FILLING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FILLING A CONTAINER

• US 20120138192A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sidel S.P.A. Con Socio Unico
• Original Assignee: Sidel S.P.A. Con Socio Unico
• Inventors: Malfatto, Annalisa, Campi, Simone, Tedoldi, Paolo
• Application Number:
  US13/376,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138192A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 142/6
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/04 without applying pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/06 using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/2622 and the filling operation stopping when probes, e.g. electrical or optical probes, sense the wanted liquid level level control in general G01F
• 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

A filling machine for filling a container with a pourable food product, comprising a tank, a support structure, a first fluidic line through which food product may flow, connected with the tank and connectable with the inner volume of the container a filling valve and a distributor comprising at least two ducts defining, with a cavity of filling valve, at least partially a second fluidic line along which a fluid may flow; distributor element comprising a first and a second control valve may either be left open in respective first configuration over the whole operation of filling machine or be displaced between open and closed configuration during a step of the operation of filling machine on the basis of one parameter between the nature of container and the nature of pourable food product.

Claims

1. A filling machine for filling a container with a pourable food product, comprising:

a tank which may be filled with said pourable food product;

a support structure;

a first fluidic line through which said pourable food product may flow, connected with said tank and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

at least one filling valve movable between a closed configuration in which it prevents said pourable food product from flowing along said first fluidic line and an open configuration in which allows said pourable food product to flow along said first fluidic line; and

at least one distributor comprising at least one duct defining, with a cavity of filling valve, at least partially a second fluidic line along which a fluid different from said pourable food product may flow;

said distributor further comprising at least a first and a second control valve each displaceable between a first configuration in which said fluid is prevented from flowing along said second fluidic line towards the inner volume of said container and a second configuration in which said fluid is allowed to flow along said second fluidic line;

wherein at least one of said control valves may either be left in said respective first configuration over the whole operation of said filling machine or be displaced between respective said first and second configuration during at least one step of the operation of said filling machine on the basis of at least one parameter between the type of container and the type of pourable food product.

2. The filling machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least two first actuator for displacing respective control valves between respective first and second configurations.

3. The filling machine according to claim 2, wherein said distributor houses said first actuator.

4. The filling machine according to claim 2,

wherein said distributor houses a second actuator for displacing said filling valve between said open and closed configuration.

5. The filling machine according claim 1, wherein said distributor comprises a first body housing said control valves.

6. The filling machine according to claim 5, wherein said distributor comprises a second body housing said first actuators and said second actuator.

7. The filling machine according to claim 5, wherein said first actuators and said second actuator are housed inside said first body.

8. The filling machine according to claim 5, wherein said filling valve comprises a third body connected to said first body and said cavity is comprised in said third body;

said first fluidic line comprising a duct connected to said tank and engaging a hole defined by said first body, and said cavity.

9. The filling machine according to claim 1, wherein said distributor is directly connected to said support structure and releasably connected to said filling valve.

10. The filling machine according to claim 9, wherein said support structure is a carousel rotatable about an axis and said distributor is radially interposed between said support structure and said filling valve.

11. The filling machine according to claim 8, wherein said distributor comprises a pressure sensor sensible to the pressure inside said cavity.

12. The filling machine according to claim 11, wherein said pressure sensor is fluidically connectable to the inside of said cavity in a selective manner.

13. A series of filling machines for filling containers with a pourable food product;

each filling machine comprising;

a tank which may be filled with a pourable food product;

a support structure;

a first fluidic line along which said pourable food product may flow, connected with said tank and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

at least one filling valve movable between a closed configuration in which it prevents said pourable food product from flowing along said first fluidic line and an open configuration in which allows said pourable food product to flow along said first fluidic line; and

at least one distributor comprising at least one duct defining, with a cavity of filling valve, at least partially a second fluidic line along which a fluid different from said pourable food product may flow;

said distributor further comprising at least two control valves displaceable, each, between a respective first configuration in which said fluid is prevented from flowing along respective said second fluidic lines towards the inner volume of said container and a respective second configuration in which said fluid is allowed to flow along said second fluidic line towards the inner volume of said container;

wherein at least one of said control valves may either be left in said respective first configuration over the whole operation of said filling machine or displaced between respective said first and second configurations during at least one step of the operation of said filling machine on the basis of at least one parameter between the type of pourable food product and the type of container.

14. A filling machine for filling a container with a pourable food product, comprising:

a tank which may be filled with said pourable food product;

a support structure;

a first fluidic line through which said pourable food product may flow, connected with said tank and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

at least one filling valve movable between a closed configuration in which it prevents said pourable food product from flowing along said first fluidic line and an open configuration in which allows said pourable food product to flow along said first fluidic line; and

at least one distributor comprising at least one duct defining at least partially, with a cavity of filling valve, one second fluidic line along which a fluid different from said pourable food product may flow;

said distributor further comprising at least one control valve displaceable between a first configuration in which said fluid is prevented from flowing along said second fluidic line towards the inner volume of said container and a second configuration in which said fluid is allowed to flow along said respective second fluidic line;

wherein said distributor is interposed between support structure and said filling valve.

15. A method of manufacturing a filling machine for filling a container with a pourable food product;

said filling machine comprising;

a tank which may be filled with a pourable food product;

a support structure;

a first fluidic line through which said pourable food product may flow, connected with said tank and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

at least one filling valve movable between a closed configuration in which it prevents said pourable food product from flowing along said first fluidic line and an open configuration in which it allows said pourable food product to flow along said first fluidic line; and

at least one distributor comprising at least one duct defining, with a cavity of filling valve, at least partially a second fluidic line through which a fluid different from said pourable food product may flow and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

said method comprising;

choosing said filling valve on the basis of at least one parameter between the type of said container and of said pourable food product;

releasably connecting said filling valve to said distributor; and

directly connecting said distributor to said support structure.

16. A method of filling a container with a pourable food product by using a filling machine;

said filling machine comprising;

a tank which may be filled with a pourable food product;

a support structure;

a first fluidic line through which said pourable food product may flow, connected with said tank and fluidically connectable in a selective manner with the inner volume of said container;

at least one filling valve movable between a closed configuration in which it prevents said pourable food product from flowing along said first fluidic line and an open configuration in which allows said pourable food product to flow along said first fluidic line; and

at least one distributor comprising at least two ducts defining, with a cavity of filling valve, at least partially two second fluidic lines along which respective fluids different from said pourable food product may flow;

said distributor further comprising a first and a second control valve each displaceable between a respective first configuration in which said respective fluid is prevented from flowing along respective second fluidic line towards the inner volume of said container and a respective second configuration in which respective fluid is allowed to flow along said second fluidic line towards the inner volume of said container;

the method comprising the step of either leaving at least one of said control valve in respective first configuration during the whole operation of said filling machine or displacing said at least one control valve between respective first and second configuration during at least one step of operation of said filling machine on the basis of at least one parameter between the type of container and of pourable food product.