Abstract:
An aseptic filling machine of envelope-type bags provided with a filling mouth closed by a removable cap, comprising an empty bag supply device, a discharge device configured to discharge full bags, a carousel device on which at least two filling stations are located; each filling station comprising a sterile chamber; a raising device configured to raise the mouth of the empty bag internally of the sterile chamber; an overpressure device configured to place the chamber in slight overpressure; a removal device configured to remove the cap and positioning it by a side of the mouth; and a dispenser-batcher device that is vertically slidable and configured to engage with the mouth.

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: Italian Patent Application No. RE2011A000111, filed Dec. 23, 2011. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to filling sterile containers with liquid or semi-dense food products such as for example fruit juices or tomato paste. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The containers are constituted by bags of synthetic material, having a rectangular or square shape, constituted by two sheets welded along the edges thereof. 
     One of the two sheets comprises, in proximity of one of the smaller sides, preferably on the longitudinal axis of the bag, a filling mouth closed by a removable cap. 
     In the following the terms container and bag will be used interchangeably. 
     The containers are filled in linear machines comprising, in addition to a bag advancement line, a sterile chamber, preferably parallelepiped but also possibly cylindrical, in which the mouth is housed in the bottom, through an opening in the lower wall of the chamber. 
     The sterile chamber comprises means for supporting the mouth in the chamber and returning it to the advancement line, means for spraying a liquid disinfectant in the vicinity of the mouth, means for removing the cap and retaining it in a position by the side of the mouth and replacing it on the mouth, as well as a vertical-axis batcher-dispenser for introducing the product into the bag. 
     After the bag has been filled, the cap is reapplied to the mouth, the mouth is released to outside the chamber, and the bag is laid on the advancement line. 
     All the above-described operations are carried out using devices that are in themselves known to the technical expert in the sector, and which will be omitted from the detailed description. 
     Known linear machines have the disadvantage of a low production capacity due to the difficulty of changing the format of the containers, mouths and removable caps, as well as being due to the time the bag remains in the filling station—the time being the time required for performing all of the above-described operations. 
     Approximately these operations require a total time of more than about 5 seconds per bag, while the time required only for filling the bag is in the order of a second or a little more, depending on the capacity of the bag. 
     The purpose of the present invention is to obviate all these problems with a simple and effective solution. 
     This aim is attained by a filling machine having the characteristics recited in the independent claim; the dependent claims relate to other characteristics of the invention which are intended to provide further advantages. 
     SUMMARY 
     In substance, the invention comprises a base on which a rotating circular platform is positioned, which platform is moved in a continuous rotary motion by suitable means. 
     At least two, and preferably six or more identical filling stations are located on the rotating platform, which stations are equally spaced and individually equipped with a lower rest plane for the bag, with the mouth located vertically. 
     Present at the periphery of the platform are: a loading apparatus of the empty bag at the first filling station in which the filling cycle begins, and an unloading apparatus of the filled bag from the filling station, located immediately downstream of the first, with reference to the movement direction of the carousel. 
     The loading apparatus comprises a device for transferring the empty bag from supply means of the bags, by gripping it by the mouth, and for positioning the bag in a suitable position on the rest plane of the first station. 
     The means for supplying empty bags are known in themselves and generally comprise a supply roll of empty bags, and means for bringing the first bag separated from the roll to the filling station. 
     Each filling station comprises a support bracket fastened to the platform, to which a rest plane for the bag and an overlying filling group are headed, facing externally of the platform. 
     Each filling unit comprises a sterile chamber as well as the means for inserting the mouth into the sterile chamber, the disinfection of the area around the mouth, the removal and displacement of the cap to the side of the mouth, insertion of the batcher-dispenser into the mouth—and the reverse operations. 
     The rest plane of the bag is openable downwards, such as to unload the full bag when the filling station is in the unloading position and drop it onto an underlying conveyor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The qualities and constructional features of the invention will become apparent from the functional and detailed description that follows, which with the aid of the attached drawings tables illustrates a preferred embodiment of invention given by way of non-limiting example. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the invention in plan view. 
         FIG. 2  shows the section of  FIG. 1  below the filling groups. 
         FIG. 3  is a detail of  FIG. 2  in larger scale. 
         FIG. 4  shows the detail of  FIG. 3  in perspective view. 
         FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  show, in perspective view and in section, the means for activating the rotating platform. 
         FIG. 7  shows a filling group in a perspective view, with some parts removed. 
         FIG. 8  is the same as  FIG. 7 , with other parts removed. 
         FIG. 8A  shows parts of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 9  shows the section along line IX-IX of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  shows the section along line X-X of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is the view of  FIG. 7  with some parts removed. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates section XII-XII of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  and  FIG. 14  illustrate a perspective view of the rest plane for the bag, in the open and closed position. 
         FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16  illustrate a different perspective view of the rest plane for the bag, with the mouth raising means in upper and lower positions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The figures relate to a bag-supplying device  1  with a mouth  21  facing upwards. A positioning device  3  is located by a side of the device  1 , comprising an arm  31  provided with pliers  32  at an end, which move between a first position in which the pliers overlie the mouth  21  of the arriving bag, and a second position ( FIG. 2 ) in which the bag is located on the rest plane of the first station. 
     The pliers  32  are pneumatically activated by means that are not illustrated, and exhibit jaws that are destined to open by 180° such as not to obstruct the releasing of the mouth  21 . 
     The movement of the arm is powered by a brushless stepper motor. 
     A carousel  4  rotates downstream of the positioning device. The carousel  4  comprises ( FIGS. 5, 6 ) a fifth wheel  41  a fixed ring of which is solidly constrained to the base  42 , and the mobile ring of which is fixed to a platform  43 . 
     The platform  43  is moved by an electric motor  44  having an adjustable velocity on the axis of which a pinion  45  is keyed, which enmeshes in a crown wheel  46  solidly constrained to the platform  43 . 
     Six filling stations  5  are fixed in equidistant positions on the platform  43 . 
     Each filling station comprises a lower rest plane  51  for a bag, constituted by two doors  511  and  512  ( FIGS. 13 and 14 ), which can be arranged ( FIG. 13 ) coplanarly or can rotate symmetrically in a downwards direction ( FIG. 14 ). 
     Each door is coupled to a roller  52 ,  520  on the axis of which a crank  53 ,  530  is keyed, the crank heads to the double stem of a piston cylinder group  54 . 
     The entirety is supported by a frame  55  which is suspended by means of brackets  56  below the rotating platform  43  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     Pliers  57  are located on a side of the lower rest plane  51  ( FIGS. 15, 16 ), in the line of contact between the planes, at the position occupied by the mouth  21  of the bag, such as to load the mouth after the pliers  32  have brought it into position below the sterile chamber. 
     The pliers  57  exhibit the same characteristics as the pliers  32 . 
     The pliers  57 , activated by the piston cylinder group  58  supported by frame  55 , move vertically to place the mouth in the sterile chamber. 
     A pad  59  is located below the lower rest plane  51 , which pad  59  is activated by the cylinder piston  591  to rise above the rest plane through an opening therein, ( FIGS. 15, 16 ). 
     The pad  59  rises, after the bag has been filled, coming into contact with the mouth, such as to close and prevent the slightly pressurised air in the sterile chamber from entering the bag, inflating it before the removable cap is repositioned on the mouth. 
     For each lower rest plane  51 , the rotating platform supports a filling group  6  ( FIGS. 7-12 ) located projectingly with respect to the platform. 
     Each filling group  6  is supported by a bracket  7  which comprises a first vertical plate  71  provided with a pair of horizontally projecting shelves  72 . 
     The shelves support the sterile chamber  74  in a height-adjustable position. 
     The chamber supports, on each side, an inspection hatch  741 , as well as an opening  742  on the lower wall, via which the mouth enters with the respective movement organs ( FIGS. 9, 12 ). 
     On the side facing towards the outside of the platform, the vertical plate  71  comprises a first pair of guides  75  ( FIG. 7 ) on which a first plate  76  slides vertically, from which first plate  76  a first bracket  77  derives, which supports the end of the batching device  78  ( FIGS. 11, 12 ) which supplies the liquid. 
     This device comprises ( FIG. 12 ) a cylindrical body  781  that fits slidably into the sterile chamber  74  by means of a sealed coupling  79 . 
     The lower end of the batching device  78  exhibits an axial hole which is closed by a shutter  80 . 
     The shutter  80  is supported by a stem  81  superiorly protruding from the batcher, where it is supported by a shelf  85 . 
     The shelf  85  is derived from a second plate  83 , parallel to the first plate  76  and slidable on vertical guides  84  present on the first plate. 
     The sliding of the first plate  76  with respect to the guides  75  is performed by means not described in detail as they are of usual kind. 
     Similarly, the sliding of the second plate  83  with respect to the guides  84  is performed by means not described in detail as they are of usual kind. 
     The batching device  78  comprises an inlet hole  780   FIG. 11  which is connected by a tube to a swivel joint distributor that receives the liquid from a suitable reservoir that serves all six special filling devices. 
     The joint and the reservoir are not illustrated, as they are of known kind. 
     The means for removing the cap from the mouth and displacing it sideways are located internally of the sterile chamber; once the filling has been completed, the means perform the reverse operation. 
     These means are illustrated in figures from  7  to  10 . 
     The fixed plate  71  laterally and projectingly bears a radial vertical plate  710 , on which a plate  711  activated in a known way by the motor  70  slides vertically. 
     The plate  711  comprises a horizontal shelf  712  which supports a tubular body  713  in which a shaft  714  is inserted. 
     The body  713  is inserted from above into the underlying sterile chamber  74  through a sealing and guiding sleeve  715 , which is fixed to the upper wall of the sterile chamber  74 . 
     A horizontal flange  717  is derived from the base of the tubular body  713 , which functions as a support for the two jaws of the pliers  82  that are identical to the pliers  32 . 
     At the base, the shaft  714  bears a plate to which two con rods  716  attach at heads thereof, which con rods  716  activate the jaws in response to the rotations of the shaft. 
     The tubular body  713  is subjected to rotations about the axis thereof, and to this end it comprises an upper crank  7130  which is connected by a con rod  7131  to a servomotor  7132  located behind the plate  710 . 
     Similarly, the shaft  714  is subject to rotations about the axis thereof, and to this end comprises an upper crank  7140  that is connected by a con rod  7141  to a servomotor  7142  located behind the plate  710 . 
     The carousel  4  is powered in continuous rotary motion and the empty bags are supplied in synchrony onto the lower rest planes  51   
     When a lower rest plane  51  has received the empty bag from the arm  31 , the pliers  32  are opened and the bag is released onto the lower rest plane  51 . 
     During rotation of the lower rest plane  51 , the following activities take place. 
     The pliers  57  lift the filling mouth internally of the sterile chamber through the lower opening  742  therein. 
     In this position the cap removal device rotates by 90° and the pliers  82  are closed such as to grasp the cap. 
     This is accomplished by the coordinated action of the actuators  7132  and  7142 . 
     Thanks to the upward displacement of the plate  711 , the tubular body  713  and the shaft  714  are raised together, and so remove the cap from the mouth. 
     Subsequently, the tubular body  713  and the shaft  714  rotate in synchrony, still actuated by servomotors, and locate the pliers  82 , with the gripped cap, by the side of the mouth. 
     When the plug has been removed and placed to the side the batching device  78  supported by the bracket  77  is lowered. 
     This occurs by the translation of the plate  76  in a downwards direction. 
     The batching device sealingly rests on the mouth, and thanks to the vertical translation of the plate  83  in relation to the plate  76 , the shutter  80 , suspended by the stem  81  from the shelf  85  that is solidly constrained to the plate  83 , opens the lower hole of the batching device and enables the descent of the material into the bag which is filled. 
     When filling has completed, the pad  59  rises from the rest plane of the bag, and pushes the lower flap of the bag against the mouth, temporarily sealing the bag against undesired inlet into the mouth of any gases in overpressure that might be present in the sterile chamber. 
     During all the activities described in the sterile chamber has completed the up to close to the unloading position of the bag. 
     In this position the above-described devices are activated in an opposite direction, and when the filling station is in the unloading position, the pliers  57  lower and the rest plane  51  opens and releases the bag onto the belt, which removes the full bag. 
     It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover all modifications which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims; the above description; and/or shown in the attached drawings.