JP4274024B2 - Filling valve - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas / gas-free filling device that can be used for filling gas-containing beverages and gas-free beverages, and more particularly to a filling valve thereof.

  A gas filling and filling device that fills the container with a liquid such as a drink containing carbon dioxide gas by pressing the bottle mouth packing against the mouth of the container and sealing the inside of the container, and does not contain a gas such as carbon dioxide gas. A filling device that is also used for filling a gas-free beverage is conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  In general, the filling apparatus includes a filling valve having a filling liquid passage formed inside the valve body and a liquid valve for opening and closing an outlet (discharge port) of the filling liquid passage, and the filling is performed by opening the liquid valve. The filling liquid is injected into the container from the liquid passage. For example, when filling a container with a gas-containing beverage such as carbon dioxide gas, it is necessary to seal the upper end opening of the container, so that the upper end opening of the container is placed around the valve body of the filling valve. A container opening packing unit with a packing for sealing the part is fitted so as to be movable up and down, and the packing is crimped to the entire circumference of the upper end opening of the container so that the inside of the container is sealed, and the carbon dioxide beverage is filled. I have to.

In the gas / non-gas filling device as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, when gas filling is performed as described above, the packing is brought into contact with the container mouth portion so that the inside of the container Is filled in a sealed state. On the other hand, in the case of gasless filling, filling may be performed with the packing in contact with the container mouth, but in order to improve sanitary properties, the packing is not brought into contact with the container mouth, In some cases, so-called mouth-filling is performed, in which the filling liquid is charged from above.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-370797 (5th page, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-38794 (page 6, FIG. 1)

  When filling in the mouth with a gas / non-gas filling device, the container mouth packing unit to which the packing is attached is not lowered, but is filled in the raised state. Filling liquid may adhere due to surface tension between the discharge port of the outlet and the liquid valve, and the attached liquid is the valve body where the discharge port is formed and the container located just outside it It will get into the mouth packing unit. In this state, there is a possibility that the filling liquid discharged from the discharge port at the time of the next filling comes into contact with the attached liquid and the flow is inclined and comes off from the container opening. In addition, even when there is no gas filling, if the container opening packing unit is lowered and filling is performed, the filling liquid will not adhere between the valve body and the container opening packing unit, but the container opening packing unit is lowered. If filling in the mouth in a state, there is a risk that the filling liquid whose flow is inclined by centrifugal force may come into contact with the container mouth packing unit.

  The present invention provides a discharge port provided at the lower end of the valve body, a liquid valve for opening and closing the discharge port, an opening / closing means for the liquid valve, and a container port packing unit fitted to the valve body so as to be movable up and down. In the filling valve provided with the raising / lowering means for raising and lowering the container opening packing unit, the packing provided in the container opening packing unit and coming into contact with the opening of the container, and the liquid amount detecting means for detecting the filling amount, First operation mode in which filling is performed with the container sealed by lowering the mouth packing unit and bringing the packing into contact with the mouth of the container, and filling without opening the container mouth packing unit The second operation mode can be selected and the container mouth packing unit can be moved between the end of filling in the second operation mode and the start of the next filling. It is characterized in that cause later.

  The filling valve of the present invention prevents filling liquid from adhering to the vicinity of the outlet of the filling liquid passage by lowering the container opening packing unit once after filling is completed when filling a gas-free beverage over the mouth. It was possible to reliably fill the liquid into the container.

  In the first type operation mode (gas filling and filling mode), the container opening packing unit is lowered to seal the inside of the container for filling. In the second type operation mode (non-gas filling mode), the container opening packing unit is lowered. Fill the container close to the discharge port with a simple configuration that lowers the container opening packing unit before the next container is supplied after the filling is completed. The objective of preventing the liquid from adhering is achieved.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a simplified arrangement of a gas / non-gas combined rotary filling apparatus equipped with a filling valve (generally indicated by reference numeral 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filling valve 1, showing a main part of the rotary filling device (a pair of upper and lower filling valves and a container base provided on the rotating body). Containers 4 (see FIG. 5 to be described later) transported by the container transporting conveyor 2 are separated at predetermined intervals by an infeed screw 6 provided on the transporting conveyor 2 and are rotated via an inlet star wheel 8. It is carried into the filling device 10. Each container 4 is filled with the liquid by the filling valve 1 while being rotated and conveyed in the rotary filling device 10, and then discharged onto the container discharge conveyor 14 by the outlet star wheel 12 for the next step. Sent.

  In the rotary filling device 10, a plurality of filling valves 1 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of a rotating disk 16 </ b> A constituting the upper portion of the rotating body 16. A stand 18 is installed. The container base 18 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rotary table 16B constituting the lower part of the rotary body 16, and a container holding member 20 that holds the trunk of the container 4 is attached to each of the container bases 18. Yes. The container 4 supplied from the inlet star wheel 8 onto the container base 18 of the rotary filling device is held by the container holding member 20 and is rotated and conveyed. The filling valve 1 provided on the rotating disk 16A on the upper side of the rotating body 16 and the container 4 on the container table 18 provided on the lower rotating table 16B are moved up and down as the rotating body 16 rotates. The filling is performed while rotating integrally with each other.

  Next, the structure of the filling valve 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The valve body 22 of the filling valve 1 has a filling liquid passage 24 formed therein, and the filling liquid sent from the filling liquid tank (not shown) through the liquid supply pipe 26 is filled with the filling liquid passage 24. And is filled into the container 4.

  A liquid valve 28 for opening and closing the outlet (discharge port) 24 a of the filling liquid passage 24 is provided in the valve body 22. The liquid valve 28 is formed by a valve body 32 formed at the lower end of a rod 30 that is inserted into the filling liquid passage 24 so as to be movable up and down, and a valve seat 34 provided on the inner surface of the lower end portion of the filling liquid passage 24. It is configured. The rod 30 on which the valve body 32 is formed moves up and down by an air cylinder 36 for opening and closing a liquid valve provided at the upper part of the valve body 22.

  A piston (liquid valve opening / closing piston) 38 is connected to the upper end of the rod 30 and is slidably fitted into a cylinder portion formed on the upper portion of the valve body 22. The space in the cylinder portion is divided into upper and lower pressure chambers 40. , 42. These pressure chambers 40 and 42 are connected to an air pressure source (not shown) via air passages 44 and 46, respectively, and introduce pressure air into the pressure chambers 40 and 42, or to the atmosphere. It can be opened. When pressure air is introduced into the upper pressure chamber 40, the rod 30 is lowered together with the liquid valve opening / closing piston 38, and the valve body 32 is seated on the valve seat 34, thereby closing the discharge port 24a of the filling liquid passage 24 and moving downward. When air is introduced into the pressure chamber 42, the rod 30 is raised, the valve body 32 is separated from the valve seat 34, the filling liquid passage 24 is opened, and filling is performed.

  A flow meter 48 (see FIG. 2) is provided in a liquid supply pipe 26 for supplying a filling liquid from a filling liquid tank (not shown) to the filling liquid passage 24, and a signal is controlled when the passage of a predetermined amount of the filling liquid is measured. The control device operates the fluid valve opening / closing air cylinder 36 to lower the piston 38, the rod 30 and the valve body 32, closes the fluid valve 28, and the filling is completed.

  A container port packing unit 50 having a cylindrical shape as a whole is fitted to the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the valve body 22 so as to be movable up and down. The container port packing unit 50 includes a cylindrical portion 50a having an inner diameter that substantially matches the outer diameter of the valve body 22, and a bottom portion 50b provided on the lower side thereof. A seal member 52 is fitted on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 50 a and slides on the outer surface of the valve body 22. Further, on the lower surface of the bottom portion 50b, when filling with gas, a first packing 54 that seals the inside of the container 4 with a first opening 54 such as a bottle close to the mouth 4a of the small container 4 and a can, etc. A second packing 56 is provided in close contact with the mouth of a container (not shown) having a large opening and sealing the inside of the container. Note that it is not always necessary to provide a plurality of packings 54 and 56 for sealing the container opening. One packing for use in the single-size container 4 may be provided, and one packing having a wide radial width may be used. You may enable it to respond | correspond to the container 4 of various sizes.

  A plurality of upright guide rods 58 are fixed to the upper surface of the valve body 22, and an elevating block 60 is supported by the guide rods 58 so as to be movable up and down. The elevating block 60 is connected to a container port packing unit 50 fitted to the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the valve body 22 via a plurality of elevating rods 62. The mouth packing unit 50 moves up and down.

  The lifting block 60 is lifted and lowered by a packing unit air cylinder 64 provided above the guide rod 58. A piston (packing unit elevating piston) 70 is slidably fitted in a space inside the packing unit air cylinder 64, and the space is partitioned into upper and lower pressure chambers 66 and 68. 66 and 68 are connected to an air pressure source (not shown) via air passages 72 and 74, respectively. An elevating block 60 is connected to the piston 70, and the elevating block 60, the elevating rod 62, and the container opening packing unit 50 are integrally raised or raised by introducing pressure air into either the upper or lower pressure chambers 66, 68. Lower.

  Further, the elevating block 60 and the container opening packing unit 50 are arranged so that the cam (the entire cam mechanism in which a plurality of cams are integrated as shown in FIG. (Indicated by reference numeral 76) is moved up and down in the reverse direction. A cam follower 78 is attached to the elevating block 60, and a cam 76 for raising and lowering the cam follower 78 is a raising cam 80 for forcibly raising the cam follower 78 lowered by the packing unit air cylinder 64; The cam follower 78 rising by the air cylinder 64 is forcibly lowered.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ascending cam 80 has an arc shape having a length from a slightly upstream side of the outlet star wheel 12 to a slightly downstream side of the inlet star wheel 8. On the side (the right side in FIG. 4), a tapered ascending section 80a that engages with the cam follower 78 and gradually rises is formed. Although omitted in FIG. 4, a tapered lowering section 80 b for gradually lowering the cam follower 78 is formed on the outlet side of the cam 78. The middle of the ascending section 80a and the descending section 80b is a section 80c that maintains the maximum height.

  On the other hand, the descending cam 82 has a short arc shape starting from the same position as the upstream end of the ascending cam 80 and having a length from the filling device to a position slightly ahead of the position A where the container 4 is discharged. . As shown in FIG. 4, the lowering cam 82 is also formed with a tapered lowering section 82a at the upstream portion and a tapered rising section 82b at the downstream portion, respectively, and the middle is maintained at the lowest height. This is a section 82c. In FIG. 1, the lowering cam 82 is shown radially outward of the raising cam 80, but actually, as shown in FIG. 4, a stay 84 is provided above the raising cam 80. It is attached via.

  The cam mechanism 76 having the ascending cam 80 and the descending cam 82 can be moved up and down by driving means (not shown) such as a cylinder or a motor, and is raised when filling with gas. The container mouth packing unit 50 is forcibly raised by engaging with the cam follower 78 in a state of being lowered by the packing unit air cylinder 64. Conversely, when performing gas-free filling, the cam mechanism 76 is kept in a lowered state and is engaged with the cam follower 78 in a state where it is raised by the packing unit air cylinder 64, so that the container port packing unit 50 is engaged. Force down.

  Inside the valve body 22 is provided a gas passage 86 for a sniff & counter that opens to the lower end surface thereof. The gas passage 86 has a conventionally well-known configuration and will not be described in detail. However, when gas filling is performed, pressure gas is introduced into the sealed container 4 before the filling is started, and after the filling is completed. , Used to release the pressure sealed in the headspace of the container 4.

  The operation of the rotary filling device including the filling valve 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. When filling with a filling liquid such as a carbon dioxide-containing beverage, pressure air is introduced into the pressure chamber 66 above the packing unit air cylinder 64 to lower the piston 70, and the lifting block 60 and the lifting rod 62 are moved. The container opening packing unit 50 is always biased downward. The cam mechanism 76 in which the raising cam 80 and the lowering cam 82 are integrated is raised so that the cam follower 78 attached to the lifting block 60 is engaged with the raising cam 80. In this state, the containers 4 transported by the container transport conveyor 2 are separated at predetermined intervals by the infeed screw 6 and then transported into the rotary filling device 10 via the inlet star wheel 8.

  As described above, the container opening packing unit 50 is always urged downward by the packing unit air cylinder 64, but the container supply position B from the inlet star wheel 8 into the filling device 10 continues from the upstream side. Since the raising cam 80 is disposed and the cam follower 78 is forcibly pushed up to raise the container opening packing unit 50, the container 4 does not interfere with the container opening packing unit 50 and is placed on the container stand 18. (See FIG. 5A).

  After the container 4 is supplied onto the container table 18 at the container supply position B, the cam follower 78 of the filling valve 1 enters the descending section 80b of the ascending cam 80 and gradually descends. The packing 54 or 56 provided on the bottom 50 b of the container opening packing unit 50 is pressed against the opening 4 a of the container 4 by the downward biasing force of the packing unit air cylinder 64. In this embodiment, a small-diameter packing 54 provided on the inner peripheral side of the bottom 50b is pressed against the mouth 4a of the container 4 to seal the inside of the container 4. After passing the container supply position B in FIG. 1, the container opening packing unit 50 is lowered while passing through the descending section 80b of the ascending cam 80, and the inside of the container 4 is completely sealed. Filling is started from.

  After the inside of the container 4 is sealed, first, a pressurized counter gas is introduced into the container 4 from the gas passage 80. A counter gas is supplied into the container 4 for a predetermined time, and after the pressure in the container 4 is balanced with the pressure in the filling liquid tank (not shown), the lower pressure chamber 42 of the air cylinder 36 for opening and closing the liquid valve. Pressure air is introduced into the piston 38, the rod 30 and the valve body 32 of the liquid valve 28 as a unit, and the liquid valve 28 is opened. When the liquid valve 28 is opened, the filling liquid sent from the filling liquid tank (not shown) through the liquid supply pipe 26 to the filling valve 1 is filled into the container 4 through the discharge port 24a of the filling liquid passage 24. (See FIG. 5B).

  The amount of liquid filled into the container 4 through the filling liquid passage 24 is measured by a flow meter 48 provided in the liquid supply pipe 26. When a predetermined amount of liquid is filled, the flow meter 48 In response to this signal, the control device (not shown) switches the air cylinder 36 for opening and closing the liquid valve, lowers the valve body 32 provided at the lower ends of the piston 38 and the rod 30, closes the liquid valve 28, and ends the filling. A section from a filling start position C to a filling end position D in FIG. 1 is a filling section, and filling ends at the D position. After the completion of filling, the gas passage 80 is opened, and a sniffing process for releasing the pressure gas sealed in the head space of the container 4 is performed.

  After the sniffing, the rotating body 16 of the filling device further rotates, the filling valve 1 reaches the position where the raising cam 80 is installed, and the cam follower 78 is engaged with the tapered raising section 80a. The container opening packing unit 50 that has been forcibly raised and sealed in the container 4 is raised. Thereafter, at the container discharge position A, the container 4 is delivered from the container table 18 to the outlet star wheel 12 and discharged onto the discharge conveyor 14. From the container discharge position A to the slightly downstream side of the container supply position B is the highest position maintaining section 80c of the ascending cam 80, and the container opening packing unit 50 rotates and moves while being in the highest position. In B, the next container 4 is supplied.

  On the other hand, when performing gas-free filling, pressure air is introduced into the pressure chamber 68 below the packing unit air cylinder 64 to raise the piston 70, and the lifting block 60, lifting rod 62 and container port packing unit 50 are moved. Keep it raised all the time. Further, the cam mechanism 76 including the lowering cam 82 and the raising cam 80 is lowered by a driving means (not shown) so that the cam follower 78 attached to the lifting block 60 can be engaged with the lowering cam 82. Keep in a state

  In this state, the containers 4 transported by the transport conveyor 2 are cut at predetermined intervals by the infeed screw 6 and are carried into the rotary filling device 10 from the inlet star wheel 8. Since the lowering cam 82 is not provided at the container supply position B to the filling device 10, the container opening packing unit 50 moves while being lifted by the packing unit air cylinder 64, and the container base 18 below it. A container 4 is supplied on top. After the container 4 is supplied, air is introduced into the pressure chamber 42 below the liquid valve opening / closing air cylinder 36 at the filling start position C, and the valve body 32 is raised to open the liquid valve 28. When the liquid valve 28 is opened, the liquid is filled into the container 4 from the discharge port 24a from a filling liquid tank (not shown) through the liquid supply pipe 26 and the filling liquid passage 24 in the valve body 22. The container opening packing unit 50 is in a raised state, is in a position close to the discharge outlet 24a of the filling liquid passage 24, and is filled with the opening 4a of the container 4 open (see FIG. 6A).

  When the passage of a predetermined amount of liquid is measured by a flow meter 48 provided in the liquid supply pipe 26, the air cylinder 36 for opening and closing the liquid valve is switched, and the piston 38, the rod 30 and the valve body 32 are lowered to move the liquid. The valve 28 is closed and the filling is completed.

  After the filling into the container 4 is completed at the filling end position D, when the filling valve 1 and the container 4 rotate and reach the position where the lowering cam 82 is disposed, the cam follower 78 is moved to the lowering cam 82. Is forcibly pushed down. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the container opening packing unit 50 is lowered by a height H from the raised position at the time of filling. Since the container port packing unit 50 is close to the discharge port 24a of the filling liquid passage 24 at the raised position during filling, there is a possibility that the filling liquid flowing out from the filling liquid passage 24 may adhere. Since the packing unit 50 is lowered and separated below the valve body 22, the filling liquid does not remain between the valve body 22 and the container opening packing unit 50, and from the discharge port 24a of the filling liquid passage 24 at the next filling. The direction of the flow is not changed by the water droplets to which the discharged filling liquid is attached, and the filling liquid can be reliably introduced into the container 4 even when filling on the mouth. Thereafter, the filled containers 4 are discharged onto the discharge conveyor 14 via the outlet star wheel 12 and sent to the next step. In the above-described embodiment, the lowering cam 82 is disposed between the filling end position D and the container discharge position A. However, the lowering cam 82 is not necessarily limited to this position, and the container discharge position A and the container supply position B Or between the container supply position B and the filling start position C. In any case, the container port packing unit 50 may be lowered until the next filling is started.

It is a top view which simplifies and shows the whole structure of the rotary filling apparatus provided with the filling valve concerning one Example of this invention. Example 1 It is a side view which shows the principal part (The filling valve and container stand corresponding to the upper and lower sides) of the said rotary filling apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filling valve concerning one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the cam which raises / lowers a container opening packing unit. FIGS. (A) and (b) are diagrams sequentially illustrating a gas filling and filling process. FIGS. (A) and (b) are diagrams sequentially showing a gas-free filling process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Filling valve 4 Container 22 Valve body 24a Discharge port 28 Liquid valve 36 Liquid valve opening / closing means (air cylinder)
48 Liquid level detection means (flow meter)
50 Container port packing unit 54 Packing 56 Packing 64 Lifting means (air cylinder)
74 Lifting means (lifting cam)
76 Lifting means (descent cam)

Claims (1)

A discharge port provided at the lower end of the valve body, a liquid valve for opening and closing the discharge port, an opening / closing means for the liquid valve, a container port packing unit fitted to the valve body to be movable up and down, and the container port In a filling valve comprising lifting means for raising and lowering the packing unit, packing provided in the container mouth packing unit and in contact with the mouth of the container, and liquid amount detecting means for detecting the filling amount,
A first operation mode in which the container mouth packing unit is lowered and the container is sealed by bringing the packing into contact with the mouth of the container, and the container is opened without lowering the container mouth packing unit. The second operation mode in which filling is performed can be selected, and after the filling in the second operation mode, the container opening packing unit is lowered before the next filling is started. .

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