EP3433204B1 - Container-filling assembly and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container filling arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1, namely with a container filling machine which e.g. is designed as a round filling machine, comprising a number of filling elements for filling containers, which filling elements are fed by a filling tank of the filling machine. The container filling arrangement further contains at least two beverage component feeds which are connected to the filling kettle of the container filling machine. These are usually e.g. a water supply and a syrup supply, i.e. all technical elements that are connected to the supply of the corresponding beverage components, such as tanks, pressure vessels, control valves, pumps, lines and measuring sensors.

In the past, such a container filling arrangement had a mixer separate from the filling machine with its own buffer tank, in which the beverage components were mixed together and fed to the filling kettle in mixed form. This solution has disadvantages, because in particular the buffer tank has to be cleaned anew with every beverage change and the start of filling a new beverage is time-consuming.

The invention also relates to a corresponding filling method.

A container filling machine according to the preamble of claim 1 and a corresponding method for filling containers are known from the WO 2009/068144 A1 known.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a container filling arrangement which enables different beverages to be filled in a desired composition without a separate mixer with a buffer tank. This object is achieved by a container filling arrangement with the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are also described in the description and in the drawings.

In the container filling arrangement according to the invention, the filling kettle of the container filling machine is connected to a circulation line with which product is conveyed out of the filling kettle and back into the filling kettle, with at least two beverage component feeds, e.g. a water feed and a beverage base feed, e.g. directly or indirectly, in the circulation line syrup supply lead. The beverage component feeders and at least part of the

Circuit lines are preferably arranged separately from the container filling machine. The container filling arrangement also has a filling machine control which is connected to at least one measuring sensor system, which in turn is connected to the filling tank and / or the circuit line. The filling machine controller is designed to control the beverage component feeds depending on an output signal from the measuring sensor system and thus the filling kettle with at least two beverage components, e.g. Feed water and syrup or beverage base depending on an output signal to the analysis device. The beverage component feeds open into the circuit line. In this way, a predetermined composition of different beverage components for a beverage can be mixed together. According to the present invention, no buffer tank is arranged between the beverage component feeders and the filling kettle.

The advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the beverage components are mixed into the circuit line, where intensive mixing of the beverage components is already taking place, so that an external buffer tank that was previously required can be dispensed with. Furthermore, the costs for a separate mixer with a buffer tank can be eliminated, which is also associated with a reduced space requirement. In addition, the measuring sensor system can also be arranged well in the circuit line, so that the composition of the product can be recorded before and / or after the individual beverage components have been supplied. It is optimal, but not mandatory, if at least one first measuring sensor is arranged in front of the beverage supply or in front of the dosage line and preferably at least one second measuring sensor is arranged behind the beverage component supply, i.e. after the dosage line in connection with the circulation line, because in this case the influence of the control of the beverage supply on the product composition can be determined. In this way, the effects of the beverage supply on the product can be continuously recorded and used to control the beverage supply. As a result, predetermined mixing ratios of the components can be adhered to within very narrow limits, even at the start of production, where a slight deviation in the composition from the setpoint was to be expected due to residual water in the product receptacles of the container filling arrangement.

The circuit line can be routed over the filling tank, over the filling tank with the inclusion of the filling valves or with the recessing of the filling tank, the first two solutions being preferred.

This solution according to the invention also allows beverage components of any composition to be added to a product without the use of a mixer with a separate buffer tank, which up to now has always required complex cleaning measures, particularly when changing products. In addition, when a separate buffer tank was used, it always took a long time before the finished mixed product was fed into the filling kettle. Another problem was that although the product was possibly optimally mixed in the buffer tank, it was no longer optimally mixed after the filling kettle was added, because there may still be water residues from a previous rinsing process or condensation water, which could lead to a could result in slight shift in product composition.

By using the circulation line, this problem is avoided if the product already in the filling kettle is fed back to the measuring sensor system and the beverage component feeder via the circuit line, so that the current status of the composition of the beverage components in the filling kettle is always recorded by means of the measuring sensor system , The beverage component feeds are then correspondingly controlled as a function of the signal that the filling machine control system receives via the measurement sensor system.

The circuit line preferably contains a measurement circuit, in which the first measurement sensor system is preferably arranged, the measurement circuit being provided to supply the measurement sensor system with a constant measurement volume flow independent of the volume flow in the circuit line in order to keep the measurement conditions constant. This measuring circuit can thus be used to continuously monitor the composition of the beverage components and, if necessary, to readjust the composition to a desired value by means of a corresponding control of the beverage component supplies. The circuit line is preferably connected to a CO ₂ supply and the filling machine controller is designed to supply the CO ₂ supply to the circuit line as a function of the output signal of the analysis device.

In this way, all essential beverage components such as water, syrup and CO _{2 are} fed to the filling kettle via the circuit line in a manner controlled by the measuring sensor system.

A pressure control device or flow control device is preferably arranged in the circuit line behind the CO ₂ supply, so that the addition of CO _{2 can} also be precisely controlled by means of the pressure control device. Of course, the pressure control device is controlled via the filling machine controller, likewise preferably as a function of the signal from the measuring sensor system.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a first measuring sensor system is arranged in connection with the circuit line before the beverage component supply. This provides information about the composition of the beverage components in the filling kettle.

A second measuring sensor system is advantageously arranged in connection with the circuit line behind the beverage component feeds. In this way, the current composition of the product is obtained after the beverage components have been added via the beverage component feeder. If both measuring sensors are provided, the beverage composition before the component addition and the beverage composition after the component addition are obtained. In this way, the composition of the beverage in the filling kettle and the change in composition due to the beverage component supply can be controlled very precisely.

The first and / or second measuring sensors are preferably each arranged in a separate measuring circuit. In this way, on the one hand, the measuring sensor system does not influence the product flow in the circuit line and, on the other hand, the measuring circuit can be activated by appropriate closing valves, for example for an exchange or maintenance of the measuring sensors can be closed without the circuit line itself being impaired.

At least one feed pump is preferably arranged in the circuit line, with which the product is conveyed through the circuit line. This feed pump can preferably be controlled as a function of an output signal from the measurement sensor system. In this way, the product flow in the circuit line can be controlled in such a way that it can be optimally and quickly adapted to different operating conditions such as filling and circulation (circulation).

The measuring sensor system includes, for example, the sensors that are necessary or advantageous for detecting the composition of the beverage components in the product, such as an optical sensor with which the color of the blended product is detected, which, for example, allows conclusions to be drawn about the proportion of a syrup in the product , a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the beverage, a sensor for measuring the CO ₂ content of the beverage and possibly at least one chemical sensor for detecting the chemical composition of the beverage. Such sensors, which can be used individually or in combination with one another, allow the composition of the essential beverage components, such as water, syrup and CO _2, to be controlled or regulated very precisely.

In an advantageous development of the invention, at least one — preferably all — beverage component feeds has at least one regulated pump and / or at least one regulating valve. The pump and / or the control valve can then preferably be controlled in dependence on the output signal of the measurement sensor system in such a way that a desired addition of the beverage component is realized in order to achieve a desired composition of the beverage components in the product.

At least one valve is preferably arranged in a connecting line between the filling elements and the filling kettle, which valve can be actuated as a function of an output signal from the measuring sensor system. In this way, the product is fed from the filling tank to the filling elements only when the measuring sensor system has detected a desired minimum fill level in the filling kettle, as well as the achievement of a desired composition of the product within predetermined limit values.
The container filling machine is preferably a round filling machine and the filling kettle is designed as an annular space which extends along the outer circumference of the round filling machine and feeds the individual filling elements arranged on the outer circumference. Such a container filling machine is known per se and is very reliable.
A filling level sensor, which is connected to the filling machine control, is preferably arranged in the filling tank. The signal from the fill level sensor is fed to the filling machine control system in order to actuate the product feeds as well as a valve which may be provided between the fill boiler and the fill elements, depending on the signal from the fill level sensor.
In the same way, the invention relates to a method for filling containers in an above-described container filling arrangement, specifically according to claim 13, wherein for filling the containers by means of the filling elements, the beverage components are fed to the circuit line according to a predetermined mixing ratio via the beverage component feeds without using a buffer tank become. The supplied beverage components are mixed in the circuit line and / or in the filling tank of the filling machine. The product is then fed from the filling kettle via the circuit line to a measuring sensor that compares the composition of the product in the filling kettle with a target value. Subsequently, a product composition deviating from the target value is corrected by a corresponding control of the beverage component supply and the further supply of the beverage components, ie the control of the beverage component supply takes place with constant evaluation of the current product composition and corresponding individual control of the beverage component supplies. The containers are only filled by the filling elements when the filling level in the filling kettle has reached a minimum value and the product composition corresponds to the target value within permitted limits. In this way it can be achieved that from Starting the filling of a container filling arrangement until the end of the filling process, a predetermined composition of the product is adhered to within very narrow limits, especially when the filling process is started, where the product composition is often changed by residual water or condensed water in lines or product rooms of the container filling arrangement.

This method allows the containers to be filled using the container filling arrangement without using a mixer with its own buffer tank. The filling vessel, which is preferably designed as a ring vessel, preferably has a round, in particular circular, cross section.

It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the embodiment of the invention explained above can be combined with one another in any way.

The following terms are used interchangeably: beverage base - syrup; Container filling machine - round filling machine - filling machine; Container filling arrangement - filling arrangement: control - filling machine control; Filling chamber ring boiler; Circuit line section with the beverage component feeders - dosage line;

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Rundfüllmaschine.

The invention is described below, for example, using the schematic drawing. In this shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic side view of a round filling machine.

The container filling arrangement 10 from Fig. 1 has a cylindrical round filling machine 12, to which, for example, a filling tank 14 connects on the outside, which feeds, for example, filling elements 16 of the round filling machine arranged below it, which are shown here as an arrow.

The filling kettle 14 is designed as an annular space and surrounds the filling machine 12. In connection with the filling machine 10, a filling machine control 18 is arranged, which is connected to a filling level sensor 20 arranged in the filling kettle 14.

The filling kettle 14 or the filling element 16 is connected via a bypass valve 17 to a circuit line 22, which is usually led out of the filling machine 12. A power stage pump 24 is arranged in the circuit line 22 in order to convey a desired product quantity from an inlet 26 of the circuit line 22 to an outlet 28 of the circuit line 22, both of which open into the filling boiler 14. During production, the power stage pump takes over the power control (delivery rate).

Branching off from the circuit line 22, a measuring circuit 23 with a first measuring sensor 32 is arranged behind the input 26, in which measuring circuit preferably a measuring circuit pump 25 is arranged for setting a constant volume flow in the measuring circuit 23. A second measuring sensor system 36 is arranged at the end of the circuit line 22 in front of its outlet 28.

In addition, a third measuring sensor system 34 can be located in the circuit line 22 immediately before the beverage supplies, i.e. be arranged immediately in front of the dosage line in order to determine the beverage composition before the addition of beverage components.

As an alternative or in addition to the first measuring sensor system 32, an optional measuring sensor system 37 can be provided in connection with the filling kettle 14 in order to determine the product composition in the filling kettle.

The measuring sensor systems 32, 34, 36, 37 are preferably connected via signal lines to the filling machine controller 18, which can have a separate evaluation device for evaluating the measuring sensor systems. In principle, a further separate control can be provided in addition to the filling machine control for the beverage composition.

In connection with the circuit line 22, a water supply 39 is arranged, which contains a water tank 38, a water supply pump 44, preferably a centrifugal pump, and the associated connecting lines with which the water is supplied to the circuit line 22. Furthermore, a syrup feed 41 is connected to the circuit line and contains a syrup container 40, a syrup supply pump 48 and a syrup control valve 50. Finally, a CO ₂ supply 43 is provided which has a CO ₂ source 42 which is connected to the circuit line 22 via a CO ₂ pressure control valve 52. The water supply 39 preferably opens in the flow direction after the measuring circuit 23 as the first supply into the circuit line 22. The syrup supply 41 opens, for example after the water supply 39, into the circuit line 22. The CO ₂ supply 43 opens, for example, between the power stage pump 24 and a pressure control pump 54 into the circuit line 22, the pressure regulating pump 54 preferably also being controlled by the filling machine controller 18. A power control valve 55 is also arranged in the circuit line 22 and is preferably also controlled via the filling machine controller 18. Thus, all control and regulating devices, such as metering pumps, regulating valves, feed pumps, pressure regulating valves, are controlled via the filling machine controller 18, specifically as a function of the output signals of the measuring sensor systems 32, 34, 36, 37 and, if appropriate, of the level sensor 20.

Optionally, it is possible to omit one, two or three of the four measuring sensor systems 32, 34, 36, 37, as well as the fill level sensor 20. Preferably, only the second measuring sensor system behind the dosage line is used as the only measuring sensor system. The arrangement or sequence of the beverage component feeds 39, 41 and 43 in the circuit line is also variable. At least one valve and at least one pump or alternatively in each case only at least one valve or at least one pump can be arranged in the beverage component feeds 39, 41 and 43. The CO ₂ supply is only necessary for drinks containing CO ₂ . The circuit line with the associated beverage component feeds and pumps, valves represents the integrated mixing device according to the invention of the container filling arrangement, which does not require a buffer tank.

The invention works as follows:
At the beginning, the feed pump is switched on and the beverage components, such as water, syrup and CO _2, are added to the circulation line 22 via the beverage component feeds 39, 41 and 43 in a predetermined mixing ratio, which individually corresponds to the recipe of the beverage equivalent. In this way, the level in the filling tank 14 gradually increases. Since product is constantly sucked out of the filling kettle 14 via the inlet 26 of the circuit line 22 and is returned to the filling kettle 14 via the outlet 28, the composition of the product before the addition of the beverage components via the beverage component feed is preferably continuously via the third measuring sensor 34 39, 41 and 43 are recorded, while the composition of the product after the beverage component has been added is continuously recorded via the second measurement sensor system 36. In this way, one obtains not only current information about the product composition in the filling container 14 but also about the change in the product composition due to the addition of the beverage components. The first measuring sensor system 32 in the measuring circuit 23 reproduces the composition of the beverage components in the filling kettle 14, which can alternatively also be determined via the optional measuring sensor system 37 in the filling kettle 14. In this way, the composition of the product can be adjusted to a desired mixing ratio and a desired CO ₂ content from the beginning, the current conditions in the filling kettle being constantly taken into account by circulating the product from the filling kettle 14. This means that the desired beverage composition is achieved from the start of a filling process, without the use of a separate mixer with a buffer tank.
A container filling arrangement described above is easy to clean and contains fewer components than previously known systems, which makes it less expensive and efficient. In addition, it is faster to realize a desired composition of the beverage and to verify changes in the composition of the beverage by individually controlling the feeds 39, 41 and 43.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but can be varied as desired within the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Behälterfüllanordnung

12

Container filling machine - round filling machine

14

Filling boiler - annulus

16

filler

18

filling machine

20

level sensor

22

Circuit line

23

Measuring cycle

24

Power stage pump

25

Measuring circulation pump

26

Entrance of the circuit line

28

Circuit outlet

32

first measuring sensor system

34

third measuring sensor system

36

second measuring sensor system

37

optional measuring sensors in connection with the filling tank

38

water tank

39

water supply

40

Syrup container - container for beverage base

41

Syrup feed

42

CO ₂ pressure vessel

43

CO ₂ supply

44

Water supply pump

48

Syrup feed pump

50

Syrup control valve

52

CO ₂ control valve

54

Pressure control pump

55

Power control valve

Claims (15)

1. Container-filling assembly (10), comprising a container-filling machine (12) having a plurality of filling elements (16) for filling containers, which filling elements (16) are fed by a common filling tank (14) of the filling machine (10), wherein the filling tank (14) is connected to a circulation line (22), by means of which product is conveyed out of the filling tank (14) and back into the filling tank (14), wherein at least two beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43), e.g. a water supply (39) and a beverage base-material supply (41), lead into the circulation line (22), which container-filling machine (10) also contains a controller (18), which is connected to at least one measuring sensor system (32, 34, 36, 37), which in turn is connected to the filling tank (14) and/or to the circulation line (22), wherein the controller (18) is designed to control the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43) in accordance with an output signal of the measuring sensor system (32, 34, 36, 37),
   characterised in that
   no buffer tank is arranged between the beverage component supplies and the filling tank (14).
2. Container-filling assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the circulation line (22) is in connection with a CO₂ supply (43), and that the control (18) is designed to actuate the CO₂ supply (43) in accordance with an output signal of the measuring sensor system (32, 36).
3. Container-filling assembly (10) according to claim 2, characterised in that a pressure regulating pump (54) is arranged in the circulation line (22) behind the CO₂ supply (43).
4. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a third measuring sensor system (34) is arranged in connection with the circulation line (22) in front of the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43).
5. Container-filling assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that a second measuring sensor system (36) is arranged in connection with the circulation line (22) behind the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43).
6. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 5, characterised in that a first measuring sensor system (32) is arranged in a measuring circuit (23) branching off from the circulation line.
7. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a measuring sensor system (37) is arranged in the filling tank (14).
8. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one power stage output pump (24) is arranged in the circulation line (22).
9. Container-filling assembly (10) according to claim 8, characterised in that the power stage output pump (24) can be controlled in accordance with an output signal from the measuring sensor system (32, 36).
10. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43) comprises at least one regulated pump (44, 48) and/or at least one regulating valve (50, 52).
11. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one valve is arranged in a connection line between the filling elements (16) and the filling tank (14), which can be actuated by the control unit (18) in accordance with an output signal from the measuring sensor system (32, 36).
12. Container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container-filling machine (12) is a circular filling machine, and that the filling tank (14) is configured as a ring space.
13. Method for the filling of containers in a container-filling assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, for a filling of the containers by means of the filling elements (16), the beverage components are supplied in accordance with a predetermined mixing ratio by way of the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43) to the circulation line (22), until a predetermined filling degree (20) of filling tank (14) of container-filling machine (12), that the product is then conveyed out of the filling tank (14) by way of the circulation line (22) of the at least one measuring sensor system (32, 36), that the filling machine control (18) compares the composition of the product, based on the signals from the measuring sensor system (32, 36), with a reference value, that then a product composition which differs from the reference value is corrected by a corresponding actuation (18) of the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43), and that the further supply of the beverage components takes place under constant evaluation of the current product composition and corresponding individual actuation of the beverage component supplies (39, 41, 43), and that the filling of the containers takes place when the filling level in the filling tank (14) has reached a minimum value and the product composition corresponds to the reference value within permitted limits,
    characterised in that the filling of the containers takes place by means of the container-filling assembly (10) without the use of a mixer with buffer tank, wherein no buffer tank is arranged between the beverage component supplies and the filling tank (14).
14. Method according to claim 13, characterised in that the filling tank (14) is used for the thorough mixing of the beverage components.
15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that a power stage output pump (24) arranged in the circulation line (22) is used as the circulation pump for the circulation line (22).

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