SK9759Y1 - Filling arm and aseptic filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

Filling arm (1) is intended for aseptic filling of products in a pressurized space. The device consists of a case (2), a lid (3), a curved path (4), a filling valve (5), a retractable filling needle (6), a rod (7), a channel (8) for product supply (9), a suction channel (15), regulation channel (16), regulation valve (17), shut-off valve (18), shaft (20), sterile pre-chamber (33), lower pin (25), seals (26) and bearings (27), which they allow rotary and vertical movement of the filling arm (1) between two filling positions. The rotary and subsequent vertical movement of the filling arm (1) over the empty packaging (10) creates a filling space (19); the extendable filling needle (6) moves vertically downwards into the package (10), the filling valve (5) opens through the passage of the rocker (29) along the curved path (4) and the process of filling the product (9) into the package (10).

Description

The field of technology

The technical solution adjusts the device and method of aseptic filling in a pressurized space.

Current state of the art

The state of the art includes a patent registered by the Slovak Industrial Property Office under no. 288753, application number 12-2016, whose owner is the originator and applicant of the solution presented in the submitted utility model application. However, the applicant technical solution presented in patent no. 288753 substantially changed, improved, and currently a utility model application under number PÚV 29-2022 is pending before the Office of Industrial Property of the Slovak Republic, the owner of which is the originator and applicant of this solution. The disadvantage of the technical solution presented under no. PÚV 29-2022 is that the device is equipped with a static filling needle, which, when filling the product into the package, turned out to be a shortcoming consisting in the residual adhesion of the product on the filling needle, which had to be corrected due to the need to create an even higher filling purity. The disadvantage of the technical solution is also the inefficient use of time during filling, due to the need to wait for the filling arm to close the filled package and to prepare a new empty package before the next filling.

The essence of the technical solution

The disadvantages described in the prior art are eliminated by the presented technical solution, which uses a retractable filling needle in the device instead of a static filling needle when filling the product, thus eliminating the risk of remaining product adhesion on the filling needle, which ensures even higher filling purity and at the same time speeds up the filling process . At the same time, the offered solution eliminates the downtime of the filling arm, which was caused by the inefficient use of the filling arm, in such a way that a package carrier and closing head are mirrored to the device according to the technical solution described in the prior art, while the filling arm according to the presented technical solution is modified in such a way that that allows alternate filling of the packaging in two filling positions. The filling arm thus performs the activity without the need to wait for the closure of the already filled package and prepare the package before filling it, since after filling one package with the product, it moves over the other prepared package and fills it with a combined rotary and vertical movement. After it is filled, it is again moved back to the previous position, where the next package is ready, by a combined rotary and vertical movement. With this technical solution, the time efficiency of filling the packaging is achieved by several seconds, which makes it possible to fill more packaging in the same time, and at the same time, the cleanliness of the filling of the product into the packaging is also improved.

Description of terms used to explain the essence of the technical solution

Filling arm - serves to fill the empty packaging with the product

Packaging - e.g. PET bottle

Product - liquid substances, e.g. milk, beer, wine, lemonade, baby food, juice, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, medicines, but also loose substances

Ring of the package - part of the neck of the package used to seal the package in the aseptic chamber

Opening for the package - the place of entry and sealing of the package in the aseptic chamber

Extendable filling needle - extendable part of the filling arm used for filling the product into the package

Product supply channel - serves to supply the filled product to the filling valve

Filling valve - opens and closes the entry of the product into the retractable filling needle

Suction channel - serves to remove product residues from the inner space of the retractable filling needle and the lower part of the filling valve

Filling back pressure regulation channel - serves to drain the protective atmosphere medium from the filling space of the package and drain product residues from the outer space of the retractable filling needle

Fill valve puller - opens and closes the fill valve

Filling back pressure control valve - sets the flow rate of the extruded medium of the protective atmosphere Filling arm shaft - serves to transfer rotary and linear movement from the powerful elements to the filling arm

Filling space - the space formed by the packaging, the retractable filling needle, the suction channel and the channel for regulating the filling pressure

Aseptic chamber pressurization valve - ensures a constant excess pressure of the activating medium in the aseptic chamber Suction closing valve - by pulsating it creates sharp pressure changes during suction Protective atmosphere - gas that remained after activation in the activation space of the package Suction - a process that rids the filling arm of the remains of the filled product

Overview of images on drawings

In picture no. 1 shows the filling arm as a whole. It is also an image for annotation.

In picture no. 2 shows the filling arm in the filling process.

In picture no. 3 shows the pressurization of the package after filling.

In picture no. 4 shows the removal of adhesive residues.

In picture no. 5 shows the filling arm in both filling positions.

Implementation examples

The production of the device according to the technical solution is presented for illustration and cannot be perceived as a limitation of its technical solutions. Those skilled in the art will be able to identify, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to specific embodiments of the technical solution. Even such equivalents of the completed device and its parts will fall within the scope of the protection claims. An expert familiar with the state of the art cannot find it problematic to optimally design the structure and the selection of its elements, therefore these features were not dealt with in detail in this description.

Filling arm 1 according to the technical solution shown in fig. 1 to 5 consists of the housing of the filling arm 2, the lid of the housing of the filling arm 3, the curved path of the filling valve 4, the filling valve 5, the retractable filling needle 6, the puller of the filling valve 7, the channel for the supply of the product 8, the suction channel 15, the channel for regulating the back pressure of filling 16, the back pressure control valve 17, the suction closing valve 18 and the shaft of the filling arm 20, stored in the sterile antechamber 33.

The movable filling arm 1 is placed in the static aseptic chamber 11, in such a way that the shaft of the filling arm 20 placed in the sterile pre-chamber 33 and the lower pin of the filling arm 25 pass through the seals of the aseptic chamber 26.

The bearings in the aseptic chamber 27 enable the rotary and vertical movement of the filling arm 1. The filling arm 1 is moved over the empty container 10 to the filling position A 31 by a rotary movement, and by subsequent vertical movement it is pressed against the sealing part of the neck of the container 28, thereby creating a filling space 19 .

At the same time, the packaging space 10 is separated by the filling arm 1 from the space of the aseptic chamber 11.

The filling work cycle begins with the opening of the filling back pressure control valve 17, which sets the required pressure in the filling space 19. The retractable filling needle 6 is extended vertically downward into the package 10. The filling valve 5, during the movement of the retractable filling needle 6, through the passage of the filling valve rocker 29 opens the curved path of the filling valve 4 and starts the process of filling the product 9 into the container 10. The shape of the filling valve 5 ensures the flow of the product 9 to the walls of the container 10, so that excessive foaming of the product 9 does not occur during filling. By the flow of the product 9 into the package 10, the volume of the protective atmosphere medium is pushed out through the filling back pressure control channel 16 through the filling back pressure control valve 17 outside the filling space 19. The filling counter pressure control valve 17 sets the flow rate of the extruded protective atmosphere medium, thereby regulating the filling speed of the product 9 into the package 10. After reaching the required filling volume of the product 9, the retractable filling needle 6 moves vertically upwards to its basic position. During this movement of the retractable filling needle 6, the filling valve 5 is closed through the passage of the filling valve rocker 29 through the curved path of the filling valve 4.

By opening the package pressurization valve 30, the pressure in the filled package increases through the suction channel 15, which ensures the compression of the foam of the product 24.

The filling arm 1 is lifted above the package 10 by a vertical upward movement, thereby connecting the space of the package 10 with the aseptic chamber 11. The pressure in the aseptic chamber 11, which is higher than the pressure of the filled product 9 in the package 10, due to the connection of the package 10 with the space of the aseptic chambers 11, and at the same time due to the effect of higher pressure in the aseptic chamber 11, possible residues of the product 9 will be pulled from the sealing part of the neck of the packaging 28 into the packaging 10. Through the suction channel 15, the remains of the filled product 9 are sucked out, which during filling could have been caught on the retractable filling needle 6. Suction is achieved by a sudden pressure change during the pulsed opening and closing of the suction shut-off valve 18 through the suction channel 15. After the suction is finished, the suction shut-off valve 18 closes. With a rotary movement, the filling arm 1 is moved to the filling position B 32 above the empty container 10 and with a subsequent vertical movement it is pressed against the sealing part of the neck of the container 28, thereby creating a filling space 19.

The filling process is repeated after this movement of the filling arm 1.

Alternating the filling positions by moving the filling arm 1 according to this technical solution will enable the device described in the prior art to prepare, fill and seal a significantly larger number of packages in the same time. At the same time, the use of the extendable filling needle 6 removes the risk of remaining adhesion of the product 9 on the extendable filling needle 6, which ensures even higher filling purity and acceleration of the filling process compared to the current state of the art.

Industrial applicability

The filling arm according to the technical solution finds its application mainly in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

List of relationship tags

Filling arm

Filling arm box

Filling arm housing cover

Curved path of the filling valve

Filling valve

Retractable filling needle

Filling valve pull rod

Product feed channel

Product

Packaging

Aseptic chamber

Packaging carrier

Wrap ring

Opening for packaging

Suction channel

Filling back pressure regulation channel

Filling back pressure control valve

Suction shut-off valve

Filling space

Filling arm shaft

Aseptic chamber pressurization valve

Aseptic chamber pressure gauge

Package pressure gauge

Product foam

The lower pin of the filling arm

Aseptic chamber seals

Bearings in an aseptic chamber

The sealing part of the neck of the package

Filling valve rocker arm

Package pressurization valve

Filling position A

Filling position B

Sterile vestibule

Claims (2)

CLAIMS FOR PROTECTION 1. A filling arm, characterized by the fact that it consists of a filling arm housing (2), a filling arm housing cover (3), a curved path of the filling valve (4), a filling valve (5), a retractable filling needle (6), a filling puller valve (7), product supply channel (8), suction channel (15), filling back pressure control channel (16), back pressure control valve (17), suction closing valve (18) and filling arm shaft (20), while the filling the arm (1) is stored in the aseptic chamber (11) in such a way that the shaft of the filling arm (20) stored in the sterile antechamber (33) and the lower pin of the filling arm (25) pass through the seals of the aseptic chamber (26) and the bearings in the aseptic chamber (27) allow rotary and vertical movement of the filling arm (1). 2. Method of aseptic filling with the device according to claim 1, characterized in that the filling arm (1) is moved over the empty container (10) to position A (31) in a rotational movement and is pressed against the sealing part of the neck of the container (28) in a subsequent vertical movement. , which creates a filling space (19); the packaging space (10) is separated by the filling arm (1) from the aseptic chamber space (11); the filling work cycle begins with the opening of the filling back pressure control valve (17), which sets the desired pressure in the filling space (19), then the extendable filling needle (6) moves vertically downwards into the package (10), the filling valve (5) during the movement of the retractable filling needle (6) through the passage of the rocker of the filling valve (29) along the curved path of the filling valve (4), it opens and starts the process of filling the product (9) into the package (10); the flow of the product (9) into the package (10) causes the volume of the protective atmosphere medium to be pushed out of the filling back pressure control channel (16) through the filling back pressure control valve (17) outside the filling space (19); after reaching the required filling volume of the product (9), the extendable filling needle (6) moves vertically upward to its basic position, while during the movement of the extendable filling needle (6), the filling valve (5) through the passage of the filling valve rocker (29) curves the path of the filling valve (4) closes, and by subsequently opening the valve for repressurizing the package (30), the pressure in the filled package (10) increases through the suction channel (15), which ensures the compression of the foam of the product (24); the filling arm (1) is lifted above the package (10) in a vertical upward movement, thus connecting the package space (10) with the aseptic chamber (11); the pressure in the aseptic chamber (11), which is higher than the pressure of the filled product (9) in the packaging (10), is equalized due to the connection of the packaging (10) with the space of the aseptic chamber (11) and at the same time due to the action of a higher pressure in the aseptic chamber (11) ) any remaining product (9) will be pulled from the sealing part of the neck of the package (28) into the package (10); through the suction channel (15) the remains of the filled product (9), which could have been caught on the retractable filling needle (6) during filling, are sucked out, while the suction is achieved by a sudden pressure change during the pulsed opening and closing of the closing valve of the suction (18) through the suction channel (15); after the suction is finished, the suction shut-off valve (18) closes; with a rotational movement, the filling arm (1) is moved to position B (32) above the empty container (10) and with a subsequent vertical movement, it is pressed against the sealing part of the container neck (28), thereby creating a filling space (19).