EP2141115A1 - Device for filling viscous media - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus (1) has a filling element (2) that is introduced into a mouth of a container (10) to be filled. A filling body of the filling element is configured such that liquid medium is directed onto a wall of the container. A connecting line (8) conveys the liquid medium from a reservoir (52) to the container. The filling element is movable relative to the container in a longitudinal direction (L) of the container. A guide device (20) guides the movement of the filling element. A valve device (12) is arranged in the connecting line between the reservoir and the container. An independent claim is also included for a method for filling a container with liquid medium i.e. viscous medium.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for filling containers with liquid and in particular with viscous media. Different devices for filling containers are known from the prior art. In particular, devices are known with which viscous media such as mustard, tomato ketchup and the like are filled. In such devices, a load cell or a weighing device is often provided, which measures the weight of the filled container. It is also known that in filling systems with a filling tube in which this filling tube dips into the container to be filled, usually the bottles are raised relative to the height-fixed filling valve to effect the immersion. However, if load cells are provided, this is disadvantageous, since during the lifting movement of the load cell, including the bottle thereon, strong vibrations occur which interfere with the measurement or the taring. In such cases, the filling process can only begin when the vibrations are over and the weighing device is balanced. The medium to be filled is in particular a foodstuff.

From the WO 02/098785 Such a filling system is known. The container during the filling process including the load cell is again withdrawn from a long filling tube to maintain a constant distance between the Füllrohrspitze and a liquid level.

From the EP 1 623 952 is a relative movement between the bottle and the filling tube is known, in which case the bottle to be filled is moved and wherein a lower-layer filling of the product without too much wetting of the Füllrohraußenseite is to be achieved with the product.

The DE 3727866 A1 discloses a weight-actuated filling system of the rotation type. In this design, a filling tube is changed in its height adjustment, but this device is not suitable in particular for viscous media, since in this device a free-jet filler tube is provided, which thus generates a turbulent filling with a high oxygen absorption. Furthermore, the describes DE 3727866 a very complicated lifting mechanism for the filling tube, in which the filling tube and a support, a filling valve and a longer pipe is moved. In this way, a precise insertion of the filling tube into the container is hardly possible, in particular, since due to the nowadays usual high machine performance and the strokes must go very quickly from equip.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a device for filling containers with in particular viscous media available, which allows a precise filling process. In addition, a mechanically simple and therefore cost-effective embodiment is to be made available. This object is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1 and a method according to claim 14. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

An inventive device for filling containers with liquid and especially viscous Media has a filling element which is at least partially insertable into an orifice of the container to be filled. In this case, a filler of this filling element is designed such that the medium is at least directed to a wall of the container. Furthermore, a connecting line is provided to direct the liquid medium from a reservoir for the liquid medium to the container, wherein the filling element in a longitudinal direction of the container relative to the container is movable. According to the invention, the filling element is movable in the longitudinal direction of the container. The container itself is preferably not moved during the filling process in its longitudinal direction.

Thus, a device is provided which allows a precise filling in particular viscous media, at the same time the insertion of the filling element into the container is very precisely controlled. Furthermore, the weighing process can be carried out precisely.

Preferably, the device has a valve device, which is arranged in the partially flexible connecting line between the reservoir and the container. This valve device is preferably a filling valve.

Preferably, the device has a weight measuring device which determines the weight of the container to be filled. In particular, the weight during the actual filling process is determined. By the device according to the invention can thus the advantages of a load cell filler with the simultaneous use of a plunging into the container filling tube be exploited. Thus, the device according to the invention is particularly suitable for filling viscous media. Due to the mobility of the filling element, vibrations do not influence the weight measurement. Furthermore, it is also not necessary to provide lifting elements under the receptacle for the containers, resulting in a simplified structure.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a movement amplitude of the valve device during the movement of the filling element in the longitudinal direction of the container is less than a movement amplitude of the filling element itself. In this way it is achieved that as few elements of the device are moved too much. The maximum necessary amplitude is defined in particular by the movement of the filling element itself. The upstream with respect to the liquid medium arranged devices, in particular the filling valve and the connecting line must be moved to the opposite only less.

However, it would also be possible for the filling element to be moved in the same way or with the same amplitude as the valve device. In this case, preferably both elements perform a purely translational movement in the longitudinal direction of the container.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a guide device for guiding the movement of the filling element and this guide device is arranged between the valve device and the container or closer to the container than to the valve device. This makes it possible, in particular, to guide the filling element particularly precisely, in particular along a substantially exact straight line. In this way, a very fast and precise insertion of the filling element is also possible in containers with a small mouth cross-section.

Preferably, the guide means comprises a guide rod which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container. It could also be provided a plurality of guide rods, which extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container. Also, these guide rods are preferably arranged close to the container or close to the longitudinal direction of the container, so that a particularly precise guidance is possible. Advantageously, the guide rod is arranged above or below the container and extends in the longitudinal direction of the containers.

Preferably, the guide device or a part thereof is movable by means of a guide curve in the longitudinal direction of the container. With such a guide curve very precise height differences and thus height adjustments can be achieved.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the filling body is designed such that a portion of the medium passes directly from the filling body to a bottom region of the container. In this way, a particularly oxygen-poor filling by filling both on the bottle wall along in combination with a central product jet is possible. This central product jet achieves the formation of hollow or air chambers within the viscous product to be filled. In this way, in turn, the oxygen uptake within the product can be reduced.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the filling body has a plurality of openings which direct the medium both to a wall and to a bottom region of the container. In this way, as described above, a particularly oxygen-poor filling without the formation of voids in the filling product is possible.

Preferably, a portion of the connecting line is designed to be flexible. In particular, this is a section which is arranged upstream or upstream with respect to the above-mentioned valve. This flexible portion allows movement of the filling element, while also the filling valve is moved with a smaller amplitude than the filling element.

Preferably, the filler body is movable only in a region which is small compared to the longitudinal orientation of the container. Particularly preferably, the area is sufficient so that the end of the filling body is introduced through the mouth in a region of the container which lies directly below the mouth, for example in the region of a bottle shoulder. For a minimum lifting movement is provided, which in turn results in a low design effort for the entire system.

Furthermore, the device particularly preferably allows different filling speeds in order to achieve an exact filling quantity. For example, it is possible to provide a plurality of valve units which allow these different filling speeds. The valve device may, however, in particular, not exclusively be a diaphragm valve. Another diaphragm valve can be used for another filling speed may be provided. This also makes it possible to control the flow rate of the product.

It is thus a combination of a weighing filler allows with a submerged filling tube, wherein the container to be filled under the filling valve is preferably centered by molded parts or a neck handling clamp is held. The above-mentioned filling valve and thus the filling element is lowered until the filling tube or the filling body just so far immersed in the container that can be filled bubble-free over the container wall with the lateral outlets of the filling body.

The container stands, without being lifted, on the weight measuring device with which the filling weight is determined. The above-mentioned valve devices such as double diaphragm valves allow up to 3 different filling speeds, whereby in particular the filling speed in the critical bottleneck region can be optimally selected. Through the diaphragm valve, a very simple Füllventilaufbau is possible because in the product path no valve rod with valve cone with a corresponding seal the axial movement, such as by a bellows, must be used.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the weight measuring device is arranged directly below the container. Also in this way a very precise weight measurement is possible.

The present invention is further directed to an arrangement for filling containers with a particular directed to viscous medium, said arrangement having a reservoir for the liquid medium and a plurality of devices of the type described above.

The present invention is further directed to a method for filling containers with liquid and in particular viscous media, wherein a filling element is introduced through an opening of the container into the container and the medium is directed starting from a filler of the filling element on a wall of the container and the medium is passed via a connecting line from a reservoir to a filling body and wherein before and after the filling operation, the filling element is moved relative to the container in a longitudinal direction of the container. According to the filling element is moved in the longitudinal direction of the container before and after the filling process and the container itself is not moved in this longitudinal direction. It would also be possible to move the filler element during the filling process.

Also by the method according to the invention a particularly precise filling of containers with viscous media is possible.

In a preferred method, the filling element is moved by means of a guide device, on which preferably the filling element is arranged. Thus, exactly the component to be moved, namely the filling element is moved and in this way it is particularly possible to perform this movement very precisely.

Further advantages of the embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1

eine teilweise Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Anordnung zum Befüllen
von Behältnissen mit zähflüssigen Medien;

Fig. 2

eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung zum Befüllen von Behältnissen mit dem
zähflüssigen Medium einer ersten Ausführungsform;

Fig. 3

eine Vorrichtung zum Befüllen von Behältnissen mit einem zähflüssigen Medi
um in einer weiteren Ausführungsform; und

Fig. 4

zwei Darstellungen eines erfindungsgemäßen Füllelements.

Show:

Fig. 1

a partial representation of an inventive arrangement for filling
of containers with viscous media;

Fig. 2

an inventive device for filling containers with the
viscous medium of a first embodiment;

Fig. 3

a device for filling containers with a viscous Medi
in another embodiment; and

Fig. 4

two representations of a filling element according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an assembly 50 for filling containers 10. These are containers 10, in which a viscous medium to be filled. The arrangement has a reservoir 52 in which the medium to be filled is arranged. About a connecting line, of which only one upper part 8 can be seen here, the medium passes to a plurality of filling elements 2, which respectively protrude into an opening of the containers 10 during the filling process. In this case, the reference numeral 20 refers in its entirety to guide means which move the individual filling elements 2 in the longitudinal direction L in order to initiate the filling process.

The guide device 20 has guide rods 26 along which a guide body 28 in the longitudinal direction L is displaceable. The reference numeral 27 refers to a roller which is rotatably mounted about a bolt, said roller 27 with a (not shown) guide cam 16 cooperates to effect the longitudinal movement of the filling elements 2. The reference numeral 12 refers to a valve device within the connecting line. The reference numeral 54 refers to a carrier on which the devices 1 are arranged to be conveyed along a circular path. This carrier thus forms part of a transport device, not shown in its entirety, for transporting the devices 1 and thus also the containers 10.

FIG. 2 shows a device according to the invention in a first embodiment. It can be seen here that the connecting line has two sections 8 and 18, wherein the upper section 8 is designed to be flexible and is connected to the section 18 via a flange 9. By means of this flexible section 8, a longitudinal movement of the filling element 2 in the longitudinal direction L is made possible.

More specifically, the guide body 28 is moved in the longitudinal direction L, and thus the elastic portion 8 of the connection line bends. Thus, the valve element 12 moves with a lower amplitude than the guide body 28. With the help of the curved path or guide curve 16 and a very precise longitudinal movement is possible.

The reference numeral 25 denotes a roller bolt about which the roller 27 is rotatably arranged. With a flange 32, the connector 18 is fixed to the guide body 28. Opposite the rod 26, the guide body 28 and thus also the filling element to be moved. In general, the valve body 12 is connected to the product container 52 by means of a movable element (cf. FIG. 1 ), as here an elastic hose.

In the embodiment shown here, the valve body is moved by means of a lifting cam or guide cam 16, but it would also be possible to use a pneumatic cylinder for the lifting movement. The movable valve may be attached to an automatic CIP cap 35. However, it would also be possible to make this CIP cap manually usable.

Reference numeral 40 refers to an actuator which is connected to the CIP cap 35 via a rod 42 to pivot it. More specifically, the CIP cap 35 can be slid below the end of the filling member 2 to cover it. Lifting elements may be provided on a CIP automatic 15 in order to press the CIP cap 35 from below onto the filling element.

Furthermore, a further guide curve can be provided, which actuates the actuating elements 40, for example in FIG Fig. 1 pushes outward to pivot the CIP caps 35. When the CIP cap 35 is closed, internal cleaning of the filling element and of the connecting lines 8, 18 is possible.

With the help of the filling element 2 or a filling of this filling element 2 described in more detail below, which is then introduced into the mouth 10 a of the container, it is possible to wet both the side walls 10 b and the bottom portion 10 c with the product. That's the way it is it is possible to deliver the product from the container 52 to the valve 12 via a static pressure or with a slight overpressure in the range of 0.05 to 0.8 bar.

The reference numeral 30 refers to a load cell, which is arranged below the container and also determines its weight during the filling process. The reference numeral 15 refers, as mentioned above, to the CIP automatic, which is arranged on a receiving plate 19. A suspension device biases the filling element 2 in a specific direction, for example downwards or into its lower operating position.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention for filling containers. In this embodiment, 2 valves 12, 17 are provided, which allow additional filling speeds. In general, the container 10 to be filled is kept centered below the filling element, with format parts or neck handling clips being used for this purpose. In this embodiment, the two valves may be diaphragm valves and preferably provided side by side in the conduit 18 so that the flow area is in three stages (both valves open, the first valve open, the second valve closed, the first valve closed, the second valve open) is controllable. The lines 8 and 18 have here corresponding to a slightly larger cross section than the sum of the cross sections of the two line sections within the diaphragm valves in the in Fig. 2 shown embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows two views of a filling element according to the invention 2. This filling element 2 has at its lower end to a packing 4, which here has a central opening 22 and four lateral or oblique openings 24. Via the central opening 22, the product is led directly to the bottom of the container whereas the oblique openings 24 cause wetting of the container inner wall. In this case, the entire filling valve is lowered until the filling body 4 just as far dips into the bottle that can be filled with the side openings or outlets 24 of the filling body bubble-free over the container inner wall. The additional axial opening 22 shown in the filling body allows an additional product jet directly onto the container bottom 10c (cf. Fig. 2, 3rd ) too.

In this way it is prevented that the highly viscous product encloses air when it comes together at the bottom of the container. For example, as mentioned above, this is helpful for ketchup because the oxygen in the bubbles would react with the product and cause black discoloration of the product.

In this case, during the filling process, the container stands without being lifted on the weight measuring device 30, with which the filling weight is determined. By the above-mentioned double diaphragm valve 12 up to three filling speeds are possible, the filling speed can be optimally selected in the critical bottleneck area.

All disclosed in the application documents features are claimed as essential to the invention, provided they individually or in combination with the prior art are new.

Claims (14)

Device (1) for filling containers with liquid and in particular with viscous media, with a filling element (2) which at least partially into an opening (10a) of the container to be filled (10) can be inserted, wherein a filling body (4) of this filling element (2) is configured such that the medium is at least also directed to a wall (10b) of the container (10), with a connecting line (8, 18) to the liquid medium from a reservoir (52) for the liquid medium the container (10) to be guided, wherein the filling element (2) in a longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10) relative to the container (10) is movable,
characterized in that
the filling element (2) is movable in the longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the device (1) has a valve device (12) which is arranged in the connecting line (8, 18) between the reservoir (52) and the container (10). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims
characterized in that
the device (1) has a weight measuring device (30) which determines the weight of the object to be filled Container (10) determined. Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims 2 - 3
characterized in that
the device (1) has a guide device (20) for guiding the movement of the filling element (2), and this guide device (20) is arranged between the valve device (12) and the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 4,
characterized in that
the guide device (20) has a guide rod (26) which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 5
characterized in that
the guide means by means of a guide cam (16) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10) is movable. Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the filler (4) is designed such that a portion of the medium passes directly from the filler to a bottom portion (10c) of the container (10). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the filling body has a plurality of openings (22, 24) which direct the medium both to a wall (10b) and to a bottom area (10c) of the container (10). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a portion (8) of the connecting line (8, 18) is flexible. Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the filler (2) is movable only in a range which is small compared to the longitudinal extent of the container (10). Device (1) according to claim 3,
characterized in that
the weight measuring device (30) is arranged directly below the container (10). Arrangement (50) for filling containers (10) with a liquid medium, with a reservoir (52) for the liquid medium and with a plurality of devices (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims 1-12. Method for filling containers (10) with a liquid and in particular viscous medium, wherein a filling element (2) is introduced into the container (10) through an opening (10a) of the container (10) and the medium, starting from a filling body (4) of the filling element (2), is directed onto a wall (10b) of the container (10) and the medium is conducted from a reservoir to the filling body (4) via a connecting line (8, 18) and wherein, during the filling operation, the filling element (2) is moved relative to the container (10) in a longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10),
characterized in that
during the filling operation, the filling element (2) is moved in the longitudinal direction (L) of the container (10) and the container (10) is not moved in this longitudinal direction (L). Method according to claim 13,
characterized in that
the filling element is moved by means of a guide device (20) which is arranged on the filling element (2).

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