Method and apparatus 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, wherein a line for conducting venting gases and/or a liquid is connected to the valve device, wherein the apparatus has a measuring vessel for detecting a level of a liquid and/or gaseous medium, wherein the line for conducting the gaseous and/or liquid medium, which is connected to the valve device, opens into the measuring vessel.

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 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.

8. 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.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to control the valve device taking this measured temperature into account.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve device has a seat seal and/or the valve device is designed with a low dead space.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring vessel is designed in such a way that a gas phase can escape and a liquid phase is or can be fed again into the pump device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring vessel has a separating device in order to be able to separate gaseous and liquids components of the venting medium via the venting valve.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the separating device is formed by the shape of the measuring vessel itself.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a sensor device that detects at least one parameter that is characteristic of the substance or media passed on from the valve device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one parameter is characteristic whether the venting medium is a gaseous or a liquid medium.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sensor device is a temperature sensor, wherein this temperature sensor is kept at a suitable temperature and as soon as liquid medium is passed on from the valve device and meets the temperature sensor, the temperature of the sensor changes, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to provide a signal for the control system to detect backflowing medium.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring vessel has a discharge device for discharging a gaseous medium, wherein the discharge device has a filter device for filtering the medium to be discharged.

18. 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, wherein a gaseous and/or liquid medium discharged via the valve device is passed into a measuring vessel and the medium discharged via the valve device is analyzed in order to determine whether it is a gaseous or a liquid medium.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein in a first working mode the valve device is controlled cyclically and/or in a second working mode the valve device is controlled taking into account a pumping operation of the pump device.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a temperature of at least one element of the pump device is determined at least temporarily.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detailed illustration of the venting process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for preserving beverages according to the internal conventional 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.

(5) 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 the nozzle head is also a component of this delivery line 5.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a more detailed illustration of embodiments of the invention. Here again the pump device 4 is shown, which in this case is a diaphragm pump, in particular a dosing pump.

(7) A valve device 22 is provided at an 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, a solenoid valve. This solenoid valve can be controlled by a control device 30 (only shown schematically) to open and close.

(8) 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.

(9) The line 24 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.

(10) 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 used to control the valve device 22 and/or to control the pump device 4.

(11) 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 behavior within the liquid to be dosed can also change. In an embodiment, data from this temperature measuring device 16 is therefore also used to control the valve device 22 and/or the pump device 4.

(12) In addition, data relating to the operation of the pump device 4 itself is also used to control the valve device 22. For example, data characterizing the position of a pump element such as a pump piston or the like can be used. This data is also 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.

(13) In an embodiment, dialkyl dicarbonates are used as preservatives. Very y dimethyldicarbonate is used, even more dimethyldicarbonate with a purity >99.8% is used as preservative. In a further embodiment of the invention, dimethyldicarbonate is used which has been stabilized by suitable processes.

(14) 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 stabilizing 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.

(15) In a further embodiment of the invention, dimethyldicarbonate is used in a mixture with phosphorus compounds, such as phosphates, even more with trimethyl phosphate or phosphoric acid. In an embodiment, 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.

(16) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

(17) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements. The mention of a unit or a module does not preclude the use of more than one unit or module.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(18) 1 apparatus 2 venting device 3 measuring device 4 pump device 5 delivery line 6 nozzle head 8 reservoir 10 beverage line 10a curved area 12 monitoring device 14 control device 16 temperature measuring device 20 beverage line 22 valve device 24 line/venting line 28 measuring vessel 30 control device 32 sensor device 34 float device