Filling element, method and filling system for filling containers

• US 9,193,574 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Krulitsch, Dieter-Rudolf, Lorenz, Jonathan, Hrtel, Manfred, Fahldieck, Andreas, Clsserath, Ludwig
• Primary Examiner(s): ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/808,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20130112311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/9, 141/11, 141/82, 141/100, 141/105, 141/392
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2003/2645 Means to avoid overfilling by preventing gas returning from the container into the filling tank via the liquid valve, e.g. mesh screens
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/26 Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
• 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 element for free jet filling of containers with a liquid charge includes a housing having a liquid channel formed therein, a liquid valve provided upstream of a dispensing opening, and an actuator device for actuating the liquid valve for controlled discharge of the liquid charge via the dispensing opening into a container arranged with a container opening thereof spaced below the dispensing opening. In an open state thereof, the liquid valve forms an opening gap through which the liquid charge flows. This opening gap has a gap width of at least four millimeters. The actuating device for the liquid valve is configured to cause the liquid valve to be in the open state for at least one hundred milliseconds.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a filling element for free-jet filling of containers with a liquid charge, said filling element comprising a filling-element housing comprising a liquid channel formed therein, a liquid valve provided upstream of a dispensing opening, and an actuator device for actuating said liquid valve for controlled discharge of said liquid charge via said dispensing opening into a container arranged with a container opening thereof spaced below said dispensing opening, wherein, in an open state thereof, said liquid valve, when completely open, forms an gap through which said liquid charge flows, said gap having a gap width of at least four millimeters, and wherein said actuating device for said liquid valve is configured to cause said liquid valve to reach said completely open state only after more than one hundred milliseconds from actuation thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gap width is between eight millimeters and twenty millimeters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gap width is between thirteen millimeters and sixteen millimeters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said actuating device is configured to cause the time for said liquid valve to reach said completely open state to be between one hundred milliseconds and one thousand milliseconds.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said actuating device is configured to cause a time for said liquid valve to reach said open state to be between four hundred milliseconds and six hundred milliseconds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid valve comprises a valve body comprising a valve body segment that, upon commencement of opening of said liquid valve, moves along a segment of said liquid channel, wherein said valve body segment and said liquid channel segment are configured to have a geometry such that a width of said gap formed between said valve body segment and an inner face of said liquid channel segment on first opening of said liquid valve increases as said liquid valve is opened further, and wherein said liquid valve comprises an inner cross section that expands in a direction of opening movement of said valve body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, and wherein said valve tappet has an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, and wherein an element surrounding said valve tappet has an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bellows, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, wherein said bellows surround said valve tappet, and wherein said bellows have an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said liquid channel is designed without an element acting as a gas lock.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circulating filling machine comprising a rotor for supporting a multiplicity of filling elements, including said filling element, said rotor being configured to be driven about a vertical machine axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid valve comprises a valve body comprising a valve body segment that, upon commencement of opening of said liquid valve, moves along a segment of said liquid channel, wherein said valve body segment and said liquid channel segment are configured to have a geometry such that a width of said gap formed between said valve body segment and an inner face of said liquid channel segment on first opening of said liquid valve increases as said liquid valve is opened further, and wherein said valve body segment comprises an outer cross section that reduces in response to said opening movement of said valve body.

13. A method for filling a container, said method comprising free jet filling of a container with liquid charge, wherein free-jet filling comprises providing a filling-element housing comprising a liquid channel formed therein, providing a liquid valve upstream of a dispensing opening, arranging a container so that a container opening thereof is spaced below said dispensing opening, actuating said liquid valve for controlled discharge of said liquid charge via said dispensing opening into said container, wherein actuating said liquid valve comprises causing said liquid valve to transition into a completely open state during which said liquid valve forms an gap through which said liquid charge flows, said gap having a maximum width of at least four millimeters, and causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state only after a lapse of at least one hundred milliseconds from actuation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to transition into said completely-open state comprises causing said gap to reach a maximum width of between eight millimeters and twenty millimeters.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to transition into said completely open state comprises causing said gap to attain a maximum width that is between thirteen millimeters and sixteen millimeters wide.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state only after a lapse of at least one hundred milliseconds comprises causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state after a lapse of between one hundred milliseconds and one thousand milliseconds.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to be in said open state comprises causing said liquid valve to be in said open state for between four hundred milliseconds and six hundred milliseconds.