Method of operating a machine for filling bottles, cans or the like beverage containers with a beverage, and a beverage container filling machine
AssigneeKHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG
InventorLudwig Clüsserath
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a carbonated beverage filling machine for filling beverage containers, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans, with a beverage, and also a carbonated beverage filling machine for filling beverage containers, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans, with a beverage. The beverage in the corresponding container, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans, is carbonated in the container, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans, while the container, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans, is being filled in the carbonated beverage filling machine for filling beverage containers, such as beverage bottles and beverage cans.
Claims20
A method of operating a machine for filling beverage containers, said containers comprising beverage bottles or beverage cans, with liquid beverage filling material using the beverage filling machine having a plurality of beverage filling positions, each filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling a beverage container, each filling device comprising a return tube and a carbonation tube, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving a beverage container to be filled in sequence with other containers to said filling machine;
- elevating said beverage container to be filled to a corresponding filling device thereby introducing a corresponding return tube and a corresponding carbonation tube of said beverage filling device through the mouth of said beverage container into the interior of said beverage container, and positioning said carbonation tube deeper into said beverage container than said return tube;
- sealing said beverage container to be filled against the corresponding filling device;
- purging said sealed beverage container by introducing a carbonating material into the interior of said sealed beverage container by way of said carbonation tube, to thereby displace residual air present out of said sealed beverage container;
- terminating said step of purging;
- at the end of said purging step, introducing a flow of a predetermined volume of non-carbonated liquid beverage filling material into the interior of said sealed beverage container with a filling device without adding additional carbonating material;
- terminating the step of flowing non-carbonated liquid beverage filling material into the interior of said sealed beverage container;
- introducing a predetermined quantity of carbonating material through said carbonation tube into the liquid beverage filling material present in said sealed beverage container, in a sufficient quantity with a sufficient pressure to effect carbonation with a sufficient saturation of said liquid beverage filling material in said sealed beverage container to absorb the carbonating material in said liquid beverage filling material, at a pressure level above the saturation pressure sufficient to produce a carbonated beverage;
- terminating the step of introducing carbonating material;
- calming the carbonated beverage filling material in said sealed beverage container for a predetermined period of time to attain a pressure markedly below the carbonating material saturation pressure and thus removing excess bubbles;
- reducing the pressure in said sealed beverage container to a final pressure;
- distancing said filled beverage container filled with carbonated liquid beverage from the sealing relationship with the corresponding filling device;
- and
- removing said filled beverage container from said filling machine.
A method of operating a plant to produce a carbonated beverage by filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material and carbonating said liquid beverage filling material in said beverage containers with carbon dioxide gas using a beverage filling machine and a container closing arrangement, said beverage filling machine having a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling beverage containers, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving beverage containers to be filled to said filling machine;
- sealing the beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices;
- introducing a flow of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of each of said sealed beverage containers;
- filling each of said sealed beverage containers to a substantially predetermined level with said liquid beverage filling material;
- terminating the step of filling said sealed beverage containers upon reaching said substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material in each of said sealed beverage containers;
- introducing carbon dioxide gas into the liquid beverage filling material present in said sealed beverage containers at a pressure sufficient to produce a carbonated beverage from said liquid beverage filling material present in each of said sealed beverage containers by mixing said liquid beverage filling material and said carbon dioxide gas in said sealed beverage containers and producing a carbonated beverage in said sealed containers;
- terminating the step of introducing carbon dioxide gas;
- distancing beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from the corresponding beverage filling devices;
- said method further comprising the steps of:
- moving said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from said beverage filling machine to said container sealing arrangement;
- moving said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage into said container sealing arrangement;
- and
- closing each of said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage in each of said beverage containers with a closing device and thus preventing the carbon dioxide in said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from substantially leaking from said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage at least prior to shipping;
- said method yet further comprising the step of:
- preparing the closed sealed beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage for shipping from said plant to consumers.
A plant for filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material and carbonating the liquid beverage filling material in beverage containers with carbon dioxide gas, said plant comprising:
- a beverage filling machine;
- said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling beverage containers;
- apparatus configured to move beverage containers to be filled to said filling machine;
- apparatus configured to seal beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices;
- said filling devices comprising apparatus configured to introduce a flow of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of sealed beverage containers to fill sealed beverage containers to a substantially predetermined level with liquid beverage filling material;
- said apparatus configured to introduce a flow of liquid beverage filling material comprising apparatus configured to terminate the filling of beverage containers upon reaching said substantially predetermined level in sealed beverage containers;
- apparatus configured to introduce carbon dioxide gas into the liquid beverage filling material in sealed beverage containers at a pressure sufficient to produce a carbonated beverage in sealed beverage containers from liquid beverage filling material in beverage containers;
- said apparatus configured to introduce carbon dioxide gas comprising apparatus configured to terminate introduction of carbon dioxide gas;
- apparatus configured to distance beverage containers, filled with a carbonated beverage from the beverage filling devices;
- and
- said plant further comprising:
- a container closing arrangement configured to close carbonated beverage filled containers with closing devices;
- said container closing sealing arrangement comprising:
- apparatus configured to position carbonated beverage filled containers in said container closing arrangement;
- and
- apparatus configured to close carbonated beverage filled containers with a closing device and prevent from substantially leaking from carbonated beverage filled containers a carbonated beverage.
A method of operating a plant to produce a carbonated beverage by filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material and carbonating said liquid beverage filling material in said beverage containers with carbon dioxide gas using a beverage filling arrangement and a container closing arrangement, said beverage filling arrangement having a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling beverage containers, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving beverage containers to be filled to said beverage filling arrangement;
- sealing the beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices;
- introducing a flow of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of said sealed beverage containers;
- filling said sealed beverage containers to a substantially predetermined level with liquid beverage filling material;
- introducing carbon dioxide gas into the liquid beverage filling material in said sealed beverage containers at a pressure sufficient to produce a carbonated beverage from said liquid beverage filling material in said sealed beverage containers by mixing said liquid beverage filling material and carbon dioxide gas in said sealed beverage containers and producing a carbonated beverage in said sealed containers;
- terminating the step of introducing carbon dioxide gas;
- terminating the step of filling said sealed beverage containers upon reaching said substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material in said sealed beverage containers;
- distancing beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from the beverage filling devices;
- said method further comprising the steps of:
- moving said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from said beverage filling arrangement;
- moving said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage into said container closing arrangement;
- and
- closing said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage with closing devices and thus preventing the carbon dioxide in said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage from substantially leaking from said beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage at least prior to shipping;
- said method yet further comprising the step of:
- preparing the closed beverage containers filled with said carbonated beverage for shipping from said plant to consumers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.