APPARATUS FOR FILLING LIQUIDS

Abstract: An improved apparatus for filling liquids which fills containers with drink liquid in a pressurized liquid-storage tank (1) through a filling valve (2), characterized in that an auxiliary tank (11) releasable to the air is provided between the liquid-storage tank and the filling valve, and the auxiliary tank is communicated with the liquid-storage tank and the filling valve. With the construction described above, after reducing the pressure in the auxiliary tank to the atmospheric pressure by opening an air releasing valve (14) installed on the tank, drink liquid (9′), which was supplied from the liquid-storage tank to the auxiliary tank in advance, is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the containers (6) for filling via the filling valve.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: 1. Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling liquids, by which a container is filled with drink liquid such as carbonic acid drink or the like in a pressurized liquid-storage tank through a filling valve. 2. Prior Art: Description will now be made on the apparatus for filling liquids of the prior art with reference to Fig. 2, in which reference numeral (01) denotes a liquid-storage tank (main liquid tank) storing therein the carbonic acid drink liquid with which a container (06) is filled, and the liquid-storage tank (01) is under an internal pressure of approx 5 kg/cm². The liquid-storage tank (01) consists of a gas phase pressure chamber (08) and a liquid phase section (09), and the pressure in the gas phase chamber (08) and the liquid level in the liquid phase section (09) is controlled by a known control means. Reference numeral (02) denotes a filling valve communicating with the liquid phase section (09) in the liquid-storage tank (01), reference numeral (03) denotes another filling valve (a counter valve) communicating with the gas phase pressure chamber (08) in the liquid-storage tank (01), reference numeral (04) denotes a filling nozzle extending from said filling valve (02), reference numeral (06) denotes a container such as a bottle, can or the like, reference numeral (07) denotes a pressurized gas supply pipe extending from the foregoing filling valve, reference numeral (05) denotes a seal member fixed to the foregoing filling nozzle (04) and the foregoing gas supply pipe (07), and reference numeral (010) denotes a container stand provided with an elevating mechanism such as an air cylinder or the like. By the action of the container stand (010), the container (06) is supplied to the position beneath the filling nozzle (04) and is elevated to insert the filling nozzle (04) and the pressure gas supply pipe (07) into the container (06), while an opening of the container (06) is closed with the seal member (05) air-tightly, and subsequently the filling valve (03) is opened to supply the pressurized gas (pressurized air, carbonic acid gas or the like) in the liquid-storage tank (01) to the container (06) via the filling valve (03) and the gas supply pipe (07), whereby the interior of the liquid-storage tank (01) and the interior of the container (06) are maintained at the same pressure; for example at a pressure of 5 kg/cm²G, and then, by opening the filling valve (02), carbonic acid drink liquid in the liquid-storage tank (01) is supplied into the container (06) via the filling valve (02) and the filling nozzle (04). At this time, the seal member (05) prevents the pressurized gas, which is being supplied into the container (04), from leaking to the exterior. When the filling is completed, the pressure in the container (06) is reduced by the means not shown to the atmospheric pressure, and subsequently the container stand (010) is moved down to release the container (06) from the seal member (05), the filling nozzle (04) and the gas supply pipe (07). In the conventional apparatus for filling liquids shown in Fig. 2, by the container stand (010) provided with the elevation mechanism, the container (06) is moved upward to the filling position, the filling nozzle (04) and the gas supply pipe (07) are inserted into the container (06), the opening of the container (06) is closed with the seal member airtightly, and then the pressurized gas (pressurized air, carbonic acid gas or the like) is supplied into the container (06). Therefore, unless the container stand (010) has an upward force F resisting against the pressure of said pressure gas, the container stand (010) and the container (06) move downward, with a gap being caused between the seal member (05) and the opening of the container (06), whereby the pressu rized gas in the container (06) leaks to the exterior. In other words, it is impossible to maintain the same pressure both in the container (06) and the liquid-storage tank (01), and therefore inconvenience such as foaming or the like is caused at the time of the process for filling carbonic acid liquid which is performed subsequently to the above process for filling same pressurized gas. In case of the container being a bottle, the upward force F of the container stand (010) is 60 kg. However, in case of the container being a 100 mm diameter can, the upward force F of the container stand (010) becomes approx. 300 kg at the gas pressure of 4 kg/cm², and it is difficult to apply said upward force of approx. 300 kg to the container stand (010). And further, the upward force F is applied to the seal member (05) side, whereby high strength is required to the filling nozzle (04) and the pressurized gas supply pipe (07), and these sections have to be constructed very strongly. The supply of pressurized gas into the container (06) means that high strength is required to the container (06). That is to say, there were problems of causing breaking in case of container (06) being bottles and of causing deformation in case of container (06) being synthetic resin containers or the like. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: For solving the problems with the foregoing prior art, the present invention has been made, and therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling liquids, wherein it is not necessary to seal airtightly the opening of container, and no high strength is required to the container stand and valve side. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for filling liquids, wherein it is possible to prevent the damage to and deformation of containers. In order to achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention relates to an improved apparatus for filling liquids which fills containers with drink liquid in a pressurized liquid-storage tank through a filling valve, characterized in that an auxiliary tank releasable to the air is provided between said liquid-storage tank and said filling valve, said auxiliary tank being communicated with said liquid-storage tank and said filling valve. The advantage of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the drawings and a preferred embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: Fig. 1 is a vertical side view showing one embodiment of an apparatus for filling liquids according to the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical side view showing the conventional apparatus for filling liquids. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: Now, description will be made on an apparatus for filling liquids of the present invention with reference to one embodiment shown in Fig. 1, wherein reference numeral (1) denotes a liquid-storage tank (a main liquid tank) in which carbonic acid drink liquid, with which a container (6) is to be filled, is stored and the interior of the liquid-storage tank (1) is under an pressure of approx. 5 kg/cm². The liquid-storage tank (1) consists of a gas phase pressure chamber (8) and a liquid phase section (9), with the pressure in the gas phase pressure chamber (8) and the liquid level in the liquid phase section (9) being controlled by a known control means. Reference numeral (11) denotes an auxiliary tank, reference numeral (8′) denotes a gas phase section in the auxiliary tank (11), reference numeral (9′) denotes a liquid phase section in the auxiliary tank (11), reference numeral (7) denotes a gas supply pipe which makes the gas phase section (8′) in the auxiliary tank (11) communicate with the gas phase section (8) in the liquid-storage tank (1), reference numeral (16) denotes a liquid supply pipe which makes the liquid phase section (9′) in the auxiliary tank (11) communicate with the liquid phase section (9) in the liquid-storage tank (1), and reference numeral (12) denotes an automatic on-off valve which is installed on the gas supply pipe (7). When the automatic on-off valve (12) is opened, gas pressure in the auxiliary tank (11) becomes the same as that in the liquid-storage tank (1), while the gas pressure in the auxiliary tank (11) is controlled by an air releasing automatic on-off valve (14) installed on the auxiliary tank (11) when the automatic on-off valve (12) is closed. Reference numeral (13) denotes an automatic on-off valve which is installed on the liquid supply pipe (16). When the automatic on-off valve (13) is opened, carbonic acid drink liquid in the liquid-storage tank (1) is supplied into the auxiliary tank (11), while the supply of the carbonic acid drink liquid from the liquid-storage tank (1) into the auxiliary tank (11) is stopped when the automatic on-off valve (13) is closed. Reference numeral (2) denotes a filling valve communicating with the liquid phase section (9′) in the auxiliary tank (11), reference numeral (4) denotes a filling nozzle extending from the filling valve (2), reference numeral (6) denotes a container such as a bottle, can or the like, reference numeral (10) denotes a container stand provided with an elevation mechanism such as an air cylinder or the like, and reference numeral (15) denotes a liquid level sensor detecting liquid level in the container (6). Each detection signal obtained by the liquid level sensor (15) is sent to the filling valve (2) so as to close the filling valve (2). Next, description will be made concretely on the action of the apparatus for filling liquids shown in Fig. 1. By means of closing the air releasing automatic on-off valve (14) and opening the automatic on-off valve (12), the interior of the liquid-storage tank (1) and the interior of the auxiliary tank (11) are made to the same pressure, for example 5 kg/cm²G, when the filling valve (2) and the automatic on-off valve (13) are closed. Subsequently, by opening the automatic on-off valve (13), the carbonic acid drink liquid (9) in the liquid-storage tank (1) is supplied into the auxiliary tank (11) via the liquid supply pipe (16), and when a predetermined amount of the drink liquid is supplied into the auxiliary tank (11), the automatic on-off valve (13) is closed. Then, the automatic on-off valve (12) is closed to isolate the gas phase section (8) in the liquid-storage tank (1) from the gas phase section (8′) in the auxiliary tank (11). In this isolated state, it follows that the auxiliary tank (11) has the independent gas phase section (8′) and liquid phase section (9′). When this state is accomplished, the air releasing automatic on-off valve (14) is opened gradually, whereby the pressure in the auxiliary tank (11) is reduced to the atmospheric pressure according to the predetermined pressure reduction curve. Subsequently, by opening the filling valve (2), the carbonic acid drink liquid (9′) in the auxiliary tank (11) is supplied in the container (6), into which the filling nozzle (4) is already inserted, for filling. At this time, the pressure in the auxiliary tank (11) is already reduced to the atmospheric pressure, and therefore there is no need of carrying out the filling by pressurizing the interior of the container (6) unlike the conventional apparatus, while the filling velocity is determined by the water head H from the liquid level of the auxiliary tank (11) to the lower end section of the filling nozzle (4) and by the pressure losses in the filling nozzle (4) and the filling valve (2), whereby the velocity is not so high as causing the foaming of the liquid with which the container is filled. When the container (6) is filled with the carbonic acid drink liquid (9′) to the predetermined liquid level, the liquid level sensor (15) detects the state and the detection signal obtainable at this time is sent to the filling valve (2), whereby the filling valve (2) is closed. Then, the air releasing automatic on-off valve (14) is closed to become the state in which the auxiliary tank (11) waits for the supply of gas and liquid from the liquid-storage tank (1). The filling valve (2) and the filling nozzle (4) may be integrated into one body; in other words the filling valve (2) may be installed in the filling nozzle (4). From the description referred to above, in an apparatus for filling liquids according to the present invention, after reducing the pressure in the auxiliary tank to the atmospheric pressure by opening the air releasing valve installed on the auxiliary tank, the drink liquid, which was supplied from the liquid-storage tank to the auxiliary tank in advance, is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the container for filling via the filling valve and the filling nozzle. Therefore, there is no need of sealing airtightly the opening of the container, while high strength is not required for the container stand and on the valve side. As described above, the filling is carried out under the atmospheric pressure, whereby the present invention has further effects of preventing the containers from damage and deformation. The foregoing preferred embodiment is considered illustrative only. Numerous other modifications and changes will readily occur to those persons skilled in the art after reading the foregoing specification. Consequently, the disclosed invention is not limited to the exact construction and use shown and described above, and the scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claim.

Claims: In an apparatus for filling liquids which fills containers with drink liquid in a pressurized liquid-storage tank through a filling valve, characterized in that an auxiliary tank releasable to the air is provided between said liquid-storage tank and said filling valve, said auxiliary tank is communicated with said liquid-storage tank and said filling valve.

Inventors: ABE, SADAHIRO NAGOYA TECH INST MITSUBISHI JUK, ARAKI, KAZUNORI NAGOYA MACH WORKS MITSUBISHI JUK, NAKAMURA, SUESHIGE NAGOYA TECH INST MITSUBISHI JUK, TAZUKE, HISASHI NAGOYA MACH WORKS MITSUBISHI JUK, YAMAGUCHI, SHOGO NAGOYA MACH WORKS MITSUBISHI JUK
Applicants: MITSUBISHI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B67C3
IPC codes: B67C3