ROTARY-TYPE FILLING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING FILLING QUANTITY FOR ROTARY-TYPE FILLING MACHINE

• US 20130306190A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Food & Packaging Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshiharu, Hayashi, Masayuki, Ishikura, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,428,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/283 using pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/286 related to flow rate control, i.e. controlling slow and fast filling phases
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/287 related to flow control using predetermined or real-time calculated parameters

Abstract

A rotary-type filling machine includes a rotary body, a liquid distribution chamber, a plurality of filling flow path configuration units, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve and configured to individually introduce a liquid into a container, a filling control device, a liquid supply unit, a pressure difference information detection unit configured to detect pressure difference information between a liquid distribution chamber pressure, which is a pressure of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber, and a filling atmospheric pressure detected as a pressure of a flow release unit in a filling flow path configuration unit at an arbitrary radial direction position of the rotary body, and a rotation information detection unit configured to detect rotation information of the rotary body.

Claims

1. A rotary-type filling machine comprising:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path and configured to individually introduce the liquid into a container;

a filling control device configured to control the respective liquid valves and control a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container;

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber;

a pressure difference information detection unit configured to detect pressure difference information between a liquid distribution chamber pressure, which is a pressure of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber, and a filling atmospheric pressure detected as a pressure of a flow release unit in the filling flow path configuration unit at an arbitrary radial direction position of the rotary body, and

a rotation information detection unit configured to detect rotation information of the rotary body, wherein

the filling control device calculates a flow rate of the liquid flowing out of a liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information, rotation information and a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and rotation information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet of the liquid path, and controls a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container.

5. The rotary-type filling machine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid distribution chamber is filled with the liquid.

6. The rotary-type filling machine according to claim 1, wherein a liquid phase by the liquid and a gaseous phase by a gas are formed in the liquid distribution chamber, and

a liquid level control unit configured to control a liquid level of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber is provided between the liquid distribution chamber and the liquid supply unit.

7. The rotary-type filling machine according to claim 1, wherein the pressure difference information detection unit comprises:

a first detection body installed at the liquid distribution chamber and configured to detect the liquid distribution chamber pressure;

a second detection body installed at the rotary body spaced apart from the first detection body, and configured to detect a pressure of the flow release unit of the filling flow path configuration unit;

a pair of capillary tubes connected to the first detection body and the second detection body, and in which an enclosed liquid is sealed, respectively; and

a detector main body configured to output a difference between a pressure transmitted from the first detection body and a pressure transmitted from the second detection body as the pressure difference information via the pair of capillary tubes.

8. The rotary-type filling machine according to claim 1, wherein the pressure difference information detection unit comprises:

a first detection unit installed at the liquid distribution chamber and configured to detect the liquid distribution chamber pressure; and

a second detection unit installed at substantially the same radial direction position as the first detection unit and configured to detect a pressure of the flow release unit of the filling flow path configuration unit.

2. A rotary-type filling machine comprising:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path and configured to individually introduce the liquid into a container;

a filling control device configured to control the respective liquid valves and control a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container;

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber; and

a pressure difference information detection unit configured to detect pressure difference information between a liquid distribution chamber pressure, which is a pressure of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber, and a filling atmospheric pressure of the container detected as a pressure of a flow release unit in the filling flow path configuration unit at substantially the same radial direction position as a liquid outlet of the liquid path of the rotary body, wherein

the filling control device calculates a flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information and a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path, and controls a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container.

3. A rotary-type filling machine comprising:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path, a sealing tool configured to seal a filling atmosphere in a container, a return gas path configured to guide a return gas during the filling from the container into a return gas chamber which is pressure-controlled and a return gas valve installed at the return gas path, and configured to individually guide a liquid into the container;

a pressurized gas path configured to supply a pressure-controlled gas with respect to the container and a pressurized gas valve installed at the pressurized gas path;

a discharge gas path configured to discharge a pressurized gas remaining in the container and the sealing tool upon completion of the filling and a discharge gas valve installed at the discharge gas path;

a filling control device configured to control the respective liquid valves and control a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container;

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber;

a pressure difference information detection unit configured to detect pressure difference information between a liquid distribution chamber pressure, which is a pressure of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber, and a return gas chamber pressure of the return gas chamber detected as a pressure of a flow release unit in the filling flow path configuration unit at an arbitrary radial direction position of the rotary body; and

a rotation information detection unit configured to detect rotation information of the rotary body, wherein

the filling control device calculates a flow rate of the liquid flowing out of a liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information, rotation information and a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and rotation information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet of the liquid path, and controls a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container.

4. A rotary-type filling machine comprising:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path, a sealing tool configured to seal a filling atmosphere in a container, a return gas path configured to guide a return gas during the filling from the container into a return gas chamber which is pressure-controlled and a return gas valve installed at the return gas path, and configured to individually guide a liquid into the container;

a pressurized gas path configured to supply a pressure-controlled gas with respect to the container and a pressurized gas valve installed at the pressurized gas path;

a discharge gas path configured to discharge a pressurized gas remaining in the container and the sealing tool upon completion of the filling and a discharge gas valve installed at the discharge gas path;

a filling control device configured to control the respective liquid valves and control a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container;

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber; and

a pressure difference information detection unit configured to detect pressure difference information between a liquid distribution chamber pressure, which is a pressure of the liquid in the liquid distribution chamber, and a return gas chamber pressure of the return gas chamber detected as a pressure of a flow release unit in the filling flow path configuration unit at substantially the same radial direction position as a liquid outlet of the liquid path of the rotary body, wherein

the filling control device calculates a flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information and a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path, and controls a filling quantity of the liquid with respect to the container.

9. A method of calculating a filling quantity for a rotary-type filling machine, wherein the machine includes:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path and configured to individually introduce the liquid into a container; and

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber,

the method comprising;

an information detecting process of detecting pressure difference information between a pressure of an inlet side of a flow in the filling flow path configuration unit and a pressure of a release side of the flow of a flow release unit side in the filling flow path configuration unit, and rotation information of the rotary body; and

a calculating process of obtaining a flow rate of the liquid flowing from a liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information and rotation information, a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and rotation information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path.

10. A method of calculating a filling quantity for a rotary-type filling machine, wherein the machine includes:

a rotary body rotatable about a rotation central axis;

a liquid distribution chamber installed at the rotary body and configured to store a liquid supplied from the outside;

a plurality of filling flow path configuration units arranged about the rotation central axis in the rotary body, each of which has a fluid path constituted by a liquid path connected to the liquid distribution chamber and a liquid valve installed at the liquid path and configured to individually introduce the liquid into a container; and

a liquid supply unit installed at a fixing section and configured to supply the liquid into the liquid distribution chamber,

the method comprising;

an information detecting process of detecting pressure difference information between a pressure of an inlet side of a flow in the filling flow path configuration unit and a pressure of a release side of a flow of a flow release unit side in the filling flow path configuration unit at substantially the same radial direction position as an outlet of the liquid path; and

a calculating process of obtaining a flow rate of the liquid flowing from a liquid outlet of the liquid path based on the detected pressure difference information, and a previously obtained relationship between the pressure difference information and the flow rate of the liquid flowing from the liquid outlet of the liquid path.