# US 10,501,301 B2 · Method for detecting the defective status of an article to be contact filled with a pourable product and filling device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,301 B2 - Document ID: US10501301B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/408,356 - Filed: 2017-01-17 - Published: 2017-08-10 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-08 - Assignees: Sidel Participations - Applicants: Sidel Participations - Inventors: Andrea Cortesi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501301B2 ## CPC - B67C 3/007: {Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery (flow-control B67C3/28)} - B65C 3/26: Affixing labels to non-rigid containers, e.g. bottles made of polyethylene or boxes to be inflated by internal air pressure prior to labelling - B67C 3/10: preliminary filling with inert gases, e.g. carbon dioxide - B67C 3/20: with provision for metering the liquids to be introduced, e.g. when adding syrups (measuring volume, or volume flow, in general G01F) - B67C 3/24: Devices for supporting or handling bottles (transport or storing devices in general B65G) - B67C 3/286: {related to flow rate control, i.e. controlling slow and fast filling phases} - B67C: CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS - B65C: LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES (nailing or stapling in general B25C, B27F; applying labels for packaging purposes B65B; labels, name-plates G09F ){(series-printing machines B41L; containers for the storage or transport of packages B65D)} ## Abstract A method for detecting the defective status of an article intended to be contact-filled with a pourable product stored in a tank using a filling device includes creating a tight-fluid contact between an opening of an article and a first fluidic line defined by the filling device; setting a second valve in a second closed position; setting a first valve in a first open position; measuring the flow of the pourable product along the first fluidic line; and detecting that the article is defective if the flow is greater than a threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting the defective status of an article intended to be contact-filled with a pourable product stored in a tank using a filling device, comprising: creating a tight-fluid contact between an opening of the article and a first fluidic line; setting at least one second valve in a second closed position; setting a first valve in a first open position; measuring a flow of the pourable product along the first fluidic line; detecting that the flow is greater than a threshold value; and detecting that the article is defective when the flow is greater than the threshold value, wherein the filling device comprises: the first fluidic line fluidly connectable in a selective way with the tank, connected with a filling mouth of the filling device, and adapted to convey the flow of the pourable product from the tank towards the filling mouth; the first valve interposed along the first fluidic line and adapted to be selectively arranged either in the first open position in which the first valve allows the flow of the pourable product along the first fluidic line and towards the filling mouth or in a first closed position in which the first valve prevents the pourable product from flowing along the first fluidic line; a second fluidic line fluidly connected with the filling mouth and adapted to allow an escape of an aeriform contained in the article during filling of the article; and the at least one second valve interposed along the second fluidic line and adapted to be selectively arranged either in a second open position in which the at least one second valve allows the escape of the aeriform along the second fluidic line and away from the filling mouth or in the second closed position in which the at least one second valve prevents the aeriform from escaping flowing along the second fluidic line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: setting the at least one second valve in the second closed position and setting the first valve in the first open position are carried out during both a first time interval and a second time interval consecutive to one another, and detecting that the article is defective if the flow is greater than the threshold value is carried out only during the second time interval. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein setting the at least one second valve in the second open position is carried out after the second time interval. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is selectively adjustable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first time interval is selectively adjustable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pourable product is non-carbonated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: applying a label on the filled article inside a labelling station after completion of the filling of the article; and transferring the filled article to the labelling station along a curved path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable programming instructions and included in a control unit of a filling device for filling an article with a pourable product, which, when executed, implements the method of claim 1. ### Claim 9 A filling device for contact-filling an article with a pourable product, comprising: a filling mouth adapted to be in tight-fluid contact with an opening of the article during filling of the article; a first fluidic line fluidly connectable in a selective way with a tank, connected to the filling mouth, and adapted to convey a flow of the pourable product from the tank towards the filling mouth; a first valve interposed along the first fluidic line and adapted to be selectively arranged either in a first open position in which the first valve allows the flow of the pourable product along the first fluidic line and towards the filling mouth or in a first closed position in which the first valve prevents the pourable product from flowing along the first fluidic line; a second fluidic line fluidly connected with the filling mouth and adapted to allow an escape of an aeriform contained in the article during the filling of the article; at least one second valve interposed along the second fluidic line and adapted to be selectively arranged either in a second open position in which the at least one second valve allows the escape of the aeriform along the second fluidic line and away from the filling mouth or in a second closed position in which the at least one second valve prevents the aeriform from escaping along the second fluidic line; a measuring device adapted to measure a quantity associated with the flow of the pourable product along the first fluidic line; and a control unit programmed for: setting the at least one second valve in the second closed position; setting the first valve in the first open position; and detecting that the article is defective if the flow is greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The filling device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further programmed for: keeping the at least one second valve in the second closed position and the first valve in the first open position for a first time interval and a second time interval consecutive to one another; and detecting whether or not the article is defective only during the second time interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The filling device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further programmed for setting the at least one second valve in the second open position after the second time interval. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The filling device of claim 10, wherein the threshold value is adjustable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The filling device of claim 9, wherein the pourable product is non-carbonated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The filling device of claim 10, wherein the first time interval is selectively adjustable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) A system for manufacturing articles filled with a pourable product, comprising: a filling station adapted to fill the articles with the product; a labelling station adapted to apply a plurality of labels onto the articles and arranged downstream of the filling station, proceeding according to an advancing direction of the articles; and a transfer station interposed between the filling station and the labelling station and adapted to transfer the articles along a path from the filling station to the labelling station, wherein the filling station, the labelling station, and the transfer station are housed inside a single machine, and the filling station comprises a plurality of filling devices according to claim 9.