Method and device for producing and filling containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696433-B2
Application number	US-201414769900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2014
Priority date	Feb 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for transforming a pre-form into a container filled with liquid filling-material includes a feed line, a high-pressure source, a removal line, and a molding station having a mold, a mold space, and a mold head that permits liquid filling-material to be introduced into the pre-form under a filling pressure sufficient to transform the pre-form into a container and to seal against an opening of the pre-form as liquid filling-material flows through the feed line. The high-pressure source is in fluid communication with the liquid filling-material in the container such that exposure of the liquid filling-material to gas pressure in excess of the filling pressure pushes a pre-determined volume of the liquid filling-material out of the container, thereby forming a headspace in the container.

First claim

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

1. A method for manufacturing a container that contains liquid filling-material, said method comprising producing a container from a preform, wherein producing said container comprises
executing a form-and-fill phase, wherein executing said form-and-fill phase comprises causing said preform to transform into a filled container, wherein causing said preform to transform into a filled container comprises filling said preform with liquid filling-material that is maintained at a filling pressure, and pushing a predetermined volume of said liquid filling-material out of said container, and wherein pushing said predetermined volume out of said container comprises exerting gas pressure that is in excess of said filling pressure on said liquid filling-material through a first line, wherein said first line connects a pressure source that exerts a gas pressure in excess of said filling pressure and opens into said container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein exerting pressure comprises using an inert gas as a medium for transmitting said pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein filling said preform comprises using a flow meter to measure volume of liquid filling-material that is entering said preform and wherein pushing said predetermined volume out of said container comprises using said flow meter to measure a volume of liquid filling-material that has been pushed out of said container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein filling said preform comprises passing liquid filling-material into said preform through a second line and wherein pushing said pre-determined volume of liquid filling-material out of said container comprises pushing said pre-determined volume of liquid filling-material out through said second line.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein pushing a predetermined volume of said liquid filling-material out of said container comprises passing said liquid filling-material through an opening in said first line and wherein a location of said opening controls an extent of a headspace.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining when a level of liquid filling-material that is in said container has reached a predetermined level.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using an electric probe to determine when a level of liquid filling-material that is in said container has reached a predetermined level.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before exerting pressure on said liquid filling-material, at least partially balancing said liquid filling-material from said filling pressure.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after having filled said preform, pressure balancing said liquid filling-material with gas at a pressure of between four and ten bar and, after having pressure balanced said liquid content, introducing gas into said container to push said predetermined volume out of said container, thereby creating a headspace, and introducing gas into said headspace from time to time.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein introducing said gas comprises introducing nitrogen gas.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein introducing said gas comprises introducing carbon-dioxide gas.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising using a magnetically-inductive flow meter to measure a volume of liquid filling-material that flows into said preform and a volume that is forced out of said container during creation of said headspace.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein filling said preform with said liquid filling-material comprises passing said liquid filling-material into said preform through a delivery line, said method further comprising creating said headspace by forcing liquid filling-material out of said container through said delivery line.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein filling said preform with said liquid filling-material comprises passing said liquid filling-material into said preform through a delivery line that has an opening, wherein a highest point of said opening corresponds to a filling-product level in said container following formation of said headspace, said method further comprising forcing liquid filling-material out of said container through said opening and forcing said gas out of said container through said opening.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, using an electrical probe, measuring a filling-product level in said container and determining, based at least in part on said measurement, that a predetermined filling-product level has been reached.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon detecting that fluid being driven out of through said first line is no longer liquid but gaseous, disconnecting said first line from said pressure source.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pre-filling a second line with said liquid filling-material and, after having filled said second line, allowing said gas pressure to force said liquid filling-material in said container out of said container through said second line.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein filling said preform with liquid filling-material that is maintained at a filling pressure comprises causing said liquid filling-material to enter said preform through a second line, said method further comprising expelling said liquid filling-material out of said container through said second line.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing said preform into a mold head and connecting said pressure source that exerts a gas pressure in excess of said filling pressure to said mold head, wherein said pressure source is connected to other mold heads.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said pressure source that exerts said gas pressure in excess of said filling pressure from the group consisting of a ring boiler and a ring pipe.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• CLüSSERATH LUDWIG

Classifications

• B29C49/78

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B29C2949/0715

  the preform having one end closed · CPC title

• B65B31/025 Primary

  specially adapted for rigid or semi-rigid containers (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2049/627

  using vacuum means · CPC title

• B65B3/26

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