WO2009004501A1

WO2009004501A1 - Filling machine

Info

Publication number: WO2009004501A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/051151
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco Botti; Luca Reggiani
Original assignee: Sbc Bottling & Canning S.P.A.
Priority date: 2007-07-04
Filing date: 2008-03-27
Publication date: 2009-01-08
Also published as: RU2456228C2; RU2010103668A; ITPR20070053A1; EP2164792A1

Abstract

A filling machine is provided with a plurality of filling valves (1), each of which comprises a shutter (2), movable between an open position and a closed position of the valve (1), a pneumatic valve (3) connected to the shutter (2) to actuate it, an electrical valve (4) connected to the pneumatic valve (3) to operate it, a valve body (11), containing within it the pneumatic valve (3) and the corresponding electrical valve (4), and a protective layer (12) inserted in a gap between the valve body (11) and said pneumatic valve (3) and electrical valve (4), constituted for example by a polymer injected into said gap. In known filling machines, provided with filling valves comprising pneumatic valves operated by electrical valves, the electrical valves are positioned in appropriate banks outside the filling valves, because of temperature and humidity problems; this entails hygiene problems and requires higher installation and operating costs, because of the complication due to the tangle of electrical cables and tubes projecting out of the filling valves.

Description

FILLING MACHINE

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND ART.

The present invention relates to a machine for filling containers provided with a plurality of filling valves.

In particular, in the filling machine whereto the present invention is referred each filling valve comprises a pneumatic valve, connected to a shutter to actuate it from an open position to a closed position of the valve and vice versa, and an electrical valve connected to the pneumatic valve to operate it.

Said filling valve are used to introduce into the bottles a treatment fluid, e.g. a filling liquid, or nitrogen or carbon dioxide. According to known solutions, the filling machine comprises an electric manifold and a bank of electrical valves connected to the electric manifold.

The electric valves are connected by means of electrical wires to the pneumatic valves, each of which is inserted within a valve body of a corresponding filling valve. Note that the pneumatic valves, having to be inserted into the corresponding filling valves to actuate the shutters, operate at high temperatures, in the order of 100⁰C.

On the contrary, the electrical valves, because of heat and humidity problems, are positioned in banks separate from the pneumatic valves and connected thereto with tubes and cables. The electrical valves normally have maximum operating temperatures of about 55°C; moreover, the electrical valves are easily subject to oxidation phenomena, which are definitely undesirable in a filling machine, due to hygiene-related problems.

Therefore, the electrical valves are positioned externally to the filling valves, to prevent them from being damaged by the humidity and high temperatures present within the filling valves. However, said solutions present some drawbacks. In the first place, said solutions require the use of a large number of electrical connection cables and of pneumatic tubes around the filling machine. The presence of a tangle of cables and tubes causes the presence of particularly dirty areas, hard to clean, and it makes maintenance operations on the machine difficult.

Moreover, said systems are particularly costly and complicated and require many hours of assembly. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks and make available a filling machine with filling valves commanded by pneumatic valves, which in turn are actuated by electrical valves, that is particularly simple and economical to install and to operate.

Said object is fully achieved by the filling machine of the present invention, which is characterised by the content of the appended claims and in particular in that each filling valve comprises, in combination: - a valve body containing in its interior the pneumatic valve and the corresponding electrical valve; - a protective layer inserted in a gap between the valve body and the block constituted by said pneumatic valve and electrical valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.

This and other characteristics shall become more readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated purely by way of non limiting example in the accompanying drawing tables, in which:

- figure 1 shows a filling valve of a filling machine according to the present invention; - figure 2 shows a function diagram of the filling machine of the present invention.

BESTMODEFORCARRYING OUT THE INVENTION.

In the figures, the reference number 1 designates a filling valve in a filling machine according to the present invention. The filling machine in its entirety is to illustrated, because it is known; it comprises a plurality of filling valves 1, e.g. positioned in a carrousel.

The filling valves 1 serve the purpose of introducing into containers fluids of various kinds, depending on the needs, e.g. a filling fluid, or nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Each filling valve 1 comprises

- a shutter 2 movable between an open position and a closed position of the valve 1;

- a pneumatic valve 3 connected to the shutter 2 to actuate it from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. In this light, the shutter 2 is movable between the open position, the closed position and an intermediate position between the open and the closed position, to enable a throttling of the flow of fluid delivered by the valve 1, according to a technique.

Alternatively, the shutter 2 can be movable with continuity between the open position and the closed position.

The modes of actuation of the shutter 2 depend, according to substantially known techniques, on the conformation of the pneumatic valve 3 and on its interaction with the shutter 2. In any case, the filling machine 1 comprises, for each filling valve 1, an electrical valve 4 operatively connected to the corresponding pneumatic valve 3 to operate it.

The electrical valve 4 and the pneumatic valve 3 are preferably connected to each other in such a way as to be integral with each other. The electrical valve 4 is able to operate at high temperatures, in particular higher than 100⁰C. In this light, the electrical valve is preferably of the type for high temperatures.

In the figures, the reference number 5 designates an intake conduit, to connect the pneumatic valve 3 to a source 6 of compressed air; the reference number 7 designates a delivery conduit, through which the pneumatic valve 3 actuates a piston 8, to move the shutter 2 from the open position to the closed position. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the filling valve 1 comprises a spring 9 positioned in such a way as to exert a thrust on the piston 8 towards the open position of the shutter 2. The reference number 10 designates a conduit for the discharge of the air, for evacuating air from the pneumatic valve 3.

Note that the pneumatic valve 3 and the piston 8 (and the spring 9, when it is present) are contained in a valve body 11.

In each filling valve 1, originally, the electrical valve 4 is contained within the valve body 11 , together with the pneumatic valve 3.

Moreover, each filling valve 1 comprises, originally, a protective layer

12 inserted in a gap between the valve body 11 and the pneumatic valve

3 and the electrical valve 4.

The pneumatic valve 3 and the electrical valve 4 constitute a single block, so the protective layer 12 is applied onto an external surface of the block constituted by the pneumatic valve 3 and by the electrical valve 4.

Said protective layer 12 is preferably constituted by a polymer introduced into said gap, e.g. resin or polyurethane foam or silicone.

Note that said polymer is introduced into the gap preferably by means of an injection step.

The protective layer 12 constitutes a hermetically sealing lid for the pneumatic valve 3 and the electrical valve 4, enabling, advantageously, a protection of the electrical valve 4 against possible oxidation, preventing infiltrations of humidity and of air. Moreover, the machine 1 comprises a control unit 13, constituted for example by a PLC, interfaced with the electrical valves 4 to control them.

The control unit 13 is preferably connected to all the electrical valves 4 of the corresponding filling valves 1, so that the electrical valves 4 are mutually interconnected. The machine 1 also comprises, for each electrical valve 4, a communication board 14, for the interfacing (or the communication) of the corresponding electrical valve 4 with the control unit 13.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, each communication board 14, originally, is contained within the valve body 11. Preferably, each communication board 14 is contained within the protective layer 12; therefore, it is separated from the valve body 11 by the protective layer

12.

With regard to the connection between the communication boards 14 and the control unit 13, the present invention originally provides for the use of shielded cables 15.

Therefore, all connecting cables that project from the valve bodies 11 of the filling valves 1 are shielded cables.

Moreover, in the filling machine according to the present invention, originally, each electrical valve 4 is connected, through the respective communication board 14, with the control unit 13 by means of a single shielded cable.

This allows considerably to simplify the machine 1, both with regard to its installation and its ordinary operation or management. Therefore, the present invention makes available, advantageously, a filling machine that is particularly simple and economical both with regard to installation and maintenance, because it comprises a minimal number of electrical cables for the operation of the electrical valves.

Moreover, the filling machine according to the present invention is particularly hygienic and reliable, because the electrical valves are protected against possible oxidation.

Claims

1. Filling machine provided with a plurality of filling valves (1), each of which comprises:

- a shutter (2) movable between an open position and a closed position of 5 the valve (1);

- a pneumatic valve (3) connected to the shutter (2) to actuate it;

- an electrical valve (4) connected to the pneumatic valve (3) to operate it, characterised in that each filling valve (1) comprises, in combination:o - a valve body (11) containing in its interior the pneumatic valve (3) and the corresponding electrical valve (4);

- a protective layer (12) inserted in a gap between the valve body (11) and said pneumatic valve (3) and electrical valve (4).

2. Filling machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protectives layer (12) is constituted by a polymer injected into said gap.

3. Filling machine as claimed in claim 1, having a control unit (13) connected to all the electrical valves (4) of the corresponding filling valves (1).

4. Filling machine as claimed in claim 3, comprising, for each filling0 valve (4), a communication board (4), interconnected between the control unit (13) and the corresponding electrical valve (4), said communication board (14) being contained within the valve body (11) and being separated from the valve body itself by the protective layer (12). s

5. Filling machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein each communication board (14) is operatively connected to the other communication boards and to the control unit (13) by means of shielded cables (15).

6. Filling machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein each communication board (14) is connected to the control unit (13) by means of only one shielded cable (15).

7. Filling machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said polymer is a resin.