Method for tightness control of a filling-sealing unit for containers, and filling-sealing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247888-B2
Application number	US-201816627179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A method for tightness control of a filling-sealing unit (1) for containers (9) is described. According thereto, a pressure chamber formed at the filling-sealing unit is sealed by way of a first seal around a sealer that is movable therein and by way of a second seal around a pressure supply that is movable therein. According to the invention, a third seal formed for sealing the pressure chamber around a container neck finish is sealed from the outside with an attachment, a positive pressure and/or negative pressure is generated in the pressure chamber, the pressure line used for this purpose is closed, and then a pressure profile in the pressure chamber is measured. This allows a leakage to be selectively detected at the first and/or second seal and be distinguished from a leak at the third seal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for tightness control of a filling-sealing unit for containers, where a pressure chamber formed at said filling-sealing unit is sealed by way of a first seal against a sealer that is movable therein and by way of a second seal against a product feeder, wherein a third seal formed for sealing said pressure chamber around a neck finish portion and/or a neck portion and/or a shoulder portion of said containers is temporarily sealed from the outside with an attachment, thereby temporarily replacing the function of the third seal and an inserted container of said containers with the sealing attachment, a positive pressure and/or negative pressure is generated in said pressure chamber, a pressure line used for this purpose is closed, and then a pressure profile in said pressure chamber is measured, where a container is introduced with at least one of its neck finish portion, neck portion and shoulder portion into said third seal, where compressed air is provided to the third seal such that the same encloses the neck finish/neck/shoulder portion of the container in a liquid-tight and gas-tight manner in relation to at least one of a positive pressure and a negative pressure prevailing during working operation of the filling-sealing unit, and where at least one of the positive pressure and the negative pressure is generated in said pressure chamber, said pressure line used for this purpose is closed, and then a pressure profile in said pressure chamber is measured.

2. The method according to claim 1 , where a test member simulating said neck finish portion, said neck portion, and/or said shoulder portion of said containers is introduced into said third seal, a positive pressure and/or negative pressure is generated in said pressure chamber, said pressure line used for this purpose is closed, and then a pressure profile in said pressure chamber is measured.

3. The method according to claim 1 , where a positive pressure of at least 1 bar is generated.

4. The method according to claim 1 , where said positive pressure is generated by introducing CO 2 .

5. The method according to claim 1 , where a negative pressure of 0.1 bar or less is generated.

6. The method according to claim 1 , where said pressure profile is respectively measured over a period of time of at least 0.5 seconds.

7. The method according to claim 1 , where tightness control is performed on all filling-sealing units of a filling-sealing machine of a rotary type.

8. The method according to claim 7 , where tightness control is performed for every filling-sealing unit at least twice consecutively with different containers.

9. The method according to claim 7 , where said filling-sealing units are moved to a corrective maintenance point of said filling machine in case they fail said tightness control.

10. The method according to claim 7 , where said tightness control is performed with said containers at a maximum rotational speed of said filling machine intended for production operation.

11. The method according to claim 7 , where said tightness control is performed with said containers at a reduced rotational speed relative to normal production operation or at a standstill of said filling machine.

12. The method according to claim 7 , where tightness control is performed several times during and/or between ongoing production operation and a trend analysis based thereon is created for said filling-sealing units controlled for tightness.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a CIP agent is passed prior to tightness control through said filling-sealing unit sealed with said attachment.

14. A filling machine of a rotary type with several filling-sealing units and with a programmable control unit for performing test runs following the method according to claim 1 .

15. The method according to claim 1 , where a positive pressure of at least 3 bar is generated.

16. The method according to claim 1 , where said pressure profile is respectively measured over a period of time of at least 5 seconds.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Knott Josef
• Habersetzer Florian

Classifications

• B67C2007/0066

  Devices particularly adapted for container closing · CPC title

• G01M3/3272

  for verifying the internal pressure of closed containers · CPC title

• G01M3/32

  for containers, e.g. radiators · 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