METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF BEVERAGES WITH PUMP VENTING

Abstract

A device for preserving beverages with a measuring device is provided which is suitable and intended to determine a flow rate of a liquid flowing through a beverage line, and with a pump device which conveys a preservative, in particular dialkyl dicarbonate, into the beverage line, into the beverage line, the pump device being controllable as a function of a flow rate determined by the measuring device, the device having a venting device for venting the pump device, wherein the venting device has a valve device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preserving beverages, having a measuring device which is suitable and intended for determining a flow rate of a liquid flowing through a beverage line, and having a pump device which conveys a preservative, into the beverage line, wherein the pump device being controllable as a function of a flow rate determined by the measuring device, wherein the apparatus having a venting device for venting the pump device wherein the venting device has a valve device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is a solenoid valve.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a control device for controlling the valve device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a monitoring device for monitoring the venting process.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device can also be actuated manually and/or by user actuation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is arranged in a region of a pump head of the pump device and/or the valve device is arranged in a highest region of the pump device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a line for conducting venting gases and/or a liquid is connected to the valve device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a measuring vessel for detecting a level of a liquid and/or gaseous medium.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a line for conducting a gaseous and/or liquid medium, which is connected to the valve device, opens into the measuring vessel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring vessel has an inlet for a liquid and/or an outlet for a liquid, wherein this outlet being in flow connection with the pump device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one temperature measuring device for detecting a temperature of at least one element of the pump device.

12. A method for preserving beverages, wherein a flow rate of a liquid flowing through a beverage line is determined by means of a measuring device and a preservative is conveyed into the beverage line by means of a pump device, wherein a delivery line opening into the beverage line and the pump device delivering the preservative through this beverage line, and wherein the pump device being controlled as a function of a flow rate determined by the measuring device, wherein the pump device is vented at least temporarily by means of a venting device, wherein this venting being carried out by means of a controlled valve device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in a working mode the valve device is controlled cyclically and/or in a working mode the valve device is controlled taking into account a pumping operation of the pump device.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a gaseous and/or liquid medium discharged via the valve device is passed into a vessel and a measuring vessel and/or a medium discharged via the valve device is analyzed in order to determine whether it is a gaseous or a liquid medium.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein a temperature of at least one element of the pump device is determined at least temporarily.

16. The apparatus for preserving beverages of claim 1, wherein the preservative is dialkyl decarbonates.

17. The method for preserving beverages of claim 12, wherein the preservative is dialkyl decarbonates.

Description

[0074] In the drawings:

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention:

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a detailed illustration of the venting process.

[0077] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for preserving beverages according to the internal prior art of the applicant. Here, the reference sign 10 refers to a beverage line via which a liquid to be filled into containers, and in particular a beverage, is supplied to a filling machine 20. The reference sign 2 indicates a flow measuring device which determines or measures a flow of the beverage through the beverage line 20. This flow measuring device 3 outputs a control signal S to a control device 14. This control device 14 controls the pump device 4 taking this control signal S into account.

[0078] The pumping device 4 pumps a preservative from a reservoir 8 and delivers it via a nozzle head 6 into the beverage line 10, more precisely here in a curved region 10a of the beverage line 10. The reference sign 5 indicates a delivery line and preferably the nozzle head is also a component of this delivery line 5.

[0079] FIG. 2 shows a more detailed illustration of the invention. Here again the pump device 4 is shown, which in this case is a diaphragm pump, in particular a dosing pump.

[0080] A valve device 22 is provided at a (preferably) upper area of this pump device, which is a component of the venting device designated in its entirety as 2. This valve device 22 is, as mentioned above, preferably a solenoid valve. This solenoid valve can be controlled by a control device 30 (only shown schematically) to open and close.

[0081] A venting line 24 is connected to this solenoid valve device 22. The reference sign 3 indicates a measuring device which determines whether a gaseous or liquid medium flows in this venting line 24. In this way it can be determined whether the venting is successful or whether there is still air or gas in general in the pump device 4.

[0082] The line 24 preferably opens into a measuring vessel 28, which has a float device 34 and a scale with which the level of the liquid in the measuring device 3 or the measuring vessel 28 can be checked.

[0083] The reference sign 32 indicates an optionally available sensor device which detects a filling level of the liquid in the measuring container. The data from this measuring device 32 is also preferably used to control the valve device 22 and/or to control the pump device 4.

[0084] The reference sign 16 indicates an optionally available temperature measuring device which measures a temperature of at least one element of the pump device 4 and in particular a temperature in the area of the pump head. Depending on this temperature, a degassing behaviour within the liquid to be dosed can also change. Preferably, data from this temperature measuring device 16 is therefore also used to control the valve device 22 and/or the pump device 4.

[0085] In addition, data relating to the operation of the pump device 4 itself is preferably also used to control the valve device 22. For example, data characterising the position of a pump element such as a pump piston or the like can be used. This data is also preferably used to control the valve device 22. For example, it is possible that the valve device 22 is always actuated at a certain time, for example as mentioned above shortly before another pump stroke is due.

[0086] Preferably, dialkyl dicarbonates are used as preservatives. Very particularly preferably dimethyldicarbonate is used, even more preferably dimethyldicarbonate with a purity >99.8% is used as preservative. In a further embodiment of the invention, dimethyldicarbonate is used which has been stabilised by suitable processes.

[0087] Such methods, such as the use of a phosphorus compound from the Series Phosphorus oxides, phosphorus-oxygen acids and their derivatives are for example known from EP 2 013 160 B1. EP 2 016 041 B1 describes the use of at least one protonic acid chosen from inorganic acids and organic carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof, wherein the organic carboxylic acids 20 being saturated and mono- or polyunsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and saturated and mono- or polyunsaturated aliphatic di- and polycarboxylic acids and, in the case of derivatives thereof, hydroxamic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, aldehyde and keto acids, for stabilising dialkyl dicarbonates against chemical and thermal degradation reactions, wherein the protonic acid or mixtures thereof being used in an amount of 0.01 to 100 000 ppm relative to dialkyl dicarbonates or mixtures thereof.

[0088] In a further embodiment of the invention, dimethyldicarbonate is used in a mixture with phosphorus compounds, such as preferably phosphates, even more preferably with trimethyl phosphate or phosphoric acid. Preferably, the phosphorus compound 30 is used an amount between 0.01 ppm and 1000 ppm based on the total amount of the mixture of dimethyl dicarbonate and phosphorus compounds.

[0089] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided they are individually or in combination new compared to the prior art. It is further pointed out that the figure also describes features which may be advantageous in themselves. The skilled person immediately recognises that a certain feature described in a figure can also be advantageous without adopting further features from this figure. Furthermore, the skilled person recognises that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual figures or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0090] 1 apparatus [0091] 2 venting device [0092] 3 measuring device [0093] 4 pump device [0094] 5 delivery line [0095] 6 nozzle head [0096] 8 reservoir [0097] 10 beverage line [0098] 10a curved area [0099] 12 monitoring device [0100] 14 control device [0101] 16 temperature detection device [0102] 18 temperature measuring device [0103] 20 beverage line [0104] 22 valve device [0105] 24 line/venting line [0106] 28 measuring vessel [0107] 30 control device [0108] 32 sensor device [0109] 34 float device