Filling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046565-B2
Application number	US-201816958425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A filling machine for pressure-filling containers includes a container receptacle arranged beneath the filling element, a first lift that vertically adjusts the filling element to accommodate different container sizes, a shield that adjusts relative to the filling element and comprises a single-piece partition and that, in a protection position, at least partially surrounds the container during filling thereof. An adjuster adjusts the shield and the receptacle relative to one another between a protection position and a release position by changing the receptacle's position relative to the shield in a region of a feeding-and-discharge device. The adjuster comprises at least one of a second lift and a rotation mechanism that rotates a container about a container axis thereof.

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 comprising a filling machine for pressure-filling containers, said filling machine comprising a rotating transport element that comprises receiving stations, each of which includes a filling element, a first lift, a shield, an adjuster, and a container receptacle for a container, said container receptacle being arranged beneath said filling element, wherein said first lift vertically adjusts said filling element in a vertical direction to accommodate different container sizes, wherein said shield, which is formed at said receiving station, is adjustable relative to said filling element and comprises a single-piece partition that defines at least a portion of a cylinder, wherein, during filling of said containers, said shield is in a protection position in which it at least partially surrounds said container, wherein said adjuster adjusts said shield and said container receptacle relative to one another between said protection position and a release position, wherein said adjuster adjusts said shield and said container receptacle relative to each other by changing a position of said container receptacle relative to said shield in a region of a feeding-and-discharge device, wherein said feeding-and-discharge device is arranged in a conveying region of said transport element for feeding said container to said transport element and for receiving a container that has been discharged from said rotating transport element, wherein said adjuster comprises at least one of a second lift and a rotation mechanism, and wherein said rotation mechanism rotates said container about a container axis thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said adjuster comprises said second lift, wherein said second lift comprises a ramp in a region of said feeding-and-discharge device, and wherein said ramp interacts with a runner that connects to said container receptacle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotation mechanism, wherein said single-piece partition is a semi-circular cylinder, and wherein said rotation mechanism rotates said single-piece partition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said adjuster comprises said second lift, wherein said second lift comprises an actuating cylinder, and wherein said actuating cylinder is configured to cause a change in the relative positions of said container receptacle and said shield.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filling machine is a circular filling machine.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said single-piece partition surrounds a portion of a wall of a container on a side of said wall that faces radially outward from an axis of rotation of said rotating transport element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said adjuster comprises said second lift and wherein said second lift comprises a linear drive.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a return gas tube coupled to said second lift, wherein said second lift causes said return gas tube to move vertically with said shield.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a return gas tube coupled to said second lift, wherein said second lift causes said return gas tube to move vertically with said container receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a runner that connects to said container receptacle, wherein said second lift comprises a ramp that interacts with said runner in a region of said feeding-and-discharge device, and wherein said second lift is a constituent of said adjuster.

11. A method of using a filling machine for pressure-filling containers, said filling machine comprising a rotating transport element that comprises receiving stations, each of which includes a filling element, a first lift, a shield, an adjuster, and container receptacle for a container, said container receptacle being arranged beneath said filling element, wherein said first lift vertically adjusts said filling element in a vertical direction to accommodate different container sizes, wherein said shield, which is formed at said receiving station, is adjustable relative to said filling element and comprises a single-piece partition that defines at least a portion of a cylinder, and that is in a protection position in which it at least partially surrounds said container during filling thereof, wherein said adjuster adjusts said shield and said container receptacle relative to one another between a protection position into a release position by changing a position of said container receptacle relative to said shield in a region of a feeding-and-discharge device that is arranged in a conveying region of said transport element for feeding said container to said transport element and for receiving a container that has been discharged from said rotating transport element, and wherein said adjuster comprises at least one of a second lift and a rotation mechanism that rotates a container about a container axis thereof, wherein said method comprises using said filling machine to fill a container having a first size, adjusting said filling machine to accommodate a container having a second size that differs from said first size, and using said filling machine to fill said container having said second size, wherein adjusting said filling machine comprises adjusting a relative position of said shield relative to said filling element.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising causing said shield to be in a shielding position while said container is being filled and causing said shield to be in a release position after said container has filled, wherein, in said shielding position, said shield at least partially surrounds said container, wherein causing said shield to be in said shielding position comprises causing relative movement between said shield and said container receptacle, wherein causing said relative movement comprises one of rotating said shield and said container receptacle relative to each other and causing vertical movement of said shield and said container receptacle relative to each other.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Krulitsch Dieter-Rudolf
• CLüSSERATH LUDWIG
• Bruch Bernd

Classifications

• B67C3/007 Primary

  Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery (flow-control B67C3/28) · CPC title

• B67C2003/2668

  Means for adapting the filling head to various sizes of containers · CPC title

• B67C3/225

  Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers · CPC title

• B67C3/26 Primary

  Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks · CPC title

• B67C3/22

  Details · CPC title