Method and apparatus for filling containers with liquid material
AssigneeSeitz Enzinger Noll Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft
InventorLudwig Clusserath
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for filling bottles or similar containers, whereby the containers are rinsed and pre-pressurized with an inert gas in a preliminary pressurizing phase that precedes the filling phase. For the rinsing as well as the at least partial pre-pressurization, the return gas from a return gas channel is utilized. To keep the return gas as free from bacteria as possible, the containers are treated with a sterilization medium in a preliminary treatment phase that precedes the preliminary pressurizing phase. Furthermore, air and sterilization medium that are displaced in the sterilization phase and in the preliminary pressurizing phase are withdrawn to the atmosphere or to a channel that is separate from the return gas channel.
Claims42
A method of filling a container with liquid material using a filling element that has a liquid flow valve, said method including the steps of:
- bringing said container into a sealing position with said filling element;
- in a preliminary pressurizing phase, rinsing and at least partially pre-pressurizing said container with an inert gas;
- in a subsequent filling phase, with said liquid flow valve in an open state, filling said container with said liquid material, whereby return gas that is displaced from said container by entering liquid material is at least for a time withdrawn via a return gas path of said filling element into a return gas channel, and whereby in said preliminary pressurizing phase said rinsing as well as said at least partial pre-pressurizing of said container is effected using, as said inert gas, said return gas from said return gas channel;
- in a preliminary treatment phase that precedes said preliminary pressurizing phase, treating the interior of said container with a sterilization medium to displace air out of said interior of said container;
- and
- withdrawing said displaced air, as well as sterilization medium that is displaced out of said interior of said container by said rinsing with an inert gas during said preliminary pressurizing phase, to at least one of the atmosphere and a channel that is independent of said return gas channel.
In an apparatus for filling a container with liquid material, said apparatus having at least one filling element, which has a liquid flow valve, said apparatus also having at least one control valve mechanism that is operatively associated with said at least one filling element and has a plurality of valves, with said at least one control valve mechanism serving for the control of gas paths formed in said at least one filling element, at least during a preliminary pressurizing phase in which said container, when in a sealing position with said at least one filling element, is rinsed and at least partially pre-pressurized with an inert gas, and also during a subsequent filling phase in which said container, which is in a sealing position with said at least one filling element, with said liquid flow valve in an open state, is filled with said liquid material, whereby at least for a time return gas that is displaced from said container by entering liquid material is withdrawn via a return gas path providing in said at least one filling element into a return gas channel of said apparatus, and whereby in said preliminary pressurizing phase said rinsing as well as said at least partial pre-pressurizing of said container is effected using, as said inert gas, said return gas from said return gas channel, the improvement comprising:
- a source for a sterilization medium which, via said at least one control valve mechanism, is adapted to act upon an interior of said container in a preliminary treatment phase that precedes said preliminary pressurizing phase, thereby displacing air out of said interior of said container;
- and
- outlet means for withdrawing said displaced air, as well as sterilization medium that is displaced out of said interior of said container during said rinsing in said preliminary pressurizing phase, to at least one of the atmosphere and a channel of said apparatus that is independent of said return gas channel thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.