Filling system and filling machine

Abstract

An apparatus for processing containers includes a container-filling system having filling-point pairs in which each filling point has a filling element. Each filling element has a channel formed in a housing, a liquid valve in the channel that controls flow through a dispensing opening. The filling system also has internal and external gas-paths that are internal and external relative to the filling elements. These gas paths connect to each other. A gas-path control-valve controls the external path. Nothing controls the internal path. A stand-alone control module contains part of the external gas-path and the gas-path control-valve.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing containers, said apparatus comprising a modular filling-system for filling containers with liquid filling-material, wherein said modular filling-system comprises a plurality of filling-point pairs and stand-alone control-modules, said filling-point pairs and said stand-alone control-modules having a modular architecture that permits said stand-alone control-modules and filling-point pairs thereof to be interchanged, wherein each filling-point pair comprises filling points, each of which includes a filling element that comprises a filling-element housing, a liquid channel that is formed within said filling-element housing and that ends in a dispensing opening, and a liquid valve that controls flow of liquid filling-material through said dispensing opening and into a container that is to be filled, wherein each filling-point pair comprises an internal gas-path that is internal to a filling element of said filling-point pair and a first section of an external gas-path, the first section being external to any filling element of said filling-point pair and being common to both filling elements in said filling-point pair, wherein a stand-alone control module from said plurality of stand-alone control modules connects to said filling-point pair to form said external gas-path, wherein said stand-alone control module comprises a control-module housing within which is formed a second section of said external gas-path, wherein when connected to said first section, said second section completes said external gas-path, wherein, when said stand-alone control module is connected to said filling-point pair to complete said gas-path, a gas-path control-valve is disposed along said second section of said external gas-path, and connects to said internal gas path, whereby, as a result of said modular architecture, said stand-alone control module is interchangeable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport element having an outer surface on which said filling elements are disposed, wherein a section of said external gas-path is formed on said transport element, wherein gas flow through said section is uncontrolled.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said section of said external gas-path that is formed on said transport element opens into internal gas-paths of multiple filling elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said section of said external gas-path that is formed on said transport element opens into channels provided in said transport element, said channels being common to multiple filling elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport element, wherein said stand-alone control-modules are arranged on an annular surface of said transport element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external gas-path opens directly into said internal gas-path.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising first and second openings, wherein said first opening is an opening of said external gas-path, wherein said second opening is an opening of said internal gas-path, and a seal, wherein said seal has a cross-sectional area having a first value, wherein said first opening has a cross-sectional area having a second value, wherein said second opening has a cross-sectional area having a third value, wherein said first and second openings define an interface for fluid communication between said external gas-path and said internal gas- path, wherein said seal seals said interface, wherein said first value is greater than said second value, and wherein said third value is less than said first value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport element that forms a partition that defines a first region and a second region, wherein said second region is an aseptic space for sterile filling of containers passing therethrough with liquid filling-material, wherein each of said filling elements comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said dispensing opening is at said second portion, wherein only said second portion extends into said aseptic space, wherein said stand-alone control-module is disposed on said partition in said first region, and wherein said gas-path control-valves are disposed on said partition in said first region.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filling elements are spaced apart by a fixed distance, wherein said stand-alone control-module and said filling elements are configured to be mounted on a rotor that defines first and second concentric pitch circles having corresponding first and second radii that differ by no more than a specified value, and wherein said stand-alone control-modules are configured to be mounted along said first pitch circle and said filling elements are configured to be mounted along said second pitch circle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rotor, wherein said filling-point pairs are mounted on said rotor radially offset from said control modules, which are also mounted on said rotor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filling elements are spaced apart by a fixed distance, wherein said stand-alone control-module and said filling elements are configured to be mounted on a rotor that defines first and second concentric pitch circles having corresponding first and second radii, said first radius being greater than said second radius, wherein said stand-alone control-modules are configured to be mounted along said second pitch circle and said filling elements are configured to be mounted along said first pitch circle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control-module housing comprises a level underside that defines a first plane that is perpendicular to a machine axis, wherein each of said filling elements comprises a mating surface that defines a second plane that is perpendicular to said machine axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rotor that rotates about a machine axis, wherein said control modules are on a top face of said rotor, wherein said control modules are between said machine axis and said filling-point pairs.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rotor that rotates about a machine axis, wherein said filling-point pairs move along a movement path, wherein said stand-alone control-modules are radially inside said movement path.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising further comprising first and second openings, wherein said first opening is an opening of said external gas-path, wherein said second opening is an opening of said internal gas-path, and wherein said control module and said filling-point pair are disposed such that said first and second openings are misaligned.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filling-point pairs and said stand-alone control-modules are designed to fit a rotor having a first radius and wherein said stand-alone control-modules and said filling-point pairs are disposed on a rotor having a second radius that is different from said first radius.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filling-point pairs and said stand-alone control-modules are designed to fit a rotor having a first radius, wherein each filling-point pair interfaces with a corresponding one of said stand-alone control-modules through a seal having a seal opening that engages a first mouth and a second mouth, wherein said first mouth is an opening of said external gas-path, wherein said second mouth is an opening of said internal gas-path, wherein said stand-alone control-modules and said filling-point pairs are disposed on a rotor having a second radius that is different from said first radius, and wherein said first and second radii differ by no more than double the difference between the lineal dimension of said seal opening and a lineal dimension of said first mouth.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport element, wherein said filling elements are on said transport element, wherein said stand-alone control-modules are on said transport element, wherein said transport element conveys said filling elements along a first path having a first radius, wherein said transport element conveys said stand-alone control-modules along a second path having a second radius, wherein said first and second paths are concentric, and wherein said second radius is less than said first radius.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below by means of the figures using examples of embodiments. The following are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a rotary filling-machine for filling containers with liquid filling material, such as beverages;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a pair of filling points of the filling machine of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view from above two filling elements of a filling-point pair parallel to a vertical machine axis;

(5) FIG. 4 is a section through a rotor and through one of the filling elements of a filling-point pair in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of two filling points forming one filling-point pair;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the filling points shown in FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of two filling points forming one filling-point pair;

(9) FIG. 8 is a side view of the filling points shown in FIG. 7; and

(10) FIG. 9 shows an interface between the inner and outer gas channels in the filling-point pairs of FIGS. 5-8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a rotary filling-machine 1 for filling bottles 2 with liquid filling-material. The filling machine 1 comprises a rotor 3 that rotates about a vertical machine axis MA passing through its center. The rotor's pitch circle has first and second filling points 4.1, 4.2 disposed thereon. The center of the pitch circle is the machine axis MA. The distance between two adjacent filling points is a pitch distance. In the illustrated embodiment, all pitch distances are the same.

(12) The first and second filling points 4.1, 4.2 are formed in such a way that, in the direction of rotation A of the rotor 3, every second filling point 4.2 is adjacent to and between two first filling points 4.1. Empty bottles 2 arrive at the filling machine 1 through a container inlet 5 and leave as filled bottles 2 through a container outlet 6.

(13) The filling points 4.1, 4.2 are configured for different filling methods. One method is pressurized filling of bottles 2. Pressurized bottle filling includes pre-tensioning a bottle's interior with a pressurized process gas or inert gas, such as CO.sub.2 gas. It can also include purging the bottle's interior one or more times with a process gas or an inert gas. Pressurized bottle filling can also include evacuating the bottle's interior, rapid or slow filling of the bottle, and pressure-relief of the bottle's interior after filling. These process steps are controlled in part by gas-path control-valves in gas paths of the filling points 4.1, 4.2.

(14) As shown in FIG. 2, each filling point 4.1, 4.2 has one filling element 7 and a container carrier. The container carrier is a conventional one that suspends a bottle 2 from its opening flange 2.1 and that presses the bottle's mouth against the underside of the filling element 7 during the filling process. The container carrier is a conventional feature whose detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it has been omitted from the drawing.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a cam follower 8 that interacts with a control cam that does not rotate with the rotor 3 and is part of a lifting device to raise the particular container carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, the cam follower 8, or the associated lifting device, is provided jointly for the two container carriers of each filling-point pair 4.

(16) As shown in FIG. 4, each filling element 7 comprises a filling-element housing 9 in which a liquid channel 10 is formed. The liquid channel 10 connects to a product pipe 11 that leads to a common tank 12 on the rotor 3 for supplying liquid filling-material to the filling points 4.1, 4.2. During the filling process, liquid filling-material at least partially fills the common tank 12.

(17) On the underside of each filling-element housing 9, the liquid channel 10 forms an annular dispensing opening 13 for dispensing liquid filling-material into a bottle. Inside the liquid channel 10 is a liquid valve 14 with a valve body. Moving the valve body axially along the vertical filling element axis FA opens and closes the liquid valve 14 and controls the dispensing of the liquid-filling material through the dispensing opening 13 and into a bottle 2. A pneumatic actuation device 15 causes this movement.

(18) The filling machine 1 defines an aseptic space 16 through which the open mouths of bottles 2 move during the filling process. This aseptic space 16 is separated from by walls, among which is a top wall formed by a disc-type pipe element 3.2 bearing the annual rotor element 3.1. The filling elements 7 are fitted on an outer surface of the rotor element 3.1. Each filling element 7 has an upper portion and a lower portion. Only the lower portion of the filling element 7 extends into the aseptic space 16.

(19) Above the rotor element 3.2, and hence outside the aseptic space 16, are common annular chambers or channels 17 that provide fluid communication to all the filling points 4.1, 4.2. These channels 17 route process gases and/or provide a vacuum to all filling points 4.1, 4.2 during the filling process. As shown in FIG. 4, the channels 17 are between the machine axis MA and the filling element axis FA.

(20) Referring back to FIG. 2, each filling-point pair 4 has gas-path control-valves 18 that control flow through various external gas-paths 20, each of which has a first gas-path section 20.1 and a second gas-path section 20.2. The control valves 18 thereby provide control over the various phases of the particular filling process. These gas-path control-valves 18 are provided jointly for the two filling elements 7 of each filling-point pair 4. The gas-path control-valves 18 are also controlled jointly.

(21) The external gas-paths 20 are outside the filling-element housings 9. There are also internal gas-paths 19 inside the filling-element housings 9. However, these internal gas-paths 19 are uncontrolled because there are no gas-path control-valves inside the filling-element housing 7. At least one external gas-path 20 connects to the associated internal gas-paths 19 of the two filling elements 7 of each filling-point pair 4. The gas-path control-valve 18 is arranged in an external gas-path 20. As a result, controlling the gas-path control-valve 18 provides simultaneous control over both filling elements 7 of a particular filling-point pair 4.

(22) In the illustrated embodiment, the gas-path control-valves 18 for a filling-point pair 4 are preferably pneumatically actuated valves that are part of a valve block 21 comprising multiple electrically controlled pneumatic valves. A central machine-controller 22 controls these valves.

(23) The valve block 21 also provides control for opening and closing the liquid valves 14 in each of the filling elements 7. It does so based at least in part on how much liquid filling-material has flowed into the bottles 2 during the filling phase. A flow meter 23 shown in FIG. 2 measures this amount and sends a suitable signal back to the central machine-controller 22. In some embodiments, the flow meter 23 is a magnetic induction flow meter. As long as the filling elements 7 are designed with sufficient precision, their filling behavior will be essentially identical. Therefore, each filling-point pair 4 will require only one flow meter 23. This flow meter 23 can be placed in a product pipe 11 that supplies either one of the two filling elements 7.

(24) The gas-path control-valves 18 and first gas-path section 20.1 of each external gas-path 20 of the particular filling-point pair are part of a control module 24, which is shown with a dashed line surrounding it in FIG. 2. In the illustrated embodiment, for each filling-point pair 4, there is a separate control module 24 on the top face of the rotor element 3.1.

(25) As shown in FIG. 4, each control module 24 includes a block or module housing 25 that encloses both the first gas-path section 20.1 of the external gas-path 20 and the gas-path control-valve 18 that controls the external gas-path 20.

(26) Meanwhile, the second gas-path section 20.2 of the external gas-path 20 is formed in the rotor element 3.1. This second gas-path section 20.2 is what opens into the annular chambers 17 and also into an internal gas-path 19 of the filling elements 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the second gas-path section 20.2 of the external gas-path 20 is not controlled. This means that there are no gas-path control-valves in the second gas path section 20.2.

(27) As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control modules 24 lie between the machine axis MA and the filling element axes FA. The control modules 24 are thus located inside the pitch circle TK. This places them inside the movement path of the filling elements 7.

(28) The foregoing design results in a modular architecture in which filling-point pairs 4 and control modules 24 can be readily interchanged. This modular structure allows simple replacement of defective components. For example, if a filling element 7 or control module 24 goes bad, all one has to do is swap it out for a new one. Moreover, the modular structure also allows specially-made filling elements 7 for special filling processes to be assembled with a standard control module 24, or conversely, to use non-standard control modules 24 with standard filling elements 7. As a result, it becomes possible for the first time to have a filling machine 1 in which one can mix and match control modules 24 and filling-point pairs 4 with abandon.

(29) FIGS. 5-9 show the rotor 3 of a filling machine 1a together with two filling points 4.1, 4.2 that form a filling-point pair 4a. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a view from above, while FIGS. 6 and 8 show a side view in which the filling elements 7a of the filling points 4.1 and 4.2 are only partially indicated.

(30) The filling elements 7a are arranged with their filling element axes FA spaced apart by a division spacing TA on a pitch circle TK. The difference between FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 is the radius of the pitch circle TK. In particular, the pitch circle TK in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a smaller radius than the pitch circle TK in FIGS. 7 and 8. This difference can be readily ascertained by noticing the difference in curvature in FIGS. 5 and 7.

(31) In the filling machine 1a, the openings in the control modules 24a must be made to mate with corresponding openings in a filling element 7a. Referring to FIG. 9, this is carried out by providing the control module 24a with a housing 25 having a level underside that is oriented in a plane perpendicular to the machine axis MA. Similarly, the filling element 7a has a mating surface that is oriented in a plane perpendicular to the machine axis MA. This area of the filling element 7a is radially offset so that it can mate with the level underside of the housing 25.

(32) When the mating surface of a filling element 7a contacts the level underside of the housing 25, a mouth opening 20.1.1 of the first gas-path section 20.1 of the external gas-path 20 connects to a corresponding mouth opening 19.1 of an internal gas-path 19 of the filling element 7a. A seal 26 completes the connection so that gas can flow without loss between the control module 24a and the filling element 7a.

(33) The seal 26 has a seal opening 26.1 that is somewhat larger than necessary. As shown in FIG. 9, the seal opening 26.1 is quite a bit larger than either mouth opening 20.1.1, 19.1. This makes it possible to maintain the same division spacing TA across pitch circles TK of different radii, as shown in FIGS. 5-8. As a result, it is possible to do more than just swap control modules and filling elements in and out of a particular filling machine 1 with a particular rotor 3. It is also possible to take a control module and filling element that fits a rotor having one radius and move them to a rotor that has a different radius.

(34) Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, one can see that a distance X changes due to a change in the pitch circle size. However, because the seal opening 26.1 is so much larger than the connection opening 19.1, this does not matter. All that will happen is that the connection openings 19.1, 20.1.1 will be at different relative positions. They will still both open in to the chamber defined by the seal 25. As a result, compensation for variations in the distance X is possible up to a measurement that is double the difference of the lineal dimensions of the seal opening 26.1 and the mouth opening 19.1.

(35) For different division spacing TA of the filling points 4.1 and 4.2, i.e. for different axial distances between the filling elements 7a forming these filling points 4.1, 4.2 on the circumference of the rotor 3, it is necessary to provide control modules 24a for which the axial distance of the connection openings 20.1.1 has been adapted to the particular division spacing TA.