This invention relates to a filling device comprising a filling spout and means of metering, intended to be fitted to a machine for filling, for the filling of containers, such as bottles or pots, with any sort of products, liquids to viscous, in particular a food product. The invention relates in particular to a filling device with means of metering comprising a valve system making it possible to limit the formation of drops after being closed.
Such devices for filling conventionally include a filling spout and means of metering to deliver a determined quantity of filling product in a container placed under the filling spout.
The filling spout comprises a globally tubular body having an internal passage with a longitudinal axis, an open lower axial end constituting the discharge aperture of the filling spout and a supply aperture for its supply of filling liquid. The means of metering include a closing valve system mounted movably in the filling spout, and a control system able to longitudinally displace said valve system for closing or opening the discharge aperture. The valve control system conventionally comprises a cylinder of which the rod passes through an open upper end of the tubular body of the spout, the valve system comprises a valve connected to the free end of the cylinder rod. The inner surface of the tubular body of the filling spout comprises a portion, generally tapered, defining a valve seat. The control system displaces the valve between a closed state wherein the latter comes via a tapered closing portion of its exterior surface against the valve seat and an open state wherein said closing portion is separated from said seat.
These devices for filling must prevent as much as possible drops from forming on the lower edge of the valve after the closing of the latter, and from falling from the filling spout onto the containers to be filled and/or onto the machine. When the valve is closed, a certain quantity of filling product can remain under the valve, on its lower edge. The higher the diameter of the valve, the higher the quantity of product present under the valve at the time of closing, and with it the risks of drops forming and falling. On a machine for filling of the rotating type, the centrifugal force accentuates these risks.
In order to prevent drops from falling after the filling, after the closing of the valve, it has been proposed to provide grids, downstream of the valve, on the discharge aperture, in order to retain the drops of filling product via capillarity. This solution cannot be used for certain filling products, in particular viscous products or those comprising particles and/or pieces.
Another solution consists in providing a valve geometry allowing for a retaining of the drops via capillarity. For example, such as described in patent document FR 2 861 716, the valve at closed state can define with the filling spout an annular space wherein the filling product is retained via capillarity. Such as described in patent document JP 2005-343516, the valve can also be provided on its lower end edge with ribs defining between them housings wherein the product is retained via capillarity.
Another solution, described for example in patent document FR 2 791 033, consists in providing a recess on the lower end edge of the valve wherein means of suction are arranged to suck and as such retain the filling liquid after closing of the valve.
The purpose of this invention is to propose a new solution for limiting the risks of falling drops, in particular in the case of a filling spout of which the discharge aperture has a substantial diameter.
To this effect, this invention proposes a filling device, intended to be used in machines for filling for the filling of containers with a filling product, comprising
The filling device according to the invention makes it possible to prevent drops from falling at the end of filling, while still having a substantial discharge aperture diameter. The filling device can be used for liquid products, such as water, to semi-liquid products, such as oil or washing liquid for example.
According to a particularity, for the passing from a high flow open state of the valve system wherein the main valve and the central valve are in their open position, to the closed state of the valve system wherein the main valve and the central valve are in their closed position, the control system is able in a first step to displace the main valve to its closed position, in a low flow open state of the valve system, in such a way that the major portion of the filling product present in said grooves is sucked by the venturi effect by the flow of filling product passing through the secondary aperture of said main valve, then to displace the central valve to its closed position, the filling product present on the lower edge of the central valve being displaced via capillarity in said grooves.
According to a particularity, the lower portion of the outer surface of the main valve comprises a substantially cylindrical final portion, that extends from the main closing portion to said lower edge and whereon exits said grooves, the lower portion of the inner surface of the tubular body comprising a final portion that extends from the main seat to the main aperture, said final portions defining together, in the closed position of the main valve, a first annular space. The grooves exit as such, in the closed position of the main valve, onto this annular space which constitutes an additional retaining zone for the filling product present on the lower edge of the central valve during the closing of the latter.
According to a particularity, the lower portion of the inner surface of the main valve comprises a final portion that extends from the secondary seat to said lower edge, and whereon exit the grooves, the lower portion of the exterior surface of the central valve comprising a final portion that extends from said secondary closing portion to the lower end edge, said final portions defining together, in the closed position of the central valve and of the main valve, a second annular space. The grooves as such exit in the closed position of the valves onto this second annular space. This second annular space that connects the grooves, allows for a good distribution of the filling product in all of the grooves during the closing of the central valve, and constitutes an additional retaining zone.
According to a particularity, the lower edge of the central valve has a planar surface, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central valve, or a tapered surface, of which the cone angle is more preferably between 179° and 120°, for example of a magnitude of 150°, with the major portion of this tapered surface being arranged inside the main valve, set back from the lower edge of the main valve.
According to an embodiment, the control system comprises
The invention shall be better understood, and other purposes, details, characteristics and advantages shall appear more clearly in the following detailed explanatory description of a currently preferred particular embodiment of the invention, in reference to the annexed diagrammatical drawings, wherein:
In reference to
The filling spout 1 is formed from a globally tubular body 10, with longitudinal axis A, having an inner passage 10a, an upper open axial end 12 and an open lower axial end constituting the discharge aperture 11 of the filling spout. The tubular body is provided with, in the vicinity of its upper axial end, an assembly collar 14. The tubular body can be mounted directly on the rigid bottom wall of the tank of a machine for filling, for example of the rotating type, with its open upper axial end then constituting the supply aperture of the spout, or be assembled to a another portion of the filling spout, by which said spout will be assembled to a support structure of the machine for filling, and connected to a tank on board the machine or an offset tank.
The inner surface 2 of the tubular body comprises, from the upper axial end 12 to the discharge aperture 11, a substantially cylindrical upper portion 21, and a lower portion 22 comprising a tapered portion, which converges in the direction of the discharge aperture, and which defines a main valve seat 221, being extended by a substantially cylindrical final portion 222.
The means of metering include a valve system 3, 6 arranged in the filling spout and a control system 9 making it possible to displace the valve system in order to close and open the discharge aperture.
The valve system is of the double valve type, and comprises a first tubular valve, called main valve 3, and a second central cylindrical valve, called central valve 6, mounted movably in the main valve.
In reference in particular to
Its outer surface 4 comprises, from the upper edge 33 to the lower edge 32, a substantially cylindrical upper portion 41 and a lower portion 42 which comprises a main tapered closing portion 421, which converges towards the discharge aperture and of which the taper corresponds substantially to that of the main seat 221, and a substantially cylindrical final portion 422.
Its inner surface 5 comprises, from the upper edge 33 to the lower edge 32, a substantially cylindrical upper portion 51 and a lower portion 52 which comprises a tapered portion, which converges towards the discharge aperture and which forms a secondary valve seat 521 for the central valve, and a substantially cylindrical final portion 522.
In this embodiment, the tubular body is formed from a tubular wall comprising a cylindrical section defining interiorly and exteriorly said upper cylindrical portions 41, 51 of the inner and outer surfaces, a tapered section defining said main closing portion 421 and said secondary seat 521 and a cylindrical section defining said cylindrical final portions 422, 522.
The lower edge 32 is provided with radial grooves 34 exiting onto the final portions 422, 522 of the outer surface and the inner surface.
In reference to
Its exterior surface 7 comprises, from its upper end edge to its lower end edge, a globally cylindrical upper portion 71 and a lower portion 72 comprising a secondary tapered closing portion 721 which converges towards its lower end edge and of which the taper corresponds substantially to that of the secondary seat 521, and a substantially cylindrical final portion 722.
The lower end edge 62 has a tapered surface that converges downwards.
According to
The valve rod 91 is provided with a ring 93 comprising an annular base via which the ring is fixed on the rod, said base carrying on the lower side a tubular wall provided with radial centering vanes 94 for centering the rod in the internal passage of the spout and as such guarantee a coaxial positioning of the main valve and of the central valve in the filling spout.
A spring 95 is mounted on the valve rod between a fixed shoulder of the valve rod, formed here by the annular base of the ring 93, and an inner shoulder 923 of the bushing. This spring, of the compression spring type, tends to separate the bushing 92 from the ring 93, and therefore elastically solicits the bushing by placing it in abutment by its lower edge 924 against the upper edge 61 of the central valve.
The main valve has radial openings 35, exiting onto the upper cylindrical portions 41, 51 of the inner and outer des surfaces, under the bushing, in order to provide for the fluid communication between the inner passage 30a of the main valve and between the inner passage 10a of the filling spout.
The valve rod is connected to a control member (not shown) of the control system, such as a cylinder for example pneumatic, with the upper end of the cylinder rod then being assembled to the upper end of the cylinder rod.
In a closed state of the valve system shown in
The central valve is in a closed position wherein the secondary closing portion 721 of its outer surface is against the secondary seat 521 of the inner surface of the main valve. The final portion 722 of its outer surface is slightly separated from the final portion 522 of the inner surface of the main valve and defines with the latter a second annular space 82 whereon exit the grooves 34. The lower end edge 62 is arranged substantially in the main valve, the top of its cone being substantially arranged on the lower edge 31 of the main valve. In this closed state of the valve system, the rod is in a low position.
The displacement upwards of the rod in an intermediary position, via the control member, has for effect to separate the central valve of the secondary seat, in an open position shown in
The additional displacement upwards of the valve rod into a high position, via the control member, drives the central valve upwards. During this displacement, the central valve comes via its upper end edge 61 against the lower edge 924 of the bushing, and drives the latter upwards. The main valve assembled to the bushing then separates from the main seat to its open position shown in
During these displacements, the upper portion 922 of the bushing 92 is arranged in the ring 93 and slides along the tubular wall of the latter.
The means of metering are for example of the weight-based type, with the control member being controlled by a weighing sensor which is placed on a container support device. Alternatively, the control member is controlled by a filling level detection sensor of the container or a flow sensor being inserted between the container and the spout at the time of the filling, or via a volumetric system.
The operation of the system shall now be described in reference to
For the filling of a container, the valve system initially in its closed state of
At the end of filling, the valve system is brought to its low flow open state shown in
The valve system is then brought in its closed state shown in
The grooves 34 and the annular spaces 81, 82 are sized in such a way as to define a retention volume that is sufficient to contain the quantity of filling product able to be retained under the central valve during its closing. By way of example, in reference to
The filling device according to the invention can also be used for a filling carried out solely via low flow, with the valve system in the low flow open state.
In an alternative, the control system comprises a solid control rod carrying at the lower end the central valve, as previously, as well as a hollow control rod carrying at the lower end the main valve, wherein slides the solid rod. The bushing carrying the centering vanes is mounted on the hollow rod. Each control rod is then assembled at the upper end of a control member pour son displacement between its open position and its closed position.
Although the invention has been described in liaison with a particular embodiment, it is obvious that it is in no way limited to this and that it comprises all of the technical equivalents of the means described as well as combinations thereof if the latter fall within the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0957798 | Nov 2009 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/066708 | 11/3/2010 | WO | 00 | 5/4/2012 |