Container filling system and valve for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12110225-B2
Application number	US-202318313967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2023
Priority date	Mar 22, 2013
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A container filling valve may include a shuttle and a drive sleeve that are magnetically coupled. Movement of the drive sleeve may move the shuttle from a position in which the filling valve is closed to a position in which the filling valve is open. A container handling arm may include a distal end configured to hold a container and a proximal end that includes a load cell. A low flow setpoint system may be configured to arrest closing of a filling valve when that filling valve is partially closed. A pressure control system may be configured to maintain a desired pressure in a reservoir or in a flow path from that reservoir. A product recirculation system may be configured to adjust flow rate in the product recirculation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container filling system comprising:
a beverage product reservoir;
a beverage container filling valve connected to the reservoir and configured to fill containers with beverage product from the reservoir; and
a vacuum source connected to a fluid space that includes an interior of the reservoir;
a pressure control valve connecting the fluid space to a source of fluid at a pressure above an ambient atmospheric pressure;
a pressure transducer configured to generate pressure transducer signals indicative of pressures in a flow path from the reservoir interior to the beverage container filling valve; and
a controller configured to receive input data corresponding to a target pressure value based on a desired flow rate, wherein the controller is configured to receive the pressure transducer signals, and is configured to generate, based on the received pressure transducer signals and on the input data, pressure valve control signals to open and close the pressure valve and maintain a pressure at or near the target pressure.

2. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum source is a vacuum pump.

3. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir interior has a volume greater than combined volumes of multiple beverage product containers.

4. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir interior contains beverage product.

5. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the target pressure is less than an ambient atmospheric pressure.

6. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the target pressure is at or above an ambient atmospheric pressure.

7. The container filling system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configurable for filling containers while the reservoir is vented to atmosphere.

8. A method for filling containers comprising:
loading a reservoir of a filling system with a first beverage product, the reservoir operatively connected to a vacuum source and a source of fluid at a pressure above an ambient atmospheric pressure;
filling containers with the first beverage product, through a filling valve connected to the reservoir and during a first time period, while automatically maintaining an input target pressure in a part of a flow path from the reservoir based on a desired flow rate using a pressure control valve configured to open and close based on pressure transducer signals and the input target pressure signal generated by a controller, wherein the first target pressure value is below an ambient atmospheric pressure value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a width of an outlet of the filling valve is at least 0.625 inches (1.5875 cm).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein automatically maintaining a pressure in the reservoir or in a part of a flow path from the reservoir at or near a first target pressure value comprises opening and closing a pressure control valve connecting a pressurized fluid source with a fluid space that includes an interior of the reservoir while the fluid space is also connected to a vacuum source.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
loading the reservoir with another beverage product; and
filling containers with the other beverage product while the reservoir is vented to atmosphere.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
loading the reservoir with a second beverage product; and
filling containers with the second beverage product, through the filling valve and during a second time period different from the first time period, while automatically maintaining a pressure in the reservoir or in a part of a flow path from the reservoir at or near a second target pressure value, and wherein the second target pressure value is at or above an ambient atmospheric pressure value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a viscosity of the first beverage product is less than a viscosity of the second beverage product.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Eaton John A
• Martin David William
• Warburton David Jay
• Coleman Nathan John
• Feller Samuel Frank
• Evans Thomas John
• Sorge Jason Karl
• Straub Randy A

Classifications

• B65B59/00

  Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages {, to handle different types of packaging material,} or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes · CPC title

• B65B59/003

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material · CPC title

• B65B59/001

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged · CPC title

• B67C3/202

  by weighing · CPC title

• B65B2220/14

  Adding more than one type of material or article to the same package · CPC title