DEVICE FOR CLEANING AND STERILIZING A FILLING VALVE OF A BEVERAGE FILLING SYSTEM FOR FILLING A CONTAINER WITH A FILLING PRODUCT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a method for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve of a beverage filling system for filling a container with a filling product. The device includes a cap for closing a filling product outlet of the filling valve during the cleaning and sterilization, and a valve for opening and closing the through-opening. The cap has a through-opening for discharging sterilization medium during the sterilization. The valve includes a shape-memory material for switching the valve between an open and closed position at a predetermined temperature.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A device for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve of a beverage filling system, comprising: a cap configured to close a filling product outlet of the filling valve during cleaning and sterilization, wherein the cap comprises: a through-opening configured to discharge sterilization medium during the sterilization, and a valve comprising a shape-memory material that is configured to switch the valve between an open position and a closed position at a predetermined temperature.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the valve further comprises a positioning element configured to open and close the valve.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the positioning element comprises a spring.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the spring comprises a helical spring.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the positioning element comprises a shape-memory material.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the valve further comprises a closing part and a valve seat, and wherein in a closed position of the valve, the closing part is arranged in a sealing manner in the valve seat, and in an open position of the valve, the valve is raised out of the valve seat.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the positioning element is configured to be brought into contact with the closing part to switch the valve in between the open position and the closed position.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the shape-memory material comprises a shape-memory alloy.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the shape-memory alloy comprises nitinol, nickel-titanium, nickel-titanium-copper, copper-zinc, copper-zinc-aluminum, copper-aluminum-nickel, iron-nickel-aluminum, iron-manganese-silicon, zinc-gold-copper, or combinations thereof.

19. The device of claim 10, further comprising an opening disposed on an upper side of the cap that is concentric with the cap.

20. The device of claim 10, further comprising an opening that extends perpendicular to and crosses the through-opening.

21. A device for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve of a beverage filling system, comprising: a cap configured to close a filling product outlet of the filling valve during cleaning and sterilization, wherein the cap comprises: a through-opening configured to discharge sterilization medium during the sterilization; and a valve comprising: a positioning element configured to open and close the valve, wherein the positioning element comprises a shape-memory alloy, a closing part, and a valve seat, wherein in a closed position of the valve, the closing part is arranged in a sealing manner in the valve seat and in an open position of the valve, the valve is raised out of the valve seat.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the positioning element is configured to be brought into contact with the closing part to switch the valve in between the open position and the closed position.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the shape-memory alloy comprises nitinol, nickel-titanium, nickel-titanium-copper, copper-zinc, copper-zinc-aluminum, copper-aluminum-nickel, iron-nickel-aluminum, iron-manganese-silicon, zinc-gold-copper, or combinations thereof.

24. A method for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve of a beverage filling system, comprising: arranging a cap on a filling product outlet of the filling valve, wherein the cap comprises a through-opening configured to discharge sterilization medium during the sterilization, and a valve comprising a shape-memory material that is configured to switch the valve between an open position and a closed position at a predetermined temperature; cleaning the filling valve in a cleaning operation at a first temperature; sterilizing the filling valve in a sterilization operation at a second temperature, wherein the valve switches to the open position at the second temperature; and removing the cap from the filling valve.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first temperature causes the shape-memory material to keep the valve closed.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a pivoting device, a lifting device, or both, to arrange the cap on the filling product outlet.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising pivoting the cap beneath the filling product outlet.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the first temperature is below 85° C.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the second temperature is greater than 105° C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] Further embodiments and aspects of the present invention are more fully explained by the description below of the figures.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a device for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve, wherein a positioning element which is disposed in a through-opening holds a valve in a closed position,

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the device from FIG. 1, wherein the positioning element holds the valve in an open position,

[0039] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a further device for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve, wherein a positioning element which is disposed perpendicular to a through-opening holds a valve in a closed position, and

[0040] FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the device from FIG. 3, wherein the positioning element holds the valve in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Examples of embodiments are described below with the aid of the figures. In the figures, elements which are identical or similar, or have identical effects, are designated with identical reference signs. In order to avoid redundancy, repeated description of these elements is in part dispensed with in the description below.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a device 10 by means of which a filling valve of a beverage filling system can be closed for cleaning and sterilization. The device 10 includes a cap 20, which can be arranged on the product dispensing aperture of the filling valve (which is not shown here) in order to close the product dispensing aperture. The cap 20 is cylindrical, and has, in an upper region of an outer circumferential surface, a ring seal 26. In order to seal the filling valve, the ring seal 26 is in contact with a surface of the dispensing aperture of the filling valve, in particular with the conical wall of a centering bell.

[0043] The cap 20 has on an upper side 27 a drilled hole 24. The drilled hole 24 serves to accommodate elements of the filling valve, such as for example the end of a gas return pipe, in a contactless manner in the interior of the cap 20, and to redirect the cleaning medium during the clean-in-place (CIP) cleaning. There is a gap between the elements of the filling valve and the surface of the drilled hole 24 when installed, which for example enables fluid to flow around the elements of the filling valve during cleaning operation. The drilled hole 24 is disposed concentrically to the middle axis M of the cap 20.

[0044] In the base of the drilled hole 24, concentrically to the middle axis M of the cap 20, a through-opening 22 is disposed, which extends to an underside 28 of the cap 20. In the through-opening 22 a valve 30 is disposed, by means of which the through-opening 22 can be opened and closed, in order to switch between a cleaning operation and a sterilization operation of the device 10.

[0045] The valve 30 has a valve seat 36, in which a closing part 34 in the form of a stainless steel sphere is accommodated. In this state, the through-opening 22 is closed, so that the device 10 is in a cleaning position. The closing part 34 is pretensioned against the valve seat 36 by means of a positioning element 32. The positioning element 32 is designed in the form of a spring, which extends, in the shape of a helix, concentrically to the middle axis M of the device 10. In the lower region of the through-opening 22, a retaining ring 38 is disposed, against which the positioning element 32 is braced.

[0046] The positioning element 32 is formed from a shape-memory material in the form of a shape-memory alloy including nickel and titanium, for example nitinol. The positioning element 32 is accordingly capable of changing its shape, in particular its length, depending on the temperature. The positioning element 32 thereby has the property that during a cleaning operation in which a first temperature prevails, it has the shape shown in FIG. 1, by which the closing part 34 is pretensioned against the valve seat 36. The valve 30 is accordingly closed as a result of the temperature which prevails during the cleaning operation. For example, the cleaning operation can be designed such that a temperature of 80° C. is not exceeded. The shape-memory alloy of the positioning element 32 thus has the property that, up to a temperature of 80° C., it does not change the shape shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the properties of the shape-memory alloy can be such that the positioning element 32 maintains its first shape up to a temperature that is lower or higher than 80° C.

[0047] The shape-memory alloy of the positioning element 32 has the further property that it adopts the shape shown in FIG. 2 at the temperature prevailing during the sterilization operation. In the device 10 that is shown in FIG. 2, the positioning element 32, i.e. the spring, is shortened, because the shape-memory alloy has a different crystal structure at the second temperature, which prevails during the sterilization operation. The shape of the positioning element 32 that is shown in FIG. 2 exists at and above a sterilization temperature of 105° C. Alternatively, the second shape of the positioning element 32 can also be adopted at a lower or higher temperature. Due to the shortened positioning element 32 that is shown in FIG. 2, the closing part 34 is released from the valve seat 36, with the result that the valve 30 is in an open position. The through-opening 22 through the cap 20 is thus open, so that condensate that forms in the filling valve during the sterilization operation can flow out through the through-opening 22. In this case, a volume flow of the condensate flows between the inner circumferential surface of the through-opening 22 and the closing part 34, through the positioning element 32, and through the retaining ring 38, and finally flows out of an aperture 29 in the underside 28 of the cap 20.

[0048] When the device 10, and in particular the positioning element 32, cools again after the sterilization operation, the positioning element 32 again adopts the first shape shown in FIG. 1, by which the closing part 34 is pretensioned against the valve seat 36.

[0049] The cap 20 is manufactured from stainless steel. Alternatively, the cap 20 can be manufactured from plastic.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a device 10 which differs from the devices 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the positioning element 32 is not disposed in the through-opening 22. In the device shown in FIG. 3, the through-opening 22 extends from the base of the drilled hole 24, concentrically to the middle axis M of the device 10, to the underside 28 of the cap 20. The cap 20 has a drilled hole 23 which extends perpendicular to, and crosses, the through-opening 22. At one end, the drilled hole 23 has a valve seat 36. The closing part 34 is disposed in the drilled hole 23. In the device 10 that is shown in FIG. 3, the closing part 34 is arranged in the valve seat 36. The closing part 34 thus closes the through-opening 22 that extends perpendicular to the drilled hole 23, so that the device 10 is in the cleaning position. The closing part 34 is pretensioned by the positioning element 32 against the valve seat 36. The positioning element 32 is braced against a bolt 39, which is accommodated in the drilled hole 23. The positioning element 32 is designed in the shape of a spring, whose ends are fixed to the closing part 34 and the bolt 39. The positioning element 32 that is shown in FIG. 3 is manufactured from a shape-memory alloy which comprises nickel, titanium and copper. The positioning element 32 shown in FIG. 3 has the shape of the positioning element 32 during the cleaning operation of the filling valve.

[0051] During the sterilization operation, the positioning element 32 adopts the shape that is shown in FIG. 4. The shape of the positioning element 32 that is shown in FIG. 4 is shorter in comparison with the shape of the positioning element 32 that is shown in FIG. 3. In the position of the valve 30 that is shown in FIG. 4, the closing part 34 is not accommodated in the valve seat 36. Hence the through-opening 22 of the cap 20 is open, so that condensate that arises during the sterilization operation can flow out through the through-opening 22.

[0052] When the temperature falls after the sterilization operation has ended, the shape-memory alloy in the positioning element 32 causes the positioning element to readopt the shape shown in FIG. 3. The positioning element, which is designed in the shape of a spring, accordingly pushes the closing part 34 back into the valve seat 36. By this means the valve 30 is closed.

[0053] To the extent applicable, all individual features described in the individual example embodiments can be combined with each other and/or exchanged, without departing from the field of the invention