Abstract:
An apparatus for distributing a filling product includes a filling valve for liquids, a closure element, and an actuator. The filling valve is configured for opening and closing a distribution or flow opening by linearly displacing the closure element. The valve comprises a valve chamber in which the closure element is arranged. The actuator, which is arranged within a constant volume arranged within the valve chamber, influences movement of the closure element.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is the national stage entry under 35 USC 371 of PCT/EP2012/001623, filed on Apr. 14, 2012 which, under 35 USC 119, claims the benefit of the priority date of German application DE 10 2011 018 479.1, filed on Apr. 21, 2013, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to valves for liquids, in particular filling valves for beverage filling. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Common valves for liquids, such as shown in  FIG. 1 , for example for filling liquids into containers of all kinds, for example for filling beverages into containers such as cans, bottles, carton packaging or similar, comprise a distribution opening, a filling product supply and a closure element, such as a valve cone  3  that releases or closes the distribution opening. Such filling valves are frequently equipped with a gas lock  4  that prevents the dripping of such filling valves. 
         [0004]    In such filling valves  1 , the closure element is normally attached to an actuating element that can move up and down, for example a valve tappet  9 . The opening or closing of such valves is thus effected by linearly displacing a closure element. 
         [0005]    Within the actual filling valve  1 , a so-called valve chamber  2  is arranged, the valve chamber having, at its bottom end, the distribution opening for the filling product. Both the valve tappet  9  and the closure element are arranged within the valve chamber. It is also important that the valve chamber  2  normally be completely filled with filling product. 
         [0006]    If, for closing the filling valve, the closure element is now moved from its open position to its closed position, then the valve tappet is also moved down, whereby the length of the valve tappet located within the valve chamber is enlarged, whereby, simultaneously, the volume of the valve tappet within the valve chamber  2  is enlarged. By opening or closing such a filling valve, one can therefore alter the ratios of the volumes within the valve chamber  2 . 
         [0007]    However, as the valve chamber is completely filled with filling product, a certain liquid volume is displaced by the volume increase of the valve tappet within the valve chamber. The displacement of the liquid volume normally leads to the gas lock no longer completely holding the filling product. This results in unwanted dripping. 
         [0008]    The volume change, described above, within the filling valve also leads to a pressure surge, further exacerbating the problem of dripping. 
         [0009]    This unwanted failure of the gas lock also occurs when closing filling valves in which the valve tappet is received in flexible sealing elements, for example bellows or membranes, which follow the movement of the valve tappet at least for a certain distance. 
         [0010]    The problem of pressure surges, which occurs when closing a valve due to volume changes in the valve chamber, also affects those valves serving to seal off a pipeline for liquids. 
         [0011]    For the sake of completeness it should be mentioned at this point that valves for liquids are known in which the closure element, for example the drilled-through ball of a ball valve, performs a rotating movement for opening or closing the valve. Such valves, too, thus permit the opening and closing of the valve without changing the volumes within the valve chamber. However, since the required sealing surfaces are not exposed in such valves and thus cannot be cleaned sufficiently, such valves cannot be used universally, for example in the beverage industry. Ultimately, such valves for liquids do not contribute to assessing the present invention and, thus, are not given further consideration here. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    The task of the invention is to develop a valve for liquids, in particular a filling valve for beverages, in which, when closing and/or opening the valve, the occurrence of volume changes in the valve chamber and/or the occurrence of pressure surges is at least significantly reduced, but preferably completely prevented. 
         [0013]    According to the invention, it is proposed to design valves for liquids with linear movement of the closure element, for example (filling) valves for liquid media, such that closing or opening operations are made possible without a change in the volume ratios present in the valve chamber. Moreover, this is to prevent movements of liquids, but at least to significantly reduce such movements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    Hereinafter, the invention is explained using various embodiments. In detail, 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a valve for liquids according to the state of the art, 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a first embodiment of a valve for liquids according to the invention, 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment of a valve for liquids according to the invention, and 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a valve for liquids, modified according to the invention, for opening or closing a through-opening. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    “Containers” within the meaning of the invention are in particular cans, bottles, tubes, pouches, each made of metal, glass and/or plastic, but also other packing means suitable for filling liquid or viscous products for pressurised filling or for pressureless filling. 
         [0020]    The expression “substantially” or “approximately” means, within the meaning of the invention, deviations from the respective exact values by +/−10%, preferably by +/−5% and/or deviations in the form of changes irrelevant to the function. 
         [0021]    The basic idea of the invention is that the valve tappet  9  that, in known valves, causes the volume changes and pressure surges is no longer arranged directly in the valve chamber  2 , therefore in direct contact with the liquid. Instead, it is envisaged that the valve tappet  9  be arranged within a hollow body, having a constant volume, arranged in the valve chamber  2 , wherein the movement of the valve tappet  9  is transferred to the actual valve cone such that this does not lead to changes in the volumes within the valve chamber  2 . 
         [0022]    For a first embodiment, it is envisaged that the constant volume be formed from at least one flexible, elastically deformable element. To this end, it is further envisaged that the elastic deformation of the at least one flexible element does not result in any change in the volume taken up by the at least one element. 
         [0023]    For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the constant volume is formed from two bellows  5 ,  6 . To this end, in the embodiment shown, the first bellows  5  is attached to the top of the valve chamber  2  with its upper end. The lower end of this bellows  5  is connected with a height-adjustable sealing disk  7 . The second bellows  6  is connected with the bottom of the sealing disk  7  and the top of a base disk  8 , which forms the lower termination of the constant volume. 
         [0024]    Due to the manner of their attachment, the bellows  5 ,  6  can follow the movements of the sealing disk. To this end, the bellows  5 ,  6  are designed and selected such that the volume enclosed or formed by them is constant irrespective of the momentary height position of the sealing disk  7 . 
         [0025]    Linked to the outer circumference of the height-adjustable sealing disk  7  is a clamp-like or web-like fastening device  10  with which, by means of the valve tappet  9 , the actual closure element, for example a valve cone  3 , is finally connected mechanically. 
         [0026]    Within the constant volume, an actuator  12  for controlling the movement of the sealing disk  7  is arranged. This actuator  12  is in fixed connection with the sealing disk  7 , so that the sealing disk always follows the movements of the actuator  12 . 
         [0027]    As a result of this solution, proposed according to the invention, it is possible for the first time to perform the opening and/or closing of the valve without spurious volume changes within the valve chamber  2  and thus also without pumping effect. 
         [0028]    It is clear that the constant volume can also be formed from other elastically deformable elements, for example from rolling membranes or similar structures. 
         [0029]    A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0030]    In contrast to the first embodiment, it is envisaged, in this embodiment, that the constant volume not be formed by at least one elastically deformable element. 
         [0031]    Instead, in this embodiment, it is proposed that constant volumes be formed from a rigid hollow body  11 . 
         [0032]    Within this hollow body  11 , an actuator  12  is arranged so as to, for example, control the opening and closing of the valve by an up-and-down movement. 
         [0033]    Magnets are arranged at the bottom end of the actuator  12 , as indicated in  FIG. 3  by the symbolic representation of a north pole and a south pole. 
         [0034]    Magnets are also arranged outside the hollow body  11 . These magnets are, for example, are movably supported, at low friction, in a guide. 
         [0035]    Overall, the design and arrangement of the magnets in the hollow body  11 , of the magnets outside the hollow body  11 , and also within the hollow body  11  are such that a trouble-free magnetic coupling is possible between the inner and outer magnets so that the outer magnets can always follow the movements of the inner magnets without delay and without undue deviations in length. 
         [0036]    Also linked to the accommodation of the outer magnets, only schematically shown in  FIG. 3 , is a fastening device  10  that, in turn, by means of the valve tappet  9 , is mechanically connected with the actual closure element, for example a valve cone  3 . 
         [0037]    In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the filling valve is thus possible without leading to a change in the volumes arranged in the valve chamber  2 . 
         [0038]    It applies to all embodiments that the clamp-like or web-like fastening device  10  is designed such that it has the lowest possible flow resistance in its up or down movement. Accordingly, the fastening device  10  preferably consists of few rod-shaped elements wherein, in particular, the elements arranged transversal to the direction of movement are designed to aid the flow, for example, by being streamlined. 
         [0039]    In addition to the valves, described above, for the filling of liquids of all kinds, in which a distribution opening is opened or closed, the present invention is also extraordinarily suitable for application in valves serving to open or close a passage opening. 
         [0040]    As an example of all such valves,  FIG. 4  shows an angle valve modified according to the invention. 
         [0041]    In this embodiment, a constant volume is also arranged within the valve chamber  2 , wherein this constant volume receives the actuator  12  and the sealing disk  7 . By means of a fastening device  10 , the sealing disk  7  is connected with the valve tappet  9 , which thus transfers the movements of the actuator  12  to the closure element of the valve. The medium flowing through the angle valve enters into the angle valve in direction A and exits from it in direction B. By means of the modification according to the invention, unwanted pressure surges generated by the mechanical structure of the valve are also safely avoided in such valves. 
         [0042]    A further example of a valve for liquids for opening or closing a through-opening is shown in  FIG. 2  in the form of a so-called slide valve. By means of the illustrated design, according to the invention, of such a slide valve, such devices can be constructed to be hygienic, i.e. easy-to-clean. To date, in such valves for liquids, due to the glands used for these and the linear movement of the closure element, dirt particles and also abrasions from the glands were introduced into the valve chamber with each actuation. Moreover, the portions of the actuator  12  located within the gland could not be cleaned. 
         [0043]    The invention has been described above using various selected embodiments. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without departing from the inventive idea underlying the invention. 
         [0044]    Thus, the proposed magnetic coupling between actuator  12  and fastening device  10  was only shown for the design of the constant volume as a rigid hollow body. It is, however, clear that the magnetic coupling can also be achieved in case of forming the constant volume from at least one elastically deformable element. 
       REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
       [0000]    
       
           1  filling valve 
           2  valve chamber 
           3  valve cone 
           4  gas lock 
           5  bellows, top 
           6  bellows, bottom 
           7  sealing disk 
           8  base disk 
           9  valve tappet 
           10  fastening device 
           11  hollow body 
           12  actuator