Abstract:
An apparatus to fill a container includes at least one tank for a fluid product to be delivered and one filling head to deliver the fluid product to the container that is movable towards and away from the container. The apparatus further includes a connecting arrangement interposed between the tank and the filling head to supply the fluid product to the filling head. The connecting arrangement includes a ball-and-socket joint structure which includes a first tubular portion having a spherical body, a second tubular portion in the form of a spherical cavity and a tubular sealing element arranged inside the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion at a zone in which the spherical body and the spherical cavity are mutually engaged.

Description:
This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2007/050629 filed Jan. 23, 2007. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling containers with a fluid product. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Pressure-filling apparatuses are known comprising a rotating carousel supporting a plurality of filling heads. 
     The filling head delivers the fluid product having a low temperature, i.e. ambient temperature. 
     A first type of pressure-filling apparatus comprises a tank, filling heads which are fixed to the carousel and moving devices which move the container towards and away from the filling heads. 
     A second type of pressure-filling apparatuses comprises a tank, supporting devices fixed to the carousel, which support the containers, and filling heads having a body fixed to the carousel and a pouring spout comprising sealing elements which move towards and away from the containers. The sealing elements are movable between an operating position in which the sealing elements contact a mouth of a container, that surrounds its neck, so that a fluid product may be inserted into the container, and a rest position, in which the sealing elements are separated from the mouth so that a filled container may be removed from the supporting devices and a further container to be filled may be positioned on the supporting devices. 
     A drawback of the aforementioned filling apparatuses is that the pouring spout is rather complicated, in particular the pneumatic driving device supplying an operating fluid which moves the sealing elements from the operating position to the rest position, and vice versa, has to be provided. 
     Filling apparatuses are also known which deliver a fluid product to containers without applying pressure to the fluid product. 
     Such filling apparatuses deliver a hot fluid product, having a temperature of about 85° C. 
     These filling apparatuses comprises a carousel supporting a tank and movable filling heads which move towards and away from containers held by holding devices. 
     Flexible pipes, for example made of plastics, are interposed between the tank and the filling heads, which do not disturb the movement of the filling heads. 
     The high temperature of the fluid product prevents bacterial charges from originating in the curved parts of the flexible pipes. 
     The flexible pipes, therefore, may not be used in pressure-filling apparatuses which deliver a fluid product having a low temperature, i.e. ambient temperature, since at a low temperature bacterial charges is not prevented from originating in the curved parts of the flexible pipes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to improve known filling apparatuses. 
     Another object of the invention is to obtain a filling apparatus, having a movable filling head, which is simple to be manufactured. 
     A further object of the invention is to obtain a filling apparatus which delivers a pressurized fluid product at low temperature in highly hygienic conditions. 
     In a first aspect of the invention, an apparatus for filling a container is provided, comprising a tank for a fluid product to be delivered, a filling head for delivering the fluid product to said container, the filling head being movable towards and away from the container, a connecting means arrangement interposed between the tank and the filling head for supplying the fluid product to the filling head, wherein the connecting arrangement comprises at least a ball-and-socket joint structure. 
     Owing to this aspect of the invention, a filling apparatus is obtained which is very simple to be manufactured, since the whole filling head is moved, and not only a sealing element thereof, as in some prior-art apparatuses. A pneumatic driving device includes complex delivery devices for supplying an operative fluid up to a pouring spout of the filling head that sealing elements of the filling head are no longer required. 
     In addition, the filling apparatus according to this aspect of the invention is very hygienic, since no curved part is provided in the ball-and-socket joint structure, in which bacterial charges may originate. The filling apparatus according to this aspect of the invention, therefore, may be used for delivering a pressurized fluid product at a low temperature. 
     In a second aspect of the invention, a ball-and-socket joint structure is provided, comprising a first tubular element including spherical body and second tubular element comprising spherical cavity, wherein it further comprises a tubular sealing element arranged inside the first tubular element and the second tubular element at a zone in which the spherical body and the spherical cavity are mutually engaged. 
     Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to obtain a ball-and-socket joint structure in which the tubular sealing element prevents leakage of fluid product at a region in which the spherical body and the spherical cavity mutually engage. 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure according to this aspect of the invention may be mounted on filling apparatuses. The filling apparatuses may operate in a very hygienic way, also at a low temperature, since substantially no curved portion in which bacterial charges may originate is provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The invention will be better understood and carried into effect with reference to the attached drawings in which some embodiments are shown by way of non-limiting example, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal section of a filling apparatus in an operating configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a section like that of  FIG. 1  which shows the filling apparatus in a further operating configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal section of a ball-and-socket joint structure according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a filling apparatus  1  is shown comprising a rotating carousel  2  provided with a plurality of holding devices  3 , each holding device  3  being arranged for supporting a container  4  to be filled. 
     The holding device  3  comprises a curved holding element, fixed to the carousel  2 , which partially surrounds the neck  5 , including the mouth  8 , of the container  4 . 
     The holding device  3  is arranged in an aseptic chamber  6 . 
     The filling apparatus  1  further comprises a plurality of filling heads  7 , each filling head  7  being arranged above a corresponding holding device  3 . 
     The filling head  7  is movable, within the aseptic chamber  6 , between a rest position A, shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the filling head  7  is separated from the mouth  8  of the container  4  so that a filled container may be removed from the holding device  3  and an empty container to be filled may be positioned on the holding device  3 , and a working position B, shown in  FIG. 2 , in which the filling head  7  is in contact with the mouth  8  so that a fluid product  20  is poured into the container  4 . 
     The filling apparatus  1  further comprises a tank  9 , for example an annular tank, arranged on the carousel  2 , each filling head  7  being connected to the tank  9  by connecting means  10 . 
     The filling apparatus  1  further comprises a tank  9 , for example an annular tank, arranged on the carousel  2 , each filling head  7  being connected to the tank  9  by a connecting arrangement  10 . 
     The filling apparatus  1  further comprises a pressurizing device, not shown, for pressurizing the fluid product  20  in the tank  9  and/or in the filling head  7 . 
     In particular, the filling apparatus may be an isobaric filling apparatus which delivers the fluid product at a pressure up to 5 bar. 
     The connecting arrangement  10  allows the filling head  7  to move with respect to the tank  9  from the rest position A to the working position B, and vice versa. 
     The connecting arrangement  10  comprises a first pipe  11 , which is curved, and a second pipe  12 , which is straight, and a ball-and-socket joint structure  40 . 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure  40  comprises a first ball-and-socket joint  13  defined between the tank  9  and a first end  14  of the first pipe  11 , a second ball-and-socket joint  15  defined between the filling head  7  and a further first end  16  of the second pipe  12  and a third ball-and-socket joint  17  defined between a second end  18  of the first pipe  11  and a further second end  19  of the second pipe  12 . 
     The filling head  7  comprises a body  21  provided with a pouring chamber  22  which receives the fluid product  20  from the tank  9  and delivers the fluid product  20  to the container  4 . 
     The body  21  further comprises a driving element  23  under the form of an appendage which is received into a chamber  24  obtained in the carousel  2 . 
     The chamber  24  is connected, by means of a pipe which is not shown, to a source of an operating fluid. 
     The chamber  24  and the driving element  23  cooperate to define a fluid cylinder. 
     The filling head  7  further comprises a removing conduit  25  partially received in the pouring chamber  22  which removes gaseous fluids from the container  4  when the container  4  is filled with the fluid product  20 . 
     The removing conduit  25  comprises a removing end  26  which is received into the mouth  8 , when the filling head  7  is in the working position B. 
     The filling head  7  further comprises a valve  27  comprising a shutter element  28  having a tubular shape. The shutter element  28  is interposed between the pouring chamber  22  and the removing conduit  25 . 
     The valve  27  comprises a further body  30  to which both the shutter element  28  and the removing conduit  25  are fixed. 
     The valve  27  is movable between a closing position X, shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the shutter element  28  abuts against the body  21  and closes a pouring opening  29  of the pouring chamber  22 , and an opening position Y, shown in  FIG. 3 , in which the shutter element  28  is spaced apart from the body  21  and the fluid product  20  may flow through the pouring opening  29 . 
     The further body  30  comprises a further driving element  31 , also under the form of an appendage which is received into a further chamber  32  obtained in the appendage constituting the above mentioned driving element  23 . 
     The further chamber  32  is connected to a source of an operating fluid by means of a pipe  33 . 
     The further chamber  32  and the further driving element  31  cooperate to define a fluid cylinder. 
     In use, when the operating fluid fills the chamber  24 , the appendage constituting the driving element  23  slides within the chamber  24  so that the filling head  7  moves against the action of an elastic element  34  interposed between the carousel  2  and the body  21  from the rest position A to the working position B. 
     While the filling head  7  moves from the rest position A to the working position B, the valve  27  is maintained in the closing position X. 
     Successively, when the filling head  7  is in the working position B, the operating fluid fills the further chamber  32  and the further driving element  31  slides within the further chamber  32  so that the filling head  7  moves against the action of a further elastic element  35  interposed between the body  21  and the further body  30  from the closing position X to the opening position Y. 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure  40  comprises a first tubular member  41  having a first threaded portion  42  and a tubular appendage  43  having a second threaded portion  44 . 
     The first threaded portion  42  engages with the second threaded portion  44  so that the first tubular member  41  is connected to the tubular appendage  43 . 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure  40  further comprises a spherical body  45  internally provided with a groove  46  in which a rim  47  of the tubular appendage  43  is received so that the spherical body  45  is firmly connected to the tubular appendage  43 . 
     The first tubular member  41 , the tubular appendage  43  and the spherical body  45  cooperate to define a first tubular portion  70 . 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure  40  comprises a second tubular member  48  and an intermediate element  50  which are interconnected by means of a fixing structure  49 . 
     The fixing structure  49  comprises a ring nut  51  which is screwed on a thread  52  of the second tubular member  48 . 
     The second tubular member  48 , the ring nut  51  and the intermediate element  50  cooperate to define a second tubular portion  80 . 
     The intermediate element  50  comprises a portion of spherical cavity  53  and the ring nut  51  comprises a further portion of spherical cavity  54 , the portion of spherical cavity  53  and the further portion of spherical cavity  54  cooperating to define a spherical cavity  55  arranged for shapingly coupling with the spherical body  45 . 
     The ball-and-socket joint structure  40  further comprises a tubular sealing element  56  comprising a central portion  57 , an end portion  58  received in a seat  59  defined between the first tubular member  41  and the tubular appendage  43  and a further end portion  60  received in a further seat  61  defined between the second tubular member  48  and the intermediate element  50 . 
     The tubular sealing element  56  may be made of plastics, for example of elastomeric material such as silicone rubber. 
     The end portion  58  comprises an inclined face  62  which couples with a corresponding further inclined face  63  of the first tubular member  41 . 
     The end portion  58  further comprises an annular element  64  interacting with an abutting surface  65  of the tubular appendage  43 . 
     The further end portion  60  comprises an annular projection  66  received in a corresponding annular groove  67  of the intermediate element  50 . 
     The tubular sealing element  56  prevents leakage of the fluid product  20  at the region K in which the spherical body  45  and the spherical cavity  55  mutually engage.