Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material and a method and device for the treatment of bottles and containers to be filled
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material and a method and device for the treatment of bottles and containers to be filled. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1-22. -22. (canceled)
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23. A container filling plant for filling containers with liquid, said container filling plant comprising:
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a container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill containers with liquid;
a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey containers to be filled to said container filling machine;
said container filling machine comprising;
a rotor;
a rotatable vertical machine column;
said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;
a plurality of container filling elements for filling containers with liquid being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
each of said plurality of container filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers to be filled;
each of said plurality of container filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid into containers to be filled;
at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid;
at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said container filling machine to supply liquid to said container filling machine;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container filling machine;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers out of said container filling machine;
a container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled containers;
a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled containers from said container filling machine to said container closing machine;
said container closing machine comprising;
a rotor;
a rotatable vertical machine column;
said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;
a plurality of closing devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled containers;
each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled containers;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled containers into said container closing machine;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed containers out of said container closing machine;
a container treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey treated containers from said container treatment machine to said container filling machine;
said container treatment machine comprising;
a rotor;
a rotatable vertical machine column;
said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container treatment machine;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move treated containers out of said container treatment machine;
a plurality of container treatment devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor and being configured to treat the insides of containers prior to filling;
each of said plurality of treatment devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers;
each of said plurality of treatment devices comprising;
a supply for containing treatment agent to treat containers;
a spray device being configured and disposed to spray and mix compressed air with a supply of treatment agent to create treated air to treat containers;
a heater or heat exchanger being configured and disposed to heat treated air;
a helical heating channel being configured and disposed to heat treated air and to permit the flow of treated air there through;
a vertical tube being configured and disposed to permit a flow of treated air into a container;
said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a container;
said helical heating channel being disposed about said tube;
a rod being disposed vertically and being configured and disposed to move up and down from an engaged position to a disengaged position, and from a disengaged position to an engaged position;
said rod comprising a channel being in an operative connection with said dispensing opening;
an actuator device being configured and disposed to move said rod from an engaged position to a disengaged position, and from a disengaged position to an engaged position;
a control valve system being configured and disposed to control injection of at least one pulse of treated air into a container;
said heater being configured to heat treated air to a temperature greater than the temperature which a plastic container can tolerate without destructive effects on the plastic container;
a dispensing arrangement being configured and disposed to dispense treated air into a container to be treated; and
said dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of treated air into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated, treated air is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated, treated air. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A container filling plant for filling containers with a filling material, said container filling plant comprising:
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a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty containers with a filling material;
a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said filling machine;
said filling machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said first moving arrangement and to move containers within said filling machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during filling; and
at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill containers with a filling material upon the containers being within said filling machine;
a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled containers;
a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled containers out of said filling machine;
said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled containers from said filling machine to said closing machine;
said closing machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said second moving arrangement and to move filled containers within said closing machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled containers during closing; and
at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled containers upon the filled containers being within said closing machine;
a treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;
a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said treatment machine;
said first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move treated containers from said treatment machine to said filling machine;
said treatment machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said third moving arrangement and to move containers within said treatment machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during treating;
at least one treatment device being configured and disposed to treat containers upon the containers being within said treatment machine; and
said at least one treatment device comprising;
a source of a treatment agent, which treatment agent is configured to be heated to treat the inside surface of a container;
a heater being configured and disposed to heat a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which a container can tolerate without destructive effects on the container; and
a dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of said heated treatment agent into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of operating a container filling plant for filling containers with a filling material, said container filling plant comprising:
- a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty containers with a filling material;
a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said filling machine;
said filling machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said first moving arrangement and to move containers within said filling machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during filling; and
at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill containers with a filling material upon the containers being within said filling machine;
a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled containers;
a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled containers out of said filling machine;
said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled containers from said filling machine to said closing machine;
said closing machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said second moving arrangement and to move filled containers within said closing machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled containers during closing; and
at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled containers upon the filled containers being within said closing machine;
a treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;
a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said treatment machine;
said first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move treated containers from said treatment machine to said filling machine;
said treatment machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said third moving arrangement and to move containers within said treatment machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during treating;
at least one treatment device being configured and disposed to treat containers upon the containers being within said treatment machine; and
said at least one treatment device comprising;
a source of a treatment agent, which treatment agent is configured to be heated to treat the inside surface of a container;
a heater being configured and disposed to heat a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which a container can tolerate without destructive effects on the container; and
a dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of said heated treatment agent into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent, said method comprising the steps of;
moving containers into said treatment machine;
heating a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which the containers can tolerate without destructive effects on the containers;
dispensing at least one pulse of heated treatment agent into the containers, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the containers and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the containers by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent;
moving treated containers to said filling machine;
filling treated containers;
moving treated, filled containers to said closing machine; and
closing treated, filled containers. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
- a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty containers with a filling material;
Specification