Installation for packaging a liquid product in receptacles

• US 20070113919A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serac Group SA
• Original Assignee: Serac Group SA
• Inventors: Gruson, Bertrand
• Granted Patent: US 7,942,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/91
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/001 Cleaning of filling devices
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/045 Apparatus specially adapted for filling bottles with hot liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/22 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/28 Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves B67C3/2617, B67C3/2625, B67C3/2637 take precedence; valves in general F16K

Abstract

The installation for packaging a product in receptacles comprises a series of filler stations each having a filler spout comprising a spout body with a top end connected to a filler spout feed duct and a bottom end provided with an orifice fitted with a controlled valve, the filler spout being fitted with a looping duct opening into the spout body above the controlled valve and adapted to be connected by a link member to a general feed duct between a stop valve and an isolation valve, a purge valve being connected to the general feed duct between the isolation valve and the link member.

Claims

1. An installation for packaging a product in receptacles, the installation comprising at least one filler station having a filler spout and a support member for supporting a receptacle under the filler spout, the filler spout comprising a spout body having a top end connected to a filler spout feed duct connected to a general feed duct, and a bottom end provided with an orifice fitted with a controlled valve, wherein the filler spout is fitted with a looping duct opening out into the spout body above the controlled valve and adapted to be connected selectively by a link member to the general feed duct between a stop valve and an isolation valve, and wherein a purge duct fitted with a purge valve is connected to the general feed duct between the isolation valve and the link member.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the purge duct is connected to the general feed duct at a point immediately adjacent to the isolation valve.

3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the link member is a multiport member having a path connected to the filler spout feed duct, a path connected to the looping duct, a path connected to the general feed duct, and a switch member arranged to feed the filler spout feed duct and the looping duct in a parallel configuration or in a looped configuration.

4. An installation according to claim 1, including an accumulation path connected in parallel with the general feed duct and including an accumulator member.

5. An installation according to claim 3, including an accumulation path connected in parallel with the general feed duct and including an accumulator member, and wherein the accumulator member includes means for measuring the presence in the accumulator member of a determined quantity of liquid.

6. An installation according to claim 3, including an accumulation path connected in parallel with the general feed duct and including an accumulator member, and wherein the multiport link member has a first duct connected to the general feed duct and opening out into a first chamber having the filler spout feed duct connected thereto, a second duct connected to the accumulator member and opening out into a second chamber separated from the first chamber by an intermediate partition including a communication orifice and to which the looping duct is connected, and a switch member mounted to move in the second chamber between two positions to close either the looping duct or the communication orifice, the switch member being pierced by an opening in register with the second duct.

7. An installation according to claim 6, the installation having a plurality of filler stations with filler spout feed ducts and looping ducts connected to a common multiport link member.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the filler spout feed ducts and the looping ducts are regularly distributed about an axis of symmetry that is common to:

the first chamber;

the second chamber;

the first duct;

the second duct; and

the communication orifice.

9. An installation according to claim 4, including a wash circuit connected to the general feed duct and to the accumulation path.

10. An installation according to claim 4, including a second purge valve connected to a bottom end of the accumulation path.