Machine and method for filling containers and cleaning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138105-B2
Application number	US-201414772534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A filling machine includes a rotor, a rotor bearing that rotatably mounts the rotor on the machine-frame for rotation about a machine axis, and filling elements disposed on the rotor. Each filling element, together with a container carrier, defines a filling point. The machine includes a filling-material boiler arranged on the rotor and configured to rotate with the rotor, as well as a boiler-cover connected to the machine-frame and configured to not rotate with the rotor, and a seal. The seal seals a transition between the boiler cover and the filling-material boiler.

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 filling containers with liquid filling-material, said apparatus comprising a filling machine, said filling machine comprising a rotor, a rotor bearing, a machine-frame, filling elements, container carriers, filling points, a container infeed, a container outfeed, a first filling-material boiler, a boiler-cover, a product connection, and a seal, wherein said rotor bearing mounts said rotor on said machine-frame for rotation about a machine axis, wherein said filling elements are disposed on said rotor, wherein one of said filling elements and one of said container carriers forms one of said filling points, wherein containers to be filled are provided at said container infeed, wherein filled containers are removed from said outfeed, wherein, during filling, said container carriers carry said containers at an angle such that a container axis is parallel to said machine axis, wherein said containers are filled within a range of angles on said rotor between said container infeed and said container outfeed, wherein said first filling-material boiler is arranged on said rotor, wherein said first filling-material boiler rotates with said rotor, wherein said boiler-cover closes said first filling-material boiler, wherein said boiler-cover connects to said machine-frame, wherein said boiler-cover does not rotate with said rotor, wherein said product connection supplies liquid filling-material into said first filling-material boiler, and wherein a seal is disposed to seal a transition between said boiler-cover and said first filling-material boiler, wherein said first filling-material boiler is partially filled with said liquid filling-material up to a filling-material level, wherein a gas chamber is formed in said first filling-material boiler above said filling-material level, wherein, as a result of said seal being disposed to seal said transition, said gas chamber can be subjected to an inert gas under a positive pressure during filling of a container with said liquid filling-material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing arrangement, wherein said bearing arrangement is disposed between said first filling-material boiler and said boiler-cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing arrangement, wherein said bearing arrangement is disposed between said first filling-material boiler and a part of said machine-frame and wherein said part of said machine-frame carries said cover.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said bearing arrangement comprises a ball-bearing slewing-ring.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said bearing arrangement comprises a ball-bearing slewing-ring.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first filling-material boiler comprises a fluid chamber and wherein said product connection opens into said fluid chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said seal comprises a first ring-seal, a first ring-face, a second ring-face, an inner face, and an outer face, wherein said first ring-face is a ring face on said first filling-material boiler, wherein said second ring-face is a ring face on said boiler-cover, wherein said first ring-seal lays against said first ring-face and said second ring-face, wherein said first ring-face is disposed opposite said second ring-face, wherein said inner face comprises an inner face of said first filling-material boiler, wherein said inner face forms said first ring-face, wherein said boiler-cover comprises a boiler-cover portion that extends into said first filling-material boiler, and wherein said outer face is an outer face of said boiler-cover portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a protective chamber, second ring-seal, a gas connection, and a ring chamber, wherein said first and second ring-seals are offset from each other in a direction along said machine axis, wherein said first and second ring-seals cooperate to seal said transition, wherein said ring chamber is disposed between said first and second ring-seals, wherein said gas connection is in fluid communication with said ring chamber to enable pressurization of said ring chamber with gas provided through said gas connection, thereby causing said ring chamber to become said protective chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising first and second product-lines, wherein said filling elements comprise first and second filling-elements, wherein said first product-line connects said first filling-material boiler to said first filling-element, and wherein said second product-line connects said first filling-material boiler to said second filling-element.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second filling-material boiler, a first product-line, a second product-line, and a buffer tank, wherein said first filling-material boiler defines said buffer tank, wherein said buffer tank connects to said second filling-material boiler, wherein said second filling-material boiler is on said rotor, wherein said filling elements comprise a first filling-element and a second filling-element, wherein said first product line connects said first filling-element to said second filling-material boiler, and wherein said second product line connects said second filling-material boiler to said second filling-element.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising first and second product-lines, a buffer tank, and a ring boiler disposed on said rotor and connected to said first filling-material boiler, wherein said first filling-material boiler defines said buffer tank, wherein said filling elements comprise first and second filling-elements connected to said ring boiler by said first and second product-lines respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tangential connection into said first filling-material boiler, wherein said tangential connection is oriented to direct flow into said first filling-material boiler at a non-zero angle relative to said machine axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rotor bearing completely supports said filling machine, thus eliminating a need for an additional ball-bearing slewing-ring, wherein said boiler-cover is mounted to be fixed above said rotor bearing, wherein said cover is mounted such that a center of said cover intersects said machine axis.

14. A method of using a filling machine that includes a rotor, a rotor bearing that mounts said rotor on a machine-frame for rotation about a machine axis, filling elements disposed on said rotor, each filling element, together with a container carrier that carries containers parallel to the machine axis, defining a filling point, a container infeed that receives containers to be filled in said filling machine, a container outfeed that provides filled containers that have been filled by said filling machine, a filling-material boiler arranged on said rotor and configured to rotate with said rotor, a boiler-cover connected to said machine-frame and configured to not rotate with said rotor, a product connection, and a seal, that seals a transition between said boiler cover and said filling-material boiler, said method comprising:
supplying said liquid filling-material to said filling-material boiler,
causing creation of a gas chamber in said filling-material boiler,
causing creation of a liquid chamber in said filling-material boiler, said liquid chamber being below said gas chamber,
filling a container with the liquid filling-material, and
during the filling, pressurizing said gas chamber with inert gas to create a positive pressure

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Niehr Thomas
• Vorwerk Jürgen
• Lörcks Andreas

Classifications

• B67C3/22 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B67C2003/228

  Aseptic features · CPC title