Filling machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790073-B2
Application number	US-201314440986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Dec 4, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A filling machine comprises a rotor driven by a drive around a machine axis surrounded by a pitch circle on the rotor, filling elements provided at even pitch intervals around the pitch circle, a closure-element supporting-ring surrounding and concentric with the machine axis, closure elements, a filling-material discharge opening, and a locking device. Each closure element closes a corresponding filling element on an underside thereof during cleaning or disinfection of said filling machine. Relative movement between the ring and the rotor, which is generated by the drive, moves the closure elements between a non-engaged state, in which the closure elements are between filling elements on the pitch circle, and an engaged state, in which the closure elements are on an underside of a corresponding filling element. The locking device causes this state transition by blocking co-rotation of the ring and the rotor.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed as new, and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus comprising a filling machine for filling containers with a filling material, wherein said filling machine comprises a rotor, filling elements, a closure-element supporting-ring, closure elements, a stationary machine frame, a filling-material discharge opening, and a locking device, wherein said locking device is attached to said machine frame, wherein said stationary machine frame does not rotate with said rotor, wherein said rotor defines a vertical machine axis, wherein said rotor defines a pitch circle, wherein said pitch circle surrounds said machine axis, wherein said pitch circle is concentric with said machine axis, wherein said rotor is drivable to rotate about said vertical machine axis by a rotor drive, wherein said filling elements are provided on said rotor at even pitch intervals on said pitch circle, wherein said closure-element supporting-ring is concentric with said machine axis, wherein each closure element closes a corresponding filling element on an underside thereof during at least one of cleaning and disinfection of said filling machine, wherein each filling element comprises a filling material discharge opening, wherein relative movement between said closure-element supporting-ring and said rotor moves said closure elements between a non-engaged state and an engaged state, wherein, in said non-engaged state, said closure elements are arranged on said pitch circle between said filling elements, wherein in said engaged state, each closure element is situated on an underside of a corresponding filling element, wherein relative movement between said closure-element supporting-ring and said rotor is generated by said rotor drive, and wherein said locking device is configured to block co-rotation of said closure-element supporting-ring and said rotor in order cause said closure elements to transition between said non-engaged state and said engaged state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said locking device is one of a plurality of locking devices, wherein said locking devices are distributed about said machine axis, wherein each of said locking devices in said plurality of locking devices is configured to block co-rotation of said closure-element supporting-ring and said rotor in order cause said closure elements to transition between said non-engaged state and said engaged state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said closure-element supporting-ring is connected to said rotor so that rotation of said rotor results in rotation of said closure-element supporting ring.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said closure-element supporting-ring is connected to said rotor by friction engagement.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said closure-element support-ring is connected to said rotor by a controllable coupling device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said closure-element supporting-ring lies on a counter-bearing of said rotor with a bearing element that protrudes radially, relative to said vertical machine axis, from said closure-element supporting-ring, and wherein said counter-bearing is an annular structure that surrounds said machine axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a locking device, wherein said closure-element supporting-ring comprises a first fluid channel that connects to openings on a closure element for discharge or supply of fluid, wherein said locking device connects said first fluid channel to a second fluid channel for drainage of said fluid when said closure-element supporting-ring is blocked, and wherein said fluid is selected from the group consisting of condensate, cleaning medium, and disinfection medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a locking device, wherein said closure-element supporting-ring comprises a first fluid channel that connects to openings on a closure element for discharge or supply of fluid, wherein said locking device forms part of a second fluid channel that is provided on said machine frame, and wherein said second fluid channel permits discharge of said fluid, and wherein said fluid is selected from the group consisting of condensate, cleaning medium, and disinfection medium.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said locking device is disposed in a dead-angle area of rotary movement of said rotor, wherein said dead-angle area is disposed between a container outlet and a container inlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a locking device, wherein said locking device is disposed in a dead-angle area of rotary movement of said rotor, said dead-angle area being disposed between a container outlet and a container inlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number of closure elements is equal to the number of filling elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said closure-element supporting-ring is arranged inside said pitch circle.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said closure elements are arranged at a level between undersides of said filling elements and a container carrier level.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Klotz Matthias
• Niehr Thomas
• Vorwerk Jürgen

Classifications

• 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