Container filling arrangement for filling bottles and similar containers with a beverage and a method of operating the container filling arrangement
AssigneeKHS GmbH
InventorsLudwig Clüsserath, Achim Kunz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to perform a cleaning-in-place or CIP cleaning of a filling element of a filling machine for the filling of containers with a liquid filling content, at least one closure element can be used, together with the filling element, to form a flushing chamber, in which a filling valve and a filling-level probe are at least partially disposed for the cleaning-in-place cleaning of the filling element. A control unit controls the flow of cleaning medium into the flushing chamber and the performance of at least one electrical measurement with the filling-level probe during the cleaning-in-place cleaning of the filling element.
Claims20
A method for the cleaning-in-place cleaning of at least one filling element of a filling machine for the filling of containers with a liquid filling content, wherein:
- said filling machine comprises a plurality of filling positions disposed on a rotary transport element;
- each filling position comprises a filling element;
- said filling element comprises a filling valve and a filling-level probe;
- and
- said method comprising:
- connecting a closure element comprising a flushing cap or a flushing sleeve to each said filling element, and thereby forming, together with said filling element, a flushing chamber in which said filling valve and said filling-level probe are at least partially disposed;
- introducing at least one cleaning medium into said flushing chamber;
- and
- performing at least one electrical measurement with said filling-level probe during the cleaning-in-place cleaning of said filling element.
A filling machine for the filling of containers with a liquid filling content, said filling machine comprising:
- a plurality of filling positions disposed on a rotary transport element;
- each filling position comprising a filling element;
- said filling element comprising a filling valve and a filling-level probe;
- at least one closure element being configured and disposed to form, together with said filling element, a flushing chamber in which said filling valve and said filling-level probe are at least partially disposed for the cleaning-in-place cleaning of said filling element;
- and
- a control unit being configured to control:
- the flow of cleaning medium into said flushing chamber;
- and
- the performance of at least one electrical measurement with said filling-level probe during the cleaning-in-place cleaning of said filling element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.