JPS5952112B2 - Method and device for filling a small amount of liquid - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for filling a predetermined amount of a small amount of liquid during the production of canning, bottling, etc.

When producing a canned product, it may be necessary to add a small amount of liquid, such as flavor extract or vitamin C liquid, to the soup, which would not be suitable if mixed in advance, into the can.

In such cases, conventionally, the additive liquid is often supplied and filled into the can by intermittently opening a valve provided on the supply pipe of the additive liquid, thereby avoiding the natural flow of the additive liquid.

However, this method has a problem in that if the additive liquid is a very small amount, for example, 1 g or less, it is difficult to accurately supply a predetermined amount.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and provides a filling method that can easily fill a small amount of liquid at a predetermined supply amount with high precision, and an inexpensive filling device that can fill such liquid with a simple structure 1. The purpose is to provide the following.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a recovery tank for filling liquid;
The bottom of the tank 1 communicates with the suction side of the pump 2, and the upper end of the supply tank 3 communicates with the discharge side of the pump 2.

The supply tank 3 is installed above the recovery tank 1 , one end of an overflow pipe 4 is opened at the upper end of the supply tank 3 , and the other end of the overflow pipe 4 is opened at the upper end of the recovery tank 1 .

A vertical liquid supply nozzle 6 is communicated with the lower end of the supply tank 3 via a flow control valve 5, and a receiving gutter 7 is installed below the lower end opening of this nozzle 6.

At the bottom of one end of the receiving gutter 7 facing the liquid supply nozzle 6,
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a hole 8 is opened.
The bottom of the receiving gutter 7 is sloped so that the end with the trough is located upward and the other end is located below, and the upper end of the collection pipe 9 is communicated with the other end of the bottom. The bottom end is collection tank 1
It is opened at the upper end.

A horizontal air nozzle 10 is disposed substantially in contact with the bottom of one end of the receiving gutter 7 adjacent to the hole 8, and this nozzle 10 is connected to an electromagnetic on-off valve 11. It is connected to a compressed air source via a pressure reducing valve 12 and a filter 13.

A chain conveyor 14 serving as a conveying means is installed below the receiving passage 7, and the cans 1 placed on this conveyor 14 are
5 is disposed so as to pass directly below the liquid supply nozzle 6, and a proximity switch 16 that detects the presence of the can 15 and closes the on-off valve 11 is connected to the support frame 17 of the chain conveyor 14 via a bracket 18. Fixed.

Note that the recovery tank 1 is configured to be replenished with filling liquid sequentially as necessary, or by an automatic valve or float valve that opens and closes depending on the liquid level in the tank. .

Next, a method of filling a liquid little by little using the filling device configured as described above will be described.

When the pump 2 is driven, the filled liquid flows into the collection tank 1.
The liquid is sent from the supply tank 3 to the supply tank 3, and the amount of liquid corresponding to the opening degree of the flow rate control valve 5 naturally flows down from the supply tank 3 through the liquid supply nozzle 6, while other liquid flows from the supply tank 3 through the overflow pipe 4. The liquid is returned to the recovery tank 1, and the liquid in the supply tank 3 is maintained at a constant level.

In addition, when the can 15 is not directly below the liquid supply nozzle 6, the on-off valve 11 is open, so compressed air flows from the compressed air source through the filter 13, the pressure reducing valve 12, and the on-off valve 11, and is horizontally transferred to the nozzle 10. is blown out.

Due to this compressed air, the liquid 19 that is about to flow down vertically from the liquid supply nozzle 6 is changed in direction and tilted, as shown in FIG.
It is collected into the collection tank 1 through the collection pipe 9.

When the can 15 is conveyed by the chain conveyor 14 to a position facing the proximity switch 16, the can 15 is moved to a position facing the proximity switch 16.
6 detects and sends this detection signal to the on-off valve 11.

This closes the on-off valve 11, stopping the blowing of compressed air from the air nozzle 10, and as shown in FIG. 15 is supplied and filled.

When the can 15 is conveyed by the chain conveyor 14 and removed from the position facing the proximity switch 16, the proximity switch 1
6 is stopped, the on-off valve 11 is opened, and the blowing of compressed air from the air nozzle 10 is resumed. As shown in FIG. 8 and flows down on the bottom of the receiving gutter 7 without passing through the hole 8 and is collected into the collection tank 1.

In this case, the filling timing and filling time of the liquid 19 are determined by the moving speed of the can 15 and the positional relationship between the can 15 and the proximity switch 16.
When changing the direction of the compressed air by blowing out and stopping the compressed air, the hole 8 acts to prevent excess liquid 19 from flowing into and out of the can 15, but the hole 8 is not necessarily necessary, and the receiving gutter 7 can be shortened. It is possible to change the receiving gutter 7 within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the liquid level in the supply tank 3 is constant, the opening degree of the flow rate control valve 5 is constant, and the specific gravity and viscosity of the liquid are constant.
The flow rate of the liquid 19 flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle 6 becomes constant.

In addition, if the moving speed of the can 15 is constant, the can 1 at the time of edge detection
5 and the proximity switch 16 remain unchanged, and the filling time remains constant.

Therefore, the amount of liquid filled into one can can be kept accurately constant.

By adjusting the opening degree of the flow rate control valve 5, the amount of liquid supplied can be arbitrarily set from zero, and an extremely small amount of liquid can be filled with a highly accurate amount of supply.

In addition, a contactless proximity switch 1 controls the liquid filling timing.
6 and 1 can stay on continuously, so it will not be affected even if can 15 is sent at regular intervals or randomly, and there is no need for signals other than the sensor such as a proximity switch, so it is easy to install the sensor. is less affected by the location or transportation means of the can, and is not affected by the internal state of the can, i.e., whether or not the can is filled with a main filling consisting of a mixture of liquids and solids. .

In the above embodiment, only one type of liquid is filled, but in this invention, if the supply tank and the liquid supply nozzle are arranged in parallel and a plurality of the above-mentioned filling devices are used, multiple types of liquid can be filled in the same liquid. It is also possible to fill cans.

Further, in the present invention, the control may be performed in the opposite manner to the above embodiment, and compressed air may be blown only when there is a can, so that the liquid flows down into the can.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where liquid is filled into a can is described, but the present invention can also be applied to the case where liquid is filled into a bottle or other appropriate container, and the container can be detected using a reed switch, a limit switch, a photocell, etc. It is possible to use a switch, a sensor set of mechanical levers, etc.

As explained above, in the method for filling a small amount of liquid according to the present invention, a predetermined flow rate of liquid is constantly flowing down from a liquid supply nozzle, a container is moved to pass below the supply nozzle, and the position of the container is detected by a sensor. Controls the compressed air that is detected by the sensor and blows it onto the liquid flowing down from the supply nozzle, causing the liquid to flow down from the supply nozzle into the container for a certain period of time determined by the relative position of the container and the sensor, and at other times It is characterized by guiding the liquid from the nozzle to the outside of the container passage section and collecting it, and changing the direction of the liquid flowing down from the supply nozzle.

Therefore, according to the filling method of the present invention, the flow rate and filling time of the liquid flowing down from the supply nozzle are constant, and a small amount of liquid can be supplied and filled into the container at a highly accurate predetermined supply amount, and the container can be moved. By keeping the speed constant, whether the containers are fed at regular intervals or randomly, the sensor installation is less restricted by the location or the means of transporting the containers, making filling operations easier. There is an effect.

In addition, in the small amount filling device for liquid according to the present invention, a supply tank is installed above the recovery tank for the liquid to be filled, and the liquid is sent from the recovery tank by a pump, and an overflow pipe communicating with the upper end of the supply tank is connected to the recovery tank. A liquid supply nozzle is opened at the upper end and communicated with the lower end of the supply tank via a flow rate control valve, a receiving gutter is installed below the supply nozzle, and this receiving gutter is communicated with the recovery tank,
A container conveying means is disposed at a position where the container passes below the supply nozzle, and an air nozzle is provided above the bottom of the receiving gutter for blowing compressed air onto the liquid flowing down from the supply nozzle from a direction crossing the liquid. The air nozzle is communicated with a compressed air source via an on-off valve, and is equipped with a sensor that detects a container located below the liquid supply nozzle and operates the on-off valve for a certain period of time.

Therefore, according to the filling device of the present invention, the overflow pipe communicating with the upper end of the supply tank provided above the recovery tank is opened at the upper end of the recovery tank.
The liquid level in the supply tank can be kept constant, and in combination with the fact that the liquid supply nozzle is communicated with the supply tank via the flow rate control valve, a predetermined flow rate of liquid can always flow down from the supply nozzle. The receiving gutter was connected to the collection tank, and a nozzle was installed above the bottom of the receiving gutter, so
When liquid is not supplied to the container, the liquid can be reliably returned to the collection tank through the receiving gutter, and a filling device suitable for carrying out the above-described filling method of the present invention can be provided with a relatively simple structure. Effects can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional schematic front view showing a filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of the same essential parts when liquid is not filled into the container and when it is filled. It is a cross-sectional explanatory view. 1...Recovery tank, 2...Pump, 3
...Supply tank, 4...Overflow pipe, 5...Flow rate control valve, 6...Liquid supply nozzle, 7...Receiving gutter , 8... Hole,
9...Recovery pipe, 10...Air nozzle,
11... Solenoid on/off valve, 14... Chain conveyor (transport means), 15... Can (container)
, 16... Proximity switch (sensor).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 A predetermined flow rate of liquid is constantly flowing down from a liquid supply nozzle, a container for receiving the liquid is moved so as to pass below the liquid supply nozzle, and the position of the container is detected by a sensor. control the compressed air blown onto the liquid flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle, and cause the liquid to flow down from the liquid supply nozzle into the container only when the container is in a position where it can be filled with liquid, and at other times. A method for filling a small amount of liquid, characterized in that the direction of the liquid flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle is changed so that the liquid is guided from the liquid supply nozzle to the outside of the container passage section and collected. 2. A supply tank containing a filled liquid, a liquid supply nozzle provided at the lower end outlet of the supply tank via a flow rate control valve, and compressed air applied to the liquid flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle from a direction intersecting with the liquid supply tank. an air nozzle for changing the direction of spraying; a container conveying means arranged such that the container passes below the liquid supply nozzle; and a container receiving the liquid flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle by the conveying means. a sensor for detecting that the container has reached the position; and compressed air that is disposed between the air nozzle and the compressed air source and blows compressed air onto the liquid flowing down from the liquid supply nozzle when the sensor detects that the container has reached the position. A small amount liquid filling device comprising: an on-off valve operated to control the flow of liquid; and a receiving gutter that guides the liquid from the liquid supply nozzle to the outside of the container passage section when the container is not in a position where the container can be filled with liquid.