FILLING ELEMENT

Abstract

A filling element includes a filling-level sensor having an oscillating body disposed to interact with fluid that is in a container being filled. A change in the oscillation of the body, triggered either electromechanically or by fluid flow, provides information indicative of filling level.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. An apparatus comprising a filling element for filling containers with a liquid, wherein said filling element comprises a level sensor, a filling-element body, a filling valve, a dispensing opening, a filling valve, and a retainer, wherein said level sensor comprises an oscillating body and a measuring device, wherein said filling-element body comprises a product channel, wherein said filling valve is formed in said filling-element body, wherein said dispensing opening formed at a lower end of said product channel, wherein said retainer is formed under said dispensing opening for receiving a container, wherein said level sensor extends at least partially vertically below said dispensing opening, wherein a signal from said level sensor actuates said filling valve, and wherein said measuring device measures oscillation of said oscillating body.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an excitation device to set said oscillating body into oscillation.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said excitation device excites said oscillating body at a self-resonant frequency thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body comprises a piezoelectric element.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising an excitation device, an evaluation device, and electrical connections between said excitation device and said piezoelectric element, wherein said excitation device is configured to set said oscillating body into oscillation.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said excitation device and said evaluation device are integrated in an electronic circuit.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body comprises a rod.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body comprises a fork.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body extends coaxially through said product channel and below said dispensing opening.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body extends vertically.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body is arranged below said product channel and wherein a filling jet emerging from said dispensing opening fully surrounds said oscillating body.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a valve element, wherein said valve element holds said oscillating body such that said oscillating body is axially movable along said product channel.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an evaluation device, wherein said evaluation device connects to said measuring device, wherein said evaluation device comprises a reference memory and a comparator, wherein said reference memory stores data that said comparator compares with a measurement of oscillation to derive an actuation signal for said filling valve.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body extends below said dispensing opening from said product channel.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a retainer and a contact region, wherein said contact region is disposed at a lower end of said filling-element body, wherein said a contact region is arranged for receiving a mouth of a container that has been accommodated in said retainer, and wherein said oscillating body is arranged in a horizontal plane inside said contact region and extends vertically below said contact region.

36. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said oscillating body comprises a flexible element arranged in a horizontal plane inside said dispensing opening, wherein said measuring device is configured to detect oscillation of said flexible element.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said measuring device comprises an optical sensor for detecting oscillation of said flexible element.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said measuring device comprises an acoustic sensor for detecting the oscillation of the flexible element.

39. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a filling machine, wherein said filling element is one of a plurality of filling elements of said filling machine.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said measuring device is one of a plurality of measuring devices, each of which corresponds to one of said filling elements, wherein said filling machine comprises a central evaluation device to which said measuring devices connect and a central filling machine control and controlling filling valves of said filling elements.

41. A method comprising measuring a filling level of a container filled by a filling element that comprises a product channel, a filling valve formed therein, a dispensing opening at a lower end of said product channel through which a liquid flows through a mouth of a container located below said dispensing opening, wherein measuring said filling level comprises causing oscillation of an oscillating body that is arranged in a region below said dispensing opening of said filling element such that said oscillating body extends at least partially through said mouth, measuring said oscillations, and closing said filling valve when a predetermined oscillation change or a predetermined change in oscillation response occurs.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising storing a reference oscillation response and/or a reference limit oscillation and comparing said reference oscillation response and/or said reference limit oscillation with measured oscillations of said oscillating body, wherein closing said filling valve comprises closing said filling valve when said measured oscillations reach or exceed said reference oscillation response and/or said reference limit oscillation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows filling element that relies on an oscillating body to determine fill level,

[0036] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but with two oscillating bodies,

[0037] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment that relies on an oscillating flexible element, and

[0038] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 3 but with the flexible element being sufficiently elastic to undulate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a filling element 10 with a longitudinal filling-element body 12 through which a product channel 14 extends. An axially-movable valve-element 16 extends through the product channel 14. At its lower end, the valve element 16 has a thickened valve body 18 that interacts with a valve seat 20 defined by an inner wall of the filling-element body 12 that forms the product channel 14. Together, these define a filling valve 22.

[0040] A dispensing opening 24 at the lower end of the valve body 12 provides a way for a liquid filling-product, such as a beverage, to enter a mouth 32 of a container 30 that is standing on a retainer 28 of the filling element 10 or of a filling machine.

[0041] An optional sealing surface 26 around the dispensing opening 24 seals against the container's mouth 32. This is particularly useful when the liquid filling-material is a carbonated beverage. For embodiments that fill a container 30 that has been sealed against the sealing surface 26, it is useful to provide a return gas channel 44 so that any gas present in the container 30 can escape as the container 30 fills.

[0042] An oscillating body 34 extends coaxially with the valve element 18 through the dispensing opening 24 and into the container 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the oscillating body 34 takes the form of a longitudinal rod.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the oscillating body 34 comprises a piezoelectric element that connects via a connection cable 36 to an interface 38.

[0044] In the embodiment described herein, the interface 38 is and excitation and/or measurement device. The term interface shall be used to promote conciseness of expression. However, the term interface is deemed to cover an excitation device, a measurement device, and an excitation-and-measurement device.

[0045] The interface 38 triggers oscillation and carries out measurements during intervals that are short enough to typically be measured in microseconds or milliseconds. The oscillating body 34 and the interface 38 together form a filling-level sensor 35.

[0046] The interface 38 connects to an evaluator 40. In some embodiments, each filling element 10 has its own evaluator 40. In others, two or more filling elements 10 of a filling machine share the same evaluator 40.

[0047] The filling process begins with a container 30 standing upright on the retainer 28 as shown in FIG. 1. For pressure filling, the container's mouth is sealed against the sealing surface 26 as shown. For free-jet filling, the container 30 is simply placed with its mouth under the dispensing opening 34.

[0048] To begin filling, the valve body 18 moves upward to the position shown in FIG. 1. As a result, filling product 37 flows freely through the dispensing opening 24 and forms a filling jet. A filling level 40 inside the container 30 rises as filling proceeds.

[0049] As filling proceeds, the interface 38 drives the piezoelectric element so as cause the oscillating body 34 to oscillate at its resonant frequency. The interface 38 drives the oscillating body 34 either continuously or in short bursts.

[0050] Eventually, the filling level 40 reaches the lower end of the oscillating body 34. When this happens, the oscillating body's resonant frequency changes abruptly. The interface 38 detects this change. As a result, it is possible to infer that the filling level has reached the oscillating body 34.

[0051] In the event that filling proceeds further, the filling level 40 continues to rise. As a result, more of the oscillating body 34 becomes submerged. This further changes the oscillating body's resonant frequency. Again, the interface 38 detects this change.

[0052] The evaluator 40 stores a reference frequency that corresponds to a desired filling-level 40. As soon as the measured resonant frequency reaches this value, the evaluator 40 causes the valve body 18 to move against the valve seat 20, thus closing the filling valve 22. This provides a reproducible way to attain a desired filling level.

[0053] The reference frequency can be one that corresponds to when the filling level just grazes the bottom of the oscillating body 34. However, it is also possible for the reference frequency to be selected so that it corresponds to a filling level that is higher up on the oscillating body 34.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment that has first and second parallel oscillating bodies 34a, 34b. The interface 38 excites these either in phase or out of phase and evaluates the results independently of each other or in conjunction with each other. This provides redundancy that promotes reliability of the level sensor 35. Because of its appearance, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 can be referred to as a fork in which the oscillating bodies are tines of the fork.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in which a flexible element 46 implements the oscillating body. In one embodiment, it is the interface 38 that provides the stimulus for causing the flexible element 46 to oscillate. Alternatively, the flow of the filling jet itself provides the stimulus to trigger oscillation.

[0056] In the case of a flexible element 46, something other than resonant frequency can be relied upon. For example, oscillation of the flexible element 46 may also result in a change in some electrical property, such as resistance or capacitance. In such cases, the filling jet sets the flexible element 46 into oscillation and a connection cable 36 provides a signal to the interface 38 or to a separate measuring device 48 that monitors an end region of the flexible element 46.

[0057] The measuring device 48 can be an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or any sensor that detects the flexible element's motion. The measuring device 48 can also be arranged centrally in the retainer 28, such that its measuring beam is directed vertically upwards against the flexible element 46. The flexible element be a band or a reasonably thick thread, the movement of which the measuring device 48 detects.

[0058] FIG. 4 differs from FIG. 3 only in the formation of the flexible element 46 is elastic enough to undulate into a wave-shaped structure as the filling jet stimulates it along its length.

[0059] In the preceding embodiment, the filling jet provided the stimulus for setting the flexible element 46 into oscillation. However, any flow associated with the filling process can also be used. For example, if the flexible element 46 is near the filling jet, movement of gas can be sufficient to trigger oscillation of the flexible element 46. Alternatively, gas escaping the container 30 can also trigger oscillation.

[0060] The embodiments described herein are intended to be examples of how to implement the invention, and are therefore not intended to be limiting. The scope of the invention is only defined by the following claims.