DE102013107573A1 - Filling element and filling machine with such a filling element - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a filling element for filling containers with a liquid product, with a in a Füllelementgehäuse (2) formed and can be flowed through by the filling liquid channel (3), with a discharge opening (4) for discharging the filling in the respective container ( 5) and with a with respect to its longitudinal extent vertically aligned flushing pipe (6) with a freiendseitigen Spülrohröffnung (6.1) for rinsing the container (5) with an inert gas prior to filling with the liquid product. The invention is characterized in that the flushing pipe (6) and / or the flushing pipe opening (6.1) for generating an oblique, directed to the container wall (5.1) between the container opening (5.2) and container bottom (5.3) inert gas stream is formed.

Description

The invention relates to a filling element according to claim 1 and a filling machine according to claim 12.

Filling elements for filling containers with a liquid product are well known. In particular, in the beverage industry filling products are filled, on the oxygen, in particular the oxygen contained in the atmosphere exerts a damaging effect. Thus, for example, the oxygen contained in the ambient air, if it is absorbed by the contents, negatively influence this in terms of durability, color, usefulness, wholesomeness and / or taste.

Due to the oxygen sensitivity of many products many efforts are made to keep the oxygen contained in the ambient air during the production process as far as possible from the contents to be filled.

These measures include, for example, the interior of the container to be filled prior to the actual filling by means of a filling provided in a flushing pipe, for example, several times with an oxygen-free or substantially oxygen-free inert gas to flush the ambient air there, and thus also contained in it To remove atmospheric oxygen from the containers.

From the publication DE 10 2007 040 262 A1 a filling element has become known which has a, with respect to the vertical, obliquely arranged flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is moved from a parking position into a working position into the container before the flushing process. The rinsing of the container then takes place with an oxygen-free process gas. After completion of the rinsing process, the flushing pipe is moved back from the working position back into the parking position.

A disadvantage of the cited prior art is that retraction of the flushing pipe into the container to be filled is time-consuming and thus results in a reduction in the performance of the filling machine (filled containers per unit of time). Furthermore, a filling element with a retractable flushing pipe is a structurally complex solution.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a filling element which is optimized in terms of the duration of the rinsing and filling process and in terms of the design effort and also causes a sufficient reduction of the oxygen content in the container to be filled.

The object is achieved on the basis of the preamble of independent claim 1 by its characterizing features. A filling machine with filling elements according to the invention is the subject of independent claim 12.

The invention first relates to a filling element for filling containers with a liquid filling material, with a formed in a Füllelementgehäuse and can be flowed through by the filling liquid channel, with a discharge opening for discharging the filling material in the respective container and with respect to its longitudinal extent vertically aligned flushing pipe with a freiendseitigen Spülrohröffnung for flushing the container with an inert gas prior to filling with the liquid product.

The essential aspect of the invention consists in that the flushing pipe and / or the flushing pipe opening is designed to produce an oblique inert gas stream directed onto the tank wall between the tank opening and the tank bottom.

By aligning the inert gas flow on the vessel wall, a gas circulation is achieved within the bottle, which in particular allows escape of the oxygen-containing atmosphere contained in the container interior, since the alignment of the inert gas flow creates an area at the container opening, via which the oxygen-containing atmosphere towards the top can escape. Compared to vertically oriented flush pipes, which are not designed to be inserted into the container interior, thereby a back pressure in the region of the container neck is prevented, which prevents leakage of existing atmosphere in the container interior or substantially prevented.

Preferably, the flushing pipe opening is formed by an outlet whose outlet plane is inclined relative to the horizontal. Due to the inclined design of the outlet plane, which can preferably be achieved by an oblique gate of the flushing pipe, due to the thereby adjusting flow characteristics within the flushing pipe already an oblique gas outlet is achieved, which causes an improved flushing (reduction of the oxygen content in the container interior per unit time).

Particularly preferably, a deflection device for deflecting the inert gas flow is provided in the region of the flushing pipe opening. By deflecting a targeted change in direction of the inert gas flow can be achieved on the tank wall out. The deflection device can by a at the lower end of the Spülrohröffnung provided, obliquely oriented to the vertical wall portion are formed. Alternatively, the deflection device can also be formed by a wall section provided at the lower end of the flushing pipe opening and formed in the shape of an arc or arc segment.

In a preferred embodiment, the flushing pipe is arranged immovably in the filling element. By this fixed arrangement of the flushing pipe is achieved that even by lowering the filling element on the container to be filled in particular such that is centered by an opening provided on the filling element centering the container relative to the filling element, the Spülrohröffnung completely or with a proportion of the opening area slightly in extends the head space of the container in the region of the container opening. Due to the oblique orientation of the inert gas stream, insertion of the flushing pipe into the container interior can advantageously be omitted, which results in a considerable saving of time and constructive simplification of the filling element.

Ideally, the total valve is not moved, so it has no stroke length. Rather, the bottle is raised below the overall valve, usually by about 15 mm to 25 mm. In the case of a can filling method or a can filler, ideally no lifting of the can to be filled takes place, only a sealing tulip is lowered onto the can and brought into contact therewith. The immersion depths of the flushing tube are in both cases about 3 to 10 mm, ideally about 5 mm

Further preferably, the flushing tube is arranged concentrically with respect to the discharge opening. Due to the concentric arrangement of the flushing pipe is achieved that without inserting the flushing pipe into the container interior, the obliquely directed inert gas is completely or almost completely introduced into the container interior, however, a bewirkter by this inert gas gas outlet is made possible at the container opening, in the Substantially on a first half of the container opening, which is opposite to a second half, at which the inert gas supply takes place.

In a preferred embodiment, the normal vector of the outlet plane with the vertical includes an angle between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. In these angular dimensions, a particularly advantageous flow behavior is achieved within the container to be flushed, which entails an effective reduction of the oxygen content within the container per unit time.

Preferably, the flushing pipe opening has a cross section between 4 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 7 mm. The aforementioned cross-sectional dimensions allow, in particular in typically used containers, for example bottles with an upwardly tapering neck, an optimum between the volume of inert gas fed in per unit time and atmospheric air discharged from the container interior through the annular opening area surrounding the flushing pipe.

The flushing pipe can preferably also be formed by a widening in the direction of the discharge opening, in particular a funnel-shaped or conically widening element. Such a trained flushing pipe can serve to divert the supplied filling material to the container wall to achieve a uniform and possible laminar inflow of the filling material and remove the return gas in the opposite direction of the purge gas.

The flushing pipe preferably has an angled gas duct. The gas channel can be formed by two obliquely extending channel sections. Thus, the gas channel formed in the valve tube itself can serve for the oblique orientation of the inert gas flow, not only directly at the flushing opening, but already within the flushing pipe.

Preferably, the channel section forming the flushing pipe opening encloses, with respect to its longitudinal extension with the vertical, an angle between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. In this angle dimensioning, in turn, an optimized flow of the inert gas within the container is achieved, which causes an optimal displacement of the oxygen-containing atmosphere within the container interior.

The invention also relates to a filling machine for filling containers with a liquid product comprising a plurality of filling elements for discharging the contents into the container. The filling elements are formed according to the above statements.

For the purposes of the invention, containers are, for example, bottles, cans or similar containers made of any suitable material, in particular of glass, plastic or metal.

Pipe according to the invention are any elements having an internally formed gas channel with a freiendseitigen opening (Spülrohröffnung) for introducing the inert gas into the container.

The expression "essentially" or "approximately" in the sense of the invention means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant for the function.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

1 by way of example, a filling element according to the invention arranged on a container to be filled, in a lateral sectional representation;

2 Example, a first embodiment of a filling element according to the invention in a detail sectional view;

3 Example, a second embodiment of a filling element according to the invention in a detail sectional view; and

4 Example, a third embodiment of a filling element according to the invention in a schematic sectional view.

In 1 is a filling element according to the invention 1 in an arrangement above a container 5 shown. Such filling elements 1 are typically combined with a variety of similar filling elements 1 provided on the circumference of a rotatable about a vertical axis of the machine rotating rotor of a filling machine of rotating design to during the rotation of the rotor and the associated entrainment of the container 5 to achieve a filling of the same by means of a liquid filling material. The filling element 1 has a Füllelementgehäuse 2 on, in which a fluid channel 3 is formed, via which the liquid filling material coming from a Füllgutkessel via a lower side on the filling element 1 provided discharge opening 4 the container interior 5.4 is supplied.

To a negative influence of the contents by the oxygen contained in the ambient air, which is also in the container interior 5.4 is to avoid, is usually before filling the container interior 5.4 of the container 5 flushed with an inert gas, such as CO2 or nitrogen. It is about a in the filler 1 provided flushing pipe 6 over one on the flushing pipe 6 provided flushing pipe opening 6.1 an inert gas stream into the container interior 5.4 directed, by means of which the oxygen-containing air from the container 5 is displaced. After such flushing process, the actual filling process of the container can then 5 done with the liquid contents.

Especially for containers 5 extending towards a container opening 5.2 Rejuvenate, so for example when designed as bottles with a bottleneck containers 5 to prevent the incoming inert gas stream from escaping the displaced atmospheric air from the container interior 5.4 hampered, for example, the flushing pipe 6 at least partially into the container interior before the rinsing process 5.4 introduced, for example, characterized in that the flushing pipe 6 slidable in the filling element 1 is kept and is thus moved from a retracted position before the rinsing in a container in the interior at least partially advanced position and in this advanced position of the rinsing of the container 5 is carried out by means of the inert gas.

The Applicant has surprisingly found that the rinsing result, ie the percentage reduction of the oxygen content in the container interior 5.4 in particular can be improved by that with a vertical flushing pipe 6 the flush pipe 6 or the Spülrohröffnung 6.1 is formed such that an oblique, on the inside of the container wall 5.1 between the container opening 5.2 and the container bottom 5.3 directed inert gas stream is generated. Due to this inclination of the inert gas flow with respect to the vertical axis HA of the container 5 can in the container interior 5.4 a along the inner surface of the container interior 5.4 circulating gas stream as indicated by the arrows in FIG 1 indicated, generated, the optimal displacement of the oxygen-containing ambient air from the container interior 5.4 causes.

In the 2 and 3 an inventive filling element is arranged on a bottleneck of a bottle in a schematic sectional view and shown in a higher level of detail. The flushing pipe 6 has as the outlet for the inert gas stream, the flushing pipe opening 6.1 on, wherein the outlet plane AE, ie the plane in which the edge of the Spülrohröffnung 6.1 is located inclined to a horizontal plane. By this oblique arrangement of the Spülrohröffnung 6.1 is a change in direction of the gas channel 6.2 of the flushing pipe 6 guided Inertgasstroms toward the inner surface of the container wall 5.1 reached. Furthermore, advantageously in the region of the Spülrohröffnung 6.1 a deflection device 7 be provided with their Longitudinal extension obliquely with respect to the wall of the remaining gas channel 6.2 runs. In the embodiment shown, the deflection device 7 inclined or inclined with respect to the gas channel wall 6.3 arranged and preferably includes with this an angle β, which is further preferably an obtuse angle. The in the gas channel 6.2 in the direction of the flushing pipe opening 6.1 Guided inert gas flow meets on its way through the gas channel 6.2 in the area of the free end of the flushing pipe 6 on the deflector 7 and thereby targeted to the inner surface of the container wall 5.1 directed. Preferably, the inert gas stream meets only slightly below the container opening 5.2 on the container wall 5.1 , ie in particular still in the region of the neck of a bottle formed as a bottle 5 ,

3 shows an embodiment of the flushing pipe 6 similar to 2 , only with the difference that the deflector 7 through one at the lower end of the flushing pipe opening 6.2 provided, arcuate or arc segment-shaped wall section 9 is formed. At the same time the gas duct wall becomes 6.3 of the vertical gas channel 6.2 in the region of the free end of the flushing pipe through the deflection 7 curved arcuately at least in a partial area, so that a deflection of the inert gas flow is effected by this curvature. Analogous to the embodiment according to 2 is the outlet plane AE, in which the edge of the Spülrohröffnung 6.1 is formed inclined with respect to the horizontal. In particular, the outlet plane AE is inclined such that the normal vector NAE of the outlet plane with the vertical encloses an acute angle α which extends in the direction of the container bottom 5.3 of the container to be filled 5 opens. The angle α preferably has an angle between 30 ° and 60 °, more preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. The rinse pipe opening 6.1 preferably has a cross section between 4 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 7 mm. Due to the inventive design of the flushing pipe 6 or the flush pipe 6 located flushing pipe opening 6.1 can despite a non-displaceable arrangement of the flushing pipe 6 inside the filler 1 a high quality wash result can be achieved.

4 shows a further embodiment of a filling element according to the invention 1 , in particular for the filling of cup-shaped containers 5 Serves with a liquid product. The main difference compared to the embodiments according to 1 - 3 is that the flushing pipe 6 on the outer circumference side as one in the direction of the discharge opening 4 of the filling element 1 is formed towards expanding, in particular funnel or conically widening element. As a result, the outer surface of the flushing pipe acts 6 as a deflection or Abweisschirm means of which via the filling element 1 the container 5 supplied contents to the inside of the container wall 5.1 is steered. This results in a uniform and laminar inflow of the filling material into the container 5 reached. In the flushing pipe 6 is an angled gas channel 6.2 provided, the first gas channel section 6.2.1 has, which is vertically oriented and thus with its longitudinal extent parallel or substantially parallel to the vertical axis HA of the container 5 extends. At the lower free end of the flushing pipe 6 opens the first channel section 6.2.1 in a second channel section 6.2.2 , with its one end in the first channel section 6.2.1 opens and with its other end the rinse pipe opening 6.1 formed. Preferably, the second channel section extends 6.2.2 with its longitudinal extent at an acute angle α with respect to the vertical, or the first channel section 6.2.1 , wherein the angle α in the direction of the container bottom 5.3 of the container 5 opens. Preferably, the angle α is between 30 ° and 60 °, more preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. Due to the angled formation of the gas channel 6.2 Already inside the flushing pipe is a change in direction of the container 5 supplied Inertgasstroms, in the transition region between the first channel section 6.2.1 and the second channel section 6.2.2 ,

Through experiments carried out by the Applicant in her house, it could be demonstrated that the obliquely directed introduction of the inert gas stream into the container, in particular due to the oblique introduction of the inert gas stream onto the container wall in the region of the bottle neck immediately below the container opening 5.2 even with a very short rinsing time, for example, a rinsing time of 1 sec. A significant reduction in the oxygen content within the container 5 in comparison to a flushing pipe of the same depth of penetration into the container and a vertical outlet direction of the inert gas stream to the container bottom 5.3 can be achieved directed.

The invention has been described above by means of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that a variety of changes or modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

filler

2

filling element

3

liquid channel

4

discharge opening

5

container

5.1

container wall

5.2

container opening

5.3

container bottom

5.4

Container interior

6

flush pipe

6.1

Spülrohröffnung

6.2

gas channel

6.2.1

first channel section

6.2.2

second channel section

6.3

Gaskanalwandung

7

Deflector

8th

wall section

9

wall section

α

angle

β

angle

AE

outlet plane

HA

vertical axis

NAE

Normal vector of the outlet level

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102007040262 A1 [0005]

Claims (14)

Filling element for filling containers with a liquid product, with one in a Füllelementgehäuse ( 2 ) and can be flowed through by the filling liquid channel ( 3 ), with a discharge opening ( 4 ) for dispensing the contents into the respective container ( 5 ) and with a with respect to its longitudinal extent vertically oriented flushing pipe ( 6 ) with a freiendseitigen Spülrohröffnung ( 6.1 ) for rinsing the container ( 5 ) with an inert gas before filling with the liquid product, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) and / or the flushing pipe opening ( 6.1 ) for producing an oblique, on the container wall ( 5.1 ) between container opening ( 5.2 ) and container bottom ( 5.3 ) directed inert gas stream is formed. Filling element according to claim 1, characterized in that the flushing pipe opening ( 6.1 ) is formed by an outlet whose outlet plane (AE) is inclined relative to the horizontal. Filling element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the region of the Spülrohröffnung ( 6.1 ) a deflection device ( 7 ) is provided for deflecting the inert gas stream. Filling element according to claim 3, characterized in that the deflection device ( 7 ) by a provided at the lower end of the Spülrohröffnung, obliquely oriented to the vertical wall portion ( 8th ) is formed. Filling element according to claim 3, characterized in that the deflection device ( 7 ) by a provided at the lower end of the Spülrohröffnung, arcuate or arc segment-shaped wall section ( 9 ) is formed. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) is arranged immovably in the filling element. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) concentrically with respect to the discharge opening ( 4 ) is arranged. Filling element according to one of claims 2-7, characterized in that the normal vector (NAE) of the outlet plane (AE) with the vertical an angle (α) between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flushing pipe opening ( 6.1 ) has a cross section between 4 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 7 mm. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) through in the direction of the discharge opening ( 4 ), in particular a funnel-shaped or cone-shaped widening element is formed. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) an angled gas channel ( 6.2 ) having. Filling element according to claim 11, characterized in that the flushing pipe ( 6 ) by a pair of obliquely extending channel sections ( 6.2.1 . 6.2.2 ) formed gas channel ( 6 ) having. Filling element according to claim 12, characterized in that the flushing pipe opening ( 6.1 ) forming channel section ( 6.2.2 ) with respect to its longitudinal extent with the vertical an angle (α) between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 50 °. Filling machine for filling containers with a liquid product comprising a plurality of filling elements ( 1 ) for discharging the contents into the container, characterized by the use of at least one filling element ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims.

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