DEVICE FOR THE METERED FILLING OF A DRINKING STRAW WITH A FILLING MATERIAL

Abstract

A device for the metered filling of a drinking straw with a filling material includes a material store as a storage container for the filling material. An opening is present in the base of the material store, the opening discharging from above into a compressed air channel. A closure device is provided for sealing the compressed air channel relative to the material store. At least one receiving unit is present for receiving at least one drinking straw, so that the at least one drinking straw is able to be positioned with its upper edge region on the end of the compressed air channel on the air outlet side.

Claims

1. A device (10) for the metered filling of a drinking straw (40) with a filling material (22), the device comprising: a material store (20) as a storage container for the filling material (22); an opening (24) in the base of the material store (20), said opening discharging from above into a compressed air channel (30); and a closure device (32) for sealing the compressed air channel (30) relative to the material store (20); wherein at least one receiving unit (42) is present for receiving at least one drinking straw (40); so that the at least one drinking straw (40) is able to be positioned with its upper edge region (44) on the end of the compressed air channel (30) on the air outlet side.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving unit (42) is able to be releasably fastened for receiving the at least one drinking straw (40) on the device (10).

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one receiving unit (42) is able to be fixed in position for receiving the drinking straw (40) by means of a fastening unit (50).

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the fastening unit (50) comprises at least one latching element (52).

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the fastening unit (50) comprises at least one latching lever (52); and for receiving a drinking straw (40) the receiving unit (42) comprises at least one recess (54) for the latching lever (52).

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein a monitoring unit (56) is present, the position of the receiving unit (42) being able to be monitored thereby.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a weighing unit (60) is present.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a printer unit (62) is present.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0022] In the drawings,

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a first embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the receiving unit of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention; and

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section through the receiving unit according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] A first embodiment of the device 10 according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 1. The device 10 comprises a material store 20 in which a filling material 22 is held in storage. The filling material 22 in the present exemplary embodiment is in the form of pellets which in each case contain a defined quantity of an active substance. Thus a uniform distribution may be achieved of the concentration of the active substance in the filling material 22.

[0027] An opening 24 is present in the base of the material store 20. The opening 24 discharges from above into a compressed air channel 30. The opening 24 may be closed by means of a closure device 32, so that the compressed air channel 30 is sealed relative to the material store 20. If the closure device 32 is open, a defined volume of filling material 22 may fall into the compressed air channel 30. The filling material 22 already located in the compressed air channel 30 prevents the continued flow of further filling material 22. Subsequently, the closure device 32 may be closed again. By means of one or more gas pressure surges the filling material located in the compressed air channel 30 may then be moved along the compressed air channel 30 until the filling material reaches the end of the compressed air channel 30. At the end of the compressed air channel 30 the filling material falls into the drinking straw 40 located there.

[0028] The drinking straw 40 is mounted upright in a receiving unit 42, so that the upper edge region 44 with the opening of the drinking straw 40 faces upwardly in the direction of the compressed air channel 30. In order to remove the drinking straw 40 after filling and to replace it with a new empty drinking straw 40, the receiving unit 42 may be removed from the device 10 in the direction of the arrow 46. After the removal of the receiving unit 42 the drinking straw 40 may be pulled from above out of the receiving unit 42. Subsequently, the receiving unit 42 may be provided with a new drinking straw 40 and positioned again in the device 10.

[0029] In order to ensure that the receiving unit 42 and thus also the drinking straw 40 to be filled are located at the correct position, in the present example the device 10 has a fastening unit 50 in the form of a latching lever 52. The latching lever 52 in the correct position of the receiving unit 42 penetrates into a recess 54 of the receiving unit 42. A monitoring unit in the form of an electrical contact 56 is present at the base of the recess 54. Only if this electrical contact 56 is contacted by the latching lever 52 is the drinking straw 40 able to be filled. This may be ensured, for example, by an opening of the closure device 32 only being possible at this time. Alternatively or additionally, the gas pressure supply may also be stopped if the electrical contact 56 is not yet contacted by the latching lever 52. Thus with an inadvertent actuation of the device 10 without the receiving unit 42 being inserted (for example when transporting or cleaning the device 10) it is also impossible that valuable filling material 22 is able to be removed from the material store 20.

[0030] In the present example, the filling of the drinking straw 40 with filling material 22 may be monitored by means of a weighing unit 60. To this end, the receiving unit 42 is located on the weighing unit 60. Alternatively or additionally, the weight of the material store 20 and thus the removal of the filling material 22 from the material store 20 could also be monitored by means of a weighing unit. The weighing unit 60 in the present case is connected to a printer unit 62 so that the measurement result may be emitted and recorded via the printer unit 62. In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown here, the weighing unit 60 and/or the printer unit 62 could also be dispensed with.

[0031] A second embodiment of the device 10.2 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 without the compressed air channel 30 and the material store 20. The receiving unit 42.2 of the device 10.2 according to FIG. 3 is fastened by means of two latching levers 70, 72 to the device 10.2. The two latching levers 70, 72 laterally encompass the receiving unit 42.2 and engage with their latching lugs 74, 76 in each case in lateral recesses 80, 82 of the receiving unit 42.2.

[0032] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.