MXPA97002328A - Apparatus for ventilation of tanks for an embased machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for internally venting a product tank in a packaging machine is described. The apparatus includes a filling tube extending from a first opening of the product tank. The apparatus further includes an air collection mechanism having a filling tube opening adapted to receive a second end of the filling tube. The air collection mechanism extends below the second end of the filling tube. A vent pipe is connected to a second opening of the product tank, and to an opening of the vent pipe in the air collection mechanism. The filling tube and the ventilation tube are separately connected to the product tank and the air collection mechanism. The air pressure, which arises from the operation of the packaging machine, directs the air from the air collection mechanism through the ventilation pipe and into the product tank. Such air proceeds through the vent pipe and replaces the product in the product tank, as the product is stocked to the carton during the full

Description

APPARATUS FOR VENTILATION OF TANKS FOR A PACKAGING MACHINE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for the ventilation of tanks, for a packaging machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for internally ventilating a product tank in a packaging machine.

BACKGROUND Packaging machines are known which integrate within a simple unit the various components necessary to form a container, fill the container with a liquid product, and seal the container. Such packaging machines typically feed primordia of cardboard boxes inside the machine, seal the bottoms of the cardboard boxes, fill the cardboard boxes with a product assortment from a product storage tank, seal the upper parts of the cardboard boxes , and unload full cardboard boxes for boarding. As the product is stocked from the REF: 24452 product tank during the packaging process, compensation must be made for the product's displacement in the product tank. In this way, it is desirable to ventilate the product tank in order to compensate for the displacement of the product. Where the product is a liquid food product, it may be necessary to maintain a sterile environment in the tank.

Therefore, the tank can not be vented to the open atmosphere. A solution to the problem of venting the product tank while maintaining a sterile environment in the product tank is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,009,339 to Hanerus et al. The '339 patent illustrates an apparatus for venting a plant for filling containers. The apparatus includes two control valves placed in an outlet of the product tank and a tube and vacuum pump assembly provided along an upper edge of the product tank. Although a product tank can be ventilated in this manner at conventional operating speeds, new problems arise since the packaging machines are designed for the increasing increase in performance capabilities. Specifically, cardboard boxes are typically lifted into a sterile filling environment. At high operating speeds, the sterile air that is displaced when lifting the cardboard boxes to be filled into the filling environment presents a problem that is not faced in the prior art, namely, the problem of ventilating the environment of filling and the product tank. In addition, the breather tubes placed outside the tank present problems with the CIP systems, since the breather tube must necessarily be cleaned in a separate, manual cleaning step.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for internally venting a product tank in a packaging machine is described. The apparatus includes a filling tube having a first end extending from a first opening of the product tank. The apparatus further includes an air collection mechanism having a filling tube opening adapted to receive a second end of the filling tube. The air collection mechanism extends below the second end of the filling tube. A breather tube or vent is connected to a second opening of the product tank and to an opening of the vent pipe in the air collection mechanism. The filling tube and the ventilation tube are separately connected to the product tank and the air collection mechanism. The air pressure generated by the operation of the packaging machine directs the air from the air collection mechanism through the ventilation pipe and into the product tank. According to one embodiment of the apparatus, a container elevator is provided. The container elevator is partially positioned below the filling tube. The air is displaced in an upward direction as a container is lifted through an opening end of the air collection mechanism, with the container elevator. The displaced air is directed through the ventilation pipe and into the product tank. According to yet another aspect of the apparatus, a generally sterile, closed housing is provided. The second end of the filling tube, the air collection mechanism and a second end of the ventilation tube are placed in the generally sterile housing. Since the second end of the ventilation tube is placed in a generally sterile environment, the sterile air is directed from the air collection mechanism through the ventilation tube and into the product tank. In a method of venting a fluid dispensing apparatus, a container is moved to a filling position in a first step. The container is adapted to receive the fluid dispensed from a product tank. The air, displaced by the movement of the container towards the filling position, is then directed towards the product tank through a ventilation pipe connected to the product tank in a second step. An additional step can include the assortment of the cleaning fluid through the product tank and the ventilation tube, simultaneously. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the appended detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an apparatus for ventilation of tanks.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an air collection mechanism where openings of the multiple vent pipe and the filling tube are provided, and a removable, cleaning cover.

Figure 3 is a side view, partly in section, of an apparatus for tank ventilation, wherein a carton elevator is provided in a generally sterile housing of the packaging machine.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of an apparatus for ventilation of tanks.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of an apparatus for tank ventilation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus for ventilation of tanks of a packaging machine, generally shown at 10. The apparatus 10 for tank ventilation includes a product tank 12 and a cleaning box 14, which serves as a collection mechanism for air. A filling tube 16 has a first end 18 connected to a first opening 20 in the product tank 12. A second end 22 of the filling tube 16 is seated inside the cleaning box 14. An opening 24 of the filling tube, provided in the cleaning box 14, is adapted to receive the second end or spout end 22 of the filling tube 16. A nozzle 26 for dispensing product from the product tank 12, is provided in a final part of the second end 22 of the tube filling 16. The vent pipe 28 is connected to the product tank 12 and to the cleaning box 14, separately from the filling pipe 16. A first end 27 of the ventilation pipe 28 is connected to a second opening 30 in the product tank 12. A second end 29 of the ventilation tube 28 is connected to an opening 32 of the ventilation tube in the cleaning box 14. The opening 24 of the filling tube can be accommodated along an upper part 3. 4 of the cleaning box 14, and the opening 32 of the ventilation tube can be accommodated along an upper part 36 of a first side 38 of the cleaning box 14. As illustrated in Figure 1, the opening 32 The ventilation pipe is placed perpendicular to the opening 24 of the filling tube of the cleaning box 14. During production, the air is directed from the cleaning box 14 through the ventilation pipe 28 and into the product tank 12. , thus allowing the product tank 12 to breathe. Specifically, the air pressure arising in the cleaning box 14 replaces the product in the product tank 12, since the product is stocked out of the filling tube 16 during simultaneous filling and lowering of an appropriate collection device, or container, 62. A drain pipe 40 is connected to a drain pipe opening (not shown) provided on a bottom 42 of a second side 44 of the cleaning box 14. A valve 46 is provided between the second opening 30 of the product tank 12 and opening 32 of the ventilation tube of the cleaning box 14. The valve 46 is opened during a production cycle of the packaging machine. The drain tube 40 and the valve 46 are used during a cleaning cycle of the packaging machine. The cleaning box 14 'can include a number of openings 48 of the filling tube and a number of openings 50 of the ventilation tube, as illustrated in Figure 2. Each of the openings 48 of the filling tube is adapted to receive one of the legacy tubes c2. In addition, each of the ventilation tubes 50 is adapted to receive one of the ventilation tubes 54. Furthermore, a retractable cover 56 can be removably connected to an open end? of the cleaning box 14, as discussed more fully in U.S.S.N. 08 / 316,109 (Corporate Case No. TRX-0101; Attorney's Case No. 10586US01), filed on the same date herewith and incorporated by reference. During a cleaning cycle of the packaging machine, the cover 56 is placed on the open end 58 of the cleaning box 14 '. The vent pipes 54 are connected to the cleaning box 14 'and to the product tank (not shown) such that the cleaning fluid that cyclically moves through the packaging machine during the cleaning cycle, is also recycled through of the ventilation pipes 54 to the cleaning box 14 ', and through the drain pipes 60. In such ventilation arrangements for packing machines, the ventilation pipe can not be cleaned during the cleaning cycle, since the pipe Ventilation is externally connected to the product tank. In this way, the ventilation pipes of the known ventilation arrangements, previously described, are difficult, if not impossible to clean. This disadvantage is overcome by a ventilation apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles described herein, where the ventilation pipes 54 are cleaned during the cleaning cycle of the packaging machine. As illustrated in Figure 3, the appropriate collection device, or container 62, such as a cardboard box with an inverted V-shaped upper part, illustrated in the figure, is lifted toward an open end 64 of a cleaning box. 14"by an appropriate container elevator 66 (shown in section), such as a cardboard box elevator, during production. An exemplary container lifter 66 is more fully described in U.S.S.N. 08 / 315,410 (Corporate Case No. TRX-0043; Attorney's Case No. 10325US01) and U.S.S.N. 08 / 315,401 (Corporate Case No. TRX-0044, Attorney's Case No. 10602US01), both filed on September 28, 1994, and incorporated by reference. The container lifter 66 is partially positioned below a filling end of a filling tube, housed in the air collection mechanism 14", where the position of the filling tube is illustrated in principle in Figure 1. A cover removable (discussed with reference in Figure 2) 68 is maintained in an open position during production. As the container 62 is lifted towards the cleaning box 14"through the open end 64 by the container elevator 66, the air is directed upward toward the cleaning box 14" as indicated by the arrow . The directed air with upward direction is then ventilated through a vent pipe within a product tank, such as the vent pipe 28 and the product tank 12 shown in Figure 1. Certain filling operations of the machines Packaging machines require a generally sterile filling environment, where the air in the filling environment is sufficiently sterile to meet the hygiene standards required in the handling of food products. Where such requirements exist, a housing 70 may be provided below the product tank. The housing 70 may include a room or compartment 72, generally sterile, indicated by a dashed line in the figure. Where the generally sterile environment 72 is provided, generally sterile air is directed upwards by lifting the container 62 with the container elevator 66 towards the cleaning box 14". The sterile air directed upward is then conducted through a vent pipe to a product tank, in accordance with the principles illustrated in Figure 1. In addition, all the elements connected to, placed inside, and extending below the cleaning box 14 '' are within the environment 72 in general sterile, during production, except for those elements that can be placed outside the environment 72 in general sterile, without affecting the hygiene of the environment 72 in general sterile, such as, for example, the removable cover 68. Elements different from those illustrated in Figure 3, which can be placed within the generally sterile environment 72, include the second end 22 of the fill tube 16, the collection mechanism of air 14, and the second end 29 of the ventilation tube 28, all of which are shown in Figure 1. In a type of ventilation apparatus illustrated in Figure 4, the multi-fill tubes 74, 76 are connected in the first ends 78, 80 to the first and second openings 82, 84 of the filling tube, respectively, in a product tank 86. Each of the filling tubes 74, 76 can be divided into second ends 8P, 90 in leads 92 , 94 of the filling tube, above the cleaning boxes 96-102. Each of the branches 92, 94 of the filling tube is in fluid communication with the second ends 88, 90 of the filling tubes, 74, 76, respectively. The first and second openings 104-118 of the bypass of the filling tube are formed in each of the cleaning boxes 96-102. A vent tube 120 is connected at a first end 122 to a vent opening 124 in the product tank 86. The vent tube 120 is divided into first and second vent pipes 126, 128, at a second end 130 of the tube. of ventilation 120, above the cleaning boxes 96-102. The first and second ventilation tubes 126, 128 are further divided into branches 132, 134 and 136, 138, respectively, of the ventilation tube. The branches 132-138 of the ventilation tube are connected to the openings 140-146 of the ventilation tube branch, respectively. Instead of the cleaning boxes 96-102, a simple cleaning box 148, adapted to receive multiple taps of the filling tube, and multiple taps of the ventilation tube, can be provided, as shown in Figure 5. In this way , the number of cleaning boxes, derivations of the ventilation tube and derivations of the filling tube, can be varied according to the principles described herein. In a method for venting a fluid dispensing apparatus, a container is moved to a filling position in a first step. The container is adapted to receive the fluid dispensed from a product tank. The air, displaced by the movement of the container to the filling position, is then directed towards the product tank through a ventilation pipe connected to the product tank in a second step. An additional step can include the assortment of the cleaning fluid through the product tank and the ventilation tube, simultaneously. Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as described in the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out * the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

Claims (24)

1. An apparatus for internally ventilating a product tank in a packaging machine, characterized in that it comprises: a filling tube having a first end extending from a first opening of the product tank; an air collecting mechanism having a filling tube opening adapted to receive a second end of the filling tube, the air collection mechanism extends below the second end of the filling tube; and a vent pipe connected to a second opening of the product tank and to an opening of the vent pipe in the air collection mechanism, wherein the filling pipe and the vent pipe are separately connected to the product tank and to the mechanism of air collection, and where the air pressure, which originates from the operation of the packaging machine, directs the air from the air collection mechanism through the ventilation pipe and into the product tank.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening of the filling tube is formed in an upper part of the air collecting mechanism, and the opening of the ventilation tube is formed substantially perpendicular to the opening of the filling tube, near from a top part of the first side of the air collection mechanism.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the air collection mechanism is a cleaning box.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a valve placed between the ventilation tube and the product tank.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a valve placed between a first end of the ventilation tube and an upper part of the product tank.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by comprising the following: a container elevator partially positioned below the filling tube, wherein the air displaced upwardly by lifting a container through an open end of the air collection mechanism with the container elevator, is directed through the ventilation tube and into the product tank.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the container elevator is a cardboard box elevator, and wherein the container is a cardboard box with an inverted V-shaped upper part.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a housing enclosing a substantially sterile environment, wherein the second end of the filling tube, the air collection mechanism, and a second end of the ventilation tube They are placed in the housing.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a container elevator partially positioned below the filling tube, whereby the sterile air displaced in an upward direction by lifting a container through the container. an open end of the air collection mechanism with the container elevator is directed through the ventilation tube and into the product tank.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the opening of the filling tube is formed in an upper part of the air collecting mechanism, and the opening of the ventilation tube is formed substantially perpendicular to the opening of the filling tube near an upper part of a first side of the air collection mechanism.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a first nozzle connected to one end of the filling tube.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the air collecting mechanism is a cleaning box, further comprising the following: a cover removably connected to the open end of the cleaning box, wherein the cover is placed in relation sealing with the open end of the cleaning box during a cleaning cycle of the packaging machine, and wherein the ventilation pipe is connected to the cleaning box and the product tank, such that the cleaning fluid that is recycled through the packaging machine during a cleaning cycle, it is also recycled through the ventilation tube to the cleaning box.

13. A packaging machine, characterized in that it comprises the following: a product tank adapted to receive fluid material; a filling tube extending from and in fluid communication with the product tank at a first end; a housing forming a closed environment within a part of the packaging machine; a second end of the filling tube, cloned in the housing and having a nozzle provided on the second end, for supplying the fluid material flowing from the product tank through the filling tube during production; an air collecting mechanism positioned in the housing, and surrounding the second end of the filling tube, the air collecting mechanism having an opening adapted to receive the second end of the filling tube and a packaging opening adapted to receive a cardboard box packaging; and a ventilation tube connected to the air collection mechanism, and to the product tank, to direct the air from the air collection mechanism to the product tank.

14. A packaging machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the filling tube and the ventilation tube are independently connected to the product tank and to the air collection mechanism.

15. A packaging machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the housing forms a closed environment, generally sterile, and wherein the ventilation tube is a conduit for directing the sterile air from the air collection mechanism to the tank of the pipeline .

16. A packaging machine according to claim 13, further characterized in that it comprises the following: a cardboard box elevator placed in the housing, the packaging opening in the air collection mechanism is formed by at least one wall of the collection mechanism of air, where the cardboard boxes for packaging are carried by the cardboard box elevator through the packaging opening, and towards the air collection mechanism, and where the air displaced when carrying the cardboard boxes for container towards the air collection mechanism, is directed through the ventilation pipe and into the product tank.

17. An apparatus for supplying fluids, characterized in that it comprises the following: the means for moving a collection device towards a filling position in a housing; the dispensing means for supplying the fluids to the collection device, the dispensing means include a product tank and a filling tube, the filling bc has a dispensing end placed in the housing; the conduit means, connected to the housing and the product tank, to direct the air, displaced by the movement of the collection device to the full position, from the housing to the product tank.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the collection device is a cardboard box, and wherein the means for moving the collection device is a cardboard box elevator.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the housing is a cleaning box.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the conduit means is a ventilation pipe, and wherein the ventilation pipe and the spout end are separately connected to the cleaning box.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises 1 " i iu len e: a compartment containing generally sterile air, wherein the means for moving the collection device, the housing, the end the spout and the filling tube, and one end of the conduit means connected to the housing, are placed in the compartment containing sterile air, and wherein the sterile air, displaced by the movement of the collection device towards the filling position, is directed from the housing to the product tank, through the conduit means.

22. A method for the ventilation of a fluid dispensing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) the movement of a container, adapted to receive a fluid dispensed from a product tank, to a filling position; and b) directing the air, displaced by the movement of the container to the filling position, towards the product tank through a ventilation pipe connected to the product tank.

23. A method according to claim 22, further characterized in that it comprises the following: the assortment of the cleaning fluid through the product tank and the ventilation tube simultaneously.

24. An apparatus for ventilating a product tank in a packaging machine, the apparatus is characterized in that it comprises: a filling tube in fluid communication with the product tank; a housing placed around the filling tube; and a vent tube that provides fluid communication between the housing and the fill tube.