Filling unit for filling containers of two different types with a liquid substance, in particular with a beverage

A filling unit (1) for filling containers with a liquid substance (99), comprising:

• a plate (12) forming a resting surface for the base in a container to be filled;
• a housing (2) configured to receive a mouth of the container to be filled, the housing (2) facing the plate (12) and forming a cavity (26) which opens towards the plate (12);
• a dispenser (3) which opens onto the housing (2) and faces the plate (12), the dispenser (3)—in use—facing the mouth of the container so as to dispense, through a dispensing opening (30), the liquid substance (99) towards an internal volume of the container;
• a feed duct (13) for feeding the liquid substance (99) to the dispenser (2);
• a valve (4) interposed between the feed duct (13) and the dispensing opening (30), the valve (4) being controllable to assume an open position and a closed position, thus allowing and preventing the liquid substance (99) to be dispensed from the dispenser (3);
• the filling unit (1) being configured to fill containers (90) of a first type and to fill containers (95) of a second type,
• the housing (2) being configured to receive the mouth (91) of a container (90) of the first type and, alternatively, the mouth (96) of a container (95) of a second type,
• wherein the plate (12) is movable towards or, vice versa, away from the dispenser (3),
• wherein the housing (2) comprises a bottom wall (24), on which the dispenser (3) opens, and a lateral wall (25), the cavity (26) of the housing (2) being delimited by the bottom wall (24) and the lateral wall (25),
• the housing (2) being fitted with a first annular gasket (21), designed to come into contact with the mouth (91) of a container (90) of the first type, and a second annular gasket (22), designed to come into contact with the mouth (96) of a container (95) of the second type, wherein the first annular gasket (21) is smaller in size than the second annular gasket (22) and is positioned at a shorter distance from the bottom wall (24) of the housing (2),
• the lateral wall (25) of the housing (2) being formed at least partly by an annular body (6) that is movable relative to the bottom wall (24), moving towards or, vice versa, away from the plate (12),
• the second annular gasket (22) being mounted on said annular body (6),
• the filling unit (1) being configured to operate in such a way that:
• after a container (90) of the first type has been positioned on the plate (12), the plate (12) is moved towards the dispenser (3) to bring the mouth (91) of the container (90) into contact with the first annular gasket (21);
• and
• after a container (95) of the second type has been positioned on the plate (12), the annular body (6) of the housing (2) is moved towards the plate (12) to bring the second annular gasket (22) into contact with the mouth (96) of the container (95).