Net mass liquid filler
AssigneeOden Corporation
InventorsIver J. Phallen, Richard J. Jezuit, Jr., Robert Comfort, Scott McIlhagga, David J. Noworyta, Peter B. Millett, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Liquid filling apparatus and method of producing a fill or dose of a defined quantity of liquid based upon the mass of the liquid. In one embodiment, a servo motor driven rotary positive displacement pump is used to produce flow through a Coriolis mass flow meter to feed a positive shut-off filling nozzle, wherein mass flow data from the meter is used to control the servo motor-pump-nozzle to produce a precise fill dose of liquid based upon its mass.
Claims29
A method of filling containers with a precise weight of liquid without the need to tare or weigh the container, comprising the following steps:
- providing a source of liquid, a Coriolis liquid mass flow meter, a liquid filling nozzle, filling valve means associated with the nozzle, a electronic controller assembly interconnected with the meter and the filling valve means, and first and second fluid flow conduits extending between the source of liquid and the meter, and between the meter and the filling valve means, respectively;
- establishing a volumetric flow rate through the meter at or above a necessary minimum flow rate and at or below a necessary maximum flow rate, whereby the meter can operate within a desired accuracy range;
- quickly opening the filling valve means and causing flow through the nozzle to be at a relatively constant volumetric flow rate;
- measuring the mass flow output from the meter while the filling valve means is open;
- and
- closing the filling valve means when the output from the meter equals a preset value representing a precise weight of liquid.
An apparatus for filling containers with a precise weight of liquid without the need to tare or weigh the container, comprising the following:
- a source of liquid;
- a Coriolis liquid mass flow meter;
- a liquid filling nozzle;
- filling valve means associated with the nozzle to positively shut-off flow through the nozzle, the filling valve means capable of being quickly opened and shut;
- first and second fluid flow conduits extending between the source of liquid and the meters and between the meter and the filling valve means, respectively;
- means to establish a flow through the meter at a relatively constant volumetric flow rate which is at or above a necessary minimum flow rate and at or below a necessary maximum flow rate, whereby the meter can operate within a desired accuracy range;
- an electronic controller assembly interconnected with the meter and the filling valve means, the electronic controller assembly being capable of quickly opening the filling valve means, and of quickly shutting the filling valve means when the output from the meter equals a preset value representing the precise weight of liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.