APPARATUS FOR FILLING DEPRESSURE-RESISTANT CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS

Abstract: The apparatus for filling depressure-resistant containers with liquides of any kind and viscosity comprises a reservoir (6) connected to a vacuum pump (12) to cause depression inside the reservoir (6). The reservoir is also connected to a dispensing nozzle (20) which can seal against the opening of the container (4). The nozzle (20) comprises a tubular body (30) provided, at the lower end, with an outlet (33) and connected, at the upper end, to the container to be emptied. An aspiration conduit (35) connected to the reservoir (6) and having a suction inlet (37) is provided inside the tubular body (30). A tubular sheath (40) can slide on the tubular body (30) between a first, waiting position, in which the sheath closes and seals inlet (37) and oulet (33), and a second, filling position, in which the sheath exposes said inlet and outlet.

Description: APPARATUS FOR FILLING DEPRESSURE-RESISTANT CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling depressure-resistant containers with liquids of any kind and of any density, according to the preamble of claim 1. The system of decanting liquids between containers also disposed at different levels by aspiration is well known. Although this system has been industrially applied and developed for decanting liquids between containers of large size, its ap¬ plication to the family use did not become current because it was not convenient to use said industrial aspiration devices, even modified to a smaller size, for bottling. In fact, the loss of depression due to the continuous substitution of bottles to be filled renders such devices impractical. Because of that the non-industrial bottling of liquids, for ex¬ ample of wine, is normally performed simply by putting the con¬ tainer to be emptied (for example a demijohn) at a higher level with respect to the container to be filled (for example a bottle) . A flexible tube syphons the liquid from the higher to the lower container. This method however suffers from some disadvantages, for example an unavoidable loss of liquid and the necessity of lifting the demijohn. An approach to provide an improved apparatus of current use to decant liquids can be found in FR-A-2 540 088. The device disclosed therein, however, does not avoid the drip¬ ping of liquid from the dispensing nozzle and the loss of de- pressure in the aspiration circuit during the phase of substitu¬ tion of the bottle to be filled. US-A-3 175 591 discloses at fig. 5 a dispensing nozzle which, although it avoids said dripping, has the disadvantage of per¬ mitting the suction of liquid from the liquid orifice to the vacuum passageway through the interspace between the inner and outer tubular conduits of the nozzle when the nozzle is closed (i.e. when the outer conduit rests against the lower sealing ring) . Neither this nozzle avoids the loss of depressure in the suction circuit during the substitution of the bottle. The purpose of the present invention is therefore to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages and to provide an improved appara¬ tus to fill depressure-resistant vessels which permits the de¬ canting of liquids regardless of the position of the container from which the liquid has to be drawn. Principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel apparatus to fill depressure-resistant vessels which: a) maintains the desired level of depressure inside the suction circuit also during the waiting periods (i.e. during the substitution of the container to be filled) , b) avoids the dripping and loss of liquid, c) regulates automatically the level of filling inside the vessel to be filled, and d) due to its particular technical features, is highly reliable and safe during use and economically very competitive. These and further objects are obtained by a filling apparatus as disclosed in claim 1. Other features and advantages of the invention will become ap¬ parent from the description of a preferred embodiment of the ap¬ paratus. There is no intention, however, of limitation as to the dis¬ closure made in the following specification and in the accompa¬ nying drawings forming part thereof and wherein: SUBSTITUTESHEET - fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus, - fig. 2 is an exploded view of the suction pump, - fig. 3 is a schematic exploded view of the float provided in the depressure balancing reservoir, - fig. 4 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the dispensing nozzle, - fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tap closing the end lower opening of the dispensing nozzle, - fig. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the means for adjusting the height of the column supporting the dispensing nozzle, - fig. 7 is a square section of the means of fig. 6, - fig. 8 is a longitudinal, enlarged scale section of the dispensing nozzle, and - figs. 9 and 10 are sections of the dispensing nozzle at rest and during the filling phase respectively. With reference to the above cited figures, the apparatus for filling depressure-resistant containers with liquids comprises a supporting structure 1 having a base 2. The base 2 includes a substantially flat portion 3 which forms a supporting surface for the container to be filled (for example a bottle). The base 2 furthermore defines a body 5 which supports a reservoir 6 in the form of a cylinder closed and sealed at its top by a removable cover 7. The cover 7 is provided with an air venting valve having a sealing gasket, the valve being op- eratively connected to a float situated inside the reservoir 6. The interior of the reservoir 6 is connected via a conduit 11 with an aspirating pump 12 which is preferably housed inside the body 5 and via a conduit 15 to a dispensing nozzle 20. Pump 12 is provided with an intake and a discharge valve, and is preferably a piston pump. The dispensing nozzle 20 may be sealingly inserted into the con¬ tainer (bottle, can, jar etc.) to be filled 4, as hereafter de- SUBSTITUTE SHEET - A - scribed. The dispensing nozzle 20 is pivotally mounted on a first end of an arm 21, the second end of the arm 21 being pivotally mounted on the top extremity of a column 22. The column 22 is supported by the base 2 and its height is ad¬ justable. Elastic means 23 are provided to push the dispensing nozzle 20 against the opening of the container to be filled 4. These elastic means may be constituted by a spring connected be¬ tween the arm 21 and the column 22. Column 22 fits telescopically in a block 24 provided on the base 2 and carries a rack 25 which engages a first cogged part 26 of an actuating knob 27 so that the height of the column 22 can be adjusted by rotating the knob 27. In order to fix the column at the desired height, the knob 27 is further provided with a second cogged part 28 which can be en¬ gaged into a corresponding cogged part 29 inside the block 24 by axially pushing the knob 27 toward the block 24. In this position the knob 27 is thus locked against rotation. By pulling the knob 27 in the opposite direction the cogged parts 28 and 29 disconnect from each other and the knob 27 be¬ comes free for rotation. The dispensing nozzle 20 has a tubular body 30 provided at one extremity with an inlet 31 connected through a conduit 32 to the container to be emptied. The other extremity of the tubular body 30 is provided with a lateral delivery outlet 33. An aspiration conduit 35 is provided inside the tubular body 30. The upper extremity of the aspiration conduit 35 communicates with the reservoir 6 through the conduit 15 and the lower ex¬ tremity sealingly penetrates into an axial bore of a cap 36. The cap 36 is partially insertable into the lower end opening of the tubular body 30 and sealingly closes this opening while the passageway through the lateral outlet 33 remains free. The cap 36 is further provided at its part protruding out of the body 30 with a radial bore 37 which communicates with the conduit 35 and defines an aspiration inlet. A tubular sealing sheath 40 is slidably fitted on the tubular body 30. The sheath 40 has a frustum-conical portion 41 provided with a frustum-conical sealing gasket 42 to seal against the opening of the container to be filled 4. A biasing spring 45 is inserted around the body 30 between the upper base of the frustum-conical portion 41 and the radial sur¬ face of a recess provided in a ring 46 screwed on a thread 49 provided on the upper part of body 30. The spring 45 pushes the sheath 40 downwards and its tension may be adjusted by screwing and unscrewing the ring 46. The cap 36 carries two sealing rings 50 and 51 respectively above and below the aspiration inlet 37 to seal it off when the sheath 40 is slid downwards, such that no communication is pos¬ sible between the inlet 37, the delivery outlet 33 and the out¬ side. A third sealing ring 52 is provided between the outer surface of the body 30 and the inner surface of the sheath 40 in order to avoid the passage of air between said surfaces. The third sealing ring is axially fixed in the sheath 40 with a tightening nut 52 at a height corresponding to the frustum-conical part 41. The operation of the described apparatus is as follows: firstly the conduit 32 is put into the container to be emptied and, af¬ ter having connected the reservoir 6 with the suction pump and the dispensing nozzle 20, the suction pump is switched on. The pump aspirates the air from the reservoir 6 thus causing depres¬ sion inside it. During the waiting period the sheath 40 closes both the suction inlet 37 and the delivery outlet 33 and the depression generated by the suction pump reaches a constant level. After having positioned the column 22 at the desired height, the dispensing nozzle 20 is inserted into the neck of the bottle 4. The sheath 40 slides upwardly while the spring 45 pushes it toward the neck of the bottle, so that the frustum-conical part 41 seals against the opening of the bottle. In sliding upwards the sheath 40 exposes the suction inlet 37 and the delivery outlet 33 so that the liquid is sucked into the bottle by the depression generated in the bottle through the as¬ piration conduits. The liquid flows directly from the container to the bottle. The filling of the bottle stops when the liquid inside the bottle 4 reaches the suction inlet 37. At this stage part of the liquid is aspirated and drips into the reservoir 6 thus indicat¬ ing that the filling operation is completed. Without switching off the suction pump, the bottle or container 4 is then removed from the dispensing nozzle 20. This causes the sheath 40 to slide downwards driven by the spring 45 and to seal firstly the outlet 33 and then the inlet 37, so that the condi¬ tion of depression in the reservoir 6 remains unalterated and the apparatus is immediately ready for further filling op¬ erations. The sealing of the delivery outlet by the sheath 40 avoids the back-flow of liquid from the bottle 4 to the container to be emptied, so that the liquid remaining in the latter is not made turbid by incidental eddies. If the liquid dripped inside the reservoir 6 exceeds a predeter¬ mined level, then it lifts the float 10 thus activating the valve 8, which consequently opens to the atmosphere. The incoming air removes the depression from inside the reser¬ voir 6 and the suction ducts, thus avoiding further aspiration of liquid which could reach the pump and damage it. To restore the apparatus to operating conditions it is suffi¬ cient to empty the reservoir 6. SUBSTITUTESHEET The above description shows how the invention achieves the pro¬ posed objects. It is hereby underlined that the particular structure of the dispensing nozzle provided with a sheath sealingly closing both the suction inlet and the delivery outlet when the container to be filled has been removed enables the depression to be main¬ tained also during the waiting periods and renders the use of the apparatus particularly quick and efficient. The elimination of the dripping of liquid during the waiting pe¬ riods and the ability to fill the bottles always to the same predetermined level are also important advantages. While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, variations within the scope of the appended claims are possible and are contemplated. Moreover, every kind of material compatible with the specific uses of the apparatus can be employed for making the same.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) Apparatus (1) for filling depressure resistant containers (4) with liquids of any kind and density comprising a seal- able reservoir (6) supported on a body (5) and connected at its top to a vacuum pump (12) to cause depressure inside the reservoir (6) , said reservoir (6) being also connected to the suction ducts (31, 35, 37) of a dispensing nozzle (20), said dispensing nozzle (20) comprising a tubular body (30) pro¬ vided, at the upper extremity, with an inlet (31) connected to the container to be emptied and, at the lower extremity, with a lateral delivery outlet (33), said tubular body (30) surrounding an aspiration conduit (35) communicating at its upper extremity with the reservoir (6) and at its lower ex¬ tremity with a suction inlet (37), a tubular sheath (40) be¬ ing slidably fitted on the tubular body (30) such that in a first, waiting position covers both the delivery outlet (33) and the suction inlet (37) and in a second, filling position exposes said outlet and inlet, the sheath comprising a por¬ tion (41) to seal against the orifice of the container to be filled (4), characterized in that means (50, 51, 52) are provided to seal off separately the delivery outlet (33) and the suction inlet (37) and to avoid the loss of depressure when the sheath (40) is in the first, waiting position. 2) Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said means comprise a first sealing ring (50) disposed below both the suction inlet (37) and the delivery outlet (33), a second sealing ring (51) positioned between the suction inlet (37) and the delivery outlet (33), a third sealing ring (52) posi¬ tioned above both said inlet and said outlet, and the intake valve of the pump (12), said first and second sealing ring being fixed to the tubular body (30) and the third being fixed to the sheath (40). 3) Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the tubular body (30) is closed at its lower end by a cap (36), said cap having an axial bore housing the lower extrem¬ ity of the aspiration conduit (35) and a radial bore defining the suction inlet (37) and carrying the first (50) and second (51) sealing rings. 4) Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the cap (36) ends at its upper part with an inclined surface at the height of the delivery outlet (33). 5) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portion (41) of the sheath (40) which seals against the opening of the container to be filled (4) may be frustum-conical and is provided with a sealing gasket (42). 6) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims char¬ acterized in that adjustable elastic means are provided to push the sheath (40) downwards along the tubular body (30), said means being constituted by a spring (45) located between the upper end of the sheath (40) and a nut (46) screwed on the upper part of the body (30). 7) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims char¬ acterized in that the dispensing nozzle (20) is pivotally mounted on a first end of an arm (21) whose second end is mounted on the top of a column (22) supported by the body (5), a spring (23) being provided between the arm and the column to push the dispensing nozzle (20) downwards. 8) Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that means are provided to adjust the height of said column (22). 9) Apparatus according to claim 8 characterized in that said means to adjust the height of the column (22) comprise a block (24) telescopically housing the column (22), a rack (25) carried by the column (22), a knob (27) mounted in the block (24) and having a first cogged part (26) engaging the rack (25), two further cogged parts (28, 29) being further SUBSTITUTESHEET provided on the knob (27) and in the block (24) respectively to lock the rotation of the knob (27) when the desired height is reached. 10) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims char¬ acterized in that the reservoir (6) is closed and sealed at its top by a removable cover (7) carrying an air venting valve (8) , a float (10) being provided inside the reservoir (10) to actuate the valve (8) when the liquid inside the res¬ ervoir (6) exceeds a predetermined level. 11) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims char¬ acterized in that a regulation valve is mounted on the con¬ duit (11) connecting the suction pump (12) to the reservoir (6) to adjust the depression according to the characteristics of the liquid to be decanted.

Inventors: TENCO VALENTINO, TENCO, VALENTINO
Applicants: TENCO VALENTINO, TENCO, VALENTINO
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B67C3
IPC codes: B67C3