Apparatus for filling a container with a filling product

Abstract

An apparatus for filling containers with a filling product, for example in a beverage bottling plant, includes a plurality of filling members, which respectively have a filling product line for feeding the filling products into an appropriate container; and at least one distribution line, to which the filling product lines of the plurality of filling members are linked.

Claims

1. An apparatus for filling containers with a filling product comprising: a plurality of filling members, wherein each filling member of the plurality of filling members comprises a filling product line configured to feed the filling product into a container; a distribution line, wherein each filling product line of the plurality of filling members is linked to the distribution line; a supply line; a fluid reservoir; and a base reservoir fluidically connected to each filling product line of the plurality of filling members and configured to provide a base liquid, wherein: the distribution line is fluidically connected via the supply line to the fluid reservoir; the plurality of filling members each further comprise a dosage supply line that is configured to feed a dosage component from a dosage reservoir into a respective filling product line, the distribution line is fluidically connected to the base reservoir and is configured to supply each filling product line of the plurality of filling members with the base liquid, or the distribution line is fluidically connected to the dosage reservoir and is configured to supply each filling product line of the plurality of filling members with the dosage component, and the dosage component is provided at a higher pressure than the base liquid and is configured to be fed into each filling product line of the plurality of filling members such that the base liquid is displaced rearwardly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of branch lines, wherein each filling product line of the plurality of filling members branches off from the distribution line via a branch line of the plurality of branch lines.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distribution line comprises a ring line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir is disposed above the plurality of filling members.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supply line or the distribution line comprises a flexible material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the flexible material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supply line or the distribution line comprises a bellows, a joint, or a rotary distributor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flowmeter that is disposed between the base reservoir and a filling member, wherein the flowmeter is configured to determine a quantity of fluid passing through the flowmeter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as a rotary machine having a carousel configured to transport and to fill the containers by the plurality of filling members.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of filling members comprises a gas line configured to evacuate a container to an underpressure and each of the plurality of filling members are configured to feed the filling product under an overpressure into an evacuated container.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of treatment chambers configured to hold the container during evacuation and filling, wherein each treatment chamber is operationally associated with a filling member, is configured to seal the container off from an external environment, and comprises a gas supply that is configured to generate an overpressure in the treatment chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of filling members comprises a mouth section, is configured such that the mouth section can be brought sealingly into fluidic communication with the container during the evacuation and the filling of the container in a treatment chamber from the plurality of treatment chambers, and is at least partially maneuverable.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of filling members comprises a closure member configured to receive a cap, and after the filling of the container, to close the container in a treatment chamber from the plurality of treatment chambers with the cap.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for introducing carbon dioxide into each filling product line of the plurality of filling members and/or into the container.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of filling members is configured to flush the container with the carbon dioxide via a gas line prior to the evacuation, and after flushing the container, to evacuate the container to a variable underpressure.

16. An apparatus for filling containers with a filling product comprising: a plurality of filling members, each filling member of the plurality of filling members having a filling product line configured to feed the filling product into a container; a plurality of distribution lines, wherein each distribution line of the plurality of distribution lines is linked to a filling product line and is configured to transport a base liquid or a dosage component of the filling product; a plurality of branch lines, wherein each filling product line branches off from a distribution line via a branch line of the plurality of branch lines; a plurality of supply lines; a fluid reservoir; and a base reservoir fluidically connected to each filling product line of the plurality of filling members and configured to provide a base liquid, wherein: each distribution line of the plurality of distribution lines is fluidically connected via a supply line from the plurality of supply lines to the fluid reservoir, the plurality of filling members each further comprise a dosage supply line that is configured to feed a dosage component from a dosage reservoir into a respective filling product line, a distribution line is fluidically connected to the base reservoir and is configured to supply each filling product line of the plurality of filling members with the base liquid, or a distribution line is fluidically connected to the dosage reservoir and is configured to supply each filling product line of the plurality of filling members with the dosage component, and the dosage component is provided at a higher pressure than the base liquid and is configured to be fed into each filling product line of the plurality of filling members such that the base liquid is displaced rearwardly.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured as a rotary machine having a carousel configured to transport and to fill the containers by the plurality of filling members.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of filling members comprises a gas line configured to evacuate a container to an underpressure and each of the plurality of filling members is configured to feed the filling product under an overpressure into an evacuated container.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a supply line or a distribution line comprises a flexible material.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the flexible material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail by the following description of the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view, viewed from the side, which shows a detail of a filling apparatus;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus for filling a container with a multicomponent filling product;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of an arrangement of a plurality of filling members in a rotary machine; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a filling member linked to a distributor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) Below, illustrative embodiments are described with reference to the figures. Same, similar or like-acting elements in the figures are here provided with identical reference symbols and a repeated description of these elements is partially dispensed with in order to avoid redundancies.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a detail of a filling apparatus 1 for filling a container (not shown in FIG. 1) with a filling product and for closing the container with a cap 2 in a beverage bottling plant.

(8) The filling apparatus 1 has a filling member 20, which, in the process stage shown in FIG. 1, juts into a treatment chamber 10. The filling member 20 has accommodated in a filling member housing 21; a filling product line 22; a filling valve 23, which is disposed at the lower, i.e. downstream-situated end, of the filling product line 22; a gas line 24; and a gas valve 25, which is disposed at the lower end of the gas line 24.

(9) Via the gas line 24 and the gas valve 25, the container can be flushed and/or pretensioned with a gas, for example inert gas, nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide. In addition, the interior of the container can via thereby be set, for example evacuated, to a desired pressure. It should be pointed out that the gas line 24 can be a multi-channel construction, for instance, by virtue of a pipe-in-pipe construction, can include a plurality of gas lines in order, where necessary, to physically separate the supply of one or more gases into the container and/or the drainage of gas from the container.

(10) The gas valve 25 includes, for instance, a gas valve cone and a gas valve seat, which are arranged to regulate the gas flow. For this purpose, the gas valve cone is switchable via an actuator (not represented).

(11) The filling product line 22 is generally designed as a ring line, which extends substantially concentrically to the gas line 24. The filling valve 23 includes, for instance, a filling valve cone and a filling valve seat, which are arranged to regulate the flow of the filling product. The filling valve 23 is arranged to enable a complete shut-off of the filling product stream. In the simplest case, the filling valve 23 has two settings, an open and a fully closed setting. For this purpose, the filling valve 23 is switchable via an actuator (not represented).

(12) The actuation of the gas valve 25 and that of the filling valve 23 take place via actuators (not expounded in detail). It should be pointed out that the gas valve 25 and the filling valve 23 can be operatively connected to one another, so that, for instance, an actuator can be arranged for joint usage in order to simplify the structure of the filling member 20 and increase reliability.

(13) The filling member 20 has at the exit end of the media a mouth section 26, which is arranged such that the container mouth can be brought sealingly against the mouth section 26. For this purpose, the mouth section 26 generally has a centring bell having a suitably shaped rubber contact seal. The filling member 20 having the mouth section 26 is arranged for a so-called wall filling, in which the filling product, after exit from the mouth section 26, flows downwards on the container wall. In certain embodiments, the filling product line 22 and the mouth section 26 are of such a nature, or have appropriate means such that the filling product, in the bottling operation, is set spinning, whereby the filling product is propelled outwards due to centrifugal force and, after exit from the mouth section 26, flows downwards in a spiral motion

(14) In order to realize a rapid change of variety, substantially without changeover time, the filling member 20 has one or more, for example at least two, dosage valves 27, 28, which open into a dosing space 22a. As a result, the product to be bottled can be changed over in rounds, i.e. in one round the filling member 20 fills orangeade, for instance, in the next round lemonade, for instance, Moreover, through the provision of a plurality of dosage valves 27, 28, a dosage string can be flushed with water, for example, and cleaned, whilst another dosage string is used for the bottling. In this way, the bottling process and any cleaning of parts of the machine are combined synergetically by simultaneous or temporally overlapping execution, whereby productivity can be boosted.

(15) The dosage valves 27, 28 are generally versions or embodiments of dosage supply lines. In other words: In certain embodiments in which the feed and any measuring-out of the dosage component(s) into the dosing space 22a is realized by means external to the filling member 20, the dosage valves 27, 28, where appropriate, can be dispensed with, so that, for instance, only appropriate dosage lines or dosage ducts open into the dosing space 22a.

(16) The dosing space 22a can be a section or suitably shaped part of the filling product line 22. Via the dosage valves 27, 28, to which appropriate dosage lines are linked, one or more dosage components, for instance syrup, pulp, aromas etc., are added to a main component, for instance water or beer, which has been fed via the filling product line 22 into the dosing space 22a. The way in which the measuring-out can take place in the metered feed-in of the dosage components is explained further below with reference to FIG. 2.

(17) The filling member 20 is arranged to be at least partially manoeuvrable, so that that arm-like section of the filling member 20 that is shown in FIG. 1 is retracted into the treatment chamber 10 and either withdrawn therein or partially, or even fully, removed therefrom. It is thereby possible to press the container mouth, for the bottling operation, against the mouth section 26 of the filling member 20 and subsequently, after completion of the bottling process, to withdraw the filling member 20 to the extent that the container, in the treatment chamber 10, can be closed.

(18) In order to ensure the manoeuvrability of the filling member 20 without the atmosphere of the treatment chamber 10 being exposed to uncontrolled external influences, sealing means (not represented in FIG. 1) are accordingly provided. For instance, the treatment chamber pressure, after completion of the bottling operation, can be greater than the pressure of the external environment, which in this case does not necessarily have to be the atmospheric pressure, whereby a penetration of impurities into the treatment chamber 10 can be virtually precluded. Alternatively or additionally, the treatment chamber 10 can be located in a clean room or can form one such.

(19) In the present illustrative embodiment, the filling apparatus 1 further has a closure member 30 for closing the container. The closure member 30 has a capping head 31, which juts into the treatment chamber 10 and, in the present illustrative embodiment, is manoeuvrable in the substantially vertical direction. Like the filling member 20, the closure member 30 is sealed off from the walling of the treatment chamber 10 in order to avoid a contamination or uncontrolled impairment of the atmosphere inside the treatment chamber 10 by external influences.

(20) The closure member 30 is configured and arranged to receive and hold a cap 2 on the capping head 31. For this purpose, the capping head 31 can have a magnet, whereby, in a structurally simple manner, a cap 2, in particular if this is a metallic crown cap, can be received in centred arrangement and, for the closure of the container, lowered onto the container mouth. Alternatively, the cap 2 can be grasped by suitable gripping or clamping means, held, and applied to the container mouth, so that the concept which is presented herein is also applicable to plastics closures, screw caps etc.

(21) The capping head 31 is arranged to be manoeuvrable in the up and down direction, wherein it is disposed substantially coaxially to the container mouth in order to be able to apply the cap 2 reliably to the container.

(22) The transfer of a cap 2 to the capping head 31 can be realized in various ways. For instance, for each filling/closure cycle, a cap 2 can in a first step be introduced by a sorting mechanism and a feed chute into the treatment chamber 10. For this purpose, the treatment chamber 10 can be part of the closure member 30 and execute a relative movement to the closure feed, for example the feed chute or a transfer arm, wherein the capping head 31 picks a cap 2 from the closure feed and holds it.

(23) It should be pointed out that the closure of the container can also be realized elsewhere. In particular in the case of carbon-dioxide-containing filling products, the closure typically takes place, however, directly after the filling and in the treatment chamber 10 under overpressure, as explained below.

(24) For the filling of the container this is raised, the container mouth is introduced into the treatment chamber 10 and is sealed off from the treatment chamber 10. The container mouth is pressed sealingly against the mouth section 26 of the filling member 20 extended in the filling position. The mouth section 26 of the filling member 20 thus marks the end position of the container stroke. The capping head 31 receives the cap 2 and retracts into the treatment chamber 10. The sealing of the treatment chamber 10 against the environment and against the container or its mouth region can be realized by the inflation of one or more seals. The treatment chamber 10 itself typically executes no lifting motion.

(25) During the filling operation, a supply of gas into the treatment chamber 10 generally takes place. By such a parallel execution, the total process is able to be optimized. During the filling process, the treatment chamber 10 is sealed off to all sides, whereby a suitable internal pressure is built up in the treatment chamber 10. In the case of carbon-dioxide-containing filling products, this internal pressure generally equates to the filling pressure or saturation pressure of the carbon dioxide, whereby a frothing-up or frothing-over of the filling product after completion of the filling process is effectively prevented.

(26) The gas supply can be realized by means of a valve (not represented in FIG. 1) in the walling of the treatment chamber 10. Alternatively or additionally, the gas supply can be at least partially integrated in the filling member 20. Thus the filling member 20 according to the present illustrative embodiment has, for this purpose, a treatment chamber gas line 29. The treatment chamber gas line 29, in particular its outlet into the treatment chamber 10, can be arranged such that the exiting gas jet strikes the bottom side of the cap 2 when the filling member 20 is in the filling position. In this way, a cleaning of the cap 2 at the same time takes place during the filling operation. As the gas, carbon dioxide is generally used, yet a different medium, such as sterile air, can also be used.

(27) If the container is now filled and the interior of the treatment chamber 10 is brought to the desired pressure, the filling member 20 is withdrawn, and the capping head 31 continues its downward motion until, when it reaches the container mouth, the latter is closed.

(28) A general process for the prompt filling and closure of the container with a filling product can be performed as follows:

(29) a) evacuation of the container to an underpressure P.sub.low;

(30) b) filling of the filling product into the container, typically under an overpressure;

(31) c) generation of an overpressure P.sub.high in the treatment chamber 10 and, if needed, in the head space of the container, in order to avoid a frothing-up and frothing-over of the filling product, when the filling member 20 is released from the container mouth;
d) application of the cap 2 to the container mouth and closure of the container, without prior decompression to environmental pressure;
e) deaeration of the treatment chamber 10 and extraction of the container for further processing (for instance labelling, packaging, etc.).

(32) The terms “underpressure” and “overpressure” should firstly be interpreted relative to one another. However, the underpressure P.sub.low after the evacuation in step a) lies generally below the atmospheric pressure (=standard pressure). The overpressure P.sub.high generated in step c) can equate to the atmospheric pressure, yet generally lies above this.

(33) Thus, the container, prior to the feed-in of the filling product, is typically evacuated to an underpressure P.sub.low with an absolute pressure of 0.5 to 0.05 bar, for example 0.3 to 0.1 bar, for example, 0.1 bar. In certain embodiments, the overpressure P.sub.high lies above the atmospheric pressures, for example at an absolute pressure of 1.1 bar to 6 bar. In this way, the container is evacuated such that, in the filling with the filling product, substantially no gas is displaced by the filling product and, accordingly, no gas has to flow out of the interior of the container. Rather, the total mouth cross section of the container can be used for the feed-in of the filling product. In other words, in the filling operation, only a filling product stream directed into the container arises, yet no opposite fluid stream.

(34) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an apparatus 100 for filling a container 200 with a multicomponent filling product.

(35) The apparatus 100 has a base reservoir 110 for a base liquid, which can also be regarded as the main product, and a filling apparatus 1 with filling member 20 according to the preceding description. The filling apparatus 1 is shown in FIG. 2, for the sake of clarity, only schematically, in particular without treatment chamber 10 and without closure member 30.

(36) The base liquid and any dosage components which can be admixed via a below-described fluid system are fed via the filling member 20 into the container 200. The base liquid is, for instance, water or beer. The dosage components can include, for instance, syrup, fruit-flesh-containing liquids, pulp, aromas etc.

(37) The apparatus 100 has a base line 120, which is arranged to feed the base liquid into the filling member 20 and into which the dosage components can be fed. Further lines (not presented herein), also referred to as “secondary lines”, can be provided in order to mix in different quantities and/or further dosage components.

(38) For this purpose, the base line 120 has a base conduit 121, which extends from the base reservoir 110 to the filling member 20. The base conduit 121 is equipped with a flowmeter 122. The flowmeter 122 is generally a contactless, for example an inductive, measuring device for determining the liquid flow, volume flow, passing through the flowmeter 122, of the transported mass or the like.

(39) That section of the base conduit 121 which is located between the flowmeter 122 and the filling valve 23 shall be referred to as the dosing space 22a or contains one such. The dosing space 22a is arranged to measure off by rearward displacement, as described below, the dosage components which are to be fed in.

(40) According to the present illustrative embodiment, two dosage branches 124, 125 open into the dosing space 22a. The two dosage branches 124, 125 respectively have a dosage reservoir 124a, 125a, a dosage line 124b, 125b fluidically connected thereto, and a dosage valve 27, 28, which brings the associated dosage line 124b, 125b switchably into fluidic connection with the dosing space 22a.

(41) With the provision of a plurality of dosage branches 124, 125, the product to be bottled can be changed over in rounds, i.e. in one round the filling member 20 fills orangeade, for instance, in the next round lemonade, for instance. Moreover, a dosage branch 124, 125 can be flushed with water, for example, and cleaned, whilst another dosage branch 124, 125 is used for the bottling. In this way, the bottling process and any cleaning of parts of the machine can be combined synergetically or performed simultaneously, whereby productivity can be boosted.

(42) With the selection of the nominal widths of the dosing space 22a, of the flowmeter 122 and/or of the dosage branches 124, 125, a dosing range for the base line 120 is fixed.

(43) Below, the dosage and bottling process is described by reference to the apparatus 100 according to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 2:

(44) At the beginning of each fill cycle, the base line 120 is flushed with the base liquid, whereby the associated dosing space 22a, with the filling member 20 closed, is filled with the base liquid. In the filling of the dosing space, the associated flowmeter 122 can measure the flow of base liquid in the forward direction, i.e. the filling direction. In this way, the desired total fill volume of the dosing space 22a is able to be determined and adjusted.

(45) Subsequently the dosage components are fed into the dosing space 22a by opening of the appropriate dosage valves 27, 28. The dosage components can be fed in simultaneously or one after another. The feed-in of the dosage components leads to a part of the base liquid being displaced rearwards out of the dosing space 22a. The rearwardly directed flow is herein detected by the flowmeter 122. The dosage valves 27, 28, which can be designed as pure shut-off valves or else as controllable shut-off valves, remain open until such time as the desired volume of the dosage component(s) is filled into the dosing space 22a. For this purpose, the flowmeter 122 and the valves of the apparatus 100 are communicatingly connected to a control device (not represented in the figures), which, on the basis of the detection findings of the flowmeter 122, determines the time of the opening/closing, or, in general, the switching behaviour of the components involved. It should be pointed out that the quantity of each individual dosage component can be accurately determined with just one flowmeter 122, in that different dosage components of a line are fed in one after another.

(46) In the subsequent bottling phase, represented in the above with reference to FIG. 1, the dosing space 22a into the container 200 is emptied, whereby the line is fully flushed.

(47) The reservoirs 110, 124a, 125a for the base liquid and the dosage components can respectively be subjected separately or jointly to a gas pressure in the head space in order to ensure the necessary pressure differential for the conveyance of the appropriate fluids. Alternatively or additionally, the static heights of the reservoirs 110, 124a, 125a can be chosen such that the pressure differentials enable the dosage components to be fed into the base liquid.

(48) By virtue of the thus conducted feed-in and measuring-off of the dosage component(s) by rearward displacement, an accurate dosing is able to be obtained. As a result of the prompt bottling due to the pressure differential between the container 200 under underpressure and the filling product under overpressure, not only is the filling operation accelerated, but an optimal flushing-out of the filling member 20 is thus obtained, whereby an entrainment of aromas or filling product residues is effectively prevented.

(49) Moreover, the herein presented technology for the container-wise and variety-wise rapid and reliable filling of containers 200 allows the filling product to be individually charged with carbonic acid. The carbonic acid content can be adjusted in various ways:

(50) According to an illustrative embodiment, the desired carbonic acid content is defined by the CO.sub.2 content in the container 200 prior to the bottling. This is possible, since the container 200, prior to the filling, is brought to the underpressure P.sub.low. If the container 200, prior to the evacuation, is flushed with CO.sub.2, then, by adjustment of P.sub.low, the carbonic acid content can be set individually, in particular on a variety-specific and container-wise basis. In order to prevent a variation of the underpressure P.sub.low from affecting the duration of the bottling process, the overpressure at which the filling product is fed into the container 200 can be adapted accordingly. In various embodiments, the overpressure is chosen such that the pressure differential between this and P.sub.low remains roughly constant for different P.sub.low which determine the CO.sub.2-content.

(51) The carbonic acid content can alternatively or additionally be adjusted by direct feeding of CO.sub.2 into the dosing space 22a and/or into the container 200 during the filling or at the end of the filling operation into the head space of the container 200. For this purpose, the gas line 24 and the gas valve 25, a dosage valve 27, 28, or another device of the filling member 20, can be arranged to conduct the CO.sub.2 out of a CO.sub.2-source into the filling product. Alternatively or additionally, the base liquid and/or one or more of the dosage components can be charged with CO.sub.2, so that the variety-specific mixing of the components leads equally to a variety-specific CO.sub.2-content.

(52) If the internal pressure of the treatment chamber 10 is generated by carbon dioxide or a gas containing carbon dioxide, the filling product in the container can also in this way, after the filling, be charged with carbon dioxide. Through the choice of overpressure in the treatment chamber 10, the CO.sub.2-content in the filling product container is this able to be set on a container-wise and variety-wise basis.

(53) Thus virtually any chosen carbonic acid content can be set individually, in particular on a variety-specific and/or container-wise basis. At the same time, various filling products with various carbonic acid contents can be bottled. Virtually any chosen number of flavours can be bottled in a highly flexible manner on a container-specific basis, without incidence of significant aroma entrainments or the like. A modification of the base liquid, for example an adaptation of the water type, can be waived upon a change of variety, whereby any discharge quantities can be minimized. Thus, water of just one type (for example still or carbonated) must be provided as the base liquid. Also a plurality of plants can be supplied with the same type of water, regardless of which varieties are bottled therein. In this case, an alignment to the filling product having the lowest carbonic acid content is not absolutely necessary. Moreover, still filling products too can be bottled in parallel with carbonated filling products. By virtue of the high pressure differential in the system during the bottling, the flushing-out of the filling member 20 is optimized, whereby any product or aroma entrainments in following containers are prevented, or at least minimized. Since, moreover, no return gas has to be drained off from the container 200 during the filling operation, no aroma can make its way into the system, in particular the product vessel, via this route also.

(54) With regard to the dosing, during the dosing phase no container 200 must bear against the filling member 20, since the dosing or blending is not conducted during the bottling, but in the dosing space 22a. The dosing time can be used synergetically for the container transport. The herein represented concept is hence applicable both to linear transfer machines having one or filling points and to rotary machines. In the case of rotary machines, the containers 200 cannot leave the carousel again already after a small angle of rotation.

(55) The flowmeter 122 is constantly flowed through by the base liquid, i.e. in most cases by water. Hence the characteristics of the medium do not change and the line system is in these regions not contaminated by different fluids.

(56) The mechanical complexity for the realization of the apparatus 100 is justifiable, since the line system can be realized by pipes or hose lines having few valves and only a single flowmeter (per line). No complicated geometries have to be built in, whereby the apparatus 100 is easy to clean and to maintain. The risk of blockage is low. Moreover, the apparatus 100 is suitable for the dosing of highly viscous fluids.

(57) Although the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 relate to a filling apparatus 1 and an apparatus 100 for the prompt filling and closure of containers, an evacuation of the container prior to the feed-in of the filling product, the provision of a treatment chamber 10, of a closure member 30 and/or of other components can, where appropriate, be dispensed with, insofar as these are dispensable for the linkage of a plurality of filling members 20, which linkage is described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

(58) In order, in the case of a plurality of filling members 20, to avoid an individual linkage of the filling members 20 to a dedicated base reservoir 110 and/or to dedicated dosage reservoirs 124a, 125a, plurality of filling members 20 can be connected to one another in series, as is evident from the schematic top view of FIG. 3.

(59) For this purpose, the filling product lines 22, or their dosing spaces 22a, of the filling members 20 are fluidically connected via respective branch lines 130 to one or more distribution lines 131, which are generally realized as ring lines. In other words, the filling product lines 22 of the filling members 20 are not connected individually to one or more reservoirs, but via one more common distribution lines 131, from which they branch off. The branch lines 130 can also be realized such that sections of the distribution line 131 are linked directly to the filling product lines 22. Thus the filling product line 22 of a filling member 20 is initially fluidically connected, for instance, to the filling product line 22 of an adjacent filling member 20, the latter, in turn, being fluidically connected to the filling product line 22 of the second neighbour, etc.

(60) One or more branch lines 130 and/or one or more sections of the distribution line(s) are fluidically connected via supply lines 132 to a distributor 133 and draw the appropriate component from the distributor 133. Such a “serial connection” or “ring circuit” of a plurality of filling members 20 is employed, for example, in a rotary machine having a carousel for the transport and treatment of the containers 200.

(61) If the base liquid is provided via a distribution line 131, then the filling product lines 22, base conduits 121 or dosing spaces 22a branch off from the distribution line 131. The distribution line 131 shall in this case be referred to as the “base liquid-distribution line”. The distribution line 131 is, in turn, fluidically connected via one or more supply lines 132 to a distributor 133. The distributor 133 shall in this case be referred to as the “base liquid distributor”. The base liquid distributor can be the base reservoir 110 or an intermediate reservoir, for example a vessel, fluidically connected thereto. In various embodiments, the base liquid distributor 133 is disposed above the filling members 20, as is shown schematically in FIG. 4.

(62) FIG. 4 further shows the flowmeter 122 and a shut-off valve 134 in the supply line 132 in order to illustrate that, in the case of such a “serial connection” of a plurality of filling members 20, a flowmeter 122 does not necessarily have to be assigned and installed for each filling member 20. In this way, the structural complexity of the apparatus 100 can be further reduced.

(63) Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the dosage components can be provided via respectively a common distribution line 131, wherein, in this case, the appropriate dosage lines 124b, 125b or dosage valves 27, 28 branch off from the distribution line 131. The distribution line 131 shall in this case be referred to as the “dosage component distribution line”. In this case too, the distribution line 131 is, in turn, fluidically connected via one or more supply lines 132 to a distributor 133. The distributor 133 shall in this case be referred to as a “dosage component distributor”. The dosage component distributor can be a dosage reservoir 124a, 125b, or an intermediate reservoir, for example a vessel, fluidically connected thereto. In some embodiments, the dosage component distributor is disposed above the filling members 20.

(64) The feeding of the dosage component(s) into the dosing space 22a is generally realized at a higher pressure than the feeding of the base liquid, in order thus to enable, or at least to facilitate, the previously described dosing by rearward displacement. For this purpose, the dosage component distributor has, for example, due to its static height and/or a higher pressure, a higher pressure level than the base reservoir 110 or the base liquid distributor.

(65) The distribution line 131 can consist of a plurality of sections linked to the branch lines 130 or the filling product lines 22. It can be of rigid configuration; in certain embodiments, it is however, at least in some sections, flexible, in order to enable, or at least to simplify, a manoeuvrability of the filling members 20. An, at least in some sections, flexible configuration of the distribution line 131 is particularly of advantage when the filling members 20 are designed for a lifting motion in order to move from above onto the container 200. The flexibility can be realized by a suitable choice of material, for example Teflon, and/or by mechanical structures, such as the use of one (or more) bellows, joints, rotary distributors, etc.

(66) Equally, the supply lines 132 are generally, at least in some sections, of flexible configuration, in order to enable, or at least to simplify, any manoeuvrability of the filling members 20, in particular a lifting motion. The flexibility can be realized by a suitable choice of material, generally Teflon, and/or by mechanical structures, such as the use of one (or more) bellow, joints, rotary distributors, etc.

(67) It should be pointed out that the aforementioned Teflon is a typical material for some or all fluid-carrying components, such as lines, valves, etc., since the transport behaviour of the fluids is improved due to the low surface energy. Equally, Teflon has very good resistance to any migration of aromatic substances.

(68) The previously described “serial connection”, which includes the general “ring circuit”, provides a mechanically simple, reliable and low-maintenance realization of the apparatus 100, wherein the containers 200, furthermore, can be bottled virtually individually, in particular on a variety-specific and/or container-group-wise basis. The handling of the individual filling members 20 is facilitated, in particular if the distribution line(s) 131 and/or supply line(s) 132, at least in some sections, are of flexible configuration.

(69) Where applicable, all individual features which are represented in the illustrative embodiments can be mutually combined and/or exchanged, without departing from the scope of the invention.