Filling connector with integrated ventilation duct

Abstract

A filling connector (10) for filling a liquid container comprises a liquid pipeline (12), for conveying liquid from a liquid inlet end (16) portion having a liquid inlet opening (14) to a liquid outlet end portion (20) having a liquid outlet opening (18), and further comprises a gas pipeline (22), for conveying gas in the opposite flow direction while liquid is conveyed through the liquid pipeline (12), from a gas inlet end portion (26) having a gas inlet opening (24) to a gas outlet end portion (30) having a gas outlet opening (28), the liquid pipeline (12) and the gas pipeline (22) being formed integrally with one another and the filling connector (10) being formed as an injection-molded part, the gas pipeline (22) being manufactured using injection technology, such as fluid injection technology, in particular water injection technology, particularly preferably gas injection technology or projectile injection technology.

Claims

1. A filling connector for filling a liquid container, the filling connector comprising: a liquid pipeline, for conveying liquid in a flow direction from a liquid inlet end portion having a liquid inlet opening to a liquid outlet end portion having a liquid outlet opening; and a gas pipeline, for conveying gas in an opposite flow direction while liquid is conveyed through the liquid pipeline, the opposite flow direction being from a gas inlet end portion having a gas inlet opening to a gas outlet end portion having a gas outlet opening, the liquid pipeline and the gas pipeline being formed integrally with one another; wherein the filling connector is formed as an injection-moulded part, with the gas pipeline being manufactured using injection technology; wherein the position of the gas outlet opening relative to the liquid inlet opening is visible from the outside during any pouring of a liquid in such a way that the liquid can be poured selectively past the gas outlet opening into the liquid pipeline; wherein at least one axial portion of the gas pipeline is enclosed by the liquid pipeline; and wherein the external cross-sectional area of the at least one axial portion of the gas pipeline enclosed by the liquid pipeline corresponds to at most 20% of the internal cross-sectional area of the liquid pipeline which can be flowed through.

2. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that at least an axial portion of the gas outlet end portion is enclosed by the liquid inlet end portion, the liquid inlet opening and the gas outlet opening being mutually offset in the axial direction by at most 20% of the maximum internal diameter of the liquid inlet opening.

3. The filling connector according to claim 2, wherein the liquid inlet opening and the gas outlet opening are mutually offset in the axial direction by at most 10% of the maximum internal diameter of the liquid inlet opening, and are flush with each other.

4. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that at least an axial portion of the gas inlet end portion is enclosed by the liquid outlet end portion, the liquid outlet opening and the gas inlet opening being mutually offset in the axial direction by at most 50% of the maximum internal diameter of the liquid outlet opening.

5. The filling connector according to claim 4, wherein the liquid outlet opening and the gas inlet opening are mutually offset in the axial direction by at most 20% of the maximum internal diameter of the liquid outlet opening, and are flush with each other.

6. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that when the filling connector is installed the gas inlet opening is arranged in a geodetically upper region of the liquid outlet end portion.

7. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the liquid pipeline is elbowed at least once along the flow path thereof.

8. The filling connector according to claim 7, wherein the liquid pipeline and the gas pipeline are elbowed repeatedly along the flow path thereof.

9. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the gas pipeline is connected to the liquid pipeline in a material fit at least in an axial portion.

10. The filling connector according to claim 9, wherein the material fit over the entire axial length.

11. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the liquid outlet end portion and the gas inlet end portion comprise a sealing element.

12. The filling connector according to claim 11, wherein the liquid outlet end portion and the gas inlet end portion share the sealing element.

13. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one fastening means, formed in a single piece with the filling connector, is provided for fastening the filling connector.

14. The filling connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the filling connector comprises at least one mounting element.

15. The filling connector according to claim 14, wherein the at least one mounting element is adapted to mount an electric line and/or a tube.

16. The filling connector according to claim 1, wherein the gas pipeline is enclosed by the liquid pipeline.

17. The filling connector according to claim 16, wherein the enclosed gas pipeline is off-center relative to the liquid pipeline.

18. The filling connector according to claim 1, wherein the injection technology used to manufacture the gas pipeline is water injection technology.

19. The filling connector according to claim 1, wherein the injection technology is gas injection technology or projectile injection technology.

20. The filling connector according to claim 1, wherein the external cross-sectional area of the at least one axial portion of the gas pipeline enclosed by the liquid pipeline corresponds to at most 20% of the internal cross-sectional area of the liquid pipeline which can be flowed through.

21. The filling connector according to claim 20, wherein the external cross-sectional area of the at least one axial portion of the gas pipeline enclosed by the liquid pipeline corresponds to at most 10% of the internal cross-sectional area of the liquid pipeline which can be flowed through.

Description

(1) The present invention is described in greater detail in the following by way of the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filling connector according to the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a further perspective view of the filling connector shown in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a filling connector, denoted as a whole as 10. The filling connector 10 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to that of FIG. 1, and is rotated about an axis A with respect thereto.

(5) The filling connector 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a liquid pipeline 12. This can be elbowed along the flow path thereof. Preferably, the liquid pipeline is elbowed repeatedly, having a plurality of straight axial portions 12a, 12b, 12c for conveying liquid in a liquid flow direction Fa, Fb, Fc from a liquid inlet end portion 16 having a liquid inlet opening 14 to a liquid outlet end portion 20 having a liquid outlet opening 18. In this context, the liquid is preferably conveyed under the effect of gravity on the liquid which is to be filled in. The direction of gravity g may be substantially parallel to the liquid flow direction Fa in an axial portion 12a of the liquid pipeline 12, as shown in the drawings.

(6) The filling connector 10 also comprises a gas pipeline 22 which is formed integrally with the liquid pipeline 12. This may be elbowed along the flow path thereof. Preferably, the gas pipeline 22 is elbowed repeatedly, having a plurality of straight axial portions 22a, 22b, 22c for conveying gas in the opposite flow direction, in a gas flow direction Ga, Gb, Gc, while liquid is conveyed through the liquid pipeline 12, from a gas inlet end portion 26 having a gas inlet opening 24 to a gas outlet end portion 30 having a gas outlet opening 28. In this context, the liquid pipeline 12 and the gas pipeline 22 may have mutually parallel pipe central axes in at least one axial portion.

(7) In this case, as shown in the drawings, the gas pipeline 22 may be enclosed by the liquid pipeline 12 along the entire axial extension thereof, and be connected thereto in a material fit in a plurality of axial portions Ma, Mb, Mc. In this context, the gas pipeline 22 and the liquid pipeline 12 may comprise a shared peripheral wall portion 32.

(8) In the present embodiment, both the liquid pipeline 12 and the gas pipeline 22 may have for example approximately circular cross-sections. In this case, the internal cross-sectional area AF of the liquid pipeline 12 which can be flowed through is given by .Math.(RF.sup.2RG.sup.2)+AU, where RF is the internal radius of the liquid pipeline 12, RG is the external radius of the gas pipeline 22, and AU is the cross-sectional area of the shared peripheral wall portion 32. So as to be able to provide a sufficient internal cross-sectional area AF which can be flowed through, it is advantageous for the external cross-sectional area AG=.Math.RG.sup.2 of the gas pipeline 22 to correspond to at most 20%, preferably at most 15%, particularly preferably at most 10% of the internal cross-sectional area AF of the liquid pipeline 12 which can be flowed through.

(9) In this context, it should be noted that the radii RF and RG and the cross-sectional area AU of the shared peripheral wall portion 32 need not necessarily be constant along the flow path of the liquid pipeline 12 or the gas pipeline 22. Thus, for example, as shown in the drawings, the liquid inlet end portion 16 may be formed in a funnel shape, having a cross-sectional area which decreases in the liquid flow direction Fa, so as to make it possible to fill in liquid in a simple manner. In this context, it is advantageous for the axial length T of the funnel-shaped liquid inlet end portion 16 to be at most 15%, preferably at most 10%, particularly preferably at most 5% of the length T+La+Lb+Lc of the liquid pipeline 12 which can be flowed through. In this context, La, Lb and Lc are the lengths of the respective straight axial portions 12a, 12b, 12c of the liquid pipeline 12 which can be flowed through.

(10) The gas outlet end portion 30, which as shown in the drawings may not be connected to the liquid pipeline 12 in a material fit, may be enclosed by the liquid inlet end portion 16. In this context, the liquid inlet end portion 16 may project beyond the gas outlet end portion 30 in the gas flow direction Ga, in such a way that the liquid inlet opening 14 and the gas outlet opening 28 are mutually offset. This offset V may be at most 20%, preferably at most 10% of the maximum internal diameter DE of the liquid inlet opening 14. In principle, however, it is also conceivable for the gas outlet end portion 30 to project beyond the liquid inlet end portion 16 in the gas flow direction Ga, or for the liquid inlet opening 14 and the gas outlet opening 28 to be flush.

(11) Accordingly, the liquid outlet opening 18 and the gas inlet opening 24 may be mutually offset in the axial direction or be flush as shown in the drawings. The offset between the liquid outlet opening 18 and the gas inlet opening 26 may be at most 50%, preferably at most 20% of the maximum internal diameter DA of the liquid outlet opening 18.

(12) Furthermore, in the present embodiment the gas inlet end portion 26 may be enclosed by the liquid outlet end portion 20. In this context, the gas inlet opening 24 may be arranged in a geodetically upper region of the liquid outlet end portion 20 once the filling connector 10 is installed.

(13) In this context, a geodetically upper region of the liquid outlet end portion 20 means a peripheral portion, which is upward in terms of the direction of gravity g, of the liquid outlet end portion 20. In this way, when liquid is conveyed, as the amount of liquid conveyed increases, the liquid outlet end portion 20 is flowed through so as to fill up from a geodetically lower region, in such a way that the geodetically upper region can only be reached in the event of a maximum possible filling amount.

(14) In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the liquid inlet opening 14 and the gas outlet opening 28 can be sealed with a shared cover 34. The cover 34 may further be formed in a single piece with the filling connector 10 by means of a flexible connecting portion or may comprise a fixing portion such as a fixing ring so as to fix the cover 34 securely to the filling connector 10.

(15) Further, so as to be able to capture liquid which sprays out counter to the filling direction, a spray protection element 36 may be provided in the region of the liquid inlet end portion 16, as shown in the drawings. In the present embodiment, this may for example be planar in form and be arranged radially externally enclosing the liquid pipeline 12.

(16) So as to prevent leaks in the connection region of the filling connector 10 to a liquid container (not shown here) and ensure that gas displaced from the liquid container is discharged selectively via the gas pipeline 22, it may further be provided that the liquid outlet end portion 20 and the gas inlet end portion 26 comprise a shared sealing element 38, for example in the form of a rubber ring.

(17) Furthermore, a fastening means 40, formed in a single piece with the filling connector 10, may be provided for fastening the filling connector 10. This may for example be in the form of a plate-shaped element, which has a receiving opening 42 for receiving a screw and may for example be formed integrally with the liquid pipeline 12.

(18) The filling connector 10 may further, as shown in the drawings, comprise a mounting element 44 for fixing for example electric lines leading to a delivery pump or tubes leading away from the pump.

(19) The filling connector 10 shown in the drawings is in the form of an injection-moulded part, the gas pipeline 22 being formed using injection technology, such as fluid injection technology. In this context, water or gas is preferred as the fluid for injection, it being possible to use the fluid directly or indirectly, for example via a projectile, to form the gas pipeline 22. In principle, the liquid pipeline 12 may also be formed using injection technology if the gas pipeline is arranged entirely outside the liquid pipeline.

(20) If, as shown in the drawings, the liquid pipeline 12 encloses the gas pipeline 22 along the entire axial extension thereof, the liquid pipeline 12 may be formed with a plurality of mould cores for forming the respective straight axial portions 12a, 12b, 12c of the liquid pipeline 12. In this context, the mould cores may comprise concave axial portions for forming the external shape of the respective straight axial portions 22a, 22b, 22c of the gas pipeline 22, the concave axial portions being interconnected in the transition region, preferably without interruptions. When the filling connector 10 is demoulded from the injection moulding mould, the mould core which is used for forming the axial portion 12a of the liquid pipeline 12 can be removed through the liquid inlet opening 14, the mould core which is used for forming the axial portion 12b of the liquid pipeline 12 can be removed through an additional opening 46, and the mould core which is used for forming the axial portion 12c of the liquid pipeline 12 can be removed through the liquid outlet opening 18. In this context, the additional opening 46 is sealed in operation by means of a protective cap (not shown in the drawings).