Filling machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546083-B2
Application number	US-201214363906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2012
Priority date	Dec 8, 2011
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for filling containers with a filling material includes a transport element that rotates in a transport direction, filling positions formed on the transport element, and a common carrier common to all positions and moving with the transport element. Each filling position has a filling element, a weighing cell secured to the carrier, a container carrier, and a functional element assigned to the filling position on the common carrier. The common carrier is adjustable to move by an adjustment unit either in or opposite to the transport direction. The adjustment unit corresponds to a distance between functional elements of filler positions that are adjacent to each other in the transport direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for filling containers with a filling material, said apparatus comprising a circulating transport element, a common carrier, and a plurality of filling positions, each of said filling positions comprising a filling element, a weighing cell, a first functional element, and a second functional element, wherein said circulating transport element is configured to be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis in a transport direction, wherein said filling positions are formed on said transport element, wherein said common carrier is common to all of said filling positions, wherein said filling element is configured for controlled dispensation of filling material into a container, wherein said first functional element comprises a container carrier, wherein said first functional element is arranged on said common carrier, wherein said second functional element is arranged on said common carrier, wherein said common carrier is moved in said transport direction synchronously with said transport element, wherein said common carrier is adjustable to move by at least one adjustment unit in a direction selected from the group consisting of said transport direction and a direction that is opposite to said transport direction, wherein said adjustment unit corresponds to a distance between functional elements of filler positions that are adjacent to each other in said transport direction, wherein said weighing cell is secured on said common carrier for quantity-controlled filling of said container wherein each filling position comprises at least two different container carriers, and wherein an assignment of said weighing cell to said at least two different container carriers is selected from the group consisting of a first assignment and a second assignment, wherein, in said first assignment, said weighing cell is an independent weighing cell assigned to each of said at least two different container carriers, and wherein, in said second assignment, said weighing cell is a common weighing cell assigned to said at least two container carriers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said common carrier comprises a carrier ring.

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

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , said assignment is selected to be said first assignment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said assignment is selected to be said second assignment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said container carrier is held on said common carrier by said weighing cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said filling element comprises a dispensing opening, and wherein said second functional element comprises a closing element for closing said filling element in an area around said dispensing opening.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said closing element comprises a closing plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said closing element comprises a closing cap.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said closing elements are provided on a level of said common carrier, and wherein said weighing cells are provided underneath said level.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said common carrier is configured to move toward said filling element to close said filling element.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said filling element is configured to move toward said common carrier to close said filling element.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said filling element is configured to move toward said common carrier and said common carrier is configured to move toward said filling element to close said filling element.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said common carrier comprises a plurality of projections, wherein said projections project in a direction perpendicular to said transport direction, wherein said closing element is formed on a projection from said plurality of projections, wherein said container carrier is provided between two projections from said plurality of projections, and wherein said two projections are adjacent to each other in said transport direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said common carrier comprises a carrier ring having an upper carrier ring section and a lower carrier ring section, wherein said closing element is provided on said upper carrier ring section and said weighing cell is provided on said lower carrier ring section.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said container carrier is formed to hold a container on a neck ring thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said container carrier is formed to hold a container on a mouth flange thereof.

Assignees

• Lorenz Jonathan
• Fahldieck Andreas
• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Lorenz Jonathan
• Fahldieck Andreas

Classifications

• B67C3/287 Primary

  related to flow control using predetermined or real-time calculated parameters · CPC title

• B67C3/004 Primary

  permanently attached to the filling machine and movable between a rest and a working position · CPC title

• B67C3/225

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

• B67C3/202

  by weighing · CPC title

• B67C2003/2668

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