

Claims

1. A method for filling a container equipped with a filling mount with liquid containing suspended particles, which comprises filling the container with liquid to leave a residual volume unfilled, and then topping up the container via the filling mount with previously filtered liquid.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the residual volume constitutes between about 1 and 5 % of the container volume.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is a keg. ang of

4. A method according tokclaims 1 to 3, wherein the filling mount has a self-closing seat valve.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid is fruit juice or other drink----

6. A method according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.

7. A device for filling a container with fluid, comprising a device in which the filling mount of the container can be connected to a charging head into which at least one filling lead discharges, wherein a filling lead which conducts the liquid and then a second filling lead which conducts the filtered liquid can be connected to the charging head.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the two filling leads discharge separately or via a common connecting lead into the charging head and each have one charging valve.

9. A device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a filter device is arranged in the second filling lead.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the second filling lead branches off from the first filling lead and is conducted via a filter device.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the second filling lead discharges into the first filling lead beyond the filter device.

12. A device according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the charging head has an annular valve channel into which the first andlor second filling lead(s) discharge(s) and from which a waste lead having a stop valve branches off.

13. A device according to claim 7, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the drawings.

14. The use of a device according to any of claims 7 to 12 for the filling-up of liquids which comprise two components and are only mixed during the filling process, wherein the first and second filling leads open simultaneously or consecutively.

Published 1988 at The Patent Ofilce. State House. 66 71 IL9h Holborn, London WC111 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray. Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray. Kent. Con, L87.