The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2008/010726, filed Dec. 16, 2008, which claims priority from French Application No. 0759889, filed Dec. 17, 2007, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
This invention relates to a machine for the filling of hollow vessels, such as bottles or pots, with at least two filling products, in particular with two food products, in particular liquids.
It is known, in particular by U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,907 discloses a machine for the filling of vessels with a mixture of two food products, the machine, of the rotating type, comprising two tanks arranged one above the other for the storage of two filling products, a plurality of filling stations each comprising a filling nozzle and a volumetric metering system, conventionally called a volumetric metering device. The metering device comprises a cylinder, defining a metering chamber, provided with a suction and discharge piston, and provided in the lower portion with a first suction opening connected by a first suction duct to a first storage tank, with a second suction opening connected by a second duct to the second tank, and with a discharge opening connected by a discharge duct to a filling nozzle. Valve systems are provided to selectively put the metering chamber in fluid communication with the first tank, the second tank or the filling nozzle.
These valve systems include a hollow tube mounted rotatingly in the cylinder and provided with openings facing the suction and discharge openings according to the position in rotation of said tube and a second piston, mounted in the filling nozzle, which can be displaced from a high position to a low position in order to respectively open and close the dispensing opening of the filling nozzle. The control in rotation of the rotating tube, as well as the control of the piston of the filling nozzle and of the suction and discharge piston, are carried out by means of different mechanical cam systems.
These valve systems, with a rotating tube arranged inside the metering cylinder itself, make it possible to substantially discharge all of the mixture carried out subsequent to two suction phases, guaranteeing as such a good precision in the meterings. This rotating tube is however delicate to install. The different mechanical cam-actuated systems, as well as the suction ducts are heavy and long to install, and substantially increase the amount of space taken up by the machine. Any modification of the desired mixture further requires a full replacement of the cam systems. Furthermore, the filling stations of the machine cannot be used differently, the mixtures of products being all identical from one filling station to another.
A filling machine that overcame at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages, that is simple in terms of design, easily adaptable to the desired mixture of products, while still guaranteeing a precise metering of the different products in the mixture, would present decided advantages.
To this effect, the present invention provides a machine for filling vessels, more preferably rotative, comprising at least two tanks for the storage of two filling products, and at least one filling station comprising a filling nozzle and a volumetric metering system, the volumetric metering system including
the valve systems including a first valve system and a second valve system mounted respectively in the first suction duct and the second suction duct, and a third valve system arranged on the filling nozzle, each valve system being driven individually for opening and for closing by second individual pneumatic and/or electric actuation device connected to a parametrisable control unit of the machine, the suction and discharge piston being driven by electric or pneumatic actuation device connected to the control unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the valve systems are mounted upstream of the suction openings and downstream of the discharge opening, and can as such be driven individually by separate electric and/or pneumatic actuation device, different mixtures being able to be carried out easily by the appropriate controls of the actuation device of the valve systems and of the piston. Using the control unit of the machine, an operator can easily configure the travel of the piston and the controls for the opening and closing of the valve systems according to the desired mixture of the products.
According to an embodiment, the machine is of the rotating type, the machine comprising a central tank and a annular tank that are concentric, and a plurality of filling stations, the suction ducts of each filling station being connected to openings of the bottom walls of the concentric tanks.
Each filling station of the machine as such comprises its own actuation device for its piston and its valve systems. This particular configuration of the concentric tanks allows for a simple connection of the two tanks to the metering device by their bottom wall.
According to an embodiment, each valve system is formed of a clack valve mounted at the free end of the rod of a jack, more preferably pneumatic, the jacks constituting the second actuation device, in order to displace the clack valve between a sealing position and an opening position.
According to an embodiment, the cylinders of the clack valves mounted in the suction ducts are arranged vertically under the concentric tanks, the clack valves coming to seal, in their sealing position, upper openings through which the suction ducts are connected to the concentric tanks, and separating from the upper openings in their opening position.
According to an embodiment, the volumetric metering system comprises a plate, forming the lower portion of the cylinder, wherein are formed the suction ducts and the discharge duct, and whereon are mounted the jacks and the dispensing nozzle, the plate being assembled to the bottom walls of the concentric tanks in such a way that the vertical portions of the ducts come to connect to the openings of the bottom walls.
Advantageously, the suction ducts are connected to openings of the bottom walls of the concentric tanks by the intermediary of connecting ducts, in such a way that the suction ducts can have identical lengths, with their upper opening arranged substantially at an equal distance from the metering chamber.
The invention shall be better understood, and other details, characteristics and advantages shall appear more clearly during the detailed explanatory description which shall follow of a particular currently preferred embodiment of the invention, in reference to the diagrammatical drawings, wherein:
In reference to
The interior annular tank, referred to as central tank 2, is formed of a cylindrical interior lateral wall 21, a cylindrical intermediary lateral wall 22 and a planar bottom wall 23. The exterior annular tank, referred to as exterior tank 1, is formed by the intermediary lateral wall 22, a cylindrical exterior lateral wall 11 and a planar bottom wall 13 (
Each filling station 3 comprises a volumetric metering device 4 and a filling nozzle 6. The volumetric metering device comprises a cylinder 41 defining a substantially cylindrical metering chamber 42 wherein is mounted slidingly a suction and discharge piston 43. The cylinder is oriented substantially vertically and parallel to the lateral exterior wall 11. The piston is integral with an end of a hollow rod 44 which extends vertically upwards outside of the cylinder and which is connected to an actuation system 7 in order to displace the piston according to ascending suction movements and descending discharge movements. The actuation system 7 is formed by a motor 71, for example of the brushless or linear type, controlled by a parametrisable control unit (not shown) of the machine, the motor being able to drive in rotation, in both directions, a worm screw 72 whereon is mounted the hollow rod 44 of the piston.
According to
In this embodiment, the metering device comprises a support plate 51, in one or several parties, in the general form of a plate, comprising on a first face, referred to as upper, a cylindrical recess 52. This plate is mounted on the cylinder and forms the lower portion of the latter, its recess coming according to the axis of the cylinder. The suction and discharge ducts are formed in this plate, each duct exiting on the lateral wall of the main recess.
The discharge duct 48 comprises a first horizontal portion 48a extending horizontally from the discharge opening 47 and being extended by a second vertical portion 48b which exits on the lower face of the plate, and to which the nozzle is connected. The filling nozzle 6 comprises a hollow body which is provided with a cylindrical internal passage oriented vertically, exiting on the lower face of the nozzle body in order to form a discharge opening 61. The nozzle body is mounted by its upper portion on the lower face of the plate, its internal passage in the axis of the second portion of the discharge duct.
In reference to
As can be seen in
The nozzle is provided with a valve system making it possible to open and close the discharge opening 61. This valve system comprises a sealing clack valve 81 mounted in the filling nozzle and controlled for opening and for closing by a pneumatic jack 91. The body of the jack is mounted on the upper face of the plate, its rod 91a extends vertically in the vertical portion 48b of the discharge duct and in the axial passage of the nozzle and carries at its free end the clack valve 81, in such a way that the clack valve can be displaced vertically in translation by the jack between a low sealing position and a high opening position.
Each suction duct 49, 50 is provided with a valve system in order to open or close the opening 49c, 50c of its vertical portion 49b, 50b. Each valve system comprises a sealing clack valve 82, 83 mounted in the vertical portion and controlled for opening and for closing by a pneumatic jack 92, 93. The body of the jack is mounted vertically on the lower face of the plate, its rod 92a, 93a crosses the plate and extends vertically in the vertical portion of the suction duct and carries at its free end the clack valve 82, 83, in such a way that the clack valve can be displaced vertically in translation between a high sealing position, wherein the clack valve is bearing against an edge of the opening 49c, 50c and a low opening position wherein the clack valve is separated from said opening. The pneumatic jacks 91, 92, 93 are controlled by the control unit of the machine.
The operation of a filling station of the machine shall now be described with reference to the figures, in the case of a filling of a vessel R with a mixture of product P1 contained in the exterior tank and of product P2 contained in the central tank.
In a first suction phase, the sealing clack valve 81 of the nozzle as well as the sealing clack valve 83 of the second suction duct being in sealing position such as in shown in
It is understood that as such, it is possible to easily vary the quantity of product P1 and of product P2 of each mixture by varying, via the parametrisable control unit, the travel of the piston 43 by appropriate control of the jacks and of the motor by the parametrisable control unit. Moreover, each filling station can be configured individually. The machine can in particular be used for filling vessels only with the product P1 and vessels only with the product P2.
Although the invention has been described in liaison with a particular embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular embodiment and comprises all of the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations in so far as to fall within the scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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07 59889 | Dec 2007 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2008/010726 | 12/16/2008 | WO | 00 | 6/17/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2009/077165 | 6/25/2009 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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0 999 175 | May 2000 | EP |
Entry |
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Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for International Application No. PCT/EP2008/010726 dated Jul. 27, 2010. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100300580 A1 | Dec 2010 | US |