Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/22—Details
  • B67C3/28—Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves
  • B67C3/286—Flow-control devices, e.g. using valves related to flow rate control, i.e. controlling slow and fast filling phases
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/06—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/06—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure
  • B67C3/12—Pressure-control devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
  • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
  • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
  • B67C3/22—Details
  • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
  • B67C3/2614—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks specially adapted for counter-pressure filling

Definitions

• Filling a container with a liquid can be accompanied by undesirable phenomena, such as foaming (for example for carbonated liquids and, among other things, beer).
• foaming for example for carbonated liquids and, among other things, beer.
• the formation of foam occurs, in particular, at the start of filling when the liquid jet strikes the bottom of the container and at the end of filling when the liquid level reaches the narrowing corresponding to the shoulder of the container.
• the invention proposes, according to a first of its aspects, a method of regulating the filling of a container with a liquid supplied from a source into said container by a filling spout capable of cooperating hermetically with a opening of said container and having a first orifice for the passage of liquid, the gas contained in the container being discharged to the outside through a second orifice as the container is filled, which process is characterized, according to the invention, in that the proportion is controlled flow of the discharged gas so as to regulate the flow of the liquid entering the container.
• the regulation control is carried out not on the flow of the liquid itself, but on that of the gas discharged from the container.
• the liquid flow is braked without disturbing it by the addition of any regulating valve between the reservoir and the container. It is therefore understandable that by controlling the flow rate of the discharged gas according to a predetermined program during filling of the container, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the liquid flow so that the liquid flows into the container. without foaming, or at least with minimal foaming.
• the source is a closed tank
• the discharged gas is brought back to the tank during filling of the container, and, at the end of filling the container, the container is placed in communication with the atmosphere by controlling the speed of setting to a determined pressure.
• the liquid contained in the reservoir and poured into the container is over-pressurized and that at the end of filling of the container, the container is placed in communication with the atmosphere by controlling the rate of setting of the carbonate liquid at a predetermined pressure.
• FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating the basic provisions of the invention.
• the gravity flow of the liquid from the reservoir 1 to the container 7 is accompanied by the discharge, from the container 7, of an identical volume of gas contained in the container 7 (in FIG. 1, the path of the liquid is shown diagrammatically by single-body arrows and the path of the gas discharged by double body arrows), thanks to the presence of a vent provided for this purpose in the filling spout 6.
• the filling valve 5 is of the open / closed type, remotely controlled (in particular electric or pneumatic), from a unit 10 for managing the operation of the entire installation.
• the filling valve 5 remains, during the filling phase of the container 7, open to the maximum and does not constitute a hindrance for the homogeneous flow of the liquid (which can be a carbonated liquid and / or contain phases solid fruit pulp for example -).
• the proportional control of the valve 11 is carried out according to a predetermined sequence managed by the unit 10 and can be accompanied by a detection of a parameter characterizing the filling of the container (for example duration, flow, flow volume, ).
• a parameter characterizing the filling of the container for example duration, flow, flow volume, .
• FIG. 1 it has been assumed, by way of example, a flow detection
• flow meter 12 (flow meter 12) delivering a setpoint signal to the management unit 10.
• the management unit 10 may include a preset program for opening and closing the proportional valve 11 as a function of the filling stage of the container 7.
• the source S of liquid here consists of a reservoir 1 which is closed, the liquid 2 possibly or not being under pressure.
• the duct 8 is associated with a balancing-degassing valve 9, which is also of the open-closed type.
• the duct 8 no longer opens to the atmosphere, but is connected to the closed tank 1, in particular at the upper part thereof.
• the closed tank 1, the container 7 closed by the filling spout 6 and the filling 4 and degassing conduits 8 constitute, for gases, a sealed closed circuit.
• the initial balancing-degassing functions and the delivery of gas out of the container when the latter is filled are assigned to two separate valves, the valves 9 and 11 respectively.
• the filling / capping operation When the container 7 must be filled with a carbonated liquid under a conditioning pressure P 0 , it is usual for the filling / capping operation to be carried out with a carbonated liquid under a pressure Pi greater than the pressure P 0 so as to hold account for the gas losses caused by the various transfers to the blocked container. At the end of filling, the container therefore contains a liquid at the pressure P x > P 0 , while the closure must be carried out under the predetermined pressure. It is therefore usual to complete the filling operation with a degassing step lowering the pressure of the carbonate liquid from P_ to P 0 .
• FIG. 3 in which the numerical references of FIGS. 1 and 2 have been kept to designate the same elements.
• valve 13 In the degassing tube 8 and downstream of the balancing valve 9 / proportional valve 11 pair (in other words, between these and the tank 1), there is a stop valve 13, while a bypass 14, connected between valves 9, 11 and valve 13, leads to the atmosphere via a stop valve 15. The control of valves 14 and 15 is ensured by the management unit 10.
• the operation of the installation is as follows. At the end of the filling cycle described above with reference to FIG. 1 (during which the valve 15 is kept closed and the valve 13 is kept open), after closing the proportional valve 11 the valve 13 is closed, it is opened the balancing valve 9, then the valve 15 for venting is opened. As soon as the pressure has dropped to the predetermined value P 0 , the valve 15 is closed, the balancing valve 9 is closed and the valve 13 is opened.
• the pressure setpoint P 0 which can be detected for example by a sensor pressure 16 disposed near the container 7 in the tube 8, can be delivered to the management unit 10 as shown in Figure 2 (or be applied directly to the actuator of the valve 15).
• the two valves 13, 15 operate as a selector making it possible to direct the gas coming from the container 7 either towards the tank 1, or towards the atmosphere.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=32319969

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2002
  • 2002-12-04 FR FR0215271A patent/FR2848203B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-11-24 EP EP03789485A patent/EP1567444B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-11-24 AU AU2003294069A patent/AU2003294069A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-11-24 AT AT03789485T patent/ATE335705T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-11-24 DE DE60307504T patent/DE60307504T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-11-24 WO PCT/FR2003/003470 patent/WO2004060790A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-11-24 ES ES03789485T patent/ES2270157T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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