WO1997032783A1

WO1997032783A1 - Filling pipe for filling packages with liquid

Info

Publication number: WO1997032783A1
Application number: PCT/EP1996/005270
Authority: WO
Inventors: Werner Ludwig
Original assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
Priority date: 1996-03-10
Filing date: 1996-11-28
Publication date: 1997-09-12
Also published as: DE19609102A1; AU1066597A

Abstract

A device for filling packages (11) with liquid comprises a filling pipe (1) with a mouthpiece (2) and valve (3). To ensure reliable discharge from the mouthpiece (2), i.e. to prevent dripping, without having any mechanical parts in the vicinity of the package (11) and to ensure a high flow rate when in operation, it is proposed that the mouthpiece (2) should be designed as a siphon.

Description

FILLING TUBE FOR FILLING LIQUIDS IN PACKAGES

The invention relates to a device for filling plasticizers in packaging and has a filling tube with a mouthpiece and with a valve. Flow agents are primarily liquids, particularly in the food sector, for example milk, water and fruit juices. In the context of the present invention, flow agents are also understood to mean fruit juices with a solids content, that is to say pumpable fluids.

Various devices with mouthpieces and valves are known in practice for filling containers or packaging with liquid foods. In a known device for filling with short filling times, a mouthpiece is immersed under movement in the packaging to be filled and in the already filled product, and then moved up again. In this way, despite high production speed, the aim is to avoid foaming or spraying of the product.

An important problem with these devices is the dripping of the product, which is prevented in known devices by means of a sieve in the mouthpiece in that the surface tension of the product in the sieve holds the weight of the product in the mouthpiece. There are also alternative flexible mouthpieces, for example those made of silicone, which are closed by a negative pressure generated in the filling tube.

In the case of packaging with small filling openings, the diameter of the filling opening limits the diameter of the mouthpiece and the filling tube. In order to obtain a large volume flow, the flow rate of the product must be increased. However, this leads to increased foaming when filling foaming products. Disadvantageously, known mouthpieces used in practical operation are difficult to clean because they normally have to be dismantled and cleaned by hand.

Knowing the above problems, a valve for filling liquids in packaging has already been developed, in which a closure body with a sealing device on the back, which can be brought into engagement with a valve seat, is present in a tubular housing directly on the mouthpiece. As with the known solutions mentioned above, in which a sieve is arranged in the mouthpiece, in the last-mentioned solution a thick outlet plate with numerous, preferably parallel outlet holes is provided instead of the sieve. This Older construction by the applicant avoids relative movements between the packaging to be filled and the mouthpiece, but a closing body is movably arranged directly next to the mouthpiece, ie at a short distance above the outlet plate, and must be actuated from the outside when opening and closing.

The older construction with the outlet plate provided with outlet holes works reliably on the principle of the capillary tube, as has been shown, mainly in static or quasi-stationary operation, i.e. in the area of low flow speeds. If, on the other hand, you want to fill a packaging with the content of four liters in a filling time of only three seconds, then this requires flow rates of the product to be filled, which overwhelm the capillary tube mouthpieces used. Shortcomings occur in the known solutions mainly in the area of leakproofness of the capillary tube mouthpieces.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop a device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that with good leakproofness at the mouthpiece, i.e. Avoidance of undesired dripping, the new device does not provide any mechanically moving parts in the area of the pack to be filled and that a large volume flow is nevertheless possible during operation.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the mouthpiece is designed like a siphon. If the drain-side end of the filling pipe is closed according to the teaching of the invention with such a siphon-like mouthpiece, one can achieve excellent safety against leakage despite the handling of large volume flows and even in particular with low foam formation, without the need for moving parts in the packing area. In addition, the filling device according to the invention is good and easy to clean.

Siphon-like spouts are known per se. On the one hand, they have the function of an odor barrier and, on the other hand, they should enable pouring and leakage. This idea contradicts the solution according to the invention with a security against leakage or dripping. With a filling device according to the invention, a fluid, in particular a liquid, is to flow from a larger container through a filling valve into the filling tube and out of this into a packaging. The filling valve is closed at certain times, and the liquid underneath up to the outlet end of the filling pipe should not flow out in an uncontrolled manner and should not even drip. For this purpose, capillary tube mouthpieces had been developed, which include the above-mentioned ones Show disadvantages. It was therefore unexpected to design a mouthpiece like a siphon and thereby find an even better security against leakage or dripping than with the known mouthpiece designs.

According to the invention, the siphon mouthpiece can be designed as a U-shaped or S-shaped extension of the filling pipe. Such extensions can be designed in one piece with the filling tube or the extension can be attached to the outlet end of the filling tube. The principle is essential that the outlet-side end of the filling pipe is closed by the liquid / fluid to be filled, as is also the case with siphon-like outlets for an odor trap. The end of the filling tube, usually its lower end, is then below the liquid play gel, which is held in the siphon-like mouthpiece, when the liquid inflow is switched off. This prevents the filling pipe from running dry.

In the embodiments specified here, the same siphon principle is always present, so that the outlet cross section of the filling pipe is closed by liquid. When the filling valve is closed, the weight of the water column in the filling pipe creates a negative pressure. As long as no ambient air enters the filling tube from below, the system is in equilibrium when the pressure of the ambient air in the direction of gravity rests on the liquid level in the siphon-like mouthpiece, so that the filling tube is securely sealed as long as the filling valve is not opened .

In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the siphon mouthpiece surrounds the outlet-side end of the filling tube in a cup shape, leaving an annular gap. The siphon principle also applies here, in which the liquid level projects beyond the discharge end of the filling pipe and closes it. In the case of waste water closures under wash basins in the usual bathrooms, the drain-side end of an inner tube is also arranged in a cup-shaped space of an outside tube so that the drain downward through the inner tube always provides an externally rising liquid level so that it is above the outlet end or the lower edge of the filling pipe comes to a standstill. This seals the lower end of the inner inlet pipe. This principle has been adopted by the invention in an unexpected manner in order to prevent the filling pipe from running dry or dripping.

The leakproofness of the siphon mouthpiece according to the invention is increased in comparison with the known capillary tube mouthpieces in that the direction of action of the ambient pressure is reversed and the weight of the liquid column in the siphon changes Compressive force superimposed. The security against leakage when using the teaching according to the invention, the greater the difference in level between the drain-side, lower edge of the filling pipe on the one hand and the siphon-like mouthpiece or the siphon overflow on the other hand. The siphon-like mouthpiece advantageously offers the possibility of reliably filling fruit juices or other liquids with a solid content. Due to the increased leakage security due to the level difference between the lower end of the filling pipe and the siphon overflow, liquids can also be filled reliably that have a low surface tension without fear of the filling pipe leaking.

It is also advantageous according to the invention if the area of the annular gap is larger than the cross-sectional area of the filling tube. The filling device according to the invention works well when the outlet of the siphon mouthpiece is designed so that in cross section the mentioned annular gap between the filling pipe and the cup has at least the same area as the cross section of the filling pipe. However, if the cross-sectional area of the annular gap is larger according to the above characteristic, then foaming products, for example milk, can be filled better. This larger annular gap surface can be designed, for example, by means of a conically widened siphon channel. In the case of the cup-shaped encirclement of the filling tube at the bottom, the cup shape can be flared upwards like a cup or bowl.

If the siphon mouthpiece according to the invention has rounded edges and preferably a circular cross section, the mouthpiece can be cleaned particularly well. Sharp edges and dead water areas or areas in which the flowable product does not flow can simply be eliminated as a result.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if, according to the invention, a tear-off edge is attached in the outlet area of the siphon mouthpiece. With this, a break-off of the liquid flow can be achieved, so that after-running is reliably prevented and thus the reproducible filling accuracy of the device according to the invention is guaranteed.

If, according to another feature according to the invention, the siphon mud is also provided with baffles, then a targeted control of the flow of fluid is evident. Such baffles or baffles allow the packaging to be filled below level, c. they divert the liquid flow downwards and thus prevent foaming of the liquid surface in the packaging.

In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the filling tube is in the lower region closed packing hose, which can be filled with plasticizer, and at the top, at a greater distance from the lower hose end, the filling tube is led out laterally from the packing hose. The valve connected to the filling tube is arranged at a large distance from the mouthpiece. The filling device according to the invention is particularly suitable for the filling of tubular bag packaging in which the lower and already liquid-tightly sealed end of the packing tube hangs vertically, while the filling tube is inserted into the tube in a manner known per se in a manner known per se and extends down to the area of the lowest pack section. The slot for laterally leading out the filling tube is approximately 2-6 packs, preferably by the height of 3-5 packs, above the lower edge of the bottom pack of the hose. The product is now filled into the packing tube, while the siphon-like mouthpiece reaches below the product. It has already been explained at the beginning that the filling valve can be connected far away from the mouthpiece when used according to the present invention. The distance or distance from the mouthpiece can be set to two to ten times the height of a tubular bag pack.

Due to the siphon-like design of the mouthpiece according to the invention, foaming can be considerably reduced during filling. Foaming of liquids always occurs when a high-speed liquid flow comes into contact with a gas phase of different speeds, i.e. if there is friction between the liquid surface and the gas phase. The foam formation is stronger the greater the speed differences between the two phases. With filling systems, high liquid speeds always occur when opening and closing the filling valves. If these valve openings are located directly at the end of the filling pipe so that the valve openings are in contact with the ambient air, there is increased foaming when the valves are opened and closed. According to the invention, this disadvantage is avoided, however, because the filling valve is arranged in the manner described above at a large distance from the siphon-like mouthpiece, so that the speed profile of the flow can be balanced again until the mouthpiece is reached.

The arrangement of the filling valve for flow control in the filling tube far away from the mouthpiece advantageously ensures that there are no moving parts in the filling tube in the packing area. The valve mentioned or other valves are located outside the material web and easily accessible for maintenance work. All of this is achieved by closing the filling tube at the bottom with the leak-proof mouthpiece according to the invention. Taking into account the teaching according to the invention, the person skilled in the art recognizes that such a filling tube can be produced inexpensively, since obviously no seals or wearing parts are required in the mouthpiece.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 shows schematically a cross-sectional view of a tubular bag making machine with filling tube and mouthpiece, Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the mouthpiece, with the

Valve is omitted, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1.

A sheet 4 of plastic material is laid twice so that the design shown in dashed lines in Figure 1 results. Along the vertical left line, the plastic material is folded and closed in a V-shape, while on the opposite side it is open like a slot. The material web 4 is fed vertically from top to bottom approximately in the direction of the arrow 5. Cross and longitudinal sealing stations are omitted here because they are known to the person skilled in the art. The material web 4 is open along the right vertical, dashed line from top to bottom up to the point 6. Below this, the material web is closed with a longitudinal sealing seam. In addition, a transverse sealing seam 7 is introduced in the lower region of the material web 4, through which the packing tube 4 is closed in a liquid-tight manner at the bottom.

The filling tube, generally designated 1, protrudes from above and outside the packing tube 4 through its slot-like open top into the interior of the packing tube 4 and downwards to about the lower transverse sealing seam 7 of the packing tube 4. At the upper end of the filling tube 1 is a valve 3 connected, which is fed from above via a feed line 8 with the product to be filled (liquid or fruit juice with fruit pulp). It is understood that when the valve 3 is opened, the product called "liquid" flows down to the outlet-side end 9 of the filling tube 1. From this outlet-side end 9 of the filling tube 1, the liquid flows in the cup-shaped, siphon-type mouthpiece 2, deflected upward, through the annular gap 10 upwards and into the liquid-tightly sealed interior of the packing tube 4 above its lower end. This space later results in a package after the package tube 4 has been pulled vertically downward over the filling tube 1 by the height H of a package in the direction of the arrow 5. The height H of such a package 11 results from the distance of the lower transverse sealing seam 7 from the upper one and, in FIG. 1, already Cross seal seam T. shown in dashed lines

The siphon-like mouthpiece 2 surrounds the outlet-side end 9 of the filling tube 1, leaving the mentioned annular gap 10, the area of which is evidently smaller in the embodiment of FIG. 1 than in the embodiment of FIG. 2. In the latter, the siphon mouthpiece 2 is widened in a shell-like manner designed. It is advantageous if the overflow edge 12 of the siphon mouthpiece 2 is rounded.

FIG. 1 also shows the large distance between the lower end 7 of the packing tube 4 and the point 6 from which the slot in the packing tube begins. The outlet 3 of the filling tube 1 from the packing tube 4 is already just above the point 6, where the slit of the tube 4 begins. At a further distance from this outlet location θ, the valve 3 is connected to the filling tube 1, which valve is thus arranged far away from the mouthpiece 2 , about 8 H.

Due to the cup-shaped design of the siphon mouthpiece 2, it takes up little space, so that the new mouthpiece 2 can also be fitted in the space of the material tube or packing tube 4.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the valve 3 is omitted, a feed line 8 being connected to the filling pipe 1 via the flange 13.

In FIG. 3, one looks into the annular gap 10 between the filling pipe 1 arranged on the inside with the outlet-side end 9 on the one hand and the siphon mouthpiece 2 on the outside on the other.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Device for filling plasticizers in packaging (11), with a filling tube (1) with a mouthpiece (2) and with a valve (3), characterized in that the mouthpiece (2) is designed siphon-like.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the siphon mouthpiece (2) is designed as a U- or S-shaped extension of the filling tube (1).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the siphon mouthpiece (2) surrounds the outlet end (9) of the filling tube (1) while leaving an annular gap (10) in a cup shape.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cup-shaped siphon mouthpiece (2) is flared.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the area of the annular gap (10) is larger than the cross-sectional area of the filling tube (1).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the siphon mouthpiece (2) has rounded edges (12) and preferably circular cross section.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a tear-off edge is attached in the outlet region of the siphon mouthpiece (2)

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the siphon mouthpiece (2) is provided with baffles.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the filling tube (1) is arranged in a in the lower region (at 7) closed, can be filled with flow agent Packungs¬ hose (4) and above at a greater distance (6 - 7) is led laterally out of the packing tube (4) from the lower tube end (7) and the valve (3) connected to the filling tube (1) is arranged at a large distance from the mouthpiece (2) is.

10. Use of the device according to one of claims 1 to 8 for the filling of fruit juices or other liquids with solids content.

11. Use of the device according to one of claims 1 to 9 for filling Seh lauchbe ute Ipackungen.