Filling machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302895-B2
Application number	US-201113809775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2011
Priority date	Jul 28, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A filling machine for filling containers with a liquid filling material, the filling machine includes a transport element with filling elements arranged thereon, each forming a filling point for filling a container. Each filling element has a housing having a discharge opening, a channel formed in the housing. The channel connects to a product line to supply the filling material, and a liquid valve, a measurement system provided separately for each filling element for determining filling level, filling material quantity, or filling material volume in a container, a controlled gas path associated with each filling element, and a control valve fitted to the controlled gas path. At least two filling points and their filling elements define a function-and-process unit, and a control valve is provided in common for a gas path of all filling elements of a function-and-process unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a filling machine for filling containers with a liquid filling material, said filling machine comprising
a transport element,
filling elements, and
function-and-process units,
wherein each of said function-and-process units is formed by a pair of said filling elements, wherein said function-and-process units comprise a first function-and-process unit, wherein said first function-and-process unit comprises first and second filling elements selected from said filling elements, a first gas path, and a first control valve, wherein said first and second filling elements form first and second filling points for filling containers with said liquid filling material, wherein said first filling element comprises a first filling element housing that comprises a discharge opening for said liquid filling material, a first liquid channel formed in said first filling element housing and connecting to a product line that supplies said liquid filling material, a first liquid valve, and a first measurement system for measuring a quantity, wherein said second filling element comprises a second filling element housing that comprises a discharge opening for said liquid filling material, a second liquid channel formed in said second filling element housing and connecting to a product line that supplies said liquid filling material, a second liquid valve, and a second measurement system for measuring said quantity, wherein said first gas path is common to said first and second filling elements, wherein said first control valve controls flow in said first gas path, wherein said first control valve is common to said first and second filling points, and wherein said quantity is selected from the group consisting of a filling level of said liquid filling material in a container, a quantity of said liquid filling material in a container, and a volume of said liquid filling material in a container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said transport element comprises a rotor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements are adjacent to each other on said transport element and successive along a transport direction of said transport element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each filling point comprises a container carrier associated with a filling element, said container carrier comprising lifting means for generating a controlled relative movement between said associated filling element and said container carrier to generate a controlled lift movement of said container carrier relative to said associated filling element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements comprise second and third gas paths controlled by corresponding second and third control valves, said second and third control valves being provided in common for all filling elements of said first function-and-process unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements comprise second and third gas paths controlled by corresponding second and third control valves, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third control valves and a corresponding one of said first, second, and third gas paths thereof are formed for evacuation of a container.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements comprise second and third gas paths controlled by corresponding second and third control valves wherein at least one of said first, second, and third control valves and corresponding one of said first, second, and third gas paths are formed for pre-tensioning a container with a pre-tensioning gas.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements comprise second and third gas paths controlled by corresponding second and third control valves, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third control valves and a corresponding one of said first, second, and third gas paths are formed for settling of a container arranged tightly against said filling element after filling.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second filling elements comprise second and third gas paths controlled by corresponding second and third control valves, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third control valves and corresponding one of said first, second, and third gas paths are formed for pressure relief of a filled container to ambient pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said first filling element with a gas channel common to said filling elements of said filling machine, said common gas channel being connected to a gas chamber of a boiler providing said liquid filling material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said first filling element with a gas channel common to said filling elements of said filling machine, said gas channel being connected to a vacuum source.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said first filling element with a gas channel common to said filling elements of said filling machine, said gas channel being vented to the atmosphere.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filling machine is configured for pressure filling of containers lying tightly against said filling elements.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filling machine is configured for pressureless filling of containers lying tightly against said filling elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said function-and-process units are provided in a single filling level.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said function-and-process units are distributed among at least two filling levels offset from each other in a vertical direction on said transport element.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filling elements are distributed among at least two different filling levels.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for causing simultaneous opening of liquid valves of filling elements of each function-and-process unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for opening liquid valves such that in each function-and-process unit, liquid valves of said first and second filling elements are opened at different times, said different times being separated by a time delay.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said time delay is selected to be between 60 and 140 milliseconds.

Assignees

• Clusserath Ludwig
• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Clusserath Ludwig

Classifications

• B65B3/14

  pneumatically · CPC title

• B67C3/22

  Details · CPC title

• B67C3/2614

  specially adapted for counter-pressure filling · CPC title

• B67C3/225 Primary

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