Method and device for filling a container to be filled with a filling product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10626002-B2
Application number	US-201816153621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for filling a container to be filled with a filling product includes accommodating a container to be filled in a treatment chamber, sealing a filling device to the container, rinsing the container with a rinsing gas introduced into the container through a rinsing gas channel, filling the container with the filling product, pre-pressurizing the treatment chamber with a pressurization gas through a pressurization gas channel, removing the filling device from the container, closing the container with a container closure, relieving the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber, and removing the container from the treatment chamber. The pre-pressurization pressure that is present in the treatment chamber is at least in part relieved into the rinsing gas channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for filling a container to be filled with a filling product, comprising:
accommodating the container in a treatment chamber;
sealing a filling device to the container;
subsequent to the sealing of the filling device to the container, rinsing the container with a rinsing gas introduced into the container through a rinsing gas channel;
subsequent to the rinsing of the container with the rinsing gas, filling the container with the filling product;
pre-pressurizing the treatment chamber with a pressurization gas through a pressurization gas channel, wherein the pressurization gas channel is distinct from the rinsing gas channel;
subsequent to the filling of the container and the pre-pressurization of the treatment chamber, removing the filling device from the container;
subsequent to the removal of the filling device from the container, closing the container with a container closure; and
subsequent to the closing of the container, relieving the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber and removing the container from the treatment chamber,

wherein the pre-pressurization pressure that is present in the treatment chamber is at least in part relieved into the rinsing gas channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, relieving residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber through a pressure relief channel that is in communication with an environment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the residual pre-pressurization pressure is relieved to ambient pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to the removal of the closed container, rinsing a subsequent container to be filled that is accommodated in the treatment chamber with at least a portion of the pressurization gas that was relieved into the rinsing gas channel.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising rinsing the subsequent container with a rinsing gas from a rinsing gas source.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rinsing gas channel is at an absolute pressure of 0.5 bar to about 4 bar, and the pressurization gas channel is at an absolute pressure of 2 bar to about 11 bar.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the rinsing gas channel is at an absolute pressure of 1.4 bar to about 1.9 bar, and the pressurization gas channel is at an absolute pressure of 5 bar to about 9 bar.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressurization gas channel is at a higher pressure than the rinsing gas channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure that is present in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, supplying an underpressure via a vacuum line to further relieve residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure that is present in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, withdrawing the filling device or a closing device from the treatment chamber to further relieve residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the container to an underpressure provided via a vacuum line during introduction of the rinsing gas into the container.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying an underpressure to the container prior to introduction of the filling product into the container and introducing a filling product at an overpressure into the container.

13. A device for filling a container to be filled with a filling product, comprising:
a treatment chamber configured to accommodate the container to be filled in a sealing manner;
a filling device configured to be applied in a sealing manner to the container that is sealed in the treatment chamber and to introduce the filling product into the container;
a rinsing gas channel configured to introduce a rinsing gas into the container;
a pressurization gas channel configured to introduce a pressurization gas into the treatment chamber, wherein the pressurization gas channel is distinct from the rinsing gas channel;
a closing device configured to attach a container closure to a filled container inside the treatment chamber; and
a control system configured to relieve at least partially a pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel subsequent to the closing of the container.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to, subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, relieve residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber through a pressure relief channel that is in communication with an environment.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the control system is configured to relieve the residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber to ambient pressure.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to, subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, relieve residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber by supplying an underpressure provided via a vacuum line.

17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to, subsequent to the relief of the pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber into the rinsing gas channel, relieve residual pre-pressurization pressure in the treatment chamber by withdrawing the filling device or the closing device from the treatment chamber.

18. The device of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to, subsequent to a removal of a closed container, rinse a subsequent container to be filled that is accommodated in the treatment chamber.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the control system is configured to rinse the subsequent container at least in part with the pressurization gas that has been relieved into the rinsing gas channel.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the control system is further configured to rinse the subsequent container with a rinsing gas from a rinsing gas source.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Habersetzer Florian
• Knott Josef
• Stoiber Christian
• Mueller Holger

Classifications

• B67C3/10 Primary

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

• B67C2003/2697

  by enclosing the container partly in a chamber · CPC title

• B67C7/00

  Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations · CPC title

• B67C3/02

  Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus · CPC title

• B67C3/22 Primary

  Details · CPC title