Method and system for filling containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963335-B2
Application number	US-201414782391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A method for filling containers with a liquid filling-medium supplied from a filling-medium tank includes sealing a container against a filling element, connecting an interior of the container to a flow duct within the filling element, adding liquid filling-medium to the container, thereby causing gas to exit the container via the flow duct, using pressurized gas, removing liquid filling-medium from the container through a flow duct, guiding the removed liquid filling-medium to a collection chamber, and monitoring flow of matter that passes through the flow duct on its way to the collection chamber.

First claim

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

1. A method for filling containers with a liquid filling-medium supplied from a filling-medium tank, said method comprising sealing a container against a filling element, connecting an interior of said container to a flow duct within said filling element, wherein gas displaced from said container's interior is discharged as return gas through said flow duct, wherein filling medium displaced from the container's interior at the end of the filling process is channeled through said flow duct into a collection chamber that is separate from a filling-material tank, and wherein filling material that has been collected in said collection chamber is fed back into said filling-material tank, adding liquid filling-medium to said container, thereby causing gas to exit said container via said flow duct, using pressurized gas, removing liquid filling-medium from said container through said flow duct, guiding said removed liquid filling-medium to said collection chamber, and monitoring flow of matter that passes through said flow duct on its way to said collection chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing liquid filling-medium to flow from said collection chamber to a liquid filling-medium tank that supplies liquid filling-medium to a plurality of filling elements.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing liquid filling-medium to flow from said collection chamber to a liquid-filled space of a liquid filling-medium tank that supplies liquid filling-medium to a plurality of filling elements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring said flow comprises detecting a return gas flow that is below a nominal flow value, said method further comprising shutting down said filling element in response to detecting said flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding liquid filling-medium to said container comprises overfilling said container, said method further comprising causing excess liquid medium to climb out of said container through said flow duct and past a sensor for monitoring flow of matter that passes through said flow duct on its way to said collection chamber.

6. An apparatus comprising a filling system, said filling system comprising a tank, a liquid-filled space, a collection chamber that is separate from said tank, and a filling element, wherein said filling element comprises a liquid-guiding channel, a discharge opening, a liquid-dispensing valve, a sensor, and a flow duct, wherein said tank is partially-filled with said liquid filling-medium, wherein a level of said liquid filling-medium in said tank defines said liquid-filled space within said tank, wherein said liquid-guiding channel forms said discharge opening through which said medium flows into a container that is sealed against said filling element, wherein said liquid-dispensing valve controls flow of said medium into said container, wherein said liquid-guiding channel is connected to said liquid space, wherein, during operation, said flow duct connects to an interior of said container during a filling phase, wherein, in operation, gas displaced from said container's interior is discharged as return gas through said flow duct, return gas displaced from said container during filling flows through said flow duct and enters said collection chamber, and filling material that has been collected in said collection chamber is fed back into said tank, and
wherein said sensor monitors flow of matter through said flow duct.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a return-gas tube that, in operation, extends into said container and enables matter from said container to be guided out of said container and into said collection chamber following overfilling of said container past a nominal fill level.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said collection chamber is configured to separate said matter into a liquid fraction and a gas fraction, said apparatus further comprising a connection between said collection chamber and said liquid space through which said liquid fraction is returned to said tank.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• CLüSSERATH LUDWIG

Classifications

• B67C3/007 Primary

  Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery (flow-control B67C3/28) · CPC title

• B67C3/262

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

• B67C3/286

  related to flow rate control, i.e. controlling slow and fast filling phases · CPC title

• B67C3/06 Primary

  using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure · CPC title