PRODUCT TANK AND DEVICE FOR FILLING A CONTAINER WITH A FILLING PRODUCT

Abstract

A product tank for receiving a liquid product, and a device for filling containers with a filling product, for example in a beverage filling plant, wherein the product tank includes: an outlet for discharge of the product from the product tank along a discharge direction; and a flow guide device which is arranged in the interior of the product tank and is configured to create a cross-flow oriented towards the discharge direction.

Claims

1. A product tank for receiving a liquid product, comprising: an outlet configured to discharge the liquid product from the product tank along a discharge direction; and a flow guide device that is arranged in an interior of the product tank and is configured to create a cross-flow oriented towards the discharge direction.

2. The product tank of claim 1, wherein the flow guide device comprises at least one guide plate that covers part of a cross-section of the product tank.

3. The product tank of claim 2, wherein the product tank comprises a cylindrical interior defining an axial direction, and the at least one guide plate is arranged in a lower region of the product tank and is spaced from the outlet in the axial direction of the product tank.

4. The product tank of claim 3, wherein the at least one guide plate covers about one-quarter of the cross-section of the product tank.

5. The product tank of claim 2, wherein the at least one guide plate is connected fixedly and/or is flush on an inner wall of the product tank.

6. The product tank of claim 5, wherein the at least one guide plate is welded to the inner wall of the product tank.

7. The product tank of claim 2, wherein: the product tank further comprises a cylindrical interior defining an axial direction, and the at least one guide plate is arcuate and is mounted such that at least in portions, the at least one guide plate runs on an inner wall of the product tank and protrudes into the interior of the product tank perpendicularly to the axial direction.

8. The product tank of claim 7, wherein the at least one arcuate guide plate is arranged at a position of the outlet in the axial direction of the product tank.

9. The product tank of claim 8, wherein: the at least one arcuate guide plate comprises two arcuate guide plates, the two arcuate guide plates are formed and mounted such that the two arcuate guide plates run at a same position in the axial direction on the inner wall of the product tank and protrude into the interior of the product tank perpendicularly to the axial direction, and the two arcuate guide plates are arranged in the axial direction at a position of the outlet to delimit the outlet.

10. The product tank of claim 1, further comprising an outlet cover arranged in the product tank at a distance from the outlet in the discharge direction and covers the product tank at the distance from the outlet in the discharge direction.

11. The product tank of claim 10, wherein the flow guide device comprises a plurality of paddles that are installed on the outlet cover and that protrude radially beyond the outlet cover.

12. The product tank of claim 11, wherein the plurality of paddles comprises four paddles.

13. The product tank of claim 1, wherein the flow guide device comprises a branch pipe that has an opening in a region of the outlet and is configured to divert part of a flow of the liquid product to be discharged via the outlet.

14. The product tank of claim 13, wherein the diverted part of the flow stands substantially perpendicularly to the discharge direction.

15. The product tank of claim 14, further comprising a cylindrical interior defining an axial direction, wherein the branch pipe runs in the axial direction starting from the opening in the region of the outlet.

16. The product tank of claim 15, wherein the branch pipe leads out of the product tank and is further configured to return the diverted part of the flow to the product tank at another point.

17. A device for filling a container with a filling product comprising: a product tank for receiving the filling product, comprising: an outlet configured to discharge the filling product from the product tank along a discharge direction, and a flow guide device that is arranged in an interior of the product tank and is configured to create a cross-flow oriented towards the discharge direction; and a mixer configured to mix the filling product from at least two components.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising one or more filler valves configured to fill the container with the filling product, wherein the product tank is configured to contain the filling product mixed in the mixer as a buffer.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a buffer tank.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the one or more filler valves is connected without buffering to the buffer tank, and/or the mixer is connected without buffering to the buffer tank.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0038] Further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description of the figures.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a product tank with a flow guide device for reducing eddy formation, according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a product tank with a flow guide device for reducing eddy formation, according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a product tank with a flow guide device for reducing eddy formation, according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 4a is a product tank with a flow guide device for reducing eddy formation, according to a further exemplary embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 4b is the product tank with flow guide device for reducing eddy formation according to FIG. 4a from another perspective; and

[0044] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a device for filling containers according to a further exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. The same or similar elements or those of equivalent function in the different figures carry the same reference signs, and a repeated description of these elements has been omitted in some cases in order to avoid redundancy.

[0046] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a and 4b show various exemplary embodiments of a product tank 10. The product tank 10 here has for example a cylindrical form, but may be designed otherwise insofar as it is suitable for receiving and temporarily storing a liquid product, in particular a filling product to be filled. In particular, the product is a beverage such as for example water (still or carbonated), soft drinks, smoothies, milk products, beer, wine, mixer drinks and similar. Here the product tank 10 is usually not completely filled, but above the fill level is a head space which contains gas, for example air or CO.sub.2.

[0047] The product tank 10 has an outlet 11 which is here oriented for example downward, e.g., in the direction of gravity. The outlet 11 may however also be arranged on the side, e.g., in the lower region of the product tank 10, running substantially horizontally and in some cases tangentially to the product tank 10. The outlet 11 defines a discharge direction which, in the case of an outlet 11 directed downward, corresponds to the direction of gravity.

[0048] The outlet 11 is equipped with an outlet cover 11a which is arranged above the outlet 11 or its opening and perpendicularly to the discharge direction, which in the present case corresponds to the direction of gravity. The outlet cover 11a acts as a first device for reducing eddy formation, but it may not be able to prevent this completely.

[0049] The outlet 11 furthermore has an outlet connection 11b to which a line can be connected for discharging the product.

[0050] The product tank 10 furthermore comprises a flow guide device 12 which is configured to generate one or more cross-flows in order to flush an incipient eddy away from the outlet 11 and thereby break this up as it occurs.

[0051] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the flow guide device 12 comprises a guide plate 12a, which is arranged at the side of the outlet 11 and is configured to generate the above-mentioned cross-flow. To this end, the guide plate 12a may cover part of the tank cross-section in the horizontal direction, for example around one-quarter of the tank cross-section. The guide plate 12a here has the form of a circle segment which, on the outside, ends at the circle arc on the inner wall 10a of the product tank 10 and extends inward from there.

[0052] An eddy forms in some embodiments on the shortest route between the outlet 11 and the liquid level or surface. As the distance between the outlet 11 and the incipient eddy becomes greater, the eddy breaks up again before gas can be drawn out of the head space of the product tank 10.

[0053] If the guide plate 12a is positioned at the correct location on the product tank 10, the occurrence of an eddy and hence the outflow of gas can be almost completely prevented, irrespective of the performance level.

[0054] In various embodiments, the guide plate 12a is fixedly welded to the tank wall 10a. In order however to be able to position and attach the guide plate 12a quickly and easily, a fixing frame 13 may be provided on which the guide plate 12a may be attached, for example screwed via clamps. The fixing frame 13 is supported via several, for example four arms 13a on the inner wall 10a of the product tank 10. In this way, the guide plate 12a can be positioned and installed quickly and easily without bores, fixing hooks, flanges, lugs or other fixing means which could adversely affect the structure of the product tank 10.

[0055] The guide plate 12a described here is an efficient means of preventing eddies also in the case of a lateral or lateral-tangential outlet 11.

[0056] A derivative exemplary embodiment, which is also based on use of guide plates, is shown in FIG. 2.

[0057] Here, two arcuate guide plates 12b, 12c are formed and mounted on the fixing frame 13 so they run on the inner wall 10a of the product tank 10 and extend inward by a specific distance. In order to adapt the installation of the guide plates 12b, 12c to the geometry of the vertical central outlet 11, the guide plates 12b, 12c are arranged on the left and right of the outlet 11, standing perpendicular to the inner wall 10a and running from the outlet 11 upward along the inner wall 10a. In other words, the guide plates 12b, 12c are situated at the position of the outlet 11 viewed in the axial direction of the cylindrical product tank 10. The outlet 11 and in some cases an upper portion of the product tank 10 are delimited by the guide plates 12b, 12c.

[0058] It may be observed that an eddy does not remain constantly at one location but moves to various positions, always however emerging from the outlet 11 or the gap between the outlet plate 11a and the outlet opening and aiming upward in the direction of the head space of the product tank 10. The rotating liquid is deflected at the guide plates 12b, 12c and a cross-flow occurs, the eddy “stops” and is thereby destroyed.

[0059] The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 is based on a similar principle, wherein instead of the guide plates 12b, 12c at the level of the outlet 11, several, for example four, paddles 14 are mounted on the outlet plate 11a. The paddles 14 protrude radially beyond the outlet plate 11a so that the rotating liquid of any incipient eddy is deflected thereon, a cross-flow to the eddy occurs, whereby the eddy is destroyed. The paddles 14 are attached directly to the outlet plate 11a via a paddle fixing 14a, whereby they can be installed easily and reliably. The paddle fixing 14a and the paddle or paddles 14 may be formed as one piece or partially integrally, as an example of FIG. 3.

[0060] FIGS. 4a and 4b show a further exemplary embodiment in which the cross-flow relative to an incipient eddy is actively generated by diverting a part flow via a branch pipe 15. The branch pipe 15 has an opening in the region of the outlet 11 or at the side thereof, and runs substantially vertically or at least with a vector component which is vertical to the discharge direction, i.e. to the rotational axis of any eddy. In the present example, the branch pipe 15 runs in the axial direction for some way parallel to the inner wall 10a of the product tank 10, then it is deflected at a deflector 15a towards the inner wall 10a, then leaves the product tank 10 in order then to be conducted outside the product tank 10 via an external pipe portion 15b (see FIG. 4b), and returned to the product tank 10 at another point.

[0061] Since the part flow diverted via the branch pipe 15 flows perpendicularly to the outlet flow, a cross-flow occurs which, even on its creation, “carries” the eddy with it and prevents the eddy from being able to form and stabilise. To create the part flow, a vacuum may be generated in the branch pipe 15, for example by means of a pump (not shown in the figures).

[0062] A product tank 10 of the exemplary embodiments described above is used for example in a device for filling containers, in particular in a beverage filling plant.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows a device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment for filling a schematically indicated container 100 with a filling product, wherein the device 1 is here shown in the form of a beverage filling plant. The device 1 serves for example for filling a stream of supplied containers to be filled with a carbonated soft drink.

[0064] FIG. 5 is now described with reference to the flow of the filling product into the containers 100 to be filled.

[0065] Firstly, the product water, which may already be cleaned and treated, is supplied from a product water supply 2 to a degassing device 20. The degassing device 20 is here indicated schematically in the form of a degassing tank, in which the product water obtained from the product water supply 2 is sprayed via schematically indicated spray nozzles 22.

[0066] The degassing device 20 may be provided in the form of pressure degassing, in which the oxygen and nitrogen parts in the product water are expelled by the addition of CO.sub.2.

[0067] The degassing device 20 may however also be provided in the form of vacuum degassing, in which a vacuum is provided in the degassing tank, whereby the oxygen and nitrogen parts in the product water are extracted.

[0068] Spraying the product water via the spray nozzles 22 in the degassing tank of the degassing device 20 serves to increase the surface area of the water, so that the degassing process can be carried out efficiently.

[0069] After the degassing device 20, the product water thus prepared is supplied to a mixer 3 which can mix the filling product from at least two components.

[0070] The first component is here the product water stream already described. The second component may for example be the base substance of the soft drink and/or a syrup.

[0071] The mixer 3 accordingly has a dosing valve 34 which feeds a component from the syrup reservoir 32 into the product water supply via a dosing point 30. Accordingly, the supplied syrup is mixed with the supplied pretreated product water in the dosing point 30, and in this way the filling product is mixed.

[0072] The syrup reservoir 32 serves in particular also as a bubble separator, so that the syrup extracted from the syrup reservoir 32 is substantially bubble-free and accordingly a reliable dosing is achieved.

[0073] In the exemplary embodiment shown, only a single dosing point 30 is provided, so that the prepared product water is mixed at this dosing point 30 with a component, here stored in the syrup reservoir 32. Depending on the design of the mixer 3 however, also two, three or any number of such dosing points 30 could be installed, in order to finally mix the desired filling product by mixing the respective components accordingly by the addition of different components to the respective product water stream (already mixed with other components).

[0074] Then in the exemplary embodiment shown, a carbonating device 4 is provided at the mixer 3 which carbonates the mixed filling product. For this, a carbonating point 40 is provided, which for example may be formed as a carbonating nozzle via which CO.sub.2, supplied from the CO.sub.2 supply 42, is introduced into the fully mixed filling product. The dosing of the CO.sub.2 which is supplied to the filling product via the carbonating point 40 depends on the desired properties of the filling product.

[0075] A bypass 24 is provided around the carbonating point 40 which is configured to always provide the same conditions with respect to the through-flow and/or pressure for the CO.sub.2 dosing, irrespective of the mixer power or the mixer output.

[0076] The filling product, which is finally produced in this way and also present in the carbonation provided after the carbonation device 4, is temporarily stored in a product tank 10 which is known as the “buffer tank” in the application of the mixer 3 shown here.

[0077] The buffer tank 10 accordingly receives the fully mixed and carbonated filling product and forms a filling product reservoir for the filler described below. In the buffer tank 10, the carbonation of the mixed and carbonated filling product can be maintained in that the buffer tank 10 is preloaded with CO.sub.2 at a pressure which avoids separation of the CO.sub.2 bonded into the filling product.

[0078] The buffer tank 10 is prepressurised by a prepressurisation device 50, via which the CO.sub.2 is introduced into the head space of the buffer tank 10 from the CO.sub.2 supply 52. Thus accordingly, in the buffer tank, a CO.sub.2 atmosphere prevails at a pressure which prevents the separation of the CO.sub.2 from the mixed and carbonated filling product temporarily stored in the buffer tank 10.

[0079] The buffer tank 10 is connected to a filler valve 6 of a filler (indicated schematically) for filling the container 100 to be filled. The filler may comprise a boiler, a ring line or similar, for example in the form of a product tank according to the exemplary embodiments described above, for supplying the filler valve 6; or as shown in FIG. 5, the connection may be present without buffering. Thus a fluid connection is formed between the buffer tank 10 and the filler valve 6 so that no intermediate buffering of filling product is provided here.

[0080] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the gas space of the buffer tank 10 is also connected to the filler valve 6 via a pressurising gas line 54 in order to provide pressurising gas for the filler valve 6. The buffer tank 10 is connected to the head space of the container 100 to be filled by this pressurising gas line 54 during the filling process. By this connection, the container 100 is pre-pressurised and on filling, the return gas is returned to the buffer tank 6.

[0081] In this context, conventional line connections are not buffers. A buffer is rather only a dedicated reservoir formed as a buffer with a corresponding volume which not only serves to transport the filling product but also allows temporary storage. Also, in this context, process-engineering components such as for example shut-off valves, sensors, flow meters, valves, pipe clamps, branches etc. are not buffers since they serve to conduct the filling product but do not provide a buffer volume, and hence have no buffering effect.

[0082] The filler valve 6 is provided on a schematically indicated filler carousel 60 of the filler. Usually, several filler valves 6 are installed on its periphery. A filler carousel 60 is usually provided in beverage filling plants in order to receive a constant stream of containers to be filled, to fill these with filling product via the respective filler valves 6 during their circulation, and then to discharge the filled containers 100 again to a downstream transport or processing device.

[0083] In order to transfer the filled product from a stationary plant part of the device 1, in which amongst others the buffer tank 10 and filling product line 70 are provided, to the filler carousel 60 rotating relative thereto, a rotary distributor 72 is provided. The rotary distributor 72 accordingly transfers the filling product supplied via the filling product line 70 to a further filling product line 74 on the filler carousel 60, via which the filling product is then conducted to the filler valve 6 or filler valves 6.

[0084] In the concrete embodiment in FIG. 5, a filling product line 70 is provided between the buffer tank 10 and the rotary distributor 72. By means of the rotary distributor 72, the filling product is transferred from the part of the filling product line 70 situated in the stationary part of the device 1, to the filler carousel 60 rotating relative thereto. On the filler carousel 60, the filling product is then transported from the part of the filling product line 70 present on the filler carousel 60, to the filler valve 6.

[0085] The filler valve 6 is in some embodiments a proportional valve. By designing the filler valve 6 as a proportional valve, it is possible to regulate the filling product stream, supplied via the filler valve 6 to the container 100 to be filled, in several stages or in various embodiments steplessly.

[0086] The filler valve 6 may for example be configured in the form of a cone valve, wherein a valve seat is provided into which a valve cone can be lowered in order to close the valve. A stepped or stepless lifting of the valve cone from the valve seat allows a variation of the cross-section of the ring gap resulting between the valve cone and the valve seat, so that this in turn leads to a variation of the filling product stream flowing through the proportional valve.

[0087] The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 accordingly allows the mixed and carbonated filling product contained in the buffer tank 10 to be transferred to the filler valve 6 and then filled under control into the containers 100 to be filled. Since the filling product is transported from the buffer tank 10 to the filler valve 6 in various embodiments without buffering, a buffer tank 10 is particularly useful in the design of a product tank with a flow guide device 12, since any gas introduced into the filling product would directly reach the filler valve 6.

[0088] In a particularly advantageous embodiment (also shown in FIG. 5), the buffer tank 10 is arranged above the filler valve 6, and the filling product line present between the filler valve 6 and buffer tank 10 is arranged such that it is constantly rising. Accordingly, there is no siphon effect. Thus no gas present in the filler valve 6 can rise continuously to the buffer tank 10 and vent into this without collecting at a specific position in the filling product line.

[0089] In other words, the gas present in the filler valve 6 and/or the filling product line 70 can rise in the rising filling product line 70, so that the filling product is present accordingly at the filler valve 70 without the presence of gas bubbles.

[0090] It is evident from FIG. 5 that, in several embodiments, no buffer is arranged between the mixer 3 and the buffer tank 10. Accordingly, the mixer 3 is connected to the buffer tank 10 without buffering.

[0091] Consequently, this gives a very efficient structure of the device 1 since only a single buffer tank, namely the buffer tank 10, is arranged between the mixer 3 and the filler valve 6.

[0092] Because in some embodiments only a single buffer tank 10 is provided, the respective fill level of the filling product in the buffer tank 10 can easily be controlled or regulated, and the complex dependencies known from the prior art between different buffer tanks do not occur with the exemplary embodiment shown, so that process control or process management is simplified.

[0093] In order to allow venting of the container, filled with the carbonated filling product, at the filler valve 6 before removal of the container 100 from the filler valve 6, for example a pressure relief line 8 is provided which is conducted to the outside via a rotary distributor 82.

[0094] Accordingly, a CIP cleaning of the regions of the device 1 carrying filling product can also be carried out via this pressure relief line 8 and the rotary distributor 82.

[0095] Because in some embodiments only a single buffer tank 10 is provided, the cleaning process can thus also be simplified and the surfaces areas concerned, which may lead to a cooling of the cleaning medium and increase cleaning effort, can be reduced.

[0096] In order to be able to monitor and regulate the quality of the filling product in the buffer tank 10, a circulation line 9 is also provided in which, by means of the circulation pump 90, filling product can be extracted from the buffer tank 10 and returned to this. In the circulation line 8, for example a CO.sub.2 sensor 92 is provided for monitoring the CO.sub.2 content of the filling product, and a Brix sensor 94 for reading the Brix values. Other sensors may be provided additionally or alternatively in the circulation line 9.

[0097] Accordingly, this gives a particularly efficient structure of the device which is associated with reduced material usage in construction of the device and hence a reduced investment volume, and also results in more efficient filling since the total filling product volume to be stored can be reduced, and accordingly the filling product volumes rejected at the end of production or on a product change can be reduced or avoided.

[0098] Where applicable, all individual features which are depicted in the exemplary embodiments may be combined with one another and/or interchanged without leaving the scope of the invention.