Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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DEVICE FOR FILLING OF A CONTAINER OF COLLAPSIBLE TYPE
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for
filling a container of a collapsible type with a product
in the form of powder or liquid, and more specifically
such a device which comprises a filling tube with an end
portion, which is insertable into a filling duct of the
container to supply a product to the compartment of the
container through said filling tube.
Background Art
Many different types of container to be filled with
products in the form of liquid or powder are currently
available.
One type of container is collapsible and comprises
two flexible side walls and a bottom wall, which walls
are interconnected along a connecting portion to form a
compartment whose volume is dependent on the relative
position of the walls.
This type of container can, before filling, be in a
plane and sealed state. This makes it possible to
sterilise the compartment of the container in connection
with manufacture and, with maintained sterility,
distribute the container to a filling plant, such as a
dairy.
A container of the type described above is known
from W099/41155 which also discloses a device for filling
the container.
Said device comprises a nozzle which is insertable
into a filling duct of the container, said filling duct
being opened by cutting or a similar operation in
connection with filling of the container.
During the actual filling process, said nozzle is
thus inserted into the filling duct, after which a
product valve is opened to supply the desired product
quantity to the compartment of the container through said
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nozzle. The compartment will then take a volume which
substantially corresponds to the volume of the supplied
product. The filling process ensures that penetration of
air into the compartment is prevented or at least
minimised.
The filling device disclosed in W099/41155 comprises
more specifically a nozzle which is made of an elastic
material, such as silicone rubber. The nozzle has an end
portion which tapers towards an outlet in the form a gap
in the lower end surface of the end portion.
The nozzle is self-closing, which means that the
edge portions which define said gap engage each other in
the absence of application of outer forces.
During the filling process, the nozzle is, as
mentioned above, inserted into the filling duct of the
container, after which the product is supplied to the
compartment through said nozzle. The product pressure
will act to open the nozzle and at the same time to
establish a seal between the nozzle and the walls of the
filling duct to ensure that air does not penetrate into
the container.
Increasing demands are placed on the efficiency of
filling devices of the type described above and, thus,
also on the speed at which the device allows filling of
an individual container.
Faster filling can be achieved with an increased
product flow velocity, which results in a higher product
pressure. It has been found that an increased product
pressure may in some cases result in the product being
pressed out of the compartment of the container between
the nozzle and the walls of the filling duct. For obvious
reasons, this causes problems in maintaining a hygienic
environment in the filling device.
There is thus a need for a filling device which
allows efficient and rational filling of containers of a
collapsible type.
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Summary of the Invention
In view of that stated above, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a device for filling
containers of a collapsible type, which device allows
fast filling under hygienic conditions.
To achieve this object, and also other objects that
will be evident from the following description.
More specifically, according to the present
invention a device is provided for filling a container of
a collapsible type with a product in the form of powder
or liquid, said container having a compartment which is
defined by flexible walls and whose volume is dependent
on the relative position of the walls and which
communicates with the surroundings through a filing duct
of the container. The device comprises a filling tube
with an end portion, which is insertable into said
filling duct of the container to supply a product to the
compartment of the container through said filling tube.
The device is characterised by an end element, which is
arranged in an outlet of the end portion and which is
movable between a first position, in which the end
element sealingly connects to said outlet, and a second
position, in which the end element together with the
outlet defines a filling passage, and a squeezing means,
which is adapted to grasp the end portion and the filling
duct when said end portion is inserted into said filling
duct to establish a seal between the end portion and the
filling duct.
The inventive device ensures that a container of a
collapsible type can be filled in a short time without
the risk of the product escaping from the container.
As mentioned above, the filling passage is defined
by the end element when the end element is in its second
position. This makes it possible to provide a relatively
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large area of the filling passage, which in turn allows a
rapid filling process. The filling passage can be
arranged to have the shape of a circumferential gap.
At the same time the squeezing means ensures that
the product cannot escape from the container during said
filling process. To this end, the squeezing means is
arranged to grasp the end portion of the filling tube and
the filling duct.
In one embodiment, said end element is supported by
a piston rod arranged in said filling tube, in which case
the end element can be movable between said first and
second position by axial displacement of said piston rod.
A bevel may be arranged adjacent to the connection
between said piston rod and said end element. This
ensures that the product flowing out of the filling tube
through the filling passage is allowed to flow over the
end element relatively unimpededly.
In another embodiment, said end element supports an
0-ring, which in the first position of the end element
engages the outlet. This ensures that the end element in
said first position sealingly connects to the outlet.
In a further embodiment, the end element may have a
shape tapering from the filling tube. This makes it
possible to facilitate the insertion of the end portion
of the filling tube into the filling duct of the
container. The end element may have the shape of a wedge,
in which case a base of the end element can be circular
or have the shape of a convex lens, also referred to as a
convex-convex lens.
In yet another embodiment, said end portion of the
filling tube can be made of a rigid material, such as
stainless steel. Furthermore the squeezing means may
comprise elastic engaging surfaces which are arranged to
grasp said filling duct and said end portion. As a
result, the squeezing means can be made to carefully
grasp the end portion and the filling duct while at the
same time a reliable seal is established.
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In a further embodiment, said end element has a
liquid-repellent surface. This makes it possible to
minimise dripping and depositing of product on the walls
of the filling duct.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the present invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of
an inventive device.
Figs 2 a-b are schematic perspective views which
illustrate a method for filling a container by means of
an inventive device.
Figs 3 a-b are schematic cross-sectional views which
illustrate the operation of an end element of the
inventive device during the method for filling shown in
Figs 2 a-b.
Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of one
embodiment of an end element.
Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of another
embodiment of an end element.
Description of Embodiments
The present invention relates to a device for
filling a container of a collapsible type.
A container of this type may comprise two opposite
side walls and a bottom wall, which walls are inter-
connected along a connecting portion and define a
compartment whose volume is dependent on the relative
position of the walls. A filling duct of the container,
which filling duct can be defined by said side walls,
makes its compartment communicate with surroundings. In
the unfilled state of the container, the filling duct can
be sealed, in which case the duct is opened before
filling. This makes it possible to ensure in a simple way
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that containers with sterile compartments are used in the
inventive device.
Fig. 1, to which reference is now made, illustrates
an embodiment of an inventive device 1 for filling the
above described container.
The device 1 comprises as main components a filling
tube 2, a squeezing means 3 and an end element 4.
The filling tube 2 is connected to a source (not
shown) for the product that is to be supplied to the
container and is terminated with an end portion 5. The
end portion 5 has an outlet 6.
The end element 4 is arranged in the outlet 6 of the
end portion 5 and is movably arranged between a first
position, in which the end element 4 sealingly connects
to said outlet 6, as shown in Fig. 1, and a second
position, in which the end element 4 together with said
outlet 6 defines a filling passage 7, which is shown in
Fig. 3b. In the embodiment shown, said filling passage 7
takes the shape of a circumferential gap, but it will be
appreciated that other shapes are conceivable.
The end element 4 supports a seal 8 in the form of
an 0-ring. In the first position of the end element 4,
said 0-ring engages the outlet 6 of the end portion 5 to
ensure that the end element 4 sealingly connects to said
outlet 6.
The end element 4 is supported by a piston rod 9
arranged centrally in said filling tube 2. The piston rod
9 is axially movable by means of a suitably designed
arrangement, and by moving said piston rod 9 in the axial
direction, said end element 4 is thus movable between
said first and second position.
In the embodiment illustrated, the squeezing means 3
comprises a pair of jaws 10, which are arranged to grasp
the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2.
The end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 is made of a
rigid material, such as stainless steel, and the pair of
jaws 4 have elastic engaging surfaces 11.
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Figs 2a and b, to which reference is now made,
illustrate the method for filling a container 12.
As shown in Fig. 2a, a container 12 is first
positioned under the inventive device 1. The filling duct
13 of the container 12 has been opened by cutting or a
similar operation, whereby the compartment of the
container 12 communicates with the surroundings through
said filling duct 13.
The positioning of containers can be performed in
various ways, for instance by means of an arrangement of
laterally movable gripping means, from which the
containers are suspended (not shown).
In Fig. 2b, the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2
is inserted into the filling duct 13 of the container 12
with the end element 4 in its first position. The
squeezing means 3 has been activated so that its pair of
jaws 10 grasps the end portion 5 and thus also the
filling duct 13. Since the end portion 5 of the filling
tube 2 is made of a rigid material while the engaging
surfaces 11 of the pair of jaws 10 are elastic, a
reliable seal is established between said filling duct 13
and said end portion 5, which does not risk damaging the
side walls of the container 1, which define said filling
duct 13.
As mentioned above, the end element 4 is in its
first position when the end portion 5 of the filling tube
2 is inserted into the filling duct 13 of the container
1, which is shown more distinctly in Fig. 3a.
When the squeezing means 3 has been activated so
that its pair of jaws 10 grasps the filling duct 13 and
the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2, the end element
4 can be moved to its second position, which is shown in
Fig. 3b. The product will then flow out of the thus
defined filling passage 7 and into the compartment of the
container 12. During the filling process, the compartment
of the container 12 will be expanded in response to the
entering product like a balloon which is being inflated.
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The seal provided by the squeezing means 3 ensures that
products cannot be pressed out of the container 12
between the filling duct 13 and the end portion 5 of the
filling tube 2.
The filling process is terminated by the end element
4 again being moved to its first position, after which
the pair of jaws 10 of the squeezing means 3 is opened
and the end portion 5 is pulled out of the filling duct
13 of the container 12. Subsequently the filling duct 13
can be sealed in a suitable manner, for instance by a
heat sealing process.
It will be appreciated that the time required for
filling a container 12 with the product in question is
dependent on the flow velocity of the product and also
the area of the filling passage 7. Since the end element
4 is movable between said first and second position, said
area can be adjusted as desired, by moving the end
element 4 to a suitable position between said first and
second position. In particular, the inventive device 1
makes it possible to provide a relatively large area of
the filling passage 7, which for obvious reasons has a
positive effect on the filling time of a container 1. In
the current context it should be noted that the squeezing
means 3 ensures that the rapid filling of the container
12 can be performed without the product escaping from the
compartment of the container 12.
The end element 4 can be designed in various ways
and be given a shape tapering from the filling tube 2 in
order to facilitate the insertion of the end portion 5 of
the filling tube 2 into the filling duct 13 of the
container 12.
The end element 4 shown in Fig. 1 comprises an upper
part 14 and a lower part 15 in the shape of a tapering
wedge, which is to be seen more clearly in Fig. 4.
The upper part 14 has been given a shape which
substantially corresponds to the shape of a convex lens.
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The upper part 14 further has a central through hole 16,
which is enclosed by a bevel 17.
As mentioned above, the lower part 15 has the shape
of a tapering wedge. The upper side of the lower part 15
thus forms a base which has a shape which, similarly to
the upper part 14, substantially corresponds to the shape
of a convex lens. A peripheral groove 18 is formed in the
upper side of the lower part. Finally, a central,
threaded non-through hole 19 is formed in said lower part
15.
The piston rod 9 has a connecting portion 22
provided with a thread 20 and a stop lug 21. To connect
the end element 4 to the piston rod 9, the connecting
portion 22 of the piston rod 9 is inserted through the
hole 16 in the upper part 14 until the upper part is made
to engage said stop lug 21. Then the connecting portion
22 of the piston rod 9 is screwed into the threaded hole
19 of the lower part 15. A seal 8 in the form of an 0-
ring is arranged in the peripheral groove 18 of the lower
part 15, which 0-ring thus will be squeezed against the
upper part 14. The 0-ring ensures, as described above,
that the end element 4, when in said first position,
sealingly connects to the outlet 6 of the end portion 5
of the filling tube 2.
An end element 4 formed in the manner described
above thus has a shape which facilitates the insertion of
the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 into the filling
duct 13. An opening means (not shown) can be arranged for
initial separation of the walls of the filling duct 13.
This opening means may comprise suction cups which stick
to the respective duct walls, which suction cups are then
separated for separation of the duct walls.
The bevel 17 which encloses the hole 16 formed in
the upper part 14 ensures that the product flowing out of
the filling tube 2 through the filling passage 7 is
allowed to flow over the end element 4 relatively
unimpededly. This eliminates, or in any case reduces, the
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tendency of the product flowing out to impinge on the
upper side of the end element and be deflected upwards or
sideways.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is
5 not limited to the shown embodiment.
For example, the end element 4 may have a liquid-
repellent surface. This minimises the risk of dripping
and depositing of product on the walls of the filling
duct 13 after completion of the filling and removal of
10 the end portion 5 of the filling tube 2 from the filling
duct 13 of the container 12. Of course, this helps to
maintain good hygienic conditions in connection with the
filling process.
To prevent the product from depositing on the walls
of the filling duct 13 in connection with removal of the
end portion 5 of the filling tube 2, this can
alternatively be dimensioned in such a manner relative to
the filling duct 13 that removal of the end portion 5 is
allowed without contact with the walls of the filling
duct 13.
It is also conceivable to give the end element 4 a
different shape. It can thus be in the shape of a
tapering wedge with a circular base, as illustrated in
Fig. 7. The round base shape results in the product, when
flowing over the end element 4, having a symmetric flow
pattern, thereby making it possible to completely
eliminate the tendency of the product flowing out to be
deflected upwards or sideways.
Several modifications and variations are thus
feasible, which means that the present invention is
exclusively defined by the appended claims.
