US 5,878,797 AGranted

Vent tube

AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company

InventorsJohn F. Manuel, Alexander F. Clarino, Vincent S. Caliendo

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Abstract

A vent tube for a filling apparatus comprises a tube extending from an upper end which is selectively coupleable to the apparatus, to a lower end forming a fill tip, wherein the fill tip includes at least one opening formed therethrough to fluidly couple an atmosphere surrounding the fill tip to the lumen and a spreader having an upper surface extending a predetermined distance from a portion of the tube above the fill tip in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the tube. A tapered bottle guide extends from the tube between the fill tip and the spreader, so that a diameter of the bottle guide increases from a minimum diameter at a lower end thereof to a maximum diameter at an upper surface thereof, wherein the upper surface of the bottle guide abuts a lower surface of the spreader.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A vent tube for a filling apparatus for automatically filling liquid into containers comprising:

a tube defining a lumen extending therethrough, the tube extending from an upper end, which is selectively coupleable to the apparatus, to a lower end forming a fill tip, wherein the fill tip includes at least one opening formed therethrough to fluidly couple an atmosphere surrounding the fill tip to the lumen;
a spreader for diverting laterally a flow of the liquid passing along an outer surface of the tube, the spreader having an upper surface extending a predetermined distance from a portion of the tube above the fill tip in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the tube;
and
a bottle guide extending from the tube between the fill tip and the spreader, wherein the bottle guide is tapered so that a diameter of bottle guide increases from a minimum diameter at a lower end thereof to a maximum diameter at an upper surface thereof, said minimum diameter being equal to or less than an outermost diameter of the fill tip and wherein the upper surface of the bottle guide abuts a lower surface of the speader;
wherein, when the tube is coupled to the filling apparatus, the spreader and the fill tip are immovably positioned a predetermined distance from one another and wherein an outer surface of the tube from its fill tip to the spreader is smooth and free of shoulders or other surface characteristics which would prevent the tube from smoothly entering the containers being filled.

2 more elements

A vent tube for a filling apparatus for filling liquid into containers comprising:

a pipe extending from an upper portion which is selectively coupleable to the filling apparatus to a lower portion, wherein a lumen extends through the pipe from the upper portion to an opening formed in the lower portion;
a spreader for diverting laterally a flow of the liquid passing along an outer surface of the pipe, the spreader an upper surface of which extends from the outer surface of the pipe in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the pipe, wherein a distance by which the upper surface of the spreader extends from the outer surface of the pipe is a maximum distance by which the spreader extends from the outer surface of the pipe;
a guide member extending from the outer surface of the pipe so that an upper end thereof abuts a lower surface of the spreader, wherein an extension from the outer surface of the pipe of the upper end is at least as great as an extension of the lower surface of the spreader from the outer surface of the pipe, so that an outer surface of the vent tube tapers gradually from a minimum diameter at a lower end of the guide member to a maximum diameter at the upper surface of the spreader said minimum diameter being equal to or less than an outermost diameter of the pipe, and wherein the outer surface of the pipe from its opening formed in the lower portion to the spreader is smooth and free of shoulders or other surface characteristics which would prevent the vent tube from smoothly entering the containers being filled.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.