US 6,470,922 B2Granted

Bottling plant for bottling carbonated beverages

AssigneeKHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG

InventorSiegmar Sindermann

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Apparatus for the recovery of an inert gas, preferably for the recovery of CO2, for use in counterpressure filling machines, the filling elements of which—prior to introduction of a liquid filling material into a container—evacuate this container and at least prepressurize this container with an inert gas under pressure from the pressurizing gas distribution channel:and which elements, during the subsequent introduction of a filling material, conduct the inert gas containing return gas displaced from a corresponding container into a return gas collection channel, wherein a first evacuation system is provided with which the air can be removed from the bottle, and then there is carried out a prepressurizing of the bottles using an inert gas; and a second independent evacuation system is provided with which can be removed and collected, independently of the first evacuation, the inert gas that is being removed by suction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A plant for filling containers, such as beverage bottles, with a liquid beverage with a filling machine, said filling machine comprising:

apparatus configured and disposed to move containers into said filling machine to permit filling of containers with a liquid beverage;
apparatus configured and disposed to withdraw containers filled with a liquid beverage from said filling machine;
a supply arrangement configured and disposed to contain a supply of liquid beverage with which the containers are to be filled;
a supply arrangement configured and disposed to contain a supply of protective gas to protect the liquid beverage in a filled container;
at least one filling element configured and disposed to sealingly engage with the containers during filling;
apparatus configured and disposed to introduce the liquid beverage into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element through each said at least one filling element into a container;
at least one supply passage for the protective gas, configured to be opened and closed, and disposed between said protective gas supply tank and the interior of a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
conduit means configured and disposed to collect protective gas from a container filled with said protective gas upon the filling of a container with a liquid beverage;
a first evacuation system configured and disposed to remove air by pumping the air from the interior of a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
apparatus configured and disposed to introduce the protective gas into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element subsequent to evacuation of the air from a container to pressurize a beverage container to a first pressure;
apparatus configured and disposed to introduce liquid beverage into a container subsequent to the introduction of the protective gas into a container;
said liquid beverage introducing apparatus comprising at least one supply passage for the liquid beverage configured to be disposed between said beverage supply tank and the interior of a container;
a second evacuation system configured and disposed to remove the introduced protective gas by pumping the introduced protective gas from the interior of a container;
said second evacuation system comprising an evacuation system being configured and disposed to be independent of said first, air, evacuation system;
apparatus configured and disposed to treat the removed protective gas to recover at least a substantial portion of protective gas from the removed protective gas;
apparatus to introduce the treated recovered protective gas into said protective gas supply arrangement;
and
control apparatus to control said filling machine.

15 more elements

A method of operating a plant for filling containers, such as beverage bottles, with a liquid beverage with a filling machine, said filling machine comprising:

apparatus configured and disposed to move containers into said filling machine to permit filling of containers with a liquid beverage;
apparatus configured and disposed to withdraw containers filled with a liquid beverage from said filling machine;
a supply arrangement configured and disposed to contain a supply of liquid beverage with which the containers are to be filled;
a supply arrangement configured and disposed to contain a supply of protective gas to protect the liquid beverage in a filled container;
at least one filling element configured and disposed to sealingly engage with the containers during filling;
apparatus configured and disposed to introduce the liquid beverage into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element through each said at least one filling element into a container;
a first evacuation system configured and disposed to remove air from the interior of a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
apparatus configured and disposed to introduce a protective gas from said protective gas supply reservoir into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
a second evacuation system configured and disposed to remove and collect the introduced protective gas from the interior of a container;
said second evacuation system comprising an evacuation system being configured to be independent of said first, air, evacuation system;
and
control apparatus configured and disposed to control operations of said filling machine;
said method comprising the steps of:
feeding empty beverage containers into the filling machine;
engaging the empty beverage containers with each said at least one filling element and sealing the interiors of each of the beverage containers from the ambient air with each said at least one filling element such that the interiors of each of the beverage containers are in fluid communication with said liquid beverage supply arrangement and said protective gas supply arrangement;
evacuating the interior of each of the sealed beverage containers of air contained therein by pumping;
introducing the protective gas into the interior of each of the evacuated beverage containers to pressurize the beverage containers to a first pressure;
introducing the liquid beverage with which the pressurized beverage containers are to be filled into the interior of each of the evacuated beverage containers;
displacing protective gas by pumping the protective gas from the beverage containers containing the liquid beverage;
collecting protective gas displaced from the beverage containers;
disengaging each of the filled beverage containers from the corresponding filling element;
closing the filled beverage containers;
treating the displaced protective gas and recovering treated protective gas therefrom;
conducting treated protective gas into said protective gas supply arrangement;
and
introducing protective gas containing said treated protective gas into the interior of each of the evacuated beverage containers to pressurize the beverage containers to a first pressure.

23 more elements

The method of operating a plant for filling containers according to claim 10, wherein:

said protective gas comprises carbon dioxide.

A filling machine for a plant for filling containers with a liquid beverage, said filling machine comprising:

apparatus configured to move containers into said filling machine to permit filling of containers with a liquid beverage;
apparatus configured to withdraw containers filled with a liquid beverage from said filling machine;
a supply arrangement configured to contain a supply of liquid beverage with which the containers are to be filled;
an arrangement configured to supply a protective gas to protect the liquid beverage in a filled container;
at least one filling element configured to sealingly engage with the containers during filling;
apparatus configured to introduce the liquid beverage into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element through each said at least one filling element into a container;
a first evacuation system configured to remove air from the interior of a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
apparatus configured to introduce a protective gas from said protective gas supply arrangement into a container sealingly engaged with each said at least one filling element;
a second evacuation system configured to remove protective gas from the interior of a container;
said second evacuation system comprising an evacuation system being configured to be independent of said first, air, evacuation system;
and
control apparatus configured to control said filling machine.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/808,411Filed 14 Mar 2001
Priority: DE 100 12 68415 Mar 2000
Published: US 2002/0023689 A128 Feb 2002
Granted: 29 Oct 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B67C 3/12
Using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure: pressure-control devices
B67C 3/10
Using counterpressure, i.e. filling while the container is under pressure: preliminary filling with inert gases, e.g. carbon dioxide
F17C 7/00
Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure
F17C 2205/0326
Valves: electrically actuated