FILLING MACHINE

• US 20130112315A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Clusserath, Ludwig
• Granted Patent: US 9,302,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/67
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/14 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/22 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/225 Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/2614 specially adapted for counter-pressure filling

Abstract

A filling machine for filling containers with a liquid filling material, the filling machine includes a transport element with filling elements arranged thereon, each forming a filling point for filling a container. Each filling element has a housing having a discharge opening, a channel formed in the housing. The channel connects to a product line to supply the filling material, and a liquid valve, a measurement system provided separately for each filling element for determining filling level, filling material quantity, or filling material volume in a container, a controlled gas path associated with each filling element, and a control valve fitted to the controlled gas path. At least two filling points and their filling elements define a function-and-process unit, and a control valve is provided in common for a gas path of all filling elements of a function-and-process unit.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. An apparatus comprising a filling machine for filling containers with a liquid filling material, said filling machine comprising a transport element, a plurality of filling elements arranged on said transport element, each of which forms a filling point for filling a container arranged thereat with said liquid filling material, each filling element comprising a filling element housing having a discharge opening for said liquid filling material, a liquid channel formed in said filling element housing, said liquid channel being connected to a product line to supply said liquid filling material, and a liquid valve, a measurement system provided separately for each filling element for determining a quantity selected from the group consisting of a filling level of said liquid filling material in a container, a quantity of said liquid filling material in a container, and a volume of said liquid filling material volume in a container, a controlled gas path formed in association with each filling element, and a control valve fitted to said controlled gas path, wherein at least two filling points and their corresponding filling elements define a function-and-process unit, and wherein at least one control valve is provided in common for a gas path of all filling elements of a function-and-process unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said transport element comprises a rotor.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in each case at least two filling elements adjacent to each other on said transport element and successive along a transport direction of said transport element define a function-and-process unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each filling point comprises a container carrier associated with a filling element, said container carrier comprising lifting means for generating a controlled relative movement between said associated filling element and said container carrier to generate a controlled lift movement of said container carrier relative to said associated filling element, wherein said lifting means is provided separately for all filling points or in common for said container carriers of each function-and-process unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements comprise at least three gas paths, each of which is controlled by a control valve, said control valves being provided in common for all filling elements of each function-and-process unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements comprise at least three gas paths, each of which is controlled by a control valve, wherein at least one of said control valves and corresponding gas paths thereof are formed for evacuation of a container

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements comprise at least three gas paths, each of which is controlled by a control valve, wherein at least one of said control valves and corresponding gas paths thereof are formed for pre-tensioning a container with a pre-tensioning gas

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements comprise at least three gas paths, each of which is controlled by a control valve, wherein at least one of said control valves and corresponding gas paths thereof are formed for settling of a container arranged tightly against said filling element after filling.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements comprise at least three gas paths, each of which is controlled by a control valve, wherein at least one of said control valves and corresponding gas paths thereof are formed for pressure relief of a filled container to ambient pressure.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said filling element with a gas channel common to a group of filling elements of said filling machine, said common gas channel channel being connected to a gas chamber of a boiler providing said liquid filling material.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said filling element with a gas channel common to a group of filling elements of said filling machine, said gas channel being connected to a vacuum source.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said controlled gas path connects a return gas pipe that opens into an interior of a container lying tightly against said filling element with a gas channel common to a group of filling elements of said filling machine, said gas channel being vented to the atmosphere.

22. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling machine is configured for pressure filling of containers lying tightly against said filling elements.

23. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling machine is configured for pressureless filling of containers lying tightly against said filling elements.

24. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said function-and-process units formed by at least two filling elements are provided in a single filling level.

25. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said function-and-process units formed by at least two filling elements are provided in at least two filling levels offset from each other in a vertical direction on said transport element.

26. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said filling elements forming a respective function-and-process unit are provided on at least two different filling levels.

27. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a controller for causing simultaneous opening of liquid valves of filling elements of each function-and-process unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a controller for opening liquid valves such that in each function-and-process unit, a liquid valve of a first filling element that follows a second filling element of the same function-and-process unit in a transport direction of said transport element is opened following a time delay relative to opening of a liquid valve of said second filling element.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said time delay is selected to be between 60 and 140 milliseconds.