Filling system and method for the treatment of containers with a process gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809436-B2
Application number	US-201414904225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A filling element includes an actuator, a liquid valve, and a gas tube on a plunger that extends into a container. The plunger and the gas tube define a first gas-duct that extends through the plunger and the gas tube. The first gas-duct has ends that extend respectively into a gas-space of a product vessel and the container's interior. A first gas-valve along the first gas-duct has a gas-valve body that interacts with a valve seat in the first gas-duct. The gas-valve body has a second gas-duct formed therethrough. This second gas-duct at least temporarily engages the first gas-duct in a fluid-tight manner. The gas-valve body has a valve face and a valve opening that cooperate to form a second gas-valve through which, when the second gas-valve opens, gas flows through the first and second gas-ducts and enters the container.

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 for filling containers with liquid product, said apparatus comprising a product vessel and a filling element arranged below said product vessel, wherein said filling element comprises a filling-element housing, a dispensing opening, an actuator, a liquid valve, a liquid duct, a valve plunger, a liquid valve body, a gas tube, a first gas-duct, a first gas-valve, a second gas-valve, a gas-valve body, a valve seat, a second gas-duct, a valve face, and a valve opening, wherein in operation, liquid product partially fills said product vessel, thus defining a liquid space occupied by said filling product and a first gas-space above said liquid space, wherein said filling-element housing comprises said liquid duct formed therein, said liquid duct connecting to said liquid space, wherein said dispensing opening is disposed on an underside of said filling-element housing, said underside facing away from said product vessel, wherein said liquid valve comprising said valve plunger and a liquid valve body, wherein said valve plunger is aligned coaxially with a filling-element axis, wherein said liquid-valve body is provided on said valve plunger, wherein said liquid-valve body is movable along said filling-element axis to open and close said liquid valve, wherein said gas tube is provided on said valve plunger, wherein said gas tube, in operation, extends into a head space of a container that is arranged to be filled at said filling element, wherein said valve plunger and said gas tube cooperate to define said first gas-duct, wherein said first gas-duct extends through said valve plunger and through said gas tube, wherein said first gas-duct has an upper end that extends into said first gas-space of said product vessel and a lower end that opens into an interior of said container, wherein said first gas-valve is disposed along said first gas-duct, wherein said first gas-valve comprises said gas-valve body, wherein said gas-valve body interacts with said valve seat, wherein said valve seat is configured in said first gas-duct, wherein said first gas-valve transitions between an open and closed state in response to said actuator, wherein said second gas-duct is formed through said gas-valve body, wherein said second gas-duct is configured to at least temporarily engage said first gas-duct in a fluid-tight manner, and wherein said gas-valve body comprises said valve face and said valve opening, wherein said valve face and said valve opening cooperate to form said second gas-valve, and wherein, when said second gas-valve opens, a flow of gas through said first and second gas-ducts enters said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gas-valve body is configured as a hollow needle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first gas-duct has a first cross-section, wherein said second gas-duct has a second cross-section, and wherein said second cross-section is less than said first cross-section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a restrictor in said second gas-duct, wherein said restrictor is configured to reduce gas flow through said second gas-duct.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said actuator is configured to open or close said valve opening by execution of a first partial-stroke, a length of which is restricted by an obstruction to travel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gas-valve body is configured to be movable along said filling element axis for opening and closing of said first gas-valve, and wherein said gas-valve body and interacts with a valve face configured in said first gas-duct.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said actuator is configured to move said gas-valve body along a first partial-stroke and along a second partial-stroke, wherein stroke paths of said first and second partial-strokes are coaxial.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second gas-valves are configured such that opening said first gas-valve causes a greater gas flow rate than opening said second gas-valve.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a part of a length of said gas-valve body of said first gas-valve is accommodated in said first gas-duct, wherein said gas-valve body comprises an upper end that projects out of said first gas-duct, wherein said upper end interacts said actuator.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said valve opening of said gas-valve body is provided on an upper end face of said gas-valve body, wherein said upper end face projects beyond said first gas-duct.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plunger and an adapter, wherein said actuator comprises first and second lifting-elements that are coaxial with said filling-element axis, wherein said first lifting-element acts through said plunger and said adaptor on said gas-valve body, wherein said second lifting-element forms a stop for a stroke of said first lifting-element, wherein said second lifting element transitions between first and second states, wherein, in said first state, said stroke is limited to a first partial-stroke, wherein, in said second state, said second lifting-element is raised by a second partial-stroke such that said stroke of said first lifting-element has a length that is increased to increased to a sum of said first and second partial strokes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said adapter brings about a sealing of said opening, wherein said adapter causes closing of said second gas-valve when said first lifting element is in a lowered state.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when said first lifting element is in a raised state, said adapter is lifted off said opening, and said second gas-valve opens.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said adapter comprises a hooking surface, wherein during said first partial-stroke, said hooking surface remains separated from said gas-valve body, wherein during said second partial-stroke, said hooking surface engages said gas-valve body so as to raise said gas-valve body out of said sealed position of said valve face configured in said first gas-duct.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said adapter comprises an adapter surface that interacts with said valve plunger for closing said liquid valve.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spring, wherein said spring is configured to pre-tension said liquid valve into an open state thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second gas-space, wherein said second gas-duct second gas-duct connects at least temporarily to said second gas space, wherein said second gas space is independent of said first gas-space.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said second gas-duct is configured to transition between a first state for purging said container and a second state for pre-tensioning said container, wherein, in said first state, said second gas-duct connects to said said first gas-space, and wherein, in said second state, said second gas-duct connects to said second gas space.

19. A method for treating a container with a gas prior to filling said container using a filling element against which said container is sealed during treatment, through which gas is introduced into said container, and through which gas displaced from said container passes through, said filling element comprising a first gas-duct that opens, at an upper end thereof, into a gas-space of a product vessel and that opens, at a lower end thereof, into a head space of said contai

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• CLüSSERATH LUDWIG

Classifications

• B67C3/2628

  and the filling operation stopping when the liquid rises to a level at which it closes a vent opening · CPC title

• B67C2003/2602

  Details of vent-tubes · CPC title

• B67C3/10 Primary

  preliminary filling with inert gases, e.g. carbon dioxide · CPC title