FILLING SYSTEM AND FILLING MACHINE

• US 20160009535A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Clsserath, Ludwig, Krulitsch, Dieter-Rudolf
• Granted Patent: US 9,988,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2003/228 Aseptic features
• 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 3/244 Bottle lifting devices actuated by jacks, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic B67C3/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/2634 specially adapted for vacuum or suction filling

Abstract

An apparatus for processing containers includes a container-filling system having filling-point pairs in which each filling point has a filling element. Each filling element has a channel formed in a housing, a liquid valve in the channel that controls flow through a dispensing opening. The filling system also has internal and external gas-paths that are internal and external relative to the filling elements. These gas paths connect to each other. A gas-path control-valve controls the external path. Nothing controls the internal path. A stand-alone control module contains part of the external gas-path and the gas-path control-valve.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for processing containers, said apparatus comprising a filling system for filling containers with liquid filling-material, wherein said filling system comprises filling-point pairs, each of which comprises filling points, wherein each filling point comprises a filling element, wherein each filling element comprises a filling element housing, a liquid valve, and a liquid channel formed within said housing, wherein said liquid channel comprises a dispensing opening at an end thereof for dispensing said liquid filling-material into a container, and wherein said liquid valve controls said dispensing by said dispensing opening, wherein said filling system further comprises, for each filling pair, a gas path, a gas-path control-valve, and a control module, wherein said gas path comprises an internal gas-path and an external gas-path, wherein said internal gas-path is internal to a filling element, wherein said external gas-path is external to any filling element, wherein said gas-path control-valve is disposed along said external gas-path, wherein said external gas-path is common to both filling elements in a filling-point pair, wherein said control module forms a stand-alone module, wherein said control module contains part of said external gas-path, wherein said control module contains said gas-path control-valve, and wherein said internal gas-path is connected to said gas-path control-valve.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transport element, wherein said filling elements are on said transport element, wherein said control modules are on said transport element, wherein said transport element conveys said filling elements along a first path having a first radius, wherein said transport element conveys said control modules along a second path having a second radius, wherein said first and second paths are concentric, and wherein said second radius is less than said first radius.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said control module comprises a module housing, wherein at least a section of said external gas-path is formed within said module housing, and wherein said gas-path control-valve is along said at least a section of said external gas-path.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transport element having an outer surface on which said filling elements are disposed, wherein a section of said external gas-path is formed on said transport element, wherein gas flow through said section is uncontrolled.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said section of said external gas-path that is formed on said transport element opens into internal gas-paths of multiple filling elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said section of said external gas-path that is formed on said transport element opens into channels provided in said transport element, said channels being common to multiple filling elements.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transport element, wherein said control modules are arranged on an annular surface of said transport element.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said external gas-path opens directly into said internal gas-path.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an external gas-path opening, an internal gas-path opening, and a seal, wherein said seal has a cross-sectional area having a first value, wherein said external gas-path opening has a cross-sectional area having a second value, wherein said internal gas-path opening has a cross-sectional area having a third value, wherein said external gas-path opening and said internal gas-path opening define an interface for fluid communication between said external gas-path and said internal gas-path, wherein said seal seals said interface, wherein said first value is greater than said second value, and wherein said third value is less than said first value.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transport element that forms a partition that defines a first region and a second region, wherein said second region is an aseptic space for sterile filling of containers passing therethrough with liquid filling-material, wherein each of said filling elements comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said dispensing opening is at said second portion, wherein only said second portion extends into said aseptic space, wherein said control module is disposed on said partition in said first region, and wherein said gas-path control-valves are disposed on said partition in said first region.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filling elements are spaced apart by a fixed distance, wherein said control module and said filling elements are configured to be mounted on a first rotor that defines a first pitch circle, and wherein said control module and said filling elements are configured to be mounted on a first rotor that defines a second pitch circle having a radius that differs from a radius of said first pitch circle, wherein said first radius and said second radius differ by no more than a specified value.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a rotor, wherein said filling-point pairs are mounted on said rotor.