Patent ID: 6761191
Filing Date: 2004-07-13
Classification: B67C

Abstract:
A filling system for automatically filling containers with liquid product in a production cycle and for clean-in-place (CIP) cleaning of the product contact parts during said production cycle, comprising:a container handling subsystem for carrying containers to and from a filling area, a container indexing assembly for indexing containers through said filling area; a product contact subsystem for metering said liquid product into containers in said filling area, said product contact subsystem further including; at least one filling nozzle and corresponding metering device for metering liquid through said filling nozzle into containers; a cleaning subsystem including pressurized cleaning fluid feed system for circulating cleaning fluid through said at least one filling nozzle and corresponding metering device; and a controls/utilities subsystem for coordinating operation of the container indexing assembly with the product contact subsystem, said controls/utilities subsystem periodically initiating a cleaning cycle in which supply and metered dispensing of said liquid product is stopped and pressurized cleaning fluid is circulated through said at least one filling nozzle and corresponding metering device by said cleaning subsystem.