Patent Application
20080072535
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will hereinafter be described, a presently-preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.
With reference first to
With further reference to
As illustrated in
Carrier 20 is preferably of unitary, one-piece construction, and can be formed from suitable polymeric material, as may be suitable for container filling under sanitary conditions. As illustrated, carrier 20 is of a generally cylindrical, hollow configuration, that is, being open-ended. As illustrated, the exterior surface of the carrier 20 is cylindrical, and terminates at an upper flange 24 by which the carrier is supported within the associated carrier frame 22. As further illustrated, the interior surface of carrier 20 has an upper portion 26 which is downwardly, inwardly tapered, or otherwise configured so as to conform to the exterior configuration of an associated container, which typically may have a tapered side wall configuration.
In the preferred form, the carrier 20 has a vertical dimension which is substantially greater than a vertical dimension of an associated container. Typically, an associated container would only extend slightly below the inwardly tapered upward portion 26 of the interior surface of the carrier, with the carrier 20 typically being as much as twice the height of an associated container. As noted, the configuration of the carrier 20 desirably cooperates and coacts with a tapered wall container so as to securely receive and support the container within the carrier. At the same time, the inwardly tapered upper portion of the carrier desirably acts to guide the container into position within the carrier.
Each carrier 20 is carried within a respective one of the carrier frames 22 for reciprocable vertical sliding movement, thus functioning as a bearing for the container against lateral loads exerted against the container such as during wiping cut-off of product flow. To this end, the carrier frame 22 thus provides an outer bearing surface against which the exterior of the carrier 20 can act to stabilize lateral loads exerted on the associated container.
To this end, carrier frame 22 includes an upper frame portion 28, and an lower frame portion 30, positioned beneath the upper frame portion. Upper frame portion 28 is preferably suitably flanged so as to facilitate mounting in the associated conveying apparatus, such as carousel 12. Additionally, the upper flange 28 engages and retains the flange 24 of carrier 20 when the carrier 20 is in its lowermost position with respect to the carrier frame.
In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the carrier frame 22 further includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vertical frame supports 32 which extend between and connect upper frame portion 28 and lower frame portion 30. In the illustrated embodiment, four of the frame supports 32 are provided in a spaced-apart configuration, at 90 degree intervals about the carrier frame. In order to provide the desired bearing cooperation between the carrier 20 and the carrier frame 22, the frame supports preferably define an interior dimension of the frame which closely corresponds to the exterior dimension of the associated carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the frame supports 32 has a cylindrical configuration, but it will be appreciated that specific features of the carrier frame 22 can be varied while keeping with the principles disclosed herein.
From the foregoing, operation of the present apparatus will be readily appreciated. Each of the carrier assemblies 16 receives a respective one of the containers to be filled, with the carrier 20 positioned in its lowered position with respect to the associated carrier frame 22. During container filling, the carrier 20, and associated container, are typically positioned at a raised position with respect to the carrier frame 22, with the relative length of the carrier 20 acting to provide the desired bearing-like action against the interior of the bearing carrier frame 22 to stabilize the associated container against lateral forces to which it is subjected, particularly attendant to wiping of the container against an associated nozzle at the conclusion of container filling. The open-ended configuration of the carrier 20 thereafter facilitates the displacement of the filled container from within the carrier 20.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiment illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
