Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02512167 2005-06-28
TH/bs 011290W0
20. Juni 2005
FILLING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FILLING FOODSTUFFS
The present invention relates to a filling machine and a
method for filling foodstuffs, particularly beverages, in
composite packages which are open on top, and for sealing
these packages, using a packaging transport device, a
sterilization unit, a drying unit, a filling unit, and a
sealing unit.
Such filling machines are known in various embodiments
from practice. Normally, the individual units connected
in series are typically positioned above the composite
packages in a line, the manufacturing being performed in
multiple parallel lines. In the known facilities, the
composite packages open on top are produced from a
packaging sleeve immediately before the sterilization.
Since the production of the composite packages is
performed on an intermittently rotated mandrel wheel, the
speed of linear transport is directly dependent on the
output speed of the mandrel wheel. It is immediately
obvious that the transport speed may not be elevated
arbitrarily, since the linearly transported composite
packages open on top must be filled from fixed filling
nozzles. With linear transport of the composite packages
to be filled and fixed filling nozzles, for optimization
of the output speed, the actual filling process must be
performed in a relatively short time, which leads to
undesired foaming on the liquiti.
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A generic device is known from US-A-6,101,786. Disclosed
therein are filling units which are arranged fixedly on a
rotary machine but neither processing lines are provided
on the rotary machine nor are radial transport devices
provided on the rotary machine.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of
implementing and refining a filling machine of the type
initially cited and described in greater detail above in
such a way that - at the same output - more time may be
made available for the individual processes
(sterilization, filling, and sealing process),
particularly to prevent the undesired foaming.
This object is achieved in that multiple assemblies, made
of a sterilization unit, a drying unit, and a filling
unit, which are assembled into processing lines, are
firmly positioned on a rotating rotary machine and the
transport direction of the composite packages on the
rotary machine runs radially around the axis of rotation.
According to a preferred teaching of the present
invention, the rotary machine is rotated continuously
around the axis of rotation in this case.
A further teaching of the present invention provides that
the transport of the composite packages in the radial
direction occurs in the radial direction each on a
plurality of traveling feeders corresponding to the
number of the assembly rows. A fixed support rail is
expediently used as the control element for the floor
guides cf the composite packaGes is positioned below the
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rotating rotary machine. This fixed support rail
preferably has at least one recess for the discharge of
the filled and possibly sealed composite packages.
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According to a further preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the composite packages positioned on
the rotating rotary machine and/or the individual units
or assemblies are situated displaceably in relation to
one another in the vertical direction. The composite
packages positioned on the rotating rotary machine are
alternatively or additionally displaceable in the radial
direction in relation to one another. The relative motion
expediently occurs via a curve controller.
A further teaching of the present invention provides that
the rotating rotary machine is sealed in relation to the
atmosphere except for the openings for the inward
(charging) and/or outward (discharging) transfer of the
composite packages.
According to the present invention, it is possible that
multiple sealing units are provided on the rotary
machine. For this first embodiment of the present
invention, the composite packages are transferred into
the rotary machine from the outside, moved there radially
toward the axis of rotation via its peripheral motion,
and filled and sealed thereby. The outward transfer is
then expediently performed vertically downward.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention
provides that multiple sealing units are provided outside
the rotating rotary machinE. For this alternative
embodiment, the sealing units are preferably positioned
in a housing, shaped like an annular segment, outside the
rotary machine housing, which is rotatable by a preset
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angle around the axis of rotation and in relation to the
rotary machine.
Both embodiments expediently have sealing units which are
implemented as ultrasonic welding units.
In terms of a method, the object is achieved by the
following steps:
- inserting the composite packages open on top into
the rotary machine,
- sterilizing and drying the packages during the
rotational transport,
- radial transport of the filled and dried composite
packages into the filling unit,
- filling the composite packages,
- radial transport of the filled composite packages to
the sealing unit,
- sealing the composite packages, and
- transferring the composite packages out of the
filling machine.
According to a first alternative of to the present
invention, the sealing units for sealing the filled
composite packages are positioned on the rotary machine.
Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the
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filled composite packages to be sealed outside the rotary
machine, as is described in greater detail in the
following.
Each of the composite packages to be filled is assigned a
pocket-like sterile chamber, each of which has an H202
nozzle and a superheated steam nozzle. In addition, these
chambers are followed by a filling outlet and possibly a
sealing device for sealing the composite package in
sequence radially inward.
The present invention is described in greater detail in
the following on the basis of a drawing, which merely
illustrates two preferred exemplary embodiments. In the
drawing:
Fig. _ schematically shows a rotary machine according
to the present invention in a top view,
Fig. ~ shows an enlarged illustration of a sterile
chamber of the rotary machine with the
assemblies indicated in a perspective
illustration,
Fig. _ schematically shows the sterile chamber from
Fig. 2 in a side view,
Fig. ~ shows the sterile chamber from Fig. 2 in a top
view,
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Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of the filling
machine according to the present invention in a
schematic movement sequence,
Fig. 6 shows the sealing segment of the alternative
filling machine in a perspective illustration,
and
Fig. 7 shows a sealing unit of the embodiment in
Figure 6 in an enlarged illustration.
Fig. 1 schematically shows the design of the filling
machine according to the present invention according to a
first exemplary embodiment in a top view. In this case, a
rotary machine 1, rotatable around an axis of rotation R,
has multiple cell-like or pocket-like sterile chambers 2,
all of which are provided with treatment assemblies. In
the shown and in this respect preferred exemplary
embodiment, the rotary machine has sixteen of these
assemblies, made of a sterilization unit, a drying unit,
a filling unit, and a sealing unit. As is especially
obvious from Fig. 2, in this case the sterilization unit
essentially includes an H202 nozzle 3, the drying unit
essentially includes a superheated steam nozzle 4, the
filling unit essentially includes a filling outlet 5, and
the sealing unit essentially includes a sonotrode 6A and
an anvil 6B. After filling and sealing of the composite
package P, which has been transferred into the rotary
machine in the direction of the arrow P1, the discharge
then occurs vertically downward via an opening 7, which
is only indicated.
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The sterile chamber 2 is closed to the outside by a fixed
outer wall 8 and is sealed by sealing lips (not shown).
This also applies for the upper fixed cover (not shown).
A lower bulkhead is not provided, since the H202-air
mixture must escape downward out of the chamber after the
blowing out and before the filling.
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The H202 nozzle and the superheated steam nozzle are
connected in series. While, for example, the
sterilization 'S' is performed over two "stations", the
drying 'T', i.e., blowing out the H2O2-air mixture, maybe
performed over multiple stations, three in the example.
After the sterilization process, each composite package P
is pushed radially inward under the filling outlet 5
using a traveling feeder 9, which is positioned below a
radially positioned support rail 10, which also travels.
This filling outlet is activated over five stations for
the filling 'F' in the illustrated and preferred
exemplary embodiment, through which a continuous, low-
foam filling of the product is made possible.
Replacing the feeder 9 by a fixed curve 11 implemented
corresponding to the motion of the composite package P
directed radially inward is also conceivable.
After the filling process, the composite package P
preferably moves further inward, so that it arrives
underneath the sealing jaws 6A, 6B. The sealing 'V' is
now performed over three stations.
The packaging material may still be heated by a steam
nozzle 12 during the sealing at the head of the composite
package P after the filling, in order to minimize the
unavoidable air component in the sealed composite package
P through subsequent cooling.
In the last station, the now filled and sealed composite
package P is finally displaced once more in the direction
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toward the axis of rotation R, where the package ears are
applied in a known way. The finished composite package
is then drawn downward out of the rotary machine 1
through the opening 7 and carried away on a transport
band (not shown).
In the preferred example, a rotation around 360° is
necessary for a production cycle. With a rotary machine
which is dimensioned sufficiently large, doubling to 2 x
180° is also possible, the two supply and outward
transfer openings then each lying diametrically opposite
one another.
A rotary filling machine has the advantage over the
intermittently operating inline filling machines
previously used that all processes are performed on a
composite package which is stationary in relation to the
assemblies. Therefore, more time is obtained for the
individual processes, which maybe performed more
intensely (sterilization), with low foam (filling
process), and more reliably (sealing).
If it is necessary that individual assemblies 3, 4, or 5
must be dipped into the composite package P, this is
possible without anything further through a curve
controller (cylinder curve) above the rotating units.
For better illustration, the positioning of the
individual assemblies inside a sterile chamber 2 is shown
in a side view and a top view, respectively, in Figs.
and 4.
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Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a further possible
embodiment of the filling machine according to the
present invention. In this case, the sealing unit is no
longer located on the actual rotary machine, but rather
in a housing 13, shaped Like an annular segment, which is
rotatable by a preset angle around the axis of rotation
R. In this case, the sterilization, drying, and filling
of the composite packages P is performed on the rotary
machine 1 as in the example described above, so that
repeated description may be dispensed with.
In Fig. 5, the mode of operation of this alternative of
the filling machine according to the present invention is
schematically shown in a top view. In the illustrated and
in this respect preferred exemplary embodiment, the
housing 13 has three sealing stations, which are each
provided with sealing units 6A, 6B. The composite
packages filled inside the rotary machine 1 are
transported radially outward into the housing 13, for
this purpose, the housing 13 moves at the same peripheral
speed as the rotary machine 1 in the direction of the
arrow 14, as illustrated in position O. It is
schematically indicated in position O that the sealing
units 6A, 6B have sealed the composite packages and the
sealing of the composite packages was performed while the
segment 13 was moved further in the direction of the
arrow 15 against the rotation of the rotary machine 1.
In the position O, the sealina tools 6A, 6B are then
removed again, the packaging ears are sealed on, and the
rotational direction is reversed again in the direction
of the arrow 16. The process then begins again, as shown
in position C, which corresponds to position ~O. Durina
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the radial pushing of open, already filled composite
packages, the finished composite packages are transferred
radially outward out of the housing 13 in the direction
of the arrows (not shown) and transported further in a
known way.
For better understanding, the process of sealing is shown
pnce again enlarged in a perspective view in Figures 6
and 7. In order to now also keep the housing 13, which is
shaped like an annular segment, sterile, sterile air is
blown into sterile air chambers 18 positioned above the
composite package via lines 17, which are only indicated,
in order to reliably prevent the penetration of germs
into the inside of the package during the sealing. For a
better overview, such a sterile air chamber 18 is only
shown in the station on the far right in Fig. 6. The
enlarged illustration in Fig. 7 shows that the sterile
air chamber extends over the entire transport path of the
composite package F. Sterile air coming out of the rotary
machine 1 simultaneously flows into the inside of the
housing 13 in this case, so that there is also excess
pressure here.
The present invention is not restricted to the exemplary
embodiments shown, but rather two conceivable
alternatives are shown here, in which, for longer dwell
of a composite package to be filled during its continuous
transport, an expedient exploitation of machines with an
manageable use of space is possible through the expedient
arrangement and appropriately superimposed rotational
and/or translational movement sequences.
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