EP1705118A1 - Dosing unit for machine for filling liquid or pasty products, and method of operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A metering unit comprising a body (14) including a central cavity (18) with gate valve operating and gate valve cleaning spaces (19, 20), where an actuating mechanism is arranged for moving a cylindrical gate valve (16) in axial translation from the space (19) to the space (20) and vice versa, where the space (19) has a diameter equal to that of the gate valve, and the space (20) has a diameter greater than that of the gate valve, is new. An independent claim is also included for operating a dosing unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a dosing unit for a liquid or pasty product packaging machine, in particular for the preparation of portions of processed cheese and in particular of individual portions poured into a preformed shell, this dosage unit comprising mainly a body provided with a substantially cylindrical cavity containing a cylindrical plug whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of said cavity, and at least one metering piston whose inlet is in communication with a reservoir of said liquid or pasty product and an outlet is connected to a first inlet orifice formed in the wall of said body and communicating with a peripheral dispensing channel extending over a given angular sector of said cylindrical plug and communicating with a second outlet orifice formed in the wall of said body, connected to a spout output arranged to sequentially release said pr liquid or pasty oduit and deposit in said preformed shell, said plug being coupled to an actuating mechanism arranged to drive the rotary plug, alternately in a direction and in the opposite direction, and to sequentially communicate the output of said piston of dosing with said peripheral dosing channel of the plug and said peripheral channel dosing of the plug with said outlet nozzle of the dosing unit.

It also relates to a method of operating a dosing unit for a liquid or pasty product packaging machine, especially for the preparation of portions of processed cheese and in particular of individual portions poured into a preformed shell, this dosage unit comprising mainly a body provided with a substantially cylindrical cavity containing a cylindrical plug whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of said cavity and at least one metering piston whose input is in communication with a reservoir of said liquid product or pasty and an outlet is connected to a first inlet orifice formed in the wall of said body and communicating with a peripheral dispensing channel extending over a given angular sector of said cylindrical plug and which communicates with a second outlet orifice formed in the wall of said body, connected to an outlet spout arranged to sequentially release said liquid or pasty product and deposit it in said preformed shell, said plug being coupled to an actuating mechanism arranged to drive this plug in rotation, alternately in one direction and in the opposite direction, and sequentially communicating the output of said metering piston with said peripheral dosing channel of the plug and said peripheral metering channel of the plug with said outlet nozzle of the metering unit.

Dosage units of this type are known and widely used in the agri-food field, the pharmaceutical field or the cosmetic field. They are used in particular for the purpose of packaging small portions or individual portions of processed cheese, but also for dosing pasty substances such as care creams, dental prophylactic pastes or the like. They may usually comprise a single metering piston, but also two metering pistons operating alternately to increase the rate without exerting too much stress on the product. Indeed, some products may undergo structural changes and / or texture if the constraints related to a production rate, including the rate of dosing pistons applied to it, are too high.

Especially in the agri-food, medical, dental and cosmetic fields, hygiene requirements are very high and packaging machines, especially dosing units which are independent modules, have to undergo regular cleaning and maintenance phases. very meticulous disinfection. A phase of cleaning, sanitizing and / or disinfecting is a long and tedious operation which usually requires the dismantling of essential components such as the plug, the metering pistons, the supply pipes of the product from the outlet of the tank and the outlet spout, without forgetting all the ducts which connect these components and which are in contact with the product during operation of the machine.

Attempts have been made to clean some components in place without disassembling them, but the results have not been conclusive and, moreover, such cleaning has always been limited to a part of the active components of the dosing unit and not all components, so partial dismantling was almost always necessary. The cleaning operation, as practiced to date, is long and expensive and does not absolutely guarantee that the requirements for hygiene are properly met.

The present invention proposes to overcome these disadvantages by providing a dosing unit designed such that its cleaning can be carried out completely on site, that is to say without disassembly of the components that are in contact with the product to be packaged, and to provide a method of operation of this dosing unit which incorporates all the cleaning, sanitizing and / or disinfecting steps required to meet the hygiene requirements.

This purpose is achieved by the metering unit according to the invention, as defined in the preamble, characterized in that said substantially cylindrical cavity comprises a first space, said operational bushel, and a second space, said cleaning the bushel, said operating space and said cleaning space of the plug being arranged in the extension of one another, and in that said actuating mechanism arranged to drive said rotary plug is also arranged to move in axial translation said plug of said first space, called operational bushel, in said second space, said cleaning the bushel, and vice versa.

Preferably, the first space, said operational bushel, has a diameter substantially equal to that of the cylindrical plug and the second cleaning said space has a diameter substantially greater than that of the cylindrical plug, to allow easy circulation of cleaning liquids during the cleaning and treatment phases.

According to a preferred embodiment, said actuating mechanism coupled to said cylindrical plug comprises a splined shaft driven by a drive motor, for example of the geared motor type, this splined shaft carrying a cam constituted by a cylindrical piece coaxial with said shaft fluted and integral and coaxial of said cylindrical plug, this cam being provided with a profiled peripheral groove which cooperates with a fixed roller, said cylindrical piece constituting said cam being freely sliding axially with respect to said splined shaft and rigidly coupled in rotation with this splined shaft and said profiled peripheral groove comprising at least a first substantially circular sector arranged to allow a rotation of said cylindrical piece and said cylindrical plug about their axis and at least a second substantially helical sector arranged to allow a displacement in translation of said cam and dud it cylindrical plug along their common axis.

Advantageously, said first sector of said profiled peripheral groove is arranged to allow a rotation of said cylindrical piece constituting said cam and of said cylindrical plug integral with this cam about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 °, preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °, according to the configuration of the elements arranged around the body of the plug. This rotation is required during the operational dosing phases to alternately communicate the source of the product to be assayed with the outlet nozzle which deposits the metered product in a receiving element.

In a particularly advantageous manner, said profiled peripheral groove comprises a third substantially circular sector arranged to allow a rotation of said cylindrical piece constituting said cam and said cylindrical plug about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 ° , preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °, according to the configuration of the elements arranged around the body of the plug. The corresponding rotation is useful for moving the cylindrical plug alternately in both directions during the cleaning phases to increase the turbulence of the cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting liquids or any other treatment undergone during these phases.

According to an advantageous variant, said profiled peripheral groove comprises a third partially circular and partially helical sector, arranged to allow rotation combined with axial displacement of said cylindrical part constituting said cam and said cylindrical plug about their axis on at least one angular sector. between 30 ° and 180 °, preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °, according to the configuration of the elements arranged around the body of the plug. This combined movement has the advantage of further increasing the turbulence of cleaning liquids, rinsing, disinfection or any other treatment undergone during these phases.

Preferably, said first sector and said third sector are disposed on either side of said second helical sector, in order to clearly define the three phases of movement of said cylindrical plug, namely a normal operating phase for the determination of the product, a phase of moving to the cleaning zone and a cleaning phase.

In the preferred embodiment, said first sector corresponds to a first position of said cylindrical plug in said first operational space of the plug, in which it performs alternative rotations to ensure the distribution of predetermined quantities of product to be packaged, said second sector corresponds to a trip in axial translation of said plug between said first space, said operational bushel, and said second space, said cleaning the bushel, and said third sector corresponds to a position of said bushel in said second space called cleaning, in which it performs alternative rotations to undergo a cleaning operation.

Advantageously, each metering piston is also subjected to cleaning and, for this purpose, each piston slides in a cylinder provided with a cavity in which said piston is brought to undergo this cleaning operation.

This object is also achieved by the method according to the invention, characterized in that a cleaning operation of the components of the metering unit is carried out sequentially by moving said cylindrical plug axially between a first operational position, in a first space , said operational bushel, the substantially cylindrical cavity, and a second cleaning position, in a second space, said cleaning the bushel, said substantially cylindrical cavity, said second space being disposed in the extension of said first space, and subjecting it to at least rotational movements in this second space.

Preferably, in said second so-called cleaning space, said cylindrical plug is subjected to rotational movements combined with axial displacements in order to increase the turbulence of the cleaning fluids or other treatments during the cleaning phases.

Advantageously, in order to automate as much as possible the entire cleaning process, a cleaning operation of said metering piston is also carried out sequentially.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective représentant le module dit "couleuse" d'une machine de conditionnement équipée d'une unité de dosage selon l'invention destinée, par exemple, à doser des portions de fromage fondu,
• la figure 2 est une vue de face représentant la partie du module dit "couleuse" équipée de l'unité de dosage selon l'invention de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective illustrant le boisseau cylindrique et le mécanisme d'actionnement de l'unité de dosage selon l'invention.
• la figure 4A est une vue en perspective partiellement coupée illustrant l'unité de dosage selon l'invention avec le boisseau cylindrique en position de travail, et
• la figure 4B est une vue en perspective partiellement coupée illustrant l'unité de dosage selon l'invention avec le boisseau cylindrique en position de nettoyage.

The present invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a dosage unit. for a liquid or pasty product packaging machine of the invention, with reference to the appended drawings given by way of non-limiting indication, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the so-called "couleuse" module of a packaging machine equipped with a metering unit according to the invention intended, for example, to dose portions of melted cheese,
• FIG. 2 is a front view showing the part of the so-called "couleuse" module equipped with the metering unit according to the invention of FIG. 1,
• Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the cylindrical plug and the actuating mechanism of the dosing unit according to the invention.
• FIG. 4A is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the dosing unit according to the invention with the cylindrical plug in working position, and
• Figure 4B is a partially cut perspective view illustrating the dosing unit according to the invention with the cylindrical plug in the cleaning position.

With reference to the figures, the so-called "couleuse" module 10, represented in particular by FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a frame 11 on which is mounted a dosage unit 12 associated with a reservoir 13 containing the product to be assayed and conditioned in predetermined portions. It is in this case a volumetric dosage particularly suitable for the preparation of small portions or individual portions of food products such as processed cheese, cosmetic products such as creams of care or pharmaceuticals or even dental prophylaxis. The metering unit 12 itself essentially comprises a body 14 arranged centrally under the reservoir 13 and for example two or even two pairs of metering pistons 15 sliding in cylinders 15 'arranged on either side of the body 14. The body 14 contains, on the one hand, a cylindrical bushel 16 and, on the other hand, a number of components of an actuating mechanism 17 arranged to drive the cylindrical plug 16 in rotation, alternately in one direction and in the opposite direction.

The body 14, seen in more detail in FIGS. 4, comprises a substantially cylindrical central cavity 18 made up of a first space 19, referred to as the operational space of the cylindrical plug 16, and a second space 20, referred to as cleaning the bushel, said first space 19, said operational, and said second space 20, said cleaning, the cylindrical plug 16 being arranged in the extension of one another. These two spaces have a circular section at least equal in diameter to that of the cylindrical plug 16. The first space 19 preferably has a diameter substantially equal to that of the cylindrical plug 16, so that the clearance between the walls of the central cavity 18 in this area is very limited. On the other hand, the second space 20 preferably has a diameter substantially greater than that of the cylindrical plug 16, so that the clearance between the walls of the central cavity 18 in this zone is sufficient to allow easy circulation of cleaning liquids during the cleaning and treatment phases.

The actuating mechanism 17, illustrated in FIG. 3, is coupled to said cylindrical plug 16 and comprises a splined shaft 21 driven by a drive motor 22, for example a geared motor, this splined shaft 21 carrying a cam 23 constituted by a cylindrical piece coaxial with said splined shaft 21 and integral and coaxial with said cylindrical plug 16. This cam 23 is provided with a profiled peripheral groove 24 which cooperates with a fixed roller 25. Said cylindrical piece constituting said cam 23 is freely sliding axially with respect to said splined shaft 21 and rigidly coupled in rotation with said splined shaft 21, so as to be able to slide axially by driving in translation the cylindrical plug 16. Said peripheral profiled groove 24 comprises at least a first substantially circular sector 24a arranged to allow a rotation of said cam 23 and said cylindrical plug 16 about their axis on a sector a determined by example between 30 ° and 180 °, but preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °, and at least a second sector 24b substantially helical arranged to allow a displacement in translation of said cam 23 and said cylindrical plug 16 along their axis common over a given angular sector, for example between 30 ° and 180 ° but preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °. Said profiled peripheral groove 24 may comprise a substantially circular third sector 24c arranged to allow said cam 23 and said cylindrical plug 16 to rotate about their axis during the cleaning and treatment phases. This third sector 24c is preferably partially circular and partially helical and arranged to allow a combined rotation with an axial displacement of said cam 23 and said cylindrical plug 16 about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 °, but preferably at least approximately 90 °.

During normal operation of the metering unit 12, as shown in FIG. 4A, the cylindrical plug 16 is disposed in said first space 19 of said central cavity 18, that is to say towards the free end of the body 14. The cam 23 is in a position close to the free end of the spline shaft 21 and the fixed roller 25 is engaged in the peripheral groove 24 of the cam 23 in the substantially circular sector 24a arranged to allow a rotation of said cam 23 and said cylindrical plug 16 about their axis on a given angular sector. The movement of the cylindrical plug 16 is a reciprocating movement which makes it possible alternatively to release two doses of products respectively brought by the metering pistons 15. It is understood that if the number of the pistons is greater, for example two pairs of pistons working two to one. two in opposition of phase, the number of doses of products per cycle will be equal to four. At the end of a period of normal operation to condition the product contained in the tank, the plug, as well as all other components in contact with this product, must undergo a cleaning cycle and / or disinfection.

For this purpose, the geared motor 22 drives the splined shaft 21 in continuous rotation, driving the cam 23. The fixed roller 25 engages in the second substantially helical sector 24b of the peripheral groove 24 of the cam 23, which has the effect of axially moving the cam 23 and the cylindrical plug 16 in a translational movement which brings said cylindrical plug 16 into said second space 20 said cleaning said cylindrical plug 16. When said cylindrical plug 16 is at the inside this second space 20, as shown in Figure 4B, and that this space has been filled with appropriate liquids for cleaning, rinsing, disinfection or any other appropriate treatment, the geared motor 22 drives the shaft splined 21 in rotation alternately in a direction and in the opposite direction, to generate an axial pivoting movement of the cylindrical plug. According to one of the embodiments, when the third sector 24c of the cylindrical groove 24 of the cam 23 has a shape that is both circular and helical, the geared motor 22 drives the cylindrical plug both in rotation and in translation, for increase mixing and turbulence in said cleaning space and improve the efficiency of this treatment.

The metering pistons 15, which are also in contact with the products, are also subjected to a cleaning cycle. For this purpose, the cylinder 15 ', in which each piston 15 slides, is provided with a cavity 9 (Figure 2), formed at the rear of the sliding zone of the piston head, and whose diameter is greater to the inside diameter of the cylinder 15 'in this sliding zone. During the cleaning cycle, the piston 15 is brought into this cavity 9 which has been filled with the appropriate liquid for cleaning.

The cleaning space 20 and the cavities 9 of the pistons 15 are of course connected, for these operations, to one or more sources of treatment liquids through valves controlled for example by a central control unit which controls in particular the gear motor 22 of the actuating mechanism 17. The valves can also be driven by a standalone external control unit. This same automated treatment can be applied to the two metering pistons 15.

The present invention makes it possible to carry out completely automatically the cleaning of a metering unit and in particular of all the moving components which are in contact with the products to be assayed, such as the cylindrical plug and the metering pistons, by bringing these components in specific parts of cleaning, thus avoiding the tedious and long disassembly of these components that are in contact with these products.

Claims (15)

Dosing unit for a liquid or pasty product packaging machine, in particular for the preparation of portions of processed cheese and in particular of individual portions poured into a preformed shell, this dosage unit (12) comprising mainly a body (14) provided with a substantially cylindrical cavity (18) containing a cylindrical plug (16) whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of said cavity, at least one metering piston (15) having an inlet in communication with a reservoir (13) of said liquid or pasty product and an outlet is connected to a first inlet orifice formed in the wall of said body and communicating with a peripheral dispensing channel extending over a given angular sector of said cylindrical plug and which communicates with a second orifice of outlet formed in the wall of said body, connected to an outlet spout arranged to sequentially release said product liq uide or pasty and deposit it in said preformed shell, said plug (16) being coupled to an actuating mechanism (17) arranged to drive this plug in rotation, alternately in a direction and in the opposite direction, and to sequentially communicate the outlet of said metering piston (15) with said peripheral dosing channel of the plug and said peripheral metering channel of the plug with said outlet nozzle of the metering unit, characterized in that said substantially cylindrical cavity (18) comprises a first space (19), said operational bushel (16), and a second space (20), said cleaning said bushel, said operating space (19) and said cleaning space (20) of the bushel being arranged in the extension the one of the other, and in that said actuating mechanism (17) arranged to drive said plug (16) in rotation is also arranged to move in axial translation said bushel of said prem ier space (19), said operational, in said second space (20), said cleaning, and vice versa Dosing unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the first space (19) has a diameter substantially equal to that of the cylindrical plug (16), and the second space (20) has a diameter substantially greater than that of the cylindrical plug ( 16), to allow easy circulation of cleaning liquids during the cleaning and treatment phases. Dosing unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating mechanism (17) coupled to said cylindrical plug (16) comprises a splined shaft (21) driven by a drive motor (22), said splined shaft carrying a cam (23) consisting of a cylindrical piece coaxial with said splined shaft (21) and integral and coaxial with said cylindrical plug (16), this cam (23) being provided with a profiled peripheral groove (24) which cooperates with a fixed roller (25), said cylindrical piece constituting said cam (23) being freely sliding axially with respect to said splined shaft (21) and rigidly coupled in rotation with this splined shaft, and said profiled peripheral groove (24) comprising at least a first sector ( 24a) substantially circular arranged to allow rotation of said cylindrical piece and said cylindrical plug about their axis and at least a second sector (24b) substantially helical arranged to r allow translational movement of said cam (23) and said cylindrical plug (16) along their common axis. Dosing unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said first sector (24a) of said profiled peripheral groove (24) is arranged to allow rotation of said cylindrical piece constituting said cam (23) and said cylindrical plug (16) integral with of this cam about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 ° and preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °. Dosing unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said profiled peripheral groove (24) comprises a third sector (24c) substantially circular arranged to allow rotation of said cylindrical piece constituting said cam (23) and said cylindrical plug (16) about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 ° and preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °. Dosing unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said profiled peripheral groove (24) comprises a third sector (24c) partially circular and partially helical, arranged to allow a combined rotation with an axial displacement of said cylindrical piece constituting said cam ( 23) and said cylindrical plug (16) about their axis on at least one angular sector between 30 ° and 180 ° and preferably at least approximately equal to 90 °. Dosing unit according to claims 3 to 6, characterized in that said first sector (24a) and said third sector (24c) are arranged on either side of said second sector (24b). Dosing unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said first sector (24a) corresponds to a first position of said cylindrical plug (16) in said first space (19), said operational, in which it performs alternative rotations to ensure the dispensing predetermined quantities of product to be packaged. Dosing unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said second sector (24b) corresponds to a displacement in axial translation of said cylindrical plug (16) between said first space (19), said operational, and said second space (20), said cleaning. Dosing unit according to claim 5, characterized in that said third sector (24c) corresponds to a position of said cylindrical bushel (16) in said second space (20), said cleaning, wherein it performs alternative rotations to undergo a cleaning operation. Dosing unit according to claim 6, characterized in that said third sector (24c) corresponds to a position of said cylindrical plug (16) in said second space (20), said cleaning, in which it performs alternating rotations combined with a axial displacement to undergo a cleaning operation. Dosing unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one piston (15) slides in a cylinder (15 ') provided with a cavity (9) in which said at least one piston (15) is brought to undergo a cleaning operation. Method of operating a dosing unit for a liquid or pasty product packaging machine, in particular for the preparation of portions of processed cheese and in particular of individual portions poured into a preformed shell, this dosage unit comprising mainly a body provided with a substantially cylindrical cavity containing a cylindrical plug whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of said cavity, at least one metering piston whose inlet is in communication with a reservoir of said liquid or pasty product and an outlet is connected to a first inlet orifice formed in the wall of said body and communicating with a peripheral dispensing channel extending over a given angular sector of said cylindrical plug and communicating with a second outlet orifice formed in the wall of said body, connected to a spout output arranged to sequentially release said product liquid or paste and deposit it in said preformed shell, said plug being coupled to an actuating mechanism arranged to drive the rotary plug, alternately in a direction and in the opposite direction, and sequentially communicating the output of said metering piston with said nozzle metering groove and said peripheral metering channel of the plug with said outlet nozzle of the metering unit, characterized in that a cleaning operation of the components of said metering unit is carried out sequentially by moving said metering unit. cylindrical plug axially between a first operative position, in a first space, said operational bushel, the substantially cylindrical cavity, and a second cleaning position, in a second space, said cleaning the bushel, said substantially cylindrical cavity, said second space being disposed in the extension of said first space, and subjecting it to at least rotational movements in this second space. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that said cylindrical plug is subjected in said second space, said cleaning, to rotational movements combined with axial displacements. Process according to Claim 13, characterized in that a cleaning operation of the at least one metering piston is also sequentially carried out.

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