Filling element, filling system and method for filling containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029901-B2
Application number	US-201414783590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A filling element includes a flushing tube that carries flushing gas used to drive air out of a container's interior before filling it with liquid filling-material. The flushing tube moves between a starting position and a flushing position. In the flushing position, the flushing tube chokes a connection between a gas chamber and a gas channel that leads into a container. In the starting position, this connection is wide open.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed as new, and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for flushing air out of a container prior to filling said container with liquid filling-material, said apparatus comprising a filling system that comprises a filling element, said filling element comprising a controlled gas path, a discharge opening, a first gas channel, a flushing tube, a gas chamber, a housing, a liquid-carrying channel, a liquid-dispensing valve, a return gas tube, and a second gas channel, wherein said liquid-carrying channel is formed in said housing, wherein said discharge opening is disposed at an underside of said filling element, wherein liquid filling-material enters said container through said discharge opening, wherein said liquid-dispensing valve is disposed along said liquid-carrying channel, wherein said return gas tube comprises an opening on said underside of said filling element, wherein said return gas tube surrounds said flushing tube, wherein said first gas channel is defined between an inner face of said return gas tube and an outer face of said flushing tube, wherein said first gas channel is open at lower end of said return gas tube, wherein said second gas channel is formed in an interior of said flushing tube, wherein said second gas channel is open at a lower end of said flushing tube, wherein said gas chamber is formed in said housing, wherein said first gas channel opens into said gas chamber, wherein said flushing tube is movable along said filling element axis through a first stroke between a raised starting position and a lowered flushing position, wherein said controlled gas path admits flushing gas under flushing pressure into said gas chamber, wherein said second gas channel opens into said gas chamber, wherein movement of said flushing tube causes a flow cross section of a connection between said gas chamber and said first gas channel to transition between a first value and a second value, wherein, when said flushing tube is in said lowered flushing position, said flow cross section is equal to said first value, wherein, when said flushing tube is in said raised starting position, said flow cross section is equal to said second value, wherein said first value is less than said second value, wherein said flushing tube comprises a choke body that, when said flushing tube is in said lowered flushing position, at least partially closes said connection, and wherein said flushing tube comprises a thickened portion, wherein, when said flushing tube is in said lowered position, said return gas tube accommodates said thickened portion thereby at least partially closing said connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said thickened portion partially closes said connection.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said thickened portion closes said connection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said liquid-dispensing valve further comprising a valve body and a valve piston, wherein said return gas tube forms said valve piston for said valve body, wherein said valve piston is movable with said return gas tube axially along said filling element axis through a second stroke that is shorter than said first stroke.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gas chamber is configured to switch between being connected to a source or pressurized tempering gas for tempering containers and being connected to a collection chamber for receiving return gas that has been displaced from said container via said first and second gas channels during filling of said container with said liquid filling-material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transport element, wherein said filling element is one of a plurality of identical filling elements disposed on said transport element.

7. A method comprising causing a container to be sealed tightly against a filling element, causing a flushing tube that defines a second gas channel and that is surrounded by a return gas tube that forms a first gas channel between said flushing tube and said return gas tube to be lowered from a raised starting position into a lowered flushing position in which said flushing tube extends into said container, thereby causing said first gas channel and said second gas channel to be opened into an interior of said container, and reducing a flow cross section of a connection between said first gas channel and a gas chamber, wherein said flushing tube comprises a choke body that, when said flushing tube is in said lowered flushing position, reduces said flow cross section of said connection by at least partially closing said connection, and wherein said flushing tube comprises a thickened portion, wherein, when said flushing tube is in said lowered position, said return gas tube accommodates said thickened portion thereby at least partially closing said connection.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising introducing tempering gas from said gas chamber into said container, wherein introducing said tempering gas comprises raising said flushing tube to said starting position, thereby increasing said flow cross section, introducing tempering gas through said first channel, and introducing tempering gas through said second channel.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving gas displaced from said container during filling of said container with liquid filling-material, wherein receiving comprises raising said flushing tube to said starting position, thereby increasing said flow cross section, and receiving said gas into said gas chamber.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein reducing a flow cross section of said connection comprises using said thickened portion to close said connection.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein reducing a flow cross section of said connection comprises using said thickened portion to partially close said connection.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• CLüSSERATH LUDWIG

Classifications

• B67C2003/2602

  Details of vent-tubes · CPC title

• B67C3/10 Primary

  preliminary filling with inert gases, e.g. carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B67C2003/2657

  specially adapted for filling cans · CPC title

• B67C3/2614

  specially adapted for counter-pressure filling · CPC title