Filling method, filling line and filling kit for filling containers with viscous fluids, particularly for filling batteries with electrolyte

A method for filling containers with a fluid in a filling line in which the containers are conveyed in series along a first conveyance path between an inlet for the empty containers and an outlet for the filled containers, comprising the steps of:

• conveying along a second conveyance path a series of filling units, said first and second paths being at least partially mutually superimposed;
• along a portion of said second path, filling each filling unit with said predetermined volume of fluid;
• along a superimposed segment between said first and second conveyance paths, rendering each filling unit temporarily integral with a respective one of said containers, so as to form a unitary assembly in which the filling unit and the respective container are in fluid communication;
• wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
• accumulating the unitary assemblies in a buffer station in which the filling units transfer said volume of fluid to said container;
• at the end of the transfer of said volume of fluid, separating the containers thus filled from the filling units thus emptied and conveying toward said outlet said containers thus filled.

A filling line comprising an inlet for empty containers, an outlet for the filled containers, and a first conveyance path for the containers between said inlet and said outlet, wherein it comprises:

• a second conveyance path for a series of filling units, said first and second paths being at least partially mutually superimposed;
• a separation station, a filling station for filling said filling units downstream of said separation station, a coupling station downstream of said filling station and a buffer station between said coupling station and said separation station, said stations being passed through by at least said second conveyance path, the first and second conveyance paths being mutually superimposed at least at said coupling station and at said buffer station;
• at said filling station, means for introducing a predetermined volume of a fluid to be injected into said containers into each one of said filling units;
• said coupling station being suitable to couple to each one of said containers a respective one of said filling units that arrive from said filling station, so as to form a unitary assembly in which the filling unit and the respective container are in fluid communication;
• said line comprising actuation means for actuating the filled filling units of said unitary assemblies in order to transfer, at said buffer station, said volume of fluid from the filling unit to the container of the respective unitary assembly, which at the end of the transfer will be composed of the emptied filling unit and by the filled container;
• said separation station being suitable to disassemble said unitary assemblies that exit, or come, from the buffer station, separating the emptied filling units of each unitary assembly from the respective filled containers.