A filling unit (1) for filling containers (90) of a first type, such as bottles, and for filling containers (95) of a second type, such as cans, with a liquid substance (99). The filling unit (1) comprises a dispenser (3), which in use faces towards a mouth of the container to be filled so as to dispense the liquid substance (99) through a dispensing opening (30) towards an internal volume of the container, and a valve (4) which is controllable for allowing and preventing the liquid substance (99) to be dispensed from the dispenser (3). The filling unit (1) further comprises a level sensor (51) for detecting a filled level of the liquid substance (99) in the container, a volume meter (52) for measuring a volume of the liquid substance (99) fed to the dispenser (3), and a control system for controlling the valve (4). The control system is configured to control the valve (4) based on the filled level detected by the level sensor (51), when the filling unit (1) is used for filling a container (90) of the first type, and is configured to control the valve (4) based on the fed volume that is measured by the volume meter, when the filling unit (1) is used for filling a container (95) of the second type.

An actuator for controlling a fluid path includes an actuator having a seat part, either a fluid-valve membrane or a movable part, and a magnetorheological elastomer that changes form when a magnetic field changes. This causes the path to open or close.

An actuator for controlling a fluid path includes an actuator having a seat part, either a fluid-valve membrane or a movable part, and a magnetorheological elastomer that changes form when a magnetic field changes. This causes the path to open or close.

A device for distributing fluid media for a rotary machine, in particular a filling machine, including: a rotary distributor having a non-rotatably designed first assembly and a second assembly designed to be rotatable about a machine's axis of rotation, wherein the first assembly comprises one or several supply points for at least one fluid medium, and one or several supply lines for the at least one fluid medium connected with the supply point or supply points, wherein at least one supply line includes two or more lying swivel joints whose axes of rotation are arranged essentially in parallel to the machine's axis of rotation.

A device for distributing fluid media for a rotary machine, in particular a filling machine, including: a rotary distributor having a non-rotatably designed first assembly and a second assembly designed to be rotatable about a machine's axis of rotation, wherein the first assembly comprises one or several supply points for at least one fluid medium, and one or several supply lines for the at least one fluid medium connected with the supply point or supply points, wherein at least one supply line includes two or more lying swivel joints whose axes of rotation are arranged essentially in parallel to the machine's axis of rotation.

The invention relates to a device for filling a bottle with a liquid product, comprising support means for the bottle and a filling nozzle (11) arranged above the support means. The device comprises a first actuator for movement of a valve of the filling nozzle and a second actuator for movement of one of the support member and the filling nozzle between high and low positions, the actuators being connected to a control unit.

An apparatus and method for handling a container, comprising filling the container with a filling product, for example with a beverage in a beverage bottling plant, wherein the apparatus has: a valve main body with an outlet for introducing the filling product into the container and with a swirl chamber which is fluidically connected to the outlet and is configured to induce a swirling motion in the filling product as the latter is being introduced into the container; a valve cone which is at least partially arranged in the valve body, defines an axial direction and through which a gas duct penetrates in the axial direction; and a sensor device with a sensor head which is configured to detect at least one signal and is arranged in the gas duct.

An apparatus and method for handling a container, comprising filling the container with a filling product, for example with a beverage in a beverage bottling plant, wherein the apparatus has: a valve main body with an outlet for introducing the filling product into the container and with a swirl chamber which is fluidically connected to the outlet and is configured to induce a swirling motion in the filling product as the latter is being introduced into the container; a valve cone which is at least partially arranged in the valve body, defines an axial direction and through which a gas duct penetrates in the axial direction; and a sensor device with a sensor head which is configured to detect at least one signal and is arranged in the gas duct.

A container fill station includes a seal bar configured to temporarily contact an open end of a container, to temporarily seal an interior of the container from a surrounding atmosphere, a fill head configured to be moved by a fill head actuator through a sealed opening in the seal bar, a fill head valve located in a fluid pathway between a liquid source and the fill head outlet, and an outflowing gas valve in fluid communication with the interior of the container. Therein, control of a liquid fill rate is provided by opening the outflowing gas valve a select amount while simultaneously opening the fill head valve. During a filling operation method, the interior of the container may be temporarily sealed and pressurized, or filling may be done at ambient/atmospheric pressure, preferably with the fill head outlet being disposed below the liquid's surface during filling.

A device and method for filling a container with a filling product, for example in a beverage bottling installation, wherein the device has: at least one filling valve which is configured to introduce the filling product into the container; at least one flowmeter which is connected to the filling valve via a product conduit and which is configured to ascertain a filling product quantity passing the flowmeter in the product conduit; and a controller which communicates with the filling valve and with the flowmeter and which is configured to control the filling valve during the filling process; characterized in that the controller communicates bidirectionally with the flowmeter and is configured to perform a parameterization of the flowmeter in a manner dependent on one or more filling process variables.