DEVICE FOR PUMPING A LIQUID IN A LIQUID LINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for pumping a liquid in a liquid line, in particular in a bottling system. The object of the invention is a device for pumping a liquid in a liquid line, the liquid-guiding areas of which device can be cleaned and/or disinfected without disassembling the piston assembly or performing any other interventions from the exterior. According to the invention, a device for pumping a liquid in a liquid line (1) comprises a pump element (2) and two valves (3, 4) which are disposed in the liquid line upstream of and downstream from the pump element, said pump element (2) comprising a pump piston (6) operating in a cylinder (5). The inventive device is characterized in that said pump element (2) comprises a closed chamber (7) having a constant volume of a secondary liquid on which the pump piston (6) acts. Also, the chamber (7) is connected to the liquid line (1) by means of an elastic liquid-impermeable element (8), which element can be deformed under the pressure exerted by the volume of the secondary liquid displaced by the pump piston (6).

Claims

1. A device for pumping a liquid in a liquid line comprising: a pump element comprising a pump piston operating in a cylinder; and two valves which are disposed in the liquid line upstream of and downstream from the pump element respectively; wherein said pump element comprises a closed chamber having a constant volume of a secondary liquid on which the pump piston acts; and wherein the chamber is connected to the liquid line by an elastic liquid-impermeable element, which element is deformable under pressure exerted by the volume of the secondary liquid displaced by the pump piston.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element is a membrane or a roll membrane.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element is a bellows or a roll bellows.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary liquid is water or oil.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the valves are check valves.

Description

[0016] Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a pumping device according to the invention, with a bellows; and

[0018] FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematically a further embodiment of a pumping device according to the invention, with a membrane.

[0019] It is self-evident to a person skilled in the art that the drawings presented here are merely intended to illustrate the principle of the invention and are only schematic in nature and are not to scale. In particular, the illustrated dimensions are for illustrative purposes only. The actual dimensions and size ratios can be readily determined by a person skilled in the art on the basis of his/her technical knowledge.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows schematically an exemplary embodiment of a pump device according to the invention. The device serves to pump a liquid which is located in a liquid line 1, e.g. a liquid of a type typically present in a line in a bottling facility. In this application, a liquid to be bottled is to be conveyed from a storage container (not shown in the Figure), with the direction of conveyance indicated by the arrow V, wherewith in each case a defined volume of the liquid is introduced into a container (not shown), which liquid is conveyed in the direction of the arrow B.

[0021] The pumping device has a pump element 2 which is disposed in the liquid line 1 between two valves 3, 4, which here are in the form of check valves. The valve 3 is disposed upstream of the pump element 2 and the valve 4 is disposed downstream of the pump element 2.

[0022] The pump element 2 has a pump piston 6 operating in a cylinder 5. The pump element 2 also has a closed chamber 7 which contains a constant volume of water as a secondary liquid, which water is enclosed in the chamber 7. The pump piston 6 acts on the enclosed water volume.

[0023] The chamber 7 also has an elastic, liquid-impermeable bellows 8a which is connected to the liquid line 1.

[0024] If (when) the pump piston 6 displaces liquid in the chamber 7, the elastic bellows 8a is deformed, and transfers the pressure to the liquid in the liquid line 1, wherewith the volume displaced by the bellows 8a in the liquid line 1 corresponds to the volume displaced by the pump piston 6. Thus, the volumetric control of the liquid delivered by the device corresponds to that of a piston pump.

[0025] At the same time, the filling-material-carrying regions of the device can be cleaned and/or disinfected without problems using CIP cleaning methods, without the need for disassembly. The bellows 8a can be completely charged with a cleaning and/or disinfecting medium, and subjected to force from said medium, from the liquid line 1.

[0026] FIG. 2a shows a further exemplary embodiment of the pump device according to the invention. In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a membrane 8b is used here as the elastic, liquid-impermeable element.

[0027] FIG. 2b shows how the membrane 8b displaces liquid in the liquid line 1 when the piston 6 displaces the secondary liquid in the chamber 7. The volume displaced in the liquid line 1 (shown as crosshatched) exactly corresponds to the volume displaced by the piston 6 (also shown as crosshatched).

[0028] With this device, all of the regions which serve to guide the filling liquid can be cleaned and/or disinfected without disassembly. The device combines the advantages of piston pumps with the advantages of membrane pumps.