GB2237011A

GB2237011A - Milk filling valve

Info

Publication number: GB2237011A
Application number: GB8922894A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Mcmillan
Original assignee: BARRY WEHMILLER INT
Current assignee: BARRY WEHMILLER INT
Priority date: 1989-10-11
Filing date: 1989-10-11
Publication date: 1991-04-24
Also published as: GB8922894D0

Abstract

A milk filling valve comprising an air tube (1) and an elastomeric diaphragm (3), the diaphragm being located near to the lower end of said air tube, and in use, being clamped at the distal end of a milk bowl outlet, is characterised in that the diaphragm (3) is in the form of a ring with a central circular aperture whose diameter is less than the outside diameter of the air tube (1) in the region where the air tube and diaphragm co-operate, the arrangement being such that upward movement of a milk bottle (5) against said diaphragm (3) stretches the diaphragm to enlarge its central aperture, thereby opening up an annular passage (8) between the diaphragm and the air tube through which milk can flow into the interior of the bottle. <IMAGE>

Description

NILR FILLING VALVE This invention relates to a valve for use in bottle filling equipment intended primarily for use with milk as the medium to be dispensed.

Conventional milk filling valves employ an annular diaphragm through the centre of which passes an air tube. Milk is supplied around the periphery of the air tube and the diaphragm co-operates with a peripheral portion of the air tube so that in one condition there is an annular gap between the diaphragm and the periphery of the air tube through which annular gap milk may flow, while in a second condition the annular diaphragm seals against the peripheral portion of the air tube so as to prevent milk flow. Generally, the milk supply condition is achieved by. raising the neck of a milk bottle onto a portion of the diaphragm.The valve arrangement also includes a housing, which connects the valve to a milk supply tank and also serves to define in co-operation with the air tube an annular conduit for supply of milk; and means for receiving the mouth of a milk bottle which is to be filled. The bottle receiving portion, or bellmouth, may be an annular member attached to the lower portion of the valve housing, or it may be formed as an extension of the diaphragm.

Conventionally, the milk supply vessel or milk bowl has a plurality of downwardly extending outlets into which the milk filling valves are fitted. The milk bowl outlets act as housings for the milk filling valves.

There has been a considerable increase in the sale of low fat milk products, typically skimmed and semiskimmed milks, in recent years. These low fat milk products are more difficult to fill into bottles because they are more prone to frothing or aeration than full fat milk. Because of this aeration problem, it is now common practice for existing milk filling systems to operate at half or three quarters of their normal filling speed when used to fill bottles with low fat milks. The public's increased awareness of health aspects associated with saturated fats is likely to encourage even further the consumption of low fat milks. Consequently, conventional milk bottle filling plants will become even less productive than they are at present.

An object of the present invention is to provide a milk filling valve which operates efficiently with low fat milk products.

According to the present invention, there is provided a milk filling valve which comprises an air tube and an elastomeric diaphragm, the diaphragm being located near to the lower end of said air tube, and in use, being clamped at the distal end of a milk bowl outlet, characterised in that said diaphragm is in the form of an annular ring with a central circular aperture; and in that the diameter of said central circular aperture is less than the outside diameter of said air tube in the region where the air tube and diaphragm co-operate, the arrangement being such that upward movement of a milk bottle against said diaphragm stretches the diaphragm to enlarge its central aperture, thereby opening up an annular passage between the diaphragm and the air tube through which milk can flow into the interior of the bottle.

Advantageously, the air tube is a simple cylinder of relatively large bore; this assists in the evacuation of air from the milk bottle, thus tending to reduce aeration problems.

The vent tube advantageously includes a shallow neck at the location where, in the no-flow condition, the diaphragm rests against it. Also, the air tube is preferably provided with a plurality of lateral projections close to its distal end, these serving to locate the air tube within the milk bowl outlet and to provide a clamping mechanism to hold the outer periphery of the diaphragm in place. Clamping of the diaphragm can be achieved by co-operation of a bellmouth member and the radially outermost parts of the lateral support projections of the air tube.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a presently preferred embodiment of a valve in accordance with the present invention in the closed condition; and Figure 2 shows the valve of Figure 1 in the open condition.

Referring to the drawings, the valve includes an air tube 1 housed within a milk bowl outlet 2 which functions as the valve housing. The valve also comprises an annular elastomeric diaphragm 3 which is housed in the distal end of milk bowl outlet 2.

Air tube 1 is supported within outlet 2 by means of a ring 20 and four satellite arms 21 extending from ring 20 to a ring 22 which is secured to the body of air tube 1.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the annular diaphragm 3 makes a seal against the lower portion 7 of air tube 1. When a milk bottle 5 is brought up against diaphragm 3, the elastomeric material of which the diaphragm is fabricated stretches, and the configuration shown in Figure 2 results. Here, the inner periphery 6 of the diaphragm 3 conforms to the top surface of the bottle 5, and an annular channel 8 is formed between air tube 1 and the inner peripheral portion 6 of diaphragm 3. Milk is therefore able to flow downwardly from container 11 through the annular channel 12 between outlet tube 2 and air tube 1, and thence through annular channel 8 into the interior of bottle 5, when a vacuum is applied to the air tube 1.

The evacuation of air from the bottle through tube 1 in the direction of arrows 13 is effected by conventional means (not shown).

The lowermost portion of air tube 1 is formed with a neck 9 which serves to direct the incoming milk outwardly onto the walls of bottle 5 during filling.

As can be seen in the drawings, the bore of air tube 1 can be made relatively large so as to assist in evacuation of air from the interior of a bottle 5. In addition, the general flow pattern for milk entering the bottle is relatively streamlined, so that turbulence is reduced and consequently aeration is minimized. The simple flow path and the simple shape of diaphragm 3 also confer advantages in terms of hygiene. The absence of recesses within the milk flow path prevents the build-up of stale pockets of milk, and the design as a whole makes it possible to clean the valve and to replace the diaphragm without complete disassembly of the unit.

The reduction of aeration by means of a valve as described above means that low fat milk products can be bottled at the same rate as full fat milk. This is expected to lead to considerable savings in the operation of bottling plant as well as providing a more hygienic bottling process.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A milk filling valve which comprises an air tube and an elastomeric diaphragm, the diaphragm being located near to the lower end of said air tube, and in use, being clamped at the distal end of a milk bowl outlet, characterised in that said diaphragm is in the form of an annular ring with a central circular aperture; and in that the diameter of said central circular aperture is less than the outside diameter of said air tube in the region where the air tube and diaphragm co-operate, the arrangement being such that upward movement of a milk bottle against said diaphragm stretches the diaphragm to enlarge its central aperture, thereby opening up an annular passage between the diaphragm and the air tube through which milk can flow into the interior of the bottle.

2. A milk filling valve as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said air tube is a circular in cross-section.

3. A milk filling valve as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said air tube includes a shallow neck with which said diaphragm cooperates in the rest condition.

4. A milk filling valve as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said air tube is provided with a plurality of lateral projections which, in use, serve to locate the air tube within a milk bowl outlet.

5. A milk filling valve as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that said lateral projections also serve to provide a clamping mechanism to hold the outer periphery of said diaphragm in place.

6. A milk filling valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

7. A diaphragm for use in a milk filling valve, which diaphragm comprises a generally planar, elastomeric membrane in the form of an annulus having a central, circular aperture.

8. A diaphragm for use in a milk filling valve, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.