WO2007007013A2 - Filling device with spouts mounted on a carrousel equipped with sanitizing cleaning means - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a bottle filling device, in particular for bottling mineral water, equipped with sanitizing means, comprising fixed spouts (18) mounted on a carrousel, means for feeding water to said spouts including a reservoir (24) integral with said carrousel and a tube (62) feeding said reservoir stationary relative to the carrousel, means (22) for maneuvering the bottles including means (40) for receiving the neck of each bottle and means for translating said means receiving the bottle necks. The invention is characterized in that the sanitizing means comprise dummy containers (50) adapted to be positioned in the receiving means (40) instead of bottles during the sanitizing phase.

Description

 FILLING DEVICE WITH SPRINGS MOUNTED ON A CARROUSEL EQUIPPED WITH CLEANING MEANS DISINFECTING

The present invention relates to a filling device with nozzles mounted on a carousel equipped with disinfecting cleaning means.

For the rest of the description, the term sanitation is used to describe a disinfectant cleaning that makes it possible to eliminate the presence of microorganisms by treatment with bactericidal chemicals.

In the field of bottling, the purpose is to fill containers with liquid products, to close these containers to prevent the inadvertent release of the liquid on the one hand and especially to allow the preservation of said liquid away from external contamination while waiting for its consumption and / or between two access to the content.

In the case of certain drinks, hot sterilization of the liquid in its container is provided, which limits the problems.

On the other hand, in the field of bottling of mineral water, for example, the problem is different since the water is introduced directly from the source into a sanitary container through a facility itself sanitary, without subsequent operation of bacteriological treatment. .

The filling is therefore carried out in a sterile atmosphere that must be preserved throughout the filling line.

In order to prevent contamination, equipment is cleaned regularly and two problems arise, one in the water supply and the other in the container distribution, that is to say in two sensitive points of the installation. The invention relates to filling devices, more particularly those for the mineral water bottling field.

Such a device generally comprises a supply of mineral water with a conduit and a cuvon in the upper part to provide a buffer pool, means for supplying empty containers and a carousel receiving these containers, provided with nozzles fed from said cuvon able to fill the containers carried by this carousel. Conveyor means with transfer conveyor and positioning stars ensure the controlled and adapted movements of these containers during the circulation through the filling device.

The cuvon is generally shipped and rotates with the carousel and the beaks to which it is bound while the feeding of this cuvon is fixed. It is therefore necessary to provide a rotating connection to the right of this fluid connection. This rotating connection has at least two main constraints: the first is that not to generate pollution of wear particles in the cuvon and the second is not to allow the penetration of microorganisms.

Also, to avoid possible penetrations, a well known technique is to place the cuvon slightly overpressure through a sterile air supply opening into the cuvon equipped with a vent adapted to generate the slight excess pressure required.

Or because of the rotation combined with the tightening of the connection, there is inevitable wear of the seal with particle generation and leakage. This implies regular maintenance and frequent interventions. These mechanical assemblies are all elements that should be sanitized but it is understood that the particularly sensitive elements are the cuvon and the beaks taken in their inner ducts.

The exterior of the filling device is generally sprayed with liquid, foams and any other antimicrobially active fluids. On the other hand, the inside of the circuit can only be cleaned by circulating an antimicrobial fluid throughout the circuit, in the open position of all the nozzles. In addition, a sufficient circulation rate is required to avoid the formation of a biological film so that pressurization of the circuit is necessary. It must therefore be possible to have a closed circuit and thus a seal adapted to the right of the rotating connection.

The solution is to dispose of the false bottles, one under each beak and to remove them once the circulation and the sanitation carried out. The installation of the false containers during this phase of sanitation can be carried out in two main ways, automatically or manually.

In the case of means for setting up and automatically removing false bottles, according to a particular embodiment, these are permanently disposed on the filling device and are linked to specific setting and removal devices. . If the difficulty of setting up and removing is removed or at least greatly limited, the filling device becomes more complex and leads to generate additional areas of retention, difficult to sanitize.

Most of the time, the introduction of the false bottles is manual and the withdrawal also. The set up time is already a first constraint difficult to accept, the withdrawal is faster and is not necessarily a time constraint. On the other hand, the problem posed is that of the possibility of contamination by the operator at the time of the withdrawal of the false bottles since this phase is posterior to that of the sanitation. The operator can therefore introduce germs into this zone deemed clean during this intervention, which can ruin the effects of sanitation.

The present invention therefore aims to overcome the problems of the prior art concerning the placement of false containers in the context of sanitation of a carousel filling device avoiding any mechanism additional and also to propose a solution to achieve a tight seal to the pressure required during this sanitation but does not generate friction and therefore wear and pollution during the production phase. The device according to the invention is now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a particular embodiment, not limiting, the different figures of these drawings representing:

FIG. 1, a schematic general view from above of a carousel of a filling device,

FIG. 2, a side elevational view of the filling device of FIG. 1,

- Figure 3, a detail view of a beak with the false container before setting up for sanitation,

- Figure 4, a detailed view of the sealing means of the supply of the filling device according to the invention. In Figure 1, there is shown a carousel 10, fed by conveyors 12 shown in phantom, two star 14 input and 16 output providing power to the carousel.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carousel 10 comprises spouts 18 fixed in height, known means 20 for supplying these spouts, means 22 for operating bottles to be filled in normal operation, the assembly being surmounted by 'a cuvon 24.

In FIG. 3, the spouts 18 comprise, in known manner, a fixed part 26 connected to the carousel and equipped with a funnel-shaped membrane 28 with a suitable profile and a head 30. This membrane 28 is deformable and has a dual function liquid pipe in this case the water to the bottle on the one hand and an elastic return effect of the head 30 of the other mouth. This membrane is accessible from the outside, especially for cleaning as will be seen later. This head 30 comprises two coαxiαux tubes 32 and 34, the inner tube 32 being fixed and the outer tube 34 being movable relative to the fixed tube and secured to the foot of the membrane 28. This outer tube 34 carries a stop 36 which is integral, abutment in the form of a disc 38 intended to come into sealed contact on the top of the rim of each bottle to be filled. There is also provided a venting tube 39 so as to allow the filling, to collect the air expelled from the bottle during filling and to drive it outside the filling room.

The outer tube 34 can thus take, in known manner, two positions: - one of closure in which the membrane 28 is in the return position and the outer tube 34 ensures the interruption of the flow through the inner tube 32 .

- The other filling in which the return force of the membrane 28 is thwarted because the outer tube 34 is raised by pressing the neck of the bottle to be filled against the disc 38 of the abutment 36, the liquid flowing to through the inner tube 32 into the bottle in normal operation.

The bottles are moved by the operating means 22 which comprise means 40 for receiving the neck of each bottle, this also in a known manner and means 42 for translational movement of these means for receiving the bottle necks.

These displacement means 42 are schematically composed of an arm 44 movable in translation relative to the fixed part 26 of the corresponding nozzle and motor means 46. These motor means comprises in this embodiment a cam 48 intended to cooperate with a ramp Rl profile adapted to the movements to be subjected to said arm. This ramp Rl allows to act against a return spring 49 for forcing the arm down against the return spring. According to the present invention, for the sanitation phase, there are provided false containers 50 having a false neck 52 with a drinking head 54 of diameter D preferably greater than that of the bottles to be filled and a body 55. It is noted that the volume the body of these fake containers is reduced compared to that of a bottle.

These false containers are set up by clipping, manually, in the means 40 for receiving the neck of the bottles provided with a groove 56 adapted which corresponds to that provided to receive the tamper-proof rings of mineral water bottles. For the implementation of a sanitation cycle, there are also provided complementary bodies carried by the carousel, compared to the bottle filling cycle in production operation of the same filling device. Indeed, during production operation, in a known and simplified manner, disregarding any possible sweeping with sterile air, it can be considered that in a carousel, during circulation in the zone C1, the arm 44 moving in translation of each spout is moved downwards by a ramp Rl adapted to take a bottle dispensed by the star 14 input. Then as soon as leaving the zone C1, the return spring 49 raises the arm 44 so that the rim of the neck comes into sealing engagement with the disc 38 of the abutment 36 of the outer tube 34, causing the relative displacement of the outer tube 34 relative to the inner tube 32.

In fact, it occurs the filling of the bottle by gravity flow of the water from the cuvon during the circulation in the CZ zone while the exhaust air is led to the outside of the room in which is placed the device of filling, through the tube 39 venting. The filled bottle is then released from the spout during its progression in the zone C3, by movement of the arm 44 subjected to the action of the motor means 46. The ramp Rl ensures the lowering of the arm 44.

The filled bottle is then discharged from the carousel by the exit star 16. The operation of this same filling device according to the invention is now described during a sanitation cycle.

The carousel is no longer supplied with bottles and nozzles 18 with their heads 30 and the means 40 for receiving bottles are free.

In order to proceed with the sanitation, it is necessary to circulate a bactericidal liquid in the cuvon and through each spout, this under pressure to ensure sufficient speed and remove any trace of biofilm formation.

It is appropriate to position under each spout a false container 50. It is planned to implement this establishment in the right zone CZ, substantially in the center CA of CZ zone, which area is accessible directly by the operator because it is not cluttered by stars and conveyors.

However, in this zone CZ, the bottles are in place on the spouts so that the means 40 for receiving the neck of the bottles are in the up position as the arm 44. It is therefore advisable to provide, according to the invention, a ramp R2 additional. This ramp is retractable.

The carousel is maneuvered to pass each beak in front of the operator in charge of setting up the false containers 50, in front of the zone

IT. Each false container is thus clipped by the operator on the head 30.

The ramp R1 in the device according to the invention must also be retractable so as not to cause the lowering of the arm 44 since all the false containers 50 must be simultaneously placed on the spouts 18.

Once the carousel has made 360 °, all the beaks are equipped with a false container 50. The operator leaves the room. The R2 ramp can be retracted and the sanitation cycle is started with the carousel stopped. Fluid with a bactericidal agent under pressure is circulated through all the beaks simultaneously.

Note that the container is held against the disc 38 of the abutment 36 by the elastic return force of the single spring 39 of return. Indeed and this is an important feature of the invention, although the sanitation phase is working under pressure, it is not necessary to provide additional members to seal between each false container 50 and each beak 18 plus Particularly considered for its disk 38. At the end of the cycle, a rinsing fluid ensures the removal of the bactericidal agent. In parallel, advantageously, the carousel and all the ancillary elements are also cleaned externally with a bactericidal agent and then rinsed. The entire filling device is thus treated against any contamination and deemed sanity ready for a period of production. It is then necessary to remove the false containers 50 to release the nozzles. This is obtained automatically by replacing the ramp R2 which ensures the lowering of the arm 44. This ramp R2 is also equipped with an ejection finger 58. The rotation of the carousel at low speed drives each false container into position. stop against this finger and after a rotation of 360 °, all the false containers are removed. A suitable ramp at the foot of carousel advantageously leads these false containers out of the room without intervention of the operator. To be operational for filling, the ramp R1 is also put back in place. This maneuver is also conducted by the operator outside the room, like that of the R2 ramp.

Electric cylinders for example can allow easy maneuvering these ramps. The other problem to be solved for the implementation of the device and to ensure an effective sanitation cycle is that of the sealing of the rotating connection. As has been expressed, wear is inevitable if this rotating connection is permanently tightened. The present invention therefore provides for separating the two types of sealing required.

During the operating phase, the swivel must have a relative tightness since in any case, the interior of the tank 24 is slightly overpressurized but with a controlled leak of sterile air injected continuously in the tank so as to ensure scanning. According to a preferred embodiment, it is therefore provided a first seal 60 with dynamic sealing, integral with the tube 62 for supplying water to the tank 24. This tube 62 is fixed. The periphery of this seal 60 with dynamic sealing cooperates with the grooves 64 of a succession of rollers 66 mounted free to rotate on pins 68 integral with the cuvon. The cuvon is thus perfectly guided with respect to the tube 62 of fixed feed. It is also noted that this assembly is also easily accessible and can be cleaned externally.

During the sanitation phase, it is necessary to be able to have a seal of this seal 60 but in this phase, the cuvon secured to the carousel is immobilized in rotation.

Also, the invention provides a second seal 70 static sealing interposed between the fixed tube 62 and the bowl 24. In a particularly effective arrangement, the seal 70 static seal is an inflatable seal 72. This inflatable seal 72 is housed in the seal 60 with dynamic sealing, within a groove 74 annular opening. The inflatable seal 72 is supplied with pressurized air by a stitching 76, accessible from above the dynamic seal 60 and connected only during the sanitation phase. Thus, during production operation, the dynamic seal 60 ensures, by the baffle thus formed, a brake at the outlet of the sterile air under cuvette sweeping pressure and at the same time a particularly efficient mechanical guiding. During the sanitation phase, the carousel being static, it is sufficient to inject pressurized air through the stitching 76 to inflate the inflatable seal 72. This seal 72, once inflated, deforms and provides a complete seal by coming to press against the inner edge 78 of the opening 80 to access the inside of the bowl 24. The inflated seal simultaneously occupies the entire throat 74 annular opening of the seal 60 dynamic sealing.

The sanitation of the filling device according to the invention can then be carried out under pressure.

Once this phase of sanitation is completed, the inflatable seal 72 of the static seal 70 is then deflated and its elasticity reminiscent in its groove 74 annular, completely retracted and without mechanical contact may generate wear particles.

Claims

Bottle filling device, especially for the bottling of mineral water, equipped with sanitation means, comprising fixed spouts (18) mounted on a carousel, means (20) for supplying water to these spouts, including a cuvon (24) secured to this carousel and a tube (62) for supplying said cuvon fixed relative to the carousel, means (22) for operating the bottles comprising means (40) for receiving the neck of each bottle and means (42) for translational movement of these bottle neck receiving means, characterized in that the sanitation means comprise false containers (50) adapted to be positioned in the receiving means (40) in place of the bottles during the sanitation phase, retractable means (R2) for holding in position the means (42) for moving during the placement of the false containers, and retractable means (R1) for neutralizing, during the phase of sanitation, the 'act moving means (42) and keeping the false containers (50) in place simultaneously on all the fixed spouts (18). 2. Bottle filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the false containers (50) are clipped on the means (40) for receiving. Bottle filling device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers are of small volume compared to the volume of the bottles so as to be able to maintain a seal between said false containers (50) and the nozzles (18). ) during the sanitation phase. Bottle filling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (58) automatic ejection of the false containers out of the receiving means (40). 5. Bottle filling device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for evacuating the bogus containers (50) ejected. 6. Bottle filling device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first seal (60) dynamic sealing used in the production phase and a second seal (70) static seal usable in phase sanitation, these two seals being interposed between the tube (62) of water supply of the cuvon (24) and said cuvon. 7. Bottle filling device according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a succession of rollers (66) mounted free to rotate on pins (68) integral with the bowl provided with grooves (64) adapted to receive the periphery. seal (60). Bottle filling device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the seal (70) with static sealing is an inflatable seal (72). 9. Bottle filling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the seal (72) inflatable is housed in a groove (74) annular emerging in the seal (60) dynamic sealing, the seal being supplied with air under pressure by a quilting (76).