EP2665676B1 - Filling element comprising a spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly, and method for cleaning machine elements - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a filling element designed as a filling machine container treatment machine according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a method for cleaning and / or sterilizing machine elements on container cleaning machines according to the preamble of claim 13. Container handling machines, especially in their training as filling machines for filling bottles or The same containers with a liquid product, are known in different versions, especially in a rotating design with a rotatable around a vertical axis machine rotor, at the periphery of several container treatment positions, for example in the form of filling positions, each with at least one treatment head, for example in the form of a filling element for the controlled delivery of the liquid filling material in the respective container and with a container carrier for holding the respective container are provided.

It is also known in particular in filling machines of rotating design, which are used for pressure filling of the container and in which the container after passing to a filling position initially rinsed on a clamping zone forming an angular range of rotation of the rotor with a suitable inert gas and then biased to a filling pressure be provided along this clamping zone at the periphery of the rotor and with this not co-rotating at least one clamping zone lining. This seals off the clamping zone from the surroundings of the filling machine to the extent that splinters or shards of containers that break or burst during pretensioning on the filling pressure can not escape into the environment. Furthermore, the tension zone lining prevents in particular also by transverse ribs, which are provided on the inside of the lining facing the rotor, from a filling position to a shard flight adjacent filling positions and thus, among other things, an entry of splinters or broken pieces in the open container. A cleaning of such a clamping zone cover has been extremely expensive. This also applies to the removal of product residues that reach the inner surface of the clamping zone lining, for example when bursting containers that are at least partially filled with the product, and (product residues) contaminate not only the winding inner surfaces of the clamping zone cladding, but after a short time cause mold growth.

EP 0 408 851 discloses a filling element according to the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the invention is to provide means that allows a simplified cleaning, especially automatic and mechanical cleaning of such clamping zone panels or other provided on the periphery of a rotating rotor and not mitbewegter rotor with this machine elements or panels.

To solve this problem, a filling element for use in a filling machine of rotating design is designed according to claim 1. A filling machine is the subject of claim 4.

A method for cleaning and / or disinfecting provided on the periphery of a rotating rotor of a filling machine, not moving with the rotor machine elements is the subject of claim 13.

With the invention, an automatic or mechanical cleaning of arranged at the periphery of the rotor of a container treatment machine machine elements is possible, via at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly which is provided on the rotor with this circumferentially and on the controlled a preferably liquid cleaning and / Disinfecting medium is then applied when this moves at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly on the machine element, for example on the panel or Spannzonenverkleidung.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement is provided on a filling element. As a result, an automatic or mechanical cleaning of the clamping zone lining or another provided on the periphery of the rotor machine element is possible even in a design of the filling machine, in which the treatment heads are provided in high packing density close together on the rotor, in particular also container treatment machines, in which between The individual treatment positions and thereby also between the individual treatment heads on the rotor partitions or dividers are provided to shield each other adjacent treatment positions. In principle, the invention also provides the possibility of providing at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement within the filling element, which is formed by the filling elements following one another on the rotor, between two adjacent filling elements. In any case, the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement is arranged and oriented so that the best possible cleaning of the machine element, for example, the clamping zone lining is achieved on the rotor surface facing.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control of the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement by the machine control (control computer) of the filling machine and using in particular also cooperates with this control, the respective rotational position of the rotor detecting sensor. This makes it possible to control the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle without additional control effort so that the application of the respective cleaning medium actually only takes place when the spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly to be cleaned and / or disinfected area, ie in the so-called spray angle located.

Further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

in schematischer Darstellung und in Draufsicht eine Füllmaschine umlaufender Bauart gemäß der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

in vergrößerter schematischer Darstellung eine Teilansicht des Rotors der Füllmaschine der Figur 1 zusammen mit einem Füllelement und einer Behandlungs- oder Spritzdüse zum Behandeln eines Maschinenelementes in Form einer Spannzonenverkleidung;

Fig. 3 und 4

Darstellung wie Figuren 1 und 2 bei einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

Fig. 5

eine Darstellung ähnlich Figur 5 bei einer Behandlung der Spannzonenverkleidung während einer CIP-Reinigung der Füllmaschine.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of exemplary embodiments. Show it.

Fig. 1

in a schematic representation and in plan view of a filling machine of the rotary type according to the invention;

Fig. 2

in an enlarged schematic representation of a partial view of the rotor of the filling machine of FIG. 1 together with a filling element and a treatment or spray nozzle for treating a machine element in the form of a clamping zone lining;

3 and 4

Representation like FIGS. 1 and 2 in another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5

a representation similar FIG. 5 during a treatment of the clamping zone lining during a CIP cleaning of the filling machine.

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 1 is a continuous type filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers 2 for filling bottles 2 under pressure with a liquid product. The filling machine 1 consists essentially of a rotor 3 which is rotatable about a vertical machine axis MA in the direction of the arrow A, on the circumference of which several filling elements 4 and a container carrier 5 having filling positions are formed, to which the empty containers conveyed via an external conveyor 8 2 fed via a container inlet 9 and which the filled containers 2 are removed at a container outlet 10 for forwarding to an outer conveyor 11. On the rotor 3, the common for all filling elements 4 ring boiler 12 is arranged in a known manner.

The filling elements consist in known manner inter alia of a housing 4.1 and a trained in this housing liquid channel 4.2, which has a discharge opening for the controlled discharge of the filling material in the container 2 during filling.

A filling element 4 or a few filling elements 4 are provided with at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement 13 on their outer axis relative to the vertical machine axis MA, specifically for the controlled discharge of cleaning and treatment liquids onto the inner surface of machine elements not moved with the rotor 3, namely, in the illustrated embodiment, on the inner surface of a clamping zone cladding 15, which surrounds the rotor to an angle of the rotational movement of the rotor 3 adjoining the container inlet 9 on the (angular range) rinsing and then biasing the container 2 with a suitable inert gas, for example with CO ₂ gas. In order to ensure a treatment or cleaning of the entire inner surface of the clamping zone cladding 15, the spray nozzle assembly 13 is designed to deliver a wide fan-shaped or part-spherical beam. Via a through the filling element 4 or its housing 4.1 reaching through line 16, which is formed at 16.1, for example, as a channel in the housing 4.1, the spray nozzle assembly 13 is connected to a provided on the rotor 3 control valve assembly 17 through which the spray nozzle assembly controlled with at least three different Types of a preferably liquid cleaning and / or disinfecting medium can be acted upon, for example with alkali, acid and fresh water. The treatment and cleaning media are supplied to the control valve assembly 17 via separate lines 18 provided on the rotor 3, via a rotary connection 19 formed, for example, as a rotary distributor, and via separate outer lines 20. The cleaning of the clamping zone cladding 15, which consists essentially of an upper annular wall section 15.1, which is arranged above the movement path of the filling elements 4, consists of a partially annular vertical wall section 15.2, which adjoins the upper wall section 15.1 and with its lower edge significantly below the container carrier 5 ends and consists of sheets 15.3, takes place during a cleaning operation of the filling machine, for example during the CIP cleaning of the machine with rotating rotor 3. Specifically, the cleaning is done in such a way that when the spray nozzle assembly 13 in the of the clamping zone 15 formed angular range (spray angle) of the rotational movement of the rotor 3 is controlled by the control valve means 17, the cleaning liquid of a first type (eg, caustic or acid or cleaning foam) is applied to the inner surface of the tension zone fairing 15. During the next revolution of the rotor 3, the application of the treatment liquid of a second type (for example acid or lye or cleaning foam) takes place again only in the spraying angle range, and the subsequent rotation of the rotor 3 is followed by the discharge of the treatment liquid of the third type, for example water.

In principle, there is also the possibility that at least two revolutions of the rotor 3 are used for discharging the treatment liquid of each type. Furthermore, instead of just one spray nozzle arrangement 13, it is possible to provide a plurality of such arrangements on the rotor 3 or on the filling elements 4, preferably also with different orientation of the spray nozzles, in order to treat the entire inner surface of the clamping zone lining 15 with particular intensity. Each spray nozzle arrangement 13 is then preferably assigned an independent, individually controllable control valve arrangement 17. For controlling the at least one spray nozzle assembly 13 in response to the rotational position of the rotor 3 are those devices that are also used to control the filling elements 4 during normal filling operation in dependence on the rotational position of the rotor 3, namely the central control device 21 (computer) and For controlling the at least one spray nozzle assembly 13 in such a way that only within the spray angle of the rotational movement of the rotor 3 cleaning liquid is applied, so no additional control device is required.

It has been assumed above that the at least one spray nozzle arrangement 13 is provided on a filling element 4 or on the outer side of the housing 4.1 of the filling element. In principle, it is also possible to provide the spray nozzle arrangement 13 between two filling elements 4, which follow each other on the circumference of the rotor 3, of the filling element arrangement formed by the multiplicity of filling elements, in such a way that the spray nozzle arrangement 13 protrudes slightly beyond the outer surface of these filling elements. The conduit 16 is then passed through a gap between the two filling elements radially outward. This arrangement is possible even if the filling elements 4 of the filling machine 1 are provided extremely close to each other on the rotor 3, as is usually the case in filling machines high capacity for bottling drinks, especially for bottling beer in the bottle 2. If several spray nozzle arrangements 13 are used, then these are then arranged in the same way in each case between two adjacent filling elements 4 and the associated line 16 is guided radially outwardly through the gap between these filling elements.

Of course, it is also possible to combine the described types of positioning of the spray nozzle assemblies.

The FIG. 3 shows as a further embodiment, a filling machine 1 a, which differs from the filling machine 1 only by the type of controlled supply of the treatment liquids to the at least one spray nozzle assembly. Generally also in the case of the filling machine 1a during the cleaning operation, ie during the CIP cleaning, the application of the respective cleaning liquid to the inner surface of the clamping zone cover 15 takes place only within the spray angle, ie on the angular range of the rotary movement, at which the respective spray nozzle arrangement 13 on this panel moved, controlled by means of a control valve 22, which is provided in the leading to the spray nozzle assembly 13 and in line 16 corresponding line 23. The line 23 is connected via a shut-off valve 24 to a line 25, which during the CIP cleaning of the filling machine 1a, the respective cleaning liquid (alkali or acid, cleaning foam or fresh water) under pressure and thereby used for supplying or for discharging the cleaning liquid. The spray nozzle assembly 13 is for example again provided on the housing of the respective filling element 4, wherein the conduit 23 or a continuation of this conduit forming channel 23.1 are formed in the interior of the housing 4.1 of the filling element 4, or the spray nozzle assembly 13 provided between two on the circumference of the rotor 3 successive filling elements 4. The conduit 23 is then guided radially outwardly through a gap between these filling elements. If a plurality of spray nozzle arrangements 13 are provided, preferably each of these spray nozzle arrangements can be connected to the line 25 in a controlled manner via an independent control valve 22.

In particular, if the at least one spray nozzle arrangement 13 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 4.1 of a filling element 4, it is possible to provide vertical partition walls or plates 26 between the filling elements 4 or between the filling positions formed by these filling elements and the container supports 5, like this in the FIG. 4 is indicated with a broken line, so as to shield the individual filling position against each other, and in particular against shards of bursting during preloading and / or pressure filling bottles and / or sprayed against filling.

Within the spray angle of the rotational movement of the rotor 3 is controlled during the CIP cleaning via the at least one spray nozzle assembly 13 controlled by the control valve 22 that treatment liquid applied, which is also being used during the CIP cleaning. The line 25 carries the respective treatment liquid, for example, with a pressure of 3 to 3.5 bar.

The FIG. 5 shows as a further embodiment provided with the spray nozzle assembly 13 filling element 4 of a filling machine 1 b. The filling machine 1 b differs from the filling machine 1 a substantially only in that the filling element 4 is provided in addition to the other, this filling element during normal filling controlling valves an independent and individually controllable control valve 27 for controlling the spray nozzle assembly 13. The FIG. 5 shows the filling element 4 in its CIP-cleaning enabling state in which the filling element 4 is closed at its bottom, ie in the region of the local discharge opening of the liquid channel 4.2, on the filling in the filling of the bottles 2, is closed by a flushing cap 28. Starting from the ring vessel 12 thus results through the liquid channel 4.2 of the filling element 4, through the associated flushing cap 28 and through a formed in the respective filling element channel 29 a leading to the line 25 flow path, which is flowed through by the cleaning liquid used in the CIP cleaning. To the line 25, which serves to return the cleaning liquid, the control valve 27 is connected to its input, so that the spray nozzle assembly 13 is supplied within the spray angle respectively via the open control valve 27 with the cleaning liquid from the channel 29 and the line 25. When in the FIG. 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the spray nozzle assembly 13 is provided on a tapered surface at the top of the housing 4.1, such that the beam 14 emitted from the spray nozzle assembly 13 is directed more toward the upper portion of the inner surface of the tension zone fairing 15. In this embodiment, again, it is possible to provide between the individual filling elements 4, the filling positions 6 separating partitions or partitions 26 separating from each other.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1a, 1b

filling Machine

2

container

3

rotor

4

filler

5

container carrier

6

filling position

8th

carrier

9

container inlet

10

container outlet

11

carrier

12

ring bowl

13

Spray nozzle or spray nozzle arrangement

14

ray beam

15

Span zone covering

16

management

17

Control valve assembly

18

management

19

rotary distributor

20

management

21

Control device or control computer

22

control valve

23

management

24

check valve

25

management

26

Divider

27

control valve

28

flushing cap

A

Direction of rotation of the rotor 3

N / A

vertical machine axis

Claims (17)

1. Filling element for use with a filling machine of circulating design, for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid filling material, wherein the filling machine comprises of a rotor (3) driven such as to circulate around a vertical machine axis (MA), formed at the circumference of which are a plurality of filling positions, comprising in each case a filling element (4) and a container carrier (5), with a filling element housing (4.1) in which at least one liquid channel (4.2) is formed which is required for the filling function and is used as a dispensing opening for the controlled dispensing of filling material to the respective container (2), characterised in that, in addition to the at least one channel (4.2) required for the filling function, at least one separate cleaning and/or disinfecting channel (16, 23, 29) is formed in or on the filling element housing (4.1), said channel, for the purpose of controlled delivery of a cleaning and/or disinfection medium, preferably a liquid cleaning and/or disinfection medium, onto an inner surface of machine elements which are not moved with the rotor, connects a spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13), provided on an outer surface of the filling element housing (4.1), located on the outside in relation to the vertical machine axis (MA), to a connection for the conveying of this medium.
2. Filling element according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one control valve (22, 27) is provided on or in the filling element housing (4.1) for the controlled dispensing of the cleaning and/or sterilisation medium at the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13).
3. Filling element according to claim 2, characterised in that the at least one additional cleaning and/or sterilisation channel can be connected via the control valve (27) in a controlled manner to a gas and/or liquid channel (29), which is formed in the filling element housing (4.1) and, in the case of a CIP cleaning, conveys the cleaning medium used, and is, for example, a channel necessary for the function of the filling, such as a gas channel.
4. Filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid filling material, with a plurality of filling positions (6) which can be driven such as to circulate around a vertical machine axis (MA), with in each case a filling element (4) according to any one of the preceding claims 1-3 for filling the containers (2), wherein the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) is arranged on the outer surface of the filling element housing (4.1), located on the outside in relation to the vertical machine axis (MA), and wherein the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13), for the controlled dispensing of a cleaning and/or sterilisation medium, emits the cleaning and/or sterilisation medium onto an inner surface of machine elements which are not moved with the rotor (3).
5. Filling machine according to claim 4, characterised in that the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) is configured and arranged for the application of the cleaning and/or sterilisation medium radially in relation to the machine axis (MA).
6. Filling machine according to claim 4 or 5, characterised by a machine element arranged at the periphery of the rotor (3) and not moved with the rotor (3), for example in the form of a cladding (17, 22, 27), for the controlled application of the cleaning and/or sterilisation medium onto the machine element (15) as the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) moves past this machine element (15).
7. Filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4-6, characterised in that the at least spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) is arranged at a housing (4.1) of at least one treatment head (4) or between two treatment heads (4) adjacent at the circumference of the rotor (3).
8. Filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4-7, characterised in that the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) is connected to a controlled fluid connection formed, for example, at least partially in the housing (4.1) of the treatment head (4) for the conveying of the cleaning and/or disinfection medium.
9. Filling machine according to claim 8, characterised in that at least one control valve (22, 27) or at least one control valve arrangement (17) is provided in the controlled fluid connection, and that the at least one control valve or the at least one control valve arrangement is arranged at the rotor (3) or at the treatment head (4).
10. Filling machine according to claim 9, characterised in that the control valve (27) is provided at the treatment head (4) for the controlling of the additional fluid channel formed in the treatment head.
11. Filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4-10, characterised by a control device (21) which controls the treatment machine during the treatment of the containers (2), wherein the control device (21) is also configured at the same time for controlling the dispensing of the cleaning and/or sterilisation medium at the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13).
12. Filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4-11, characterised in that the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) can be connected in a controlled manner, via a control device, for example via a control device (17), to pipes (18) for the separate delivery of different cleaning and/or sterilisation media.
13. Method for the cleaning and/or sterilising of a machine element (15), configured for example as cladding, arranged at the periphery of a rotor (3) which is driven such as to rotate around a vertical machine axis (MA), of a filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims 4-12, but not rotating with the rotor (3), wherein, during a CIP cleaning of the filling machine, at least one sterilisation or cleaning medium used for this cleaning, such as an acid, lye, cleaning foam and/or water, is applied via at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13), provided at the rotor (3), in a controlled manner onto the machine element (15), wherein the at least one sterilisation or cleaning medium is applied onto the machine element (15) through the spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) arranged on the outer surface of the filling element housing (4.1) on the outside relative to the vertical machine axis MA.
14. Method according to claim 13, characterised in that the controlled application of the cleaning medium takes place with the rotor (3) circulating.
15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the controlled application of the cleaning medium takes place on an angular range of the rotation movement of the rotor (3) in which (angular range) the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) moves past at the machine element (15).
16. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13-15, characterised in that the cleaning medium is applied via the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) in a controlled manner by at least one control valve (27), which connects in a fluid connection between the at least one spray nozzle or spray nozzle assembly (13) and a pipe (25, 29), which conveys the at least one cleaning medium during the CIP cleaning, which is formed at least partially in the treatment head (4).
17. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13-16, characterised in that different treatment media are applied onto the at least one machine element (15) in a temporal sequence one after another, preferably in each case with different rotations of the rotor (3) of the container treatment machine (1, 1a, 1b).

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