Method for a filling valve, and a filling valve system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035691-B2
Application number	US-201415028799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A filling valve system configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages is provided. The system comprises at least one filling valve; a controller configured to open the at least one filling valve thus allowing liquid product to be discharged and configured to close the at least one filling valve; and a flow meter configured to measure the amount of liquid product being discharged through the at least one filling valve. The system further comprises a pressure sensor configured to determine a pressure upstream of the at least one filling valve, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an estimated discharge volume during a closing sequence of the at least one filling valve based on the determined pressure, and to initiate the closing sequence based on the estimated discharge volume.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filling valve system configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages, said system comprising:
at least one filling valve;
a controller configured to open said at least one filling valve thus allowing liquid product to be discharged and configured to close said at least one filling valve;
a flow meter configured to measure the amount of liquid product being discharged through said at least one filling valve; and
a pressure sensor configured to determine a pressure upstream of said at least one filling valve, wherein said controller is further configured to calculate an estimated discharge volume during a closing sequence of said at least one filling valve based on the determined pressure, and to initiate said closing sequence based on said estimated discharge volume;
wherein said controller is configured to compare said determined pressure with a reference pressure for determining a pressure difference, and wherein said estimated discharge volume is calculated based on said pressure difference.

2. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a gas system in fluid connection with a liquid product tank, which liquid product tank is arranged in fluid connection with said at least one filling valve.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said pressure sensor is arranged inside said liquid product tank and configured to determine a gaseous pressure inside said liquid product tank.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein said gas system is in fluid connection with an area adjacent to said at least one filling valve for providing a gaseous environment at said area.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one filling valve comprises a first set of filling valves associated with a first filling line and a second set of filling valves associated with a second filling line, wherein each one of said sets of filling valves are configured to be in an active state or in a non-active state independent of each other, and wherein said gas system is providing a gaseous environment only to the set of filling valves being in an active state.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein said gas system comprises a supply of air or nitrogen gas.

7. A filling machine for filling liquid products into individual packages, comprising a filling valve system according to claim 1 .

8. The filling machine according to claim 7 , wherein said filling valve system is arranged in an aseptic area of said filling machine.

9. A method for a filling valve being configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages, comprising:
controlling the opening of the filling valve for allowing liquid product discharge at a starting time,
measuring the amount of liquid being discharged through the filling valve, and
controlling the closing of the filling valve by:
i) determining a pressure upstream of said filling valve,
ii) calculating an estimated discharge volume during a closing sequence of the filling valve based on said determined pressure, and
iii) initiating a closing sequence based on said estimated discharge volume;
wherein the controlling of the closing of the filling valve further comprises comparing said determined pressure with a reference pressure for determining a pressure difference, and
wherein said estimated discharge volume is calculated based on said pressure difference.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the determining of the pressure upstream of the filling valve comprises determining the pressure in a liquid product tank being in fluid connection with said filling valve.

11. A filling valve system configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages, the system comprising:
at least one filling valve through which the liquid product is discharged into the individual packages during operation of the system;
a liquid product source connected to the at least one filling valve and configured to supply the liquid product to the at least one filling valve, wherein the liquid product source is a tank configured to contain the liquid product;
a controller operatively connected to the at least one filling valve to change the at least one filling valve between an open position in which the at least one filling valve permits discharge of the liquid product into one of the individual packages and a closed position in which the at least one filling valve prevents discharge of the liquid product into one of the individual packages;
a flow meter associated with the at least one filling valve and configured to measure an amount of the liquid product being discharged through the at least one filling valve;
a pressure sensor arranged at the liquid product source to measure pressure of the liquid product at a location upstream of the at least one filling valve;
a gas system fluidly connected to the tank, the at least one filling valve comprising a first set of filling valves associated with a first filling line and a second set of filling valves associated with a second filling line, each one of the sets of filling valves being configured to be in an active state or in a non-active state independent of each other, and the gas system providing a gaseous environment only to the set of filling valves in an active state; and
the controller being operatively connected to the pressure sensor to receive information about the pressure of the liquid product at a location upstream of the at least one filling valve, to calculate using the measured pressure an estimated discharge volume of the liquid product that will be discharged from the at least one filling valve during a closing sequence of the at least one filling valve when the at least one filling valve is moving from the open position to the closed position, and to initiate the closing sequence based on the calculated estimated discharge volume.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the controller compares the measured pressure with a reference pressure to determine a pressure difference, and calculates the estimated discharge volume using the pressure difference.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the pressure sensor is positioned inside the tank and determines a gaseous pressure inside the tank.

14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the first set of filling valves comprises a plurality of filing valves arranged adjacent one another.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Malmberg Stefan
• Magnusson Jimmy

Classifications

• B65B3/30

  by volumetric measurement · CPC title

• B65B3/26

  Methods or devices for controlling the quantity of the material fed or filled · CPC title

• B67C2003/228

  Aseptic features · CPC title

• B65B39/001

  with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves · CPC title

• B67C3/283 Primary

  using pressure sensing means · CPC title