EP3980366B1

EP3980366B1 - Filling valve for filling receptacles with a pourable product

Info

Publication number: EP3980366B1
Application number: EP20716841.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lionel LICHNEWSKY; Filippo Bandini
Original assignee: Sidel Participations SAS
Current assignee: Sidel Participations SAS
Priority date: 2019-06-05
Filing date: 2020-04-14
Publication date: 2023-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-14
Also published as: CN113795456A; EP3980366A1; WO2020244836A1; CN113795456B

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a filling valve configured to fill receptacles, in particular receptacles made of plastic or glass, for example bottles, vials, small jars, pots or receptacles made of metal material, for example cans, with a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product, even more in particular a viscous pourable food product, such as milk, fruit juices, yoghurt or similar.

PRIOR ART

Filling machines typically used for filling receptacles with a pourable product are known, which basically comprise a carousel rotating around a vertical axis, a tank containing the pourable product, and a plurality of filling valves, which are carried peripherally by the carousel, are connected to the tank by respective circuits or ducts and are conveyed by the carousel along a substantially circular transfer path.
Said machines also comprise an inlet device, typically an inlet star wheel configured to sequentially feed empty receptacles to the carousel, and an outlet device, typically an outlet star wheel configured to receive full receptacles from the carousel.
The carousel generally comprises a plurality of supporting elements, each one of which adapted to receive and maintain a respective receptacle to be filled in a vertical position, below each filling valve.
Each filling valve is configured to feed a preestablished quantity of pourable product to the relative receptacle, while it is conveyed along the transfer path thanks to the rotary movement imparted thereto by the carousel.
Typically, the filling valves of the known type basically comprise:

a tubular body fixed to a peripheral portion of the carousel and defining a flow channel for feeding the pourable product to the respective receptacle to be filled, placed below the tubular body itself;
a shutter which engages the tubular body in a sliding manner and is movable inside the flow channel so as to enable or prevent the outflow of the pourable product towards the respective receptacle; and
actuator means for moving the shutter inside of the flow channel defined by the tubular body.

Generally, the tubular body has a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of the carousel and ends at a lower end thereof with an axial outlet opening, fluidically communicating, in use, with an end opening defined by an upper edge of the respective receptacle to be filled.
The flow channel extends coaxially to the axis of the tubular body and comprises a constant section segment, usually cylindrical, and at least a variable section segment, positioned upstream of the outlet opening and narrowing in the direction of the latter, up to a minimum diameter section.
The shutter, which typically engages the flow channel coaxially, is axially mobile inside the flow channel between:

a lower closed position, in which the shutter sealingly closes the variable section segment of the channel, so as to interrupt the flow of the pourable product through the outlet opening; and
an upper open position, in which the shutter delimits, together with the variable section segment, an annular passage fluidically communicating with the outlet opening, so as to enable the flow of the pourable product towards the end opening of the respective receptacle.

Typically, the shutter comprises a main body, generally having a substantially cylindrical shape, and an interaction portion, for example shaped like a piston, axially extending from the main body in the direction of the outlet opening and configured to abut against the variable section segment of the flow channel when the shutter is in the closed position.
In detail, the interaction portion is adapted to sealingly close, in a fluid-tight manner, the aforesaid minimum diameter section, when the shutter is in the closed position.
Although shutters of the type described above represent a valid solution for dosing the pourable product inside the receptacles to be filled, the known filling valves are still open to further improvement, in particular concerning the filling precision and the cleanliness of the filling process.
GB 1 205 495 A discloses a filling valve in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to achieve a filling valve for filling receptacles with a pourable product that will be more reliable and less costly, and allows to satisfy at least one of the needs specified above in relation to filling valves of the known type.
According to the invention, this aim is achieved by a filling valve as claimed in claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred non-limiting embodiment thereof will be described hereinafter, purely by way of example and with the aid of the attached drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a schematic top plan view with parts removed for the sake of clarity of a filling machine comprising a plurality of filling valves according to the present invention;
figure 2 is a larger-scale, partially sectioned side view, with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of a filling valve according to the present invention; and
figure 3 is a larger-scale, perspective view from below, with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of a detail of the filling valve of figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the attached figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates as a whole a filling machine configured to fill a plurality of receptacles 2 with a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product.
In the example described, the pourable product is of a viscous type, for example, milk, fruit juice, yoghurt or similar.
In this non-limiting embodiment, the receptacles 2 are made of plastic or glass, for example bottles, vials, small jars, pots or similar.
In another embodiment not illustrated, the receptacles 2 are made of a metal material, for example aluminium (cans, pots, etc...)
As shown schematically in figure 1, the filling machine 1 basically comprises:

a conveying device, in particular a carousel 3 rotatable around a preferably vertical central axis A, and apt to feed the receptacles 2 along a feed path P shaped as an arc of a circle;
a tank 4 apt to contain the pourable product; and
a plurality of filling valves 5 configured to fill the receptacles 2 while they are being conveyed along the path P.

In detail, each filling valve 5 is adapted to selectively feed a predetermined amount of pourable product to a receptacle 2 one at a time, while the same receptacle 2 is conveyed along the path P due to the rotary motion imparted thereto by the carousel 3.
In greater detail, each filling valve 5 is carried peripherally by the carousel 3 and is fluidically connected to the tank 4 by a respective duct 6 of the filling machine 1.
Conveniently, the filling machine 1 further comprises an inlet conveyor, preferably a star wheel 7 apt to feed a succession of empty receptacles 2 to the carousel 3, and an outlet conveyor, preferably a star wheel 8, apt to receive the filled receptacles 2 from the carousel 3.
In particular, the star wheels 7 and 8 are rotatable around respective axes A' and A'' substantially parallel to the axis A of the carousel 3.
For the sake of brevity, since the filling valves 5 are identical to one another, in the following reference will be made to a single filling valve 5 configured to fill a relative receptacle 2.
However, the features described and illustrated hereinafter, can be applied to each filling valve 5 present in the filling machine 1.
With particular reference to figure 2, the receptacle 2 is positioned, during the filling process, below the filling valve 5.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the filling valve 5 is configured to operate according to a "noncontact" mode with the receptacle 2.
The filling valve 5 basically comprises:

a valve body, in particular a tubular body 10 fixed to a peripheral portion of the carousel 3 and internally defining a flow channel 11 that receives, in use, the pourable product from the relative duct 6 and selectively feeds it to the receptacle 2 along a flow direction D;
a valvular element, in particular a shutter 12 that engages the tubular body 10 in a sliding manner, and therefore the channel 11, and movable, in use, inside the channel 11 to control or prevent the flow of the pourable product towards the receptacle 2; and
actuator means 20 for controlling the movement of the shutter 12 inside the channel 11.

The tubular body 10 has a longitudinal axis B, preferably vertical and parallel to the axis A of the carousel 3, and ending, at a lower end portion thereof, with the outlet opening 9, preferably coaxial to the axis B fluidically communicating, in use, with an end opening 2a defined by an upper edge of the receptacle 2.
The tubular body 10 is further provided with an inlet opening 14 preferably coaxial to the axis B and receiving, in use, the pourable product from the tank 4 through the duct 6.
In particular, the channel 11 is delimited by an internal wall of the tubular body 10, having a variable and substantially circular cross-section, and extending inside the tubular body 10 so as to be coaxial to the axis B.
In light of the above, the channel 11 defines the inlet opening 14 and the outlet opening 9 and extends between both of the latter.
As visible in figure 2, the channel 11 comprises:

a constant section segment 13, substantially cylindrical and arranged downstream of the inlet opening 14 with respect to the flow direction D; and
a variable section segment 15, substantially truncated-cone shaped and tapered in the direction of the outlet opening 9, up to a narrowed section 16.

In detail, the variable section segment 15 is arranged downstream of the constant section segment 13, with respect to the flow direction D.
The shutter 12 coaxially engages the channel 11 and comprises a main body 17, preferably having a substantially cylindrical shape, and an interaction portion 18, carried by the main body 17 and configured to cooperate in contact with the channel 11, in particular with the narrowed section 16 of the variable section segment 15.
In particular, the interaction portion 18 is mounted on the main body 17, and is preferably fixed to the main body 17 by fixing means, for example, a bolt, screw or similar.
According to this preferred embodiment, the interaction portion 18 comprises a sealing element, preferably a sealing ring (for example, an O-ring) made of elastomeric material, fixed to the interaction portion 18 and apt to cooperate, in use, with the narrowed section 16, in order sealingly close, in a fluid tight manner, the circular passage defined by the narrowed section 16 and to prevent the flow of the pourable product through the outlet opening 9.
For this purpose, the shutter 12 is axially movable, in use, inside the channel 11 at least between:

an open position, wherein the shutter 12 enables the flow of the pourable product towards the outlet opening 9, in particular wherein the interaction portion 18 delimits, together with the variable section segment 15, an annular passage fluidically communicating with the outlet opening 9; and
a closed position, wherein the shutter 12 prevents the flow of the pourable product towards the outlet opening 9, in particular wherein the interaction portion 18 seals off the narrowed section 16.

In the specific example, the closed position is a lower position of the shutter 12 inside the channel 11, whereas the open position is an upper position of the shutter 12 inside the channel 11.
As specified above, the movement of the shutter 12, inside the channel 11 between the open position and the closed position, is controlled by actuator means 20, which are, according to this non-limiting embodiment, of a magnetic type, preferably electromagnetic.
In detail, the actuator means 20 comprise a magnetic driving device 21 (for example, a coil), placed externally and around the channel 5, and a driven magnetic device 22 (for example, a permanent magnet), arranged inside the channel 11 and included in, at least a portion of the shutter 12, in particular at least a portion of the main body 17, and preferably made of ferromagnetic material.
The magnetic driving device 21 is magnetically coupled to the driven magnetic device 22, so as to control the shutter 12 between the open position and the closed position according to a known manner and not described in detail.
Therefore, the magnetic driving device 21 and the driven magnetic device 22 define respective interaction means of an electromagnetic type and magnetically interacting between one another, in use, in order to control the movement of the shutter 12 inside the channel 11, according to a known manner and not described in detail.
According to alternative embodiment not illustrated, the actuator means 20 are of the pneumatic or hydraulic type.
As can be seen in figure 2, the shutter 12 comprises an axial end wall 19 arranged downstream of the interaction portion 18, with respect to the flow direction D.
It is stated that by the term "axial" it is intended that the end wall 19 is substantially transversal to the axis B and at the bottom is facing towards the outlet opening 9, which is also, as previously said, axial.
In particular, the shutter 12 is provided with an end body 23 carried, in particular mounted at the bottom, to the interaction portion 18 and configured to exert a stabilising action on the flow of the pourable product passing through the narrowed section 16 of the channel 11 and directed towards the outlet opening 9.
More precisely, the end body 23 extends inside the channel 11 coaxially to the axis B and has a side surface 24, or side wall, that connects the interaction portion 18 to the end wall 19.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the end wall 19 comprises at least a concavity change.
More precisely, the end wall 19 comprises at least a concave area 25, having a concavity facing towards the outlet opening 9, i.e. towards the axially opposite side relative to the interaction portion 18, and at least an intermediate raised area 26 protruding from the concave area 25 in an axial direction.
Conveniently, the raised area 26 extends integrally from the concave area 25.
With particular reference to figures 2 and 3, the concave area 25 is annular around the axis B and the raised area 26 is arranged coaxially to the axis B, such as to define a central area of the end wall 19 with respect to the axis B.
According to the example illustrated, the raised area 26 is convex, having a convexity facing towards the outlet opening 9, i.e. towards the axially opposite side relative to the interaction portion 18.
According to an alternative embodiment not illustrated, the raised area 26 substantially defines a cusp extending axially from the concave area 25.
In light of the above, the aforementioned concavity change is defined by the annular area of the end wall 19 where the concave area 25 ends and the raised area 26 begins, proceeding in a radial direction with respect to the axis B, from the exterior towards the interior.
The end wall 19 is delimited by an edge 27 annular with respect to the axis B, in particular circular and coaxial to the latter. In particular, the concave area 25 extends, in a radial direction, from the edge 27 to the raised area 26, defining in this manner a concave annular groove on the end wall 19.
Furthermore, the end wall 19 is connected to the side surface 24 by means of the aforementioned edge 27.
In the described example:

the connection radius between the edge 27 and the side surface 24 ranges between 0.5mm and 2mm, in particular is 1 mm;
the connection radius between the edge 27 and the concave area 25 ranges between 0.5mm and 2mm, in particular is 1 mm;
the connection radius between the concave area 25 and the raised area 26 ranges between 0.5mm and 2mm, in particular is 1mm; and
the radius of the concave area 25 ranges between 2mm and 6mm, in particular is 4.51mm.

In light of what has been described above, the axis B defines a radial axis of symmetry for the end wall 19, for the end body 23 and, in particular, for the entire shutter 12.
Furthermore, it is clear that the end wall 19 is entirely defined by the concave area 25 and by the raised area 26, whereas the edge 27 defines the outer perimeter of the end wall 19.
As can be seen in figure 2, the edge 27 and the raised area 26, in particular an axial end of the raised area 26, i.e. its top part, lie on an ideal plane that is orthogonal to the axis B.
In other words, the edge 27 and the raised area 26 are arranged flush with one another.
Due to the particular conformation of the shutter 12, in particular due to the presence of the end wall 19 described above, the Applicant has observed that the dripping of pourable product after filling of the receptacle 2 is prevented.
The operation of the filling valve 5 according to the present invention will be described hereinafter, with particular reference to a start condition wherein the shutter 12 is in the open position and the pourable product starts to flow out of the outlet opening 9 and into the receptacle 2.
Once the pre-set amount of pourable product has been delivered, the shutter 12 is commanded to move into the closed position, until the interaction portion 18 seals off the narrowed section 16.
At this point, in particular - but not exclusively - in the case of viscous pourable products, remainders of pourable product flow over the shutter 12 downstream of the interaction portion 18, in particular over the surface 24 of the end body 23, reaching the end wall 19.
Then, said remainders of pourable product, thanks to the adhesion properties of said product, adhere to the end wall 19 and flow over the concave area 25 filling this latter. The raised area 26 provides a further adhesion area, and improves the grip and prevents dripping.
The remainders will then be fed to the subsequent receptacle 2 to be filled, pushed by the new dose of pourable product.
Said process is repeated for each filling valve 5 and for each receptacle 2 to be filled.
From an examination of the features of the filling valve 5 according to the present invention, the advantages that it allows to obtain are evident.
In particular, thanks to the particular conformation of the shutter 12, more in particular thanks to the presence of the end wall 19 according to the invention, the Applicant has observed that the dripping of the pourable product after filling of the receptacle 2 is limited, in particular substantially prevented.
In fact, the Applicant has observed that the particular conformation of the end wall 19 favours adhesion of the pourable product to the end wall 19, limiting or preventing the formation of drops of product that could precipitate on the exposed surface of the carousel 3 after the filling of the receptacle 2 has ended, also due to high operating speeds of the filling machine 12 in steady conditions.
The end wall 19 therefore defines an efficient adhesion surface, which, thanks to its peculiar conformation, it has no preferential drop formation points of the pourable product, when remainders of the latter remain, at the end of the filling, on the side surface 24 of the end body 23 and, flowing downwards, reach the end wall 19.
Without the end wall 19 according to the present invention, said remainders of pourable product could produce drops that could precipitate, as said, on the carousel 3, compromising the cleanliness of the filling process and the precision of the filling process, in the case where the dripping takes place when the receptacle 2 is still below the outlet opening 9, and causing a waste of pourable product.
Said phenomenon occurs in particular, but not exclusively, during the use of the viscous pourable products, such as milk or yoghurt. Therefore, said conformation is particularly suitable and efficient, but not exclusive, for the use of said pourable products.
It is clear that modifications and variants described and illustrated herein can be made to the filling valve 5, without thereby departing from the scope defined by the claims.
In particular, the shutter 12 could be devoid of the end body 23; in this case, the end wall 19 would be arranged immediately below the interaction portion 18.

Claims

- A filling valve (5) configured to fill receptacles (2) with a pourable product, said filling valve (5) comprising:
- a flow channel (11) having a longitudinal axis (B) and defining an outlet opening (9) configured to feed said pourable product to a respective receptacle (2); and

- a valvular element (12) axially engaging said channel (11) and axially movable, in use, at least between an open position, where said valvular element (12) enables a flow of said pourable product towards said outlet opening (9), and a closed position, where said valvular element (12) prevents the flow of said pourable product towards said outlet opening (9);
said valvular element (12) comprising:
- an interaction portion (18) configured to cooperate in contact with said channel (11) when said valvular element (12) is in said closed position; and

- an axial end wall (19) arranged downstream of the interaction portion (18), with respect to a flow direction (D) of said pourable product inside said channel (11);

wherein said end wall (19) comprises at least a concavity change;

wherein said end wall (19) comprises at least a concave area (25), having a concavity facing towards the axially opposite side relative to said interaction portion (18); characterized in that the end wall (19) further comprises at least an intermediate raised area (26) protruding from said concave area (25).
- The filling valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said raised area (26) is convex, having a convexity facing towards the axially opposite side relative to said interaction portion (18).
- The filling valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said raised area (26) substantially defines a cusp extending axially from said concave area (25).
- The filling valve as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein said raised area (26) is arranged coaxially to said longitudinal axis (B).
- The filling valve as claimed in any of the previous claims, wherein said concave area (25) is annular around said longitudinal axis (B).
- The filling valve as claimed in any of the previous claims, wherein said end wall (19) is delimited by an edge (27) annular with respect to said axis (B); said concave area (25) extending, in a radial direction, from said edge (27) to said raised area (26).
- The filling valve as claimed in claim 6, wherein an axial end of said raised area (26) and said edge (27) lie on a same ideal plane orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (B) .
- The filling valve as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said interaction portion (18) is connected to said end wall (19) by a side wall (24) of said valvular element (12) interposed between said interaction portion (18) and said end wall (19), with respect to said flow direction (D) ;
said end wall (19) being connected to said side wall (24) by means of said edge (27).
- The filling valve as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said longitudinal axis (B) defines a radial axis of symmetry for said end wall (19).