IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0451127
(2006-06-12)
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등록번호 |
US-7647950
(2010-02-22)
|
우선권정보 |
DE-103 59 492(2003-12-13) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- KHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG
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대리인 / 주소 |
Nils H. Ljungman & Associates
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
10 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
A beverage bottling plant with a beverage bottle filling machine for filling beverage bottles, as well as the filling elements for the beverage bottle filling machine.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A beverage bottle filling machine for filling beverage bottles with a carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottling plant, said beverage bottle filling machine comprising: a rotor; a rotatable vertical machine column; said rotor being connected to said vertical m
What is claimed is: 1. A beverage bottle filling machine for filling beverage bottles with a carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottling plant, said beverage bottle filling machine comprising: a rotor; a rotatable vertical machine column; said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column; at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of carbonated liquid beverage material; a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles into said beverage bottle filling machine; a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle filling machine; a plurality of beverage bottle filling elements for filling beverage bottles with carbonated liquid beverage material being disposed on the periphery of said rotor; each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense carbonated liquid beverage material under counterpressure into beverage bottles to be filled in a sealed filling process; and each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements comprising: a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit dispensing of carbonated liquid beverage therethrough to beverage bottles to be filled; a liquid duct being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir and said dispensing opening; said liquid duct comprising a liquid valve arrangement being disposed adjacent said dispensing opening; said liquid valve arrangement being configured and disposed to control the dispensation of carbonated liquid beverage into beverage bottles to be filled; said liquid valve arrangement comprising a movable liquid valve body and a liquid valve seat; said liquid valve body being configured to be moved into sealing engagement with said liquid valve seat to close said liquid valve arrangement, and being configured to be moved out of sealing engagement with said liquid valve seat to open said liquid valve arrangement; a gas tube being disposed to pass through and project from said liquid valve body and into a beverage bottle; said gas tube comprising a gas tube valve; said gas tube valve being configured to be opened to permit the inflow of inert gas into a beverage bottle to pressurize a beverage bottle prior to filling of a beverage bottle, and to permit the outflow of inert gas from a beverage bottle during filling of a beverage bottle; said gas tube comprising a sensor structure being disposed at an end of said gas tube; said sensor structure being configured to detect a level of carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottle; said end of said gas tube being configured to be disposed within a beverage bottle adjacent a neck portion of the beverage bottle during filling; an actuator device being operatively connected to said liquid valve arrangement and said gas tube valve to control the opening and closing of said liquid valve arrangement and said gas tube valve; said actuator device being configured to open said liquid valve arrangement to permit filling of a beverage bottle, and to close said liquid valve arrangement to terminate filling of a beverage bottle upon detection of a level of carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottle by said sensor structure; said actuator device being configured to open said gas tube valve during filling of a beverage bottle, and to close said gas tube valve upon termination of filling of a beverage bottle; a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold beverage bottles to be filled; said dispensing opening comprising a sealing structure being configured and disposed to be sealingly engaged with the mouths of beverage bottles; said container carrier being configured and disposed to bring beverage bottles to be filled into sealing engagement with said sealing structure of said dispensing opening; a sole vacuum duct being configured to evacuate gas from the interior of beverage bottles before and after filling of the beverage bottles with a carbonated liquid beverage; a first gas path being configured and disposed to operatively connect said sole vacuum duct to beverage bottles to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of beverage bottles; a second gas path being configured and disposed to operatively connect said sole vacuum duct to beverage bottles to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of beverage bottles; and said second gas path comprising at least one element being configured and disposed to reduce and/or regulate flow of gas in said second gas path to control relief of pressure in beverage bottles after filling of the beverage bottles has been completed to minimize bubbling up of effervescent gas from the filled beverage bottles. 2. The beverage bottle filling machine according to claim 1, wherein: one of: at least one choke is provided in the second controlled gas path; and in the second, controlled gas path there is at least one valve that regulates the flow, and that opens when there is gas pressure in the gas duct or in the container above atmospheric pressure, and closes at a gas pressure that is equal to or approximately equal to atmospheric pressure; the valve has a valve body that is: biased by a spring against a valve seat, or in contact against a valve surface by its dead weight; the second controlled gas path has at least one control valve, and that control means are provided that automatically open the control valve for the pressure relief and automatically close the control valve after a specified pressure relief time; the pressure relief time is adjustable, as a function of the product and/or the type and/or size of the containers; the filling element comprises a pressure sensor that supplies a control or measurement signal to the control means to control the control valve in the second gas path, which signal corresponds to the pressure in the container or in a gas duct which is in communication with the interior of the container; the control means close the second control valve when the control signal supplied by the pressure sensor corresponds to the ambient pressure or to approximately the ambient pressure or to a specified setpoint pressure; the control means determine, as a function of the measurement signal supplied by the pressure sensor, the pressure relief time required to reduce the pressure to ambient pressure, with which the second gas path or the filling element or of additional filling elements is closed; the filling element's configuration in the form of a filling element without a filler tube with a product dispensing opening on an underside of a filling element housing, and with a gas return duct which, when a container is attached to the filling element, ends in the interior of the container, whereby the second gas path ends via the gas duct into the liquid duct in the vicinity of the product dispensing opening; the pressure relief time can be set or adjusted for all of the filling elements of the filling machine at once; at least one filling element of the filling machine has a pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct; each of the filling elements of the filling machine has its own pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct; the pressure relief control system that interacts with the pressure sensor determines the pressure relief time for the control of the second gas path, with which pressure relief time the pressure relief of all of the filling elements that are associated with the filling element with the pressure sensor is controlled; and only one filling element of the filling machine has the pressure sensor that measures the pressure in the pressure relief duct. 3. A filling element for a beverage bottle filling machine, said filling element comprising: a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit dispensing of carbonated liquid beverage therethrough to beverage bottles to be filled; a liquid duct being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir and said dispensing opening; said liquid duct comprising a liquid valve arrangement being disposed adjacent said dispensing opening; said liquid valve arrangement being configured and disposed to control the dispensation of carbonated liquid beverage into beverage bottles to be filled; said liquid valve arrangement comprising a movable liquid valve body and a liquid valve seat; said liquid valve body being configured to be moved into sealing engagement with said liquid valve seat to close said liquid valve arrangement, and being configured to be moved out of sealing engagement with said liquid valve seat to open said liquid valve arrangement; a gas tube being disposed to project into a beverage bottle; said gas tube comprising a gas tube valve; said gas tube valve being configured to be opened to permit the inflow of inert gas into a beverage bottle to pressurize a beverage bottle prior to filling of a beverage bottle, and to permit the outflow of inert gas from a beverage bottle during filling of a beverage bottle; said gas tube comprising a sensor structure being disposed at an end of said gas tube; said sensor structure being configured to detect a level of carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottle; a control arrangement being operatively connected to said liquid valve arrangement and said gas tube valve to control the opening and closing of said liquid valve arrangement and said gas tube valve; said control arrangement being configured to open said liquid valve arrangement to permit filling of a beverage bottle, and to close said liquid valve arrangement to terminate filling of a beverage bottle upon detection of a level of carbonated liquid beverage material in a beverage bottle by said sensor structure; said control arrangement being configured to open said gas tube valve prior to and/or during filling of a beverage bottle, and to close said gas tube valve upon termination of filling of a beverage bottle; a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold beverage bottles to be filled; said dispensing opening comprising a sealing structure being configured and disposed to be sealingly engaged with the mouths of beverage bottles; said container carrier being configured and disposed to bring beverage bottles to be filled into sealing engagement with said sealing structure of said dispensing opening; a vacuum duct being configured to evacuate gas from the interior of beverage bottles before and after filling of the beverage bottles with a carbonated liquid beverage; a first gas path being configured and disposed to operatively connect said vacuum duct to beverage bottles to permit evacuation of gas from the interior of beverage bottles; a second gas path being configured and disposed to operatively connect said vacuum duct to beverage bottles to permit evacuation of gas from the interior of beverage bottles; and said second gas path comprising at least one element being configured and disposed to reduce and/or regulate flow of gas in said second gas path to control relief of pressure in beverage bottles after filling of the beverage bottles has been completed to minimize bubbling from the beverage bottles. 4. The filling element according to claim 3, wherein one of: said first controlled gas path is configured to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of containers; said second controlled gas path is configured to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of containers; at least one choke is provided in the second controlled gas path; and in the second, controlled gas path there is at least one valve that regulates the flow, and that opens when there is gas pressure in the gas duct or in the container above atmospheric pressure, and closes at a gas pressure that is equal to or approximately equal to atmospheric pressure. 5. The filling element according to claim 4, wherein the valve has a valve body that is: biased by a spring against a valve seat, or in contact against a valve surface by its dead weight. 6. The filling element according to claim 5, wherein the second controlled gas path has at least one control valve, and that control means are provided that automatically open the control valve for the pressure relief and automatically close the control valve after a specified pressure relief time. 7. The filling element according to claim 6, wherein the pressure relief time is adjustable, as a function of the product and/or the type and/or size of the containers. 8. The filling element according to claim 7, wherein the filling element comprises a pressure sensor that supplies a control or measurement signal to the control means to control the control valve in the second gas path, which signal corresponds to the pressure in the container or in a gas duct which is in communication with the interior of the container. 9. The filling element according to claim 8, wherein the control means close the second control valve when the control signal supplied by the pressure sensor corresponds to the ambient pressure or to approximately the ambient pressure or to a specified setpoint pressure. 10. The filling element according to claim 9, wherein: the control means determine, as a function of the measurement signal supplied by the pressure sensor, the pressure relief time required to reduce the pressure to ambient pressure, with which the second gas path or the filling element or of additional filling elements is closed; and the filling element's configuration in the form of a filling element without a filler tube with a product dispensing opening on an underside of a filling element housing, and with a gas return duct which, when a container is attached to the filling element, ends in the interior of the container, whereby the second gas path ends via the gas duct into the liquid duct in the vicinity of the product dispensing opening. 11. The filling element according to claim 10 in combination with a filling machine employing a rotary construction for filling a product in bottles, cans or similar containers under counterpressure and with a subsequent pressure relief to ambient pressure, with a plurality of filling elements on a rotor that can be driven so that it rotates around a vertical machine axis. 12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein: the pressure relief time can be set or adjusted for all of the filling elements of the filling machine at once; and at least one filling element of the filling machine has a pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct. 13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein: each of the filling elements of the filling machine has its own pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct; the pressure relief control system that interacts with the pressure sensor determines the pressure relief time for the control of the second gas path, with which pressure relief time the pressure relief of all of the filling elements that are associated with the filling element with the pressure sensor is controlled; and only one filling element of the filling machine has the pressure sensor that measures the pressure in the pressure relief duct. 14. A filling element for a filling machine for filling a liquid product, such as a beverage, under counterpressure in bottles, cans or similar containers, said filling element comprising: a liquid duct comprising a controllable liquid valve and a product dispensing opening; a vacuum duct; a gas tube being disposed to project into a container; said gas tube comprising a gas tube valve; said gas tube valve being configured to be opened to permit the inflow of inert gas into the container to pressurize the container prior to filling of the container, and to permit the outflow of inert gas from the container during filling of the container; a control arrangement being operatively connected to said liquid valve and said gas tube valve to control the opening and closing of said liquid valve and said gas tube valve; said control arrangement being configured to open said liquid valve to permit filling of the container, and to close said liquid valve to terminate filling of the container upon the container being filled; said control arrangement being configured to open said gas tube valve prior to and/or during filling of the container, and to close said gas tube valve upon termination of filling of the container; at least one first controlled gas path being configured to connect the interior of a container that is attached to the filling element for an evacuation with said vacuum duct filling machine, in which there is and a second controlled gas path being configured to perform a controlled pressure relief of the container after termination of the filling of the container under counterpressure, which second controlled gas path connects the interior of the container with said vacuum duct and comprises at least one element that reduces and/or regulates the flow in said second controlled gas path. 15. The filling element according to claim 14, wherein: said gas tube comprises a sensor structure disposed at an end of said gas tube; said sensor structure is configured to detect a level of liquid product in a container; said end of said gas tube is configured to be disposed within a container adjacent an upper portion of the container during filling; and at least one choke is provided in the second controlled gas path. 16. The filling element according to claim 15, wherein: said first controlled gas path is configured to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of containers; said second controlled gas path is configured to permit solely evacuation of gas from the interior of containers; in the second, controlled gas path there is at least one valve that regulates the flow, and that opens when there is gas pressure in the gas duct or in the container above atmospheric pressure, and closes at a gas pressure that is equal to or approximately equal to atmospheric pressure; the valve has a valve body that is: biased by a spring against a valve seat, or in contact against a valve surface by its dead weight; and the second controlled gas path has at least one control valve, and that control means are provided that automatically open the control valve for the pressure relief and automatically close the control valve after a specified pressure relief time. 17. The filling element according to claim 16, wherein: the pressure relief time is adjustable, as a function of the product and/or the type and/or size of the containers; the filling element comprises a pressure sensor that supplies a control or measurement signal to the control means to control the control valve in the second gas path, which signal corresponds to the pressure in the container or in a gas duct which is in communication with the interior of the container; the control means close the second control valve when the control signal supplied by the pressure sensor corresponds to the ambient pressure or to approximately the ambient pressure or to a specified setpoint pressure; the control means determine, as a function of the measurement signal supplied by the pressure sensor, the pressure relief time (TE) required to reduce the pressure to ambient pressure, with which the second gas path or the filling element or of additional filling elements is closed; and its configuration in the form of a filling element without a filler tube with a product dispensing opening on an underside of a filling element housing, and with a gas return duct which, when the container is attached to the filling element, ends in the interior of the container, whereby the second gas path ends via the gas duct into the liquid duct in the vicinity of the product dispensing opening. 18. The filling element according to claim 17 in combination with a filling machine employing a rotary construction for filling a product in bottles, cans or similar containers under counterpressure and with a subsequent pressure relief to ambient pressure, with a plurality of filling elements on a rotor that can be driven so that it rotates around a vertical machine axis. 19. The combination according to claim 18, wherein: the pressure relief time (TE) can be set or adjusted for all of the filling elements of the filling machine at once; and at least one filling element of the filling machine has a pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct. 20. The combination according to claim 19, wherein: each of the filling elements of the filling machine has its own pressure sensor in the pressure relief duct; the pressure relief control system that interacts with the pressure sensor determines the pressure relief time (TE) for the control of the second gas path, with which pressure relief time the pressure relief of all of the filling elements that are associated with the filling element with the pressure sensor is controlled; and only one filling element of the filling machine has the pressure sensor that measures the pressure in the pressure relief duct.
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