Filling apparatus for hermetically sealed bottles

A filling apparatus (110, 210) for a hermetically sealed bottle (200) is created by means of a dual bottle adapter (210), at least indirectly connected to the bottle (200), for an input of liquid from a storage container (100) provided with a dual container adapter (110) and at least partially filled with liquid, wherein between a liquid exit port (111) of the dual container adapter (110) and a liquid entry port (211) of the dual bottle adapter (210) a sealed-off liquid communication connection is present, and between a gas entry port (112) of the dual container adapter (110) and a gas exit port (212) of the dual bottle adapter (210) a sealed-off gas communication connection is present.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Priority is claimed of DE 10 2018 001 411.9, filed Feb. 22, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a filling apparatus for a filling process of a hermetically sealed bottle.

Filling apparatuses for open bottles are known in various forms in the prior art. Filling apparatuses of the type stated in the introduction are not known to the Applicant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a filling apparatus for sealed bottles.

For a filling apparatus of the type stated in the introduction, this object is achieved according to the invention by means of a dual bottle adapter, at least indirectly connected to the bottle, for an input of liquid from a storage container provided with a dual container adapter and at least partially filled with liquid, wherein between a liquid exit port of the dual container adapter and a liquid entry port of the dual bottle adapter is provided a sealed-off liquid communication connection, and between a gas entry port of the dual container adapter and a gas exit port of the dual bottle adapter is provided a sealed-off gas communication connection.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims, the elements of which act to further improve the approach to achieving the object underlying the invention.

In the filling apparatus according to the invention, with the aid of the provision of a dual bottle adapter, at least indirectly connected to the bottle, for an input of liquid from a storage container provided with a dual container adapter and at least partially filled with liquid, wherein between a liquid exit port of the dual container adapter and a liquid entry port of the dual bottle adapter is provided a sealed-off liquid communication connection, and between a gas entry port of the dual container adapter and a gas exit port of the dual bottle adapter is provided a sealed-off gas communication connection, a filling process of a sealed bottle is enabled by virtue of the fact that a discharge of gas or air from the bottle takes place to the extent in which an input of liquid is realized, wherein the discharged gas or the discharged air is passed into the storage container, and thus a quantitively corresponding input of gas or air into the storage container is realized, in which, in turn, a quantitively corresponding liquid discharge takes place.

According to a first preferred embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention, it is provided that the liquid exit port and the gas entry port of the dual container adapter are respectively configured as pipe end pieces with predefined outer diameter of a robust mechanical unit configured as an adapter body.

Furthermore, the liquid exit port of the dual container adapter is preferably disposed within a robust mechanical unit, configured as an adapter body, at predefined distance from the gas entry port of the dual container adapter.

Concerning the dual bottle adapter, the relevant the liquid entry port and the gas exit port are preferably configured as bores which are made in a robust adapter block and the respective inner diameters of which, for the purpose of enabling a sealed-off plug-in connection, are matched to the predefined outer diameter of the liquid exit port and of the gas entry port of the dual container adapter.

In addition, the liquid entry port of the dual bottle adapter is preferably disposed within a robust mechanical unit, configured as an adapter block, at predefined distance from the gas exit port of the dual bottle adapter.

As stated above, the adapter block of the bottle adapter and the adapter body of the container adapter can be mutually matched in terms of their dimensions and their shaping in order to enable a direct, detachably fixed plug-in connection between bottle adapter and container adapter.

Alternatively to a direct plug-in connection, an indirect, detachably fixed plug-in connection of the adapter block of the bottle adapter to the adapter body of the container adapter can be formed by, on the one hand, configuring a liquid communication connection between the bottle adapter and the container adapter as a first sealed-off flexible hose and, on the other hand, configuring a gas communication connection between the container adapter and the bottle adapter as a second gastight flexible hose. The inner diameter of the first hose can here be dimensioned larger than the inner diameter of the second hose.

According to an important preferred embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention, a pump is present in order to pump liquid out of the storage container into the bottle.

The pump is here preferably configured as a hollow cylinder provided, in the region of its closed lower end face, with a nonreturn valve, in the open upper end face of which is inserted a piston connected to a piston rod, which piston is reciprocatingly mounted in the hollow cylinder, wherein a bore directed through the piston and the piston rod forms a liquid communication connection from the inside of the container to the container adapter, and a gas communication connection configured as a hose leads from the container adapter into the inside of the container.

Furthermore, a helical spring, one end of which is supported in the region of the surface of the storage container and the other end of which adjoins a stop attached to the piston rod, is preferably provided in order to return the piston rod and hence the piston, subsequent to a transfer of the piston from a neutral rest position in the direction toward the closed end face of the hollow cylinder, within a pumping process, into the neutral rest position.

According to another preferred embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention, the container adapter is disposed in the region of an upper end face of the piston rod, and the bottle adapter is disposed in the region of a base of the bottle, or the piston rod is reciprocatingly mounted in the hollow cylinder by means of a gripping element attached to that end of the piston rod which is remote from the piston, wherein the container adapter is configured in an upper lateral region of the piston rod between the gripping element and the stop. In this case, the bottle adapter is preferably disposed in the region of a side wall of the bottle or in the region of a spraying attachment of the bottle.

According to a further important preferred embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention, the adapter bodies of container adapters of storage containers filled with different liquid contents, for the purpose of a clear allocation of container adapter to liquid content contained in relevant storage container, are designed differently in terms of their dimensioning and/or shaping.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The filling apparatuses110,210according to the invention which are represented inFIGS. 1 to 4are intended for filling a hermetically sealed bottle200and contain a dual bottle adapter210, at least indirectly connected to the bottle200, for an input of liquid from a storage container100provided with a dual container adapter110and at least partially filled with liquid, wherein between a liquid exit port111of the dual container adapter110and a liquid entry port211of the dual bottle adapter210is provided a sealed-off liquid communication connection, and between a gas entry port112of the dual container adapter110and a gas exit port212of the dual bottle adapter210is provided a sealed-off gas communication connection.

The liquid exit port111and the gas entry port112of the dual container adapter110are respectively configured as pipe end pieces with predefined outer diameter of a robust mechanical unit configured as an adapter body120.

The liquid exit port111of the dual container adapter110is disposed within a robust mechanical unit, configured as an adapter body120, at predefined distance from the gas entry port112of the dual container adapter110.

The liquid entry port211and the gas exit port212of the dual bottle adapter210are configured as bores made in an adapter block220, the respective inner diameters of which, for the purpose of enabling a sealed-off plug-in connection, are matched to the predefined outer diameter of the liquid exit port111and gas entry port112of the dual container adapter110.

The liquid entry port211of the dual bottle adapter210is disposed within a robust mechanical unit, configured as an adapter block220, at predefined distance from the gas exit port212of the dual bottle adapter210.

The adapter block220of the bottle adapter210and the adapter body120of the container adapter110are mutually matched in terms of their dimensions and their shaping in order to enable a direct, detachably fixed plug-in connection between bottle adapter210and container adapter110. The inner diameter of the first hose is here dimensioned larger than the inner diameter of the second hose.

A pump130is provided in order to pump liquid out of the storage container100into the bottle200. The pump130is configured as a hollow cylinder133provided in the region of its closed lower end face131with a non-return valve132, in the open upper end face134of which is inserted a piston140connected to a piston rod141, which piston is reciprocatingly mounted in the hollow cylinder133, wherein a bore142directed through the piston140and the piston rod141forms a liquid communication connection from the inside of the container100to the container adapter110, and a gas communication connection, configured as a hose143, leads from the container adapter110into the inside of the container100.

A helical spring135is provided, one end136of which is supported in the region of the surface116of the storage container100and the other end137of which adjoins a stop144attached to the piston rod141in order to return the piston rod141and hence the piston140, subsequent to a transfer of the piston140from a neutral rest position, in the direction toward the closed end face131of the hollow cylinder133, within a pumping process, into the neutral rest position.

In the embodiment represented inFIG. 1, the container adapter110is disposed in the region of an upper end face145of the piston rod141, and the bottle adapter210in the region of a base201of the bottle200.

In the embodiment represented inFIG. 2, the piston rod141, by means of a gripping element150attached to that end of the piston rod141which is remote from the piston140, is mounted reciprocatingly in the hollow cylinder133, and the container adapter110is configured in an upper lateral region of the piston rod141between the gripping element150and the stop144.

According to the embodiment represented inFIG. 3, the bottle adapter210is disposed in the region of a side wall202of the bottle200.

According to the embodiment represented inFIG. 4, the bottle adapter210is disposed in the region of a spraying attachment230of the bottle200.

The above-described illustrative embodiment of the invention serves merely for the purpose of a better understanding of the teaching according to the invention, which is predefined by the claims and which, as such, is not restricted by the illustrative embodiment.

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