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US 10,870,504 B2Granted
Method for forming and filling a container with an end product comprising a concentrated liquid
OwnerLuc Desoutterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming and filling a container. The method includes the steps of placing a preform in fluidic communication with an outlet of an injection device of a forming station and forming a container by expanding the preform during a forming step, wherein a forming liquid is injected into the preform through the outlet to expand the preform into the container. The forming liquid is a cleanable liquid. The method further includes a step of transferring the formed container to a concentrate filling station, separate from the forming station and a step of filling the concentrated liquid in the container already containing the cleanable liquid. The step of filling the concentrated liquid is performed in the concentrate filling station.
Claims17
A method for forming a container from a preform and filling the container with an end product, the end product being obtained by mixing a cleanable liquid with a concentrated liquid, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the preform in a forming station comprising an injection device such that the preform is placed in fluidic communication with an outlet of the injection device,
- fully forming the container by injecting a first volume of a forming liquid into the preform through the outlet of the injection device to expand the preform into a formed container, the forming liquid being the cleanable liquid and the first volume being less than a full volume of the container,
- transferring the formed container containing the cleanable liquid to a concentrate filling station, the concentrate filling station being separate from the forming station, and
- producing the full volume of the end product by providing a second volume of the concentrated liquid into the container already containing the first volume of the cleanable liquid, the providing of the concentrated liquid being performed in the concentrate filling station,
- the forming station being moved in rotation around a first axis during the forming step and the concentrate filling station being moved in rotation around a second axis, different from the first axis and substantially parallel to the first axis, during the step of filling the concentrated liquid,
- determining and varying a volumetric concentrate concentration of the concentrated liquid based on a rotation speed of the forming station at which the first volume of the cleanable liquid leaves a free headspace at the top of the container which is large enough to prevent the cleanable liquid from overflowing out of the container during transferring the container from the forming station to the concentrate filling station.
3 more elements
A machine for forming and filling a container from a preform comprising:
- at least one forming station, the forming station including
- an injection device having an inlet in fluidic communication with a cleanable liquid source and an outlet through which a first volume of the cleanable liquid source is to be injected, the first volume being less than the full volume of the container, and
- a preform seat arranged to receive the preform, the forming station configured to place the preform received in the preform seat in fluidic communication with the outlet of the injection device,
- at least one concentrate filling station, the concentrate filling station including
- an injection device having an inlet in fluidic communication with a concentrated liquid source and an outlet through which the volumetric concentrate concentration of the concentrated liquid is to be injected in a second volume, and
- a container seat arranged to receive a container already containing the cleanable liquid, the concentrate filling station being located downstream of the forming station,
- a first transfer station configured to place a preform in the forming station and
- a second transfer station configured to transfer the formed container already containing cleanable liquid from the forming station to the concentrate filling station,
- the forming station being moveable in rotation around a first axis during forming of the container and the concentrate filling station being moveable in rotation around a second axis during injecting of the concentrated liquid, the second axis being different from the first axis and substantially parallel to the first axis, the first and second volumes cooperating to form the full volume of the container,
- wherein a volumetric concentrate concentration of the concentrate is determined and varied depending on a rotation speed of the forming station wherein the first volume of the cleanable liquid provides a free headspace at a top of the container preventing the cleanable liquid from overflowing out of the container during transferring of the container from the forming station to the concentrate filling station.
7 more elements
A method for forming a container from a preform and filling the container with an end product, the end product being obtained by mixing a cleanable liquid with a concentrated liquid, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the preform in a forming station including an injection device such that the preform is placed in fluidic communication with an outlet of the injection device;
- injecting a first volume of a forming liquid into the preform to fully expand the preform into a formed container of a final volume, the forming liquid being a cleanable liquid and the first volume being less than the final volume;
- transferring the formed container containing the cleanable liquid to a concentrate filling station, the concentrate filling station being separate from the forming station;
- in the concentrate filling station, providing a concentrated liquid into the container already containing the cleanable liquid, the concentrated liquid not being a cleanable liquid and being of a second volume, the second volume cooperating with the first volume to constitute a final volume of the container;
- and
- the forming station being moved in rotation around a first axis during the injecting step and the concentrate filling station being moved in rotation around a second axis during the filling step, the second axis being different from the first axis and substantially parallel to the first axis;
- wherein the first volume is determined and varied on a basis of a rotation speed of the forming station such that the first volume leaves a free headspace at the top of the formed container that is large enough to prevent the cleanable liquid from overflowing out of the formed container during transferring of the formed container from the forming station to the concentrate filling station, and a volumetric concentrate concentration of the second volume of the concentrate is determined based on the first volume.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.