Filling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969603-B2
Application number	US-201414904169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A filling element includes a common actuator that controls both a liquid valve and a gas valve. The actuator implements a two-stage control stroke. In a first operating state, both the liquid valve and the gas valve are closed. As a result of a first partial stroke in the second operating state, the gas valve opens but the liquid valve remains closed. Then, in a third operating state, as a result of a second partial stroke, the liquid valve is opens while the gas valve remains open.

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 at least one of bottles and containers with a liquid filling-product, said apparatus comprising a single-chamber filling system comprising a filling-product vessel and a filling element arranged below said filling-product vessel, wherein, in operation, said filling-product vessel is partially filled with liquid product that defines a liquid space and a gas space above said liquid space, wherein said filling element extends along a filling-element axis, wherein said filling element comprises a housing, a liquid channel, a discharge opening, a liquid valve, a gas valve, a liquid valve-body, a liquid-valve tappet, a gas-valve body, a gas channel, and an actuator, wherein said liquid channel extends through said housing between a connection to said liquid space and said discharge opening, which is disposed at an end of said liquid channel at an underside of said housing, said underside facing away from said filling-product vessel such that, during filling, liquid product flows into a container through said discharge opening, wherein said liquid valve is arranged in said liquid channel such that said liquid-valve body is arranged coaxially with said filling-element axis so as to be movable axially along said filling-element axis for opening and closing said liquid valve, wherein said liquid-valve tappet is provided on said liquid-valve body, wherein said liquid valve is configured to permit controlled discharge of said filling product into a container arranged in a sealed position against said filling element during a filling operation, wherein said gas channel extends through said liquid-valve tappet between an upper end that opens into said gas space and a lower end that, in operation, extends into a head space of said container, wherein said gas valve is provided in said gas channel such that movement of said gas-valve body opens and closes said gas valve, wherein said actuator comprises a pneumatic actuator that is configured to cooperate with said liquid-valve tappet and with said gas-valve body to cause a controlled motion that comprises at least a first partial stroke and a second partial stroke, wherein said actuator is configured such that said first partial stroke causes said actuator to transition from a first operating state to a second operating state, and said second partial stroke causes said actuator to transition from said second operating state to a third operating state, wherein, when said actuator is in said first operating state, said liquid valve is closed and said gas valve is closed, wherein, when said actuator is in said second operating state, said liquid valve is closed and said gas valve is opened, and wherein, when said actuator is in said third operating state, said liquid valve is opened and said gas valve is opened, wherein said actuator comprises an adapter, an actuator-tappet, a first lift-element, and a second lift-element, wherein said first and second lift-elements are coaxial with said filling-element axis, wherein said adapter is coupled to said liquid-valve tappet, said actuator tappet, and said gas-valve body, wherein said actuator-tappet moves said first lift-element, wherein said second lift-element is disposed to form a stop for stroke movement of said first lift-element such that when said second lift-element is in a first state, said stroke movement of said first lift-element is limited to said first partial stroke, and when said second lift-element is in a second state, said stroke of said first lift-element is equal to a sum of extents of said first and second partial strokes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gas-valve body is movable through said a gas channel that is formed through a liquid-valve tappet that extends along said filling-element axis for opening and closing said gas valve, wherein said gas-valve body cooperates with a valve face formed in said gas channel, wherein said gas-valve body extends through an aperture in said valve face when said gas valve is open, and wherein said gas-valve body extends through said aperture when said gas valve is closed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further wherein said gas channel comprises a partial length that passes through said liquid-valve tappet and that receives said gas-valve body, wherein said gas-valve body comprises an upper end that protrudes from out of said liquid-valve tappet, and wherein said upper end of said gas-valve body selectively contacts said actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first lift-element comprises a first piston-cylinder arrangement, and wherein said second lift-element comprises a second piston-cylinder arrangement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said adapter comprises a first control-face and a second control-face, wherein said liquid-valve tappet comprises a control portion, wherein said gas-valve body lies against said first control-face during said first partial-stroke, wherein said second control-face is axially offset from said control portion when said actuator is in said first operating state, wherein, during axial motion of said liquid-valve tappet, said second control-face engages said control portion only during said second partial-stroke.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a spring that is configured to act on said adapter to urge said adapter upward, wherein said adaptor comprises a third control face that, when said actuator is in said first operating state, lies against said control portion of said liquid-valve tappet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein an axial distance between said second control-face and said third control-face is at least equal to an extent of said first partial stroke plus a thickness of said control portion arranged between said second control-face and said third control-face.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to pre-load said liquid valve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said spring is configured to pre-load said liquid valve towards a closed state, wherein said spring is disposed above said gas-valve body.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Krulitsch Dieter-Rudolf
• Fahldieck Andreas

Classifications

• B67C3/26

  Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks · CPC title

• B67C3/262 Primary

  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