Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/16—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus using suction

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for filling depressure-resistant containers with liquids of any kind and of any density, according to the preamble of claim 1.
• US-A-3 175 591 discloses at fig. 5 a dispensing nozzle which, although it avoids said dripping, has the disadvantage of per ⁇ mitting the suction of liquid from the liquid orifice to the vacuum passageway through the interspace between the inner and outer tubular conduits of the nozzle when the nozzle is closed (i.e. when the outer conduit rests against the lower sealing ring) . Neither this nozzle avoids the loss of depressure in the suction circuit during the substitution of the bottle.
• the purpose of the present invention is therefore to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages and to provide an improved appara ⁇ tus to fill depressure-resistant vessels which permits the de ⁇ canting of liquids regardless of the position of the container from which the liquid has to be drawn.
• Principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel apparatus to fill depressure-resistant vessels which:
• a) maintains the desired level of depressure inside the suction circuit also during the waiting periods (i.e. during the substitution of the container to be filled) , b) avoids the dripping and loss of liquid, c) regulates automatically the level of filling inside the vessel to be filled, and d) due to its particular technical features, is highly reliable and safe during use and economically very competitive.
• SUBSTITUTESHEET - fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus
• FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the suction pump
• - fig. 3 is a schematic exploded view of the float provided in the depressure balancing reservoir
• - fig. 4 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the dispensing nozzle
• - fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tap closing the end lower opening of the dispensing nozzle
• - fig. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the means for adjusting the height of the column supporting the dispensing nozzle
• - fig. 7 is a square section of the means of fig. 6,
• - fig. 8 is a longitudinal, enlarged scale section of the dispensing nozzle
• - figs. 9 and 10 are sections of the dispensing nozzle at rest and during the filling phase respectively.
• the apparatus for filling depressure-resistant containers with liquids comprises a supporting structure 1 having a base 2.
• the base 2 includes a substantially flat portion 3 which forms a supporting surface for the container to be filled (for example a bottle).
• the base 2 furthermore defines a body 5 which supports a reservoir 6 in the form of a cylinder closed and sealed at its top by a removable cover 7.
• the cover 7 is provided with an air venting valve having a sealing gasket, the valve being op- eratively connected to a float situated inside the reservoir 6.
• the interior of the reservoir 6 is connected via a conduit 11 with an aspirating pump 12 which is preferably housed inside the body 5 and via a conduit 15 to a dispensing nozzle 20.
• Pump 12 is provided with an intake and a discharge valve, and is preferably a piston pump.
• the dispensing nozzle 20 may be sealingly inserted into the con ⁇ tainer (bottle, can, jar etc.) to be filled 4, as hereafter de-
• the dispensing nozzle 20 is pivotally mounted on a first end of an arm 21, the second end of the arm 21 being pivotally mounted on the top extremity of a column 22.
• the column 22 is supported by the base 2 and its height is ad ⁇ justable.
• Elastic means 23 are provided to push the dispensing nozzle 20 against the opening of the container to be filled 4. These elastic means may be constituted by a spring connected be ⁇ tween the arm 21 and the column 22.
• Column 22 fits telescopically in a block 24 provided on the base 2 and carries a rack 25 which engages a first cogged part 26 of an actuating knob 27 so that the height of the column 22 can be adjusted by rotating the knob 27.
• the knob 27 is further provided with a second cogged part 28 which can be en ⁇ gaged into a corresponding cogged part 29 inside the block 24 by axially pushing the knob 27 toward the block 24. In this position the knob 27 is thus locked against rotation. By pulling the knob 27 in the opposite direction the cogged parts 28 and 29 disconnect from each other and the knob 27 be ⁇ comes free for rotation.
• the dispensing nozzle 20 has a tubular body 30 provided at one extremity with an inlet 31 connected through a conduit 32 to the container to be emptied.
• the other extremity of the tubular body 30 is provided with a lateral delivery outlet 33.
• An aspiration conduit 35 is provided inside the tubular body 30.
• the upper extremity of the aspiration conduit 35 communicates with the reservoir 6 through the conduit 15 and the lower ex ⁇ tremity sealingly penetrates into an axial bore of a cap 36.
• the cap 36 is partially insertable into the lower end opening of the tubular body 30 and sealingly closes this opening while the passageway through the lateral outlet 33 remains free.
• the cap 36 is further provided at its part protruding out of the body 30 with a radial bore 37 which communicates with the conduit 35 and defines an aspiration inlet.
• a tubular sealing sheath 40 is slidably fitted on the tubular body 30.
• the sheath 40 has a frustum-conical portion 41 provided with a frustum-conical sealing gasket 42 to seal against the opening of the container to be filled 4.
• a biasing spring 45 is inserted around the body 30 between the upper base of the frustum-conical portion 41 and the radial sur ⁇ face of a recess provided in a ring 46 screwed on a thread 49 provided on the upper part of body 30.
• the spring 45 pushes the sheath 40 downwards and its tension may be adjusted by screwing and unscrewing the ring 46.
• the cap 36 carries two sealing rings 50 and 51 respectively above and below the aspiration inlet 37 to seal it off when the sheath 40 is slid downwards, such that no communication is pos ⁇ sible between the inlet 37, the delivery outlet 33 and the out ⁇ side.
• a third sealing ring 52 is provided between the outer surface of the body 30 and the inner surface of the sheath 40 in order to avoid the passage of air between said surfaces.
• the third sealing ring is axially fixed in the sheath 40 with a tightening nut 52 at a height corresponding to the frustum-conical part 41.
• the operation of the described apparatus is as follows: firstly the conduit 32 is put into the container to be emptied and, af ⁇ ter having connected the reservoir 6 with the suction pump and the dispensing nozzle 20, the suction pump is switched on. The pump aspirates the air from the reservoir 6 thus causing depres ⁇ sion inside it.
• the sheath 40 closes both the suction inlet 37 and the delivery outlet 33 and the depression generated by the suction pump reaches a constant level.
• the dispensing nozzle 20 is inserted into the neck of the bottle 4.
• the sheath 40 slides upwardly while the spring 45 pushes it toward the neck of the bottle, so that the frustum-conical part 41 seals against the opening of the bottle.
• the sheath 40 In sliding upwards the sheath 40 exposes the suction inlet 37 and the delivery outlet 33 so that the liquid is sucked into the bottle by the depression generated in the bottle through the as ⁇ piration conduits. The liquid flows directly from the container to the bottle.
• the filling of the bottle stops when the liquid inside the bottle 4 reaches the suction inlet 37. At this stage part of the liquid is aspirated and drips into the reservoir 6 thus indicat ⁇ ing that the filling operation is completed.
• the bottle or container 4 is then removed from the dispensing nozzle 20. This causes the sheath 40 to slide downwards driven by the spring 45 and to seal firstly the outlet 33 and then the inlet 37, so that the condi ⁇ tion of depression in the reservoir 6 remains unalterated and the apparatus is immediately ready for further filling op ⁇ erations.
• the sealing of the delivery outlet by the sheath 40 avoids the back-flow of liquid from the bottle 4 to the container to be emptied, so that the liquid remaining in the latter is not made turbid by incidental eddies.

Landscapes

• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
• Supply Of Fluid Materials To The Packaging Location (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11172544

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (4)

• 1990
  • 1990-06-29 IT IT02082090A patent/IT1249032B/it active IP Right Grant
• 1991
  • 1991-06-27 EP EP91912187A patent/EP0535126B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-06-27 ES ES91912187T patent/ES2067943T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-06-27 WO PCT/EP1991/001205 patent/WO1992000239A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1991-06-27 AU AU80549/91A patent/AU8054991A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-06-27 HU HU9204147A patent/HU215019B/hu unknown
  • 1991-06-27 AT AT91912187T patent/ATE113927T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1991-06-27 DE DE69105136T patent/DE69105136T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (4)

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