This disclosure relates to systems and methods for filling containers. In particular, this disclosure relates to filling containers with a carbonated beverage and capping the container with a lid.
Carbonated beverages are typically bottled or canned in a sturdy, leak-proof container to prevent carbon dioxide or other gases from escaping and making the beverage go flat. Typically, carbonated beverages such as sodas, beer and others are packaged in cans formed from aluminum or steel, or bottles.
The process of filling and capping carbonated beverages can present challenges in maintaining desired carbonation levels and preventing foaming. Dissolved carbon dioxide can escape a liquid if the partial pressure above the liquid changes, according to Henry's Law. The same can also happen if a liquid containing dissolved gas suddenly changes.
A common way to carbonate beer, for example, is to subject a volume of un-carbonated beer, or ‘wort’ to a pressurized volume of carbon dioxide gas. Over time, carbon dioxide is dissolved into the wort, creating carbonized beer. The amount of carbonation can be controlled by several factors, including the temperature of the wort, the pressure of the carbon dioxide atmosphere and the amount of time the wort is subjected to the carbon dioxide atmosphere.
The process of transferring carbonated wort to a canning or bottling station can subject the carbonated solution to pressure and temperature changes which can introduce unwanted foaming. Thus, a system and process for canning and bottling carbonated beverages such as beer under pressure, without introducing pressure changes to the liquid is an unmet need in the canning and bottling arts.
In general, a counter-pressure filler system is described. In one exemplary embodiment, the counter-pressure filler system includes a vertically-translatable platform capable of supporting a container, a pressurizable chamber having an entrance aperture, the chamber enclosing a seaming chuck and at least one seaming roller, a vertically-translatable enclosure comprising an upper portion configured to engage a portion of the chamber around the entrance aperture, thereby creating a pressurizable atmosphere within said vertically-translatable enclosure and the pressurizable chamber. The seaming chuck is configured to allow a beverage ingredient to pass therethrough and into said container.
In one aspect, a counter-pressure filler system (hereinafter ‘system’) is described. The system includes a chamber having an entrance aperture, the chamber surrounding a seaming chuck and at least one seaming roller, a vertically-translatable enclosure comprising an open upper rim configured to engage a portion of the chamber around the entrance aperture, thereby creating a shared, sealed environment within the vertically-translatable enclosure and the chamber. The system further includes a vertically-translatable platform configured to support a container thereupon that is disposed within the vertically-translatable enclosure, and a dispenser configured to dispense one or more ingredients into the container.
In one embodiment, the dispenser is configured to pass said one or more ingredients through the seaming chuck. In one embodiment, the system further includes a vacuum source configured to evacuate the sealed environment. In one embodiment, the sealed environment is configured to receive a gas or a gas mixture. In one embodiment, the sealed environment is configured to be subjected to a negative atmospheric pressure followed by being subjected to a positive atmospheric pressure that introduces a gas or gas mixture to the sealed environment. In one embodiment, the system further includes a swing arm configured to engage and controllably shift a lid, wherein the lid is configured to be seam-rolled onto said beverage container. In this embodiment, the swing arm is configured to engage the lid, shift the lid away from the beverage container prior to dispensing the ingredient; and shift the lid into a position to engage a top rim portion of the beverage container after the ingredient has been dispensed.
In one embodiment, the vertically-translatable platform is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to vertical translation.
In one embodiment, the seaming chuck and the seaming roller are configured to cooperatively seal a lid to the container. In this embodiment, the container is an aluminum can and the lid is configured to be mated to a top portion of the aluminum can.
In a second aspect, a method of counter-filling a beverage container is disclosed. The method includes placing an empty container atop a vertically-translatable platform, the empty container having an un-sealed lid resting thereupon, translating the vertically-translatable platform such that the empty container is at least partially translated into an aperture of a chamber comprising a seaming chuck and a seaming roller; and translating a vertically-translatable enclosure such that a top portion of the enclosure sealingly engages the aperture so as to create a shared, sealed environment comprising an interior of said chamber and an interior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure encloses the vertically-translatable platform and the container.
In one embodiment, the method further includes evacuating the sealed environment by applying a vacuum.
In one embodiment, the method further includes adding a gas or a gas mixture to said sealed environment. In this embodiment, the method further includes, after the gas or said gas mixture has been added to said sealed environment, vertically translating the platform such that the lid is brought into proximity to a swing arm configured to engage the lid, engaging the lid with the swing arm, followed by pivotally rotating the swing arm such that the lid is translated away from the container, dispensing a quantity of liquid through the seaming chuck into the container, after the dispensing step, pivotally rotating the swing arm such that the lid is brought into position to be seam rolled to the container.
In a related embodiment, the method further includes vertically translating the platform such that the lid confronts the seaming chuck, activating the seaming chuck to cause rotation of the container and the lid, and applying the seaming roller to the lid to cause a seam to be formed between the lid and the container.
In one embodiment, the liquid is carbonated.
In one embodiment, the container is an aluminum can.
In one embodiment, the vertically-translatable platform is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane, perpendicular to a vertical translation direction.
In a third aspect, a counter-pressure filler includes a vertically-translatable platform configured to support a container, a vertically-translatable enclosure configured to surround the platform, the enclosure comprising an open top portion, a chamber comprising an entrance aperture, a seaming chuck and a seaming roller therewithin. The enclosure is configured to vertically translate to engage the chamber such that the open top surrounds the entrance aperture of the chamber, thereby creating a sealed filling environment comprising the interior of the chamber and the enclosure, and the atmosphere of the filling environment can be evacuated and subsequently pressurized with a gas or a gas mixture. Furthermore, the seaming chuck comprises a through-aperture for dispensing liquid into said container.
In one embodiment, the vertically-translatable platform is rotatable about a horizontal axis.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of any described embodiment, suitable methods and materials are described below. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. In case of conflict with terms used in the art, the present specification, including definitions, will control.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description and claims.
The present embodiments are illustrated by way of the figures of the accompanying drawings, which may not necessarily be to scale, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
Referring to Detail A of
When cylinder 112 is shifted vertically, a sealing gasket 116 on a top portion 111 of the cylinder 112 confronts the underside of wall 113 (the underside of wall 113 is not visible in
By connecting a compressed gas or vacuum source to the cylinder 112, the sealed atmosphere within cylinder 112 can be controllably pressurizable or de-pressurizable, respectively. Cylinder 112 can be pressurized by a compressed gas source such as air, carbon dioxide, argon or other chosen gas. In this embodiment, the vertically-translatable post 110 and cylinder 112 are independently controllable by motors, actuators and pistons that engender controlled, independent vertical translation in upward and downward directions.
Wall 113 is removed from the underside views, e.g., in
In this embodiment, the filling system 100 includes a rotatable seaming chuck 115. The seaming chuck 115 is configured to cooperate with first (135) and second (140) seaming rollers (
In this embodiment, the filling system 100 further includes a pivotable swing arm 150, which is pivotable about axis 151 as shown, and includes a C-shaped gripping portion 152 as shown. The swing arm 150 is configured to swing about axis 151 to bring the gripping portion 152 into confrontation with, and engage a beverage lid so as to move the beverage lid out of the way during filling and replace it for capping, as described in greater detail below. The swing arm 150 is controlled by a mechanical controller that engenders controllable pivoting of the swing arm back and forth as illustrated.
Each of the post 110, cylinder 112, pressurized gas control, swing arm controller, seaming chuck motor 120, first (125) and second (130) seam roller controller assemblies and other components and features can be logic-controlled to automate a beverage filling and canning process described herein.
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In one embodiment, the combined atmosphere of chamber 180 and cylinder 112 can be evacuated under vacuum to purge oxygen from the filling environment. Next, a gas or gas mixture of choice, e.g., nitrogen or argon can be introduced into the filling environment, chamber 180 and cylinder 112, so that the canning process is completed under an atmosphere of choice, such as an inert gas. Such as process can greatly extend the shelf life of beer and other canned products by significantly reducing or eliminating oxygen from the canned product.
In one non-limiting example of a functioning filling system 100, the filling environment (chamber 180 and cylinder 112) was evacuated to about 23 inches of vacuum within about one-half second. Next, an atmosphere of carbon dioxide was introduced to re-pressurize the filling environment to a chosen pressure, e.g., standard atmospheric pressure. In this example, the resulting concentration of dissolved oxygen in beer canned by the present embodiment measured between 3-4 parts per billion, whereas dissolved oxygen concentrations in beer using industry-standard canning procedures is typically in the range of 80-100 parts per billion.
After the dispensing of the liquid contents is complete, platform 105 is shifted downward a distance suitable for swing arm 150 to return lid 175 back to the upper portion of the can,
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A number of illustrative embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments presented herein. For example, the system 100 can be modified as desired to allow cans of any height, width or other dimension to be seamed with an appropriately-configured lid; furthermore, in an alternative embodiment, the system 100 can be modified to bottle contents using a bottle and bottle cap combination; in such an embodiment, seaming rollers 135, 140 may be excluded and seaming chuck 115 can be modified to be a bell-shaped bottle capper that crimps a cap around the bottle mouth as is known in the art; in such an embodiment, platform 115 can be configured to urge a bottle having a cap placed on the mouth into the bell-shaped seaming chuck to engender crimping of the cap around the bottle mouth. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/842,591, filed on May 3, 2019 and entitled “Counter-Pressure Filler”, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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62842591 | May 2019 | US |