Content filling system and content filling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247887-B2
Application number	US-201816015537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A content filling system includes a filling device which fills content L in a container which includes a mouth and a container main body. A bubble detecting device is arranged on a downstream side of the filling device, and automatically detects whether or not there are bubbles produced in the content L filled in the container and discharged from the mouth of the container. A determining unit specifies the container which has discharged the bubbles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A content filling system comprising:
a filling device which fills content in a container including a mouth and a container main body;
an outlet side conveying device that is arranged on a downstream side of the filling device, and configured to convey the container after it has been filled with the content by the filling device and before the container has been capped;
a bubble detecting device which is provided at the outlet side conveying device, and automatically detects whether or not there is a bubble produced in the content filled in the container and discharged from the mouth of the container; and
a determining unit which is connected to the bubble detecting device and specifies a container which has discharged the bubble,
wherein
the outlet side conveying device is provided with a nozzle unit that includes a mouth cleaning nozzle and/or an inert gas replacing nozzle,
the bubble detecting device includes:
a first bubble detecting device that is arranged on an upstream side of the nozzle unit, and detects the bubble discharged from the mouth of the container conveyed by the outlet side conveying device, immediately after the content is filled in the container, and
a second bubble detecting device that is arranged on the downstream side of the first bubble detecting device and the nozzle unit, and detects the bubble discharged from the mouth of the container conveyed by the outlet side conveying device, when a certain time passes after the content is filled in the container.

2. The content filling system according to claim 1 , further comprising an ejection unit which ejects the container which has been specified by the determining unit and has discharged the bubble.

3. The content filling system according to claim 2 , further comprising a cap attachment device which is arranged on the downstream side of the bubble detecting device, and attaches a cap to the mouth of the container,
wherein, before the cap attachment device attaches the cap to the mouth of the container, the ejection unit ejects the container which has discharged the bubble.

4. The content filling system according to claim 2 , further comprising
a cap attachment device which is arranged on the downstream side of the bubble detecting device, and attaches a cap to the mouth of the container,
wherein the ejection unit is arranged on a downstream side of the cap attachment device.

5. The content filling system according to claim 4 , wherein the cap attachment device conveys the container to the ejection unit without attaching the cap to the mouth of the container which has discharged the bubble.

6. The content filling system according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment unit which adjusts a filling condition of the filling device based on information from the determining unit.

7. The content filling system according to claim 1 , wherein the bubble detecting device includes a plurality of detecting units disposed in vertically upper and lower directions with relation to each other.

8. The content filling system according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit which stores information related to bubble detection from the determining unit.

Assignees

• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayakawa Atsushi
• TSUCHIMURO Nobuki
• Hirooka Takaharu

Classifications

• B67C3/007 Primary

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

• B67C3/06

  using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure · CPC title

• B67C7/00

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

• B67C2003/2671

  Means for preventing foaming of the liquid · CPC title

• B67C3/20

  with provision for metering the liquids to be introduced, e.g. when adding syrups (measuring volume, or volume flow, in general G01F) · CPC title