Filling device
AssigneeElopak ASA
InventorsAndriy Kupyna, Andreas Lennartz, Peter Barth, Dirk Auer, Franz-Willi Spelten
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A filling device (10) comprises a filler nozzle (12) comprising a plurality of capillaries (14), and a filler valve (16), which is moveable relative to the filler nozzle (12). The filler valve (16) comprises a sealing plate (18) and a sealing component (20) moveable relative to the sealing plate (18). The sealing plate (18), when in contact with the filler nozzle (12), closes a plurality of the capillaries (14) but leaves at least one main capillary (14a) open. The sealing component (20) closes the at least one main capillary (14a) and is operable to create pressure along the at least one main capillary (14a).
Claims20
A filling device comprising:
- a filler nozzle comprising a plurality of capillaries, and
- a filler valve moveable relative to the filler nozzle,
- wherein the filler valve comprises:
- a sealing plate which, when in contact with the filler nozzle, closes a plurality of the capillaries but leaves at least one main capillary open, and
- a flexible sealing component which is compressible and moveable relative to the sealing plate, which is operable to close the at least one main capillary and, by being compressed, to create pressure along the at least one main capillary,
- wherein the sealing plate comprises one or more elongate tubes passing through the sealing plate between a first side of the sealing plate and a second side of the sealing plate, the one or more elongate tubes being arranged, at the first side of the sealing plate, to engage with the at least one main capillary, and the one or more elongate tubes, at the second side of the sealing plate, terminating adjacent to the flexible sealing component, the one or more elongate tubes providing a connection from the at least one main capillary to the second side of the sealing plate where the at least one main capillary is closable by the flexible sealing component.
A method of operating a filling device comprising:
- opening a sealing plate of a filler valve to provide a flowable product from a filler nozzle comprising a plurality of capillaries, to a partially formed container, the sealing plate comprising one or more elongate tubes passing through the sealing plate between a first side of the sealing plate and a second side of the sealing plate, the one or more elongate tubes being arranged, at the first side of the sealing plate, to engage with at least one main capillary, and the one or more elongate tubes, at the second side of the sealing plate, terminating adjacent to a flexible and compressible sealing component, wherein the method further comprises:
- closing the sealing plate which, when in contact with the filler nozzle, closes a plurality of the capillaries but leaves the at least one main capillary open,
- closing a flexible sealing component of the filler valve, which closes the at least one main capillary,
- operating the sealing component to compress the sealing component to create pressure along the at least one main capillary, and
- reversing the operation of the sealing component to release compression of the sealing component to create suction along the at least one main capillary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.