Abstract:
A machine for filling containers in which the filling rate for the products can be varied, thus enabling the filling machine to be used for different filling products, and in particular products having different viscosities. The machine comprises at least one filling station comprising a filling spout provided with a supply opening and a discharge opening, a blocking system mounted in the filling spout, and a supply pipe connected to the supply opening upstream of said blocking system. The supply pipe comprises at least one section made of a flexible tube, the supply apparatus further comprising a clamp adapted to clamp the flexible tube in order to modify the cross-section of the internal passage of the flexible tube, the clamp adapted to move between at least two positions corresponding to different cross-sections of the internal passage of the flexible tube.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/FR2010/050855, filed May 5, 2010, which claims priority from French Application No. 0952987, filed May 5, 2009, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a machine for filling containers with a filling product. The invention relates more particularly to a filling machine in which the filling rate for the filling product can be varied thus enabling the filling machine to be used for different filling products, and in particular products having different viscosities. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Machines for filling containers comprising at least one filling station are known, in particular so-called rotating machines and so-called linear machines comprising a plurality of filling stations, wherein each filling station comprises a filling spout provided with a supply opening and a discharge opening and metering means comprising a blocking system mounted in the filling spout, and able to be controlled between a closed position and at least one open position. Each station further comprises a supply mechanism in order to supply the filling spout with filling product, the supply mechanism comprising a supply pipe, connected to the supply opening of the filling spout upstream of the blocking system. In the case of a rotating or linear machine, the supply pipes conventionally connect the filling spouts to a single on-board tank or a single feed line connected to an offset tank. 
     According to the viscosity of the product, the presence of pieces or of particles, the cross-sections of product passage of each filling station must be different, in order to control the speed of the flow of the product via adapted losses of head and to obtain a clean metering and without overflow in an allotted timeframe. In order to adapt the machine to different filling products, rigid supply pipes of different diameters are conventionally used. Replacing supply pipes of all of the filling stations is long and tedious. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of this invention is to propose a solution aiming to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, which makes it possible to adapt the filling machine to different products in a simple, rapid and economical manner. 
     To this effect, an embodiment of the invention proposes a machine for filling containers, in particular of the gravity type, comprising at least one filling station comprising 
     a filling spout provided with a supply opening and a discharge opening, 
     metering means comprising a blocking system, for example of the valve type, mounted in the filling spout, able to be moved automatically between a closed position and at least one open position by an actuating system; 
     supply means in order to supply the filling spout with filling product, the supply means comprising a supply pipe able to be supplied with filling product, connected to the supply opening of the filling spout upstream of the blocking system in relation to the direction of flow of the filling product, 
     characterized in that the supply pipe comprises at least one section made of a flexible tube, the supply means further comprising clamping means able to clamp the flexible tube in order to modify the cross-section of the internal passage of the flexible tube, the clamping means can be moved between at least two positions corresponding to different cross-sections of the internal passage of the flexible tube. 
     According to embodiments, the supply pipe of the filling spout comprises a flexible tube and clamping means which make it possible to vary the cross-section of the internal passage of the flexible tube, and therefore to vary the loss of head according to the viscosity of the filling product and/or the presence or not of pieces or of particles in the filling product, in order to control the speed of the flow of the product at the output of the filling spout and to obtain a clean metering and without overflow in an allotted timeframe. 
     The filling machine according to embodiments of the invention can therefore be adapted to different products, having different viscosities, in a simple, rapid and economical manner, without replacing or adding parts, in particular without replacing the supply pipe and without replacing or modifying the filling spout and/or its associated blocking system. The limitation of manual operation for the adaptation of the machine to a type of product also improves hygiene. 
     The clamping means can have only two positions, or several positions, in order to be able to process a multitude of filling products having different viscosities. 
     The flexible tube with a closed cross-section according to embodiments of the invention associated with clamping means constitute a solution that is simple to implement and effective for varying the cross-section of the supply pipe. The flexible tube can be easily inserted on a supply pipe, while still guaranteeing a substantially continuous internal passage which can be cleaned easily and in an effective manner. 
     According to a particularity, the clamping means can be moved between an idle position corresponding to an unclamped state of the flexible tube, wherein the flexible tube has a maximum cross-section of internal passage, and at least one active position corresponding to a clamped state of the flexible tube wherein the flexible tube has a reduced cross-section. The machine can have a single active position or a multitude of active positions. The possibility of easily and quickly returned to a maximal cross-section also allows for better cleaning of the machine. The cleaning of the machine can advantageously be carried out in the unclamped state of the flexible tube. 
     According to an embodiment, the filling spout comprises a globally tubular body, the supply opening being more preferably formed radially on the tubular wall of the body, the blocking system comprising a valve which is mounted in the tubular body and controlled in opening and in closing by an actuating system comprising a cylinder, the cylinder body being arranged above the filling spout and its rod extending substantially axially in the tubular body and carrying at the end the valve. Alternatively, the supply opening is formed by the open upper axial end of the tubular body. The valve is then more preferably controlled by an actuating system of the magnetic type. 
     According to an embodiment, the clamping means comprise a first fixed bar and a second mobile bar between which is arranged the flexible tube, the first fixed bar being preferably substantially in contact with the flexible tube, and the second mobile bar being able to be displaced between an idle position and an active position by an actuating device. 
     According to an embodiment, the flexible tube is arranged in such a way that its longitudinal axis forms a non-zero angle and less than 90° in relation to the horizontal, the first fixed bar being arranged under the flexible tube. These clamping means wherein only the bar arranged above is mobile make it possible to elastically deform the flexible tube only via the top and as such prevent zones retaining the filling product in the flexible tube. 
     According to another embodiment, the flexible tube is arranged substantially vertically, said clamping means comprise a first bar and a second bar between which is arranged the flexible tube, the first bar and/or the second bar being able to be displaced between an idle position and an active position by an actuating device. 
     According to embodiments of the invention, clamping means of a simple design can be used to act simultaneously on several flexible tubes of different filling stations. According to an embodiment, the filling machine comprises several filling stations, the clamping means comprising at least one clamping system able to simultaneously clamp the flexible tubes of several filling stations, the clamping system comprising a first bar and a second bar between which pass flexible tubes, and an actuating device in order to displace at least one of the two bars between an idle position and at least one active clamping position. 
     According to another embodiment, the filling machine comprises several filling stations with a clamping system and its associated actuating device for each filling station. 
     According to an embodiment, the machine comprises several filling stations and an on-board distribution tank or a feed line connected to an offset storage tank, each filling station comprising a supply pipe connecting the filling spout to the storage tank or to the feed line. 
     According to an embodiment, the machine is of the rotating type, the filling stations being arranged with even angular spacing on a carrousel, the supply pipes extending radially from the filling spouts towards the distribution tank or the feed line centered according to the axis of rotation of the carrousel. 
     According to an embodiment, the clamping systems are arranged with even angular spacing, the first bar and the second bar of each clamping system extending in an arc of a circle. 
     According to an embodiment, each supply pipe of a filling station comprises a first rigid tube and a second rigid tube connected respectively to the distribution tank or the feed line, and to a filling spout, the flexible tube, possibly provided with rigid tips with a flange being mounted, in a removable manner, between the free ends of the two rigid tubes, possibly provided with a flange. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention shall be better understood, and other purposes, details, characteristics and advantages shall appear more clearly in the following detailed explanatory description of a currently preferred particular embodiment of the invention, in reference to the annexed diagrammatical drawings, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  are two diagrammatical views in perspective of a filling machine according to the invention, without the clamping means, wherein only a portion of the filling stations is shown; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial transversal cross-section view of the filling machine of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , provided with clamping means, the section being realised on a filling station, with the clamping means in an active position; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatical view in perspective of the clamping means of the machine of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the clamping means being in their active position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In this embodiment shown in the figures, the filling machine is of the rotating type, and comprises a carrousel  1  comprising a support structure  10  intended to be mounted rotatingly on a fixed frame (not shown) around a vertical axis A of rotation. The carrousel  1  carries a plurality of filling stations  2  arranged with even angular spacing around the axis A of rotation. Each filling station  2  comprises a filling spout  3  mounted vertically on a crown  11  of the structure support. 
     In reference to  FIG. 3 , the filling spout  3  is formed of a globally tubular body  31  having an internal passage  32 , an open upper axial end and a lower axial end constituting the discharge opening  33  of the filling spout. The tubular body is provided with a radial supply opening  34  for the supply of the spout with filling product. The tubular body is mounted on the lower face of the crown  11 , on an opening of the latter. 
     Product metering means are associated with each filling spout in order to deliver a determined quantity of filling product in each container brought under the filling spout. These metering means include a blocking system  4  comprising a valve  41  arranged in the filling spout. This valve is controlled in opening and in closing by a control system  5  comprising a cylinder  51 , for example pneumatic. The body  51   a  of the cylinder is mounted on the upper face of the crown  11  and its rod  51   b  extends substantially axially in the internal passage  32  of the filling spout and carries at its free end the valve  41 , in such a way that the valve can be displaced in vertical translation by the cylinder between a closed position, shown in  FIG. 3 , in order to close the discharge opening, and open positions in order to open the discharge opening. The metering means are for example of the weighted type, the cylinder being controlled by a weight sensor placed on a container support system associated with the filling station. Alternatively, the cylinder is controlled by a sensor detecting the filling level of the container or a filling rate sensor that is inserted between the container and the spout during filling. 
     The tubular body  31  is advantageously constituted of two portions in order to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the filling spout: a first portion  31   a , provided with the upper axial end and the supply opening  34 , is mounted on the lower face of the crown  11 , and a second portion  31   b  provided with the discharge opening, is mounted in a removable manner on the first portion. 
     Each filling station further comprises supply means connected to the supply opening  34  in order to supply the filling spout with filling product. The supply means include a supply pipe  6  connected to the supply opening of the filling spout. The supply pipes of all of the filling spouts are connected on one side to a filling spout and on the other side to the same distribution tank  7  mounted on the support structure  10 . In a known manner, this on-board distribution tank is supplied with filling product from an offset storage tank via a feed line, the distribution tank serving as a buffer zone. Alternatively, the distribution tank can be replaced with a feed line connected to an offset storage tank. 
     According to embodiments of the invention, this supply pipe  6  comprises a section constituted of a flexible tube  61 , elastically deformable, also called a hose, able to be clamped by clamping means  8  mounted on the support structure  10  in order to vary the cross-section of the internal passage  611  of the flexible tube, and as such adapt the loss of head to the type of filling product. 
     In the embodiment shown, the supply pipe comprises three sections, an intermediary section constituted of a flexible tube, for example made of elastomer material, connected at the end to two end sections constituted of rigid tubes  62 ,  63 . A first rigid tube  62  is connected to the distribution tank  7  and a second rigid tube  63  is connected to the supply opening  34  of the filling spout. 
     The flexible tube and the rigid tubes are substantially straight and have interior cross-sections that are substantially identical. The first rigid tube and the second rigid tube are mounted respectively on the tank and the filling spout in such a way that the tubes  61 ,  62 ,  63  constituting the supply pipe form a non-zero angle in relation to the horizontal, between 1° and 45°, for example of about 5°. In the embodiment shown, the first rigid tube  62  is connected by an elbow end portion  62   b  to the bottom wall  71  of the tank  7 . The second rigid tube  63  is formed of a single piece with the first portion  31   a  of the filling spout. 
     The flexible tube is mounted in a removable manner between the free ends of the two rigid tubes, in such a way as to obtain an internal passage of the supply pipe having a surface that is substantially continuous. The flexible tube is crimped or press-fitted on two rigid tips  64  of the clamp type, each provided with a flange  64   a  for their assembly to the free ends of the rigid tubes  62 ,  63  also provided with flanges  62   a ,  63   a . Such as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the blocking of the flanges is carried out by means of two split rings  91 ,  92  with a U-shaped transversal cross-section, articulated to each other by a first end, and provided at their second end with a tightening system  93 , the tightening system comprising for example a wing nut which is screwed on a threaded rod mounted pivotingly on a split ring and able to be latched in a slot of the other split ring. The two split rings are nested on the flanges then tightened by the tightening system in order to maintain in a sealed manner the two flanges against one another. Alternatively, the connectors of the clamp type, with tips and split rings, can be replaced with connectors of the DIN type or connectors of the SMS type. 
     For each filling station, the clamping means  8  comprising a first bar  81 , referred to as lower, mounted fixed on the radial cross-members  12  of the support structure  10 , under the flexible tube  61 , in contact with the latter, and a second bar  82 , referred to as upper, mounted mobile on the radial cross-members  12  of the support structure  10  above the flexible tube, the two bars being substantially aligned vertically. The upper bar can be moved vertically between an idle position and an active position by an actuating device  83  of the cylinder type. In its idle position, the upper bar  82  is separated from the flexible tube, or simply in contact with the flexible tube, the flexible tube being in an unclamped state. From this idle position, the upper bar can be displaced vertically downwards by the actuating device to its active position shown in  FIG. 3 , in order to clamp the flexible tube and as such reduce the cross-section of its internal passage via elastic deformation. When the upper bar is brought back to its idle position, the flexible tube elastically returns to its unclamped state. 
     In this embodiment, the machine comprises clamping means that are common to several adjacent filling stations. In reference to  FIG. 4 , the machine comprises several clamping systems  8   a , for example in the number of six, offset angularly around the axis A. Each clamping system comprises a lower bar  81  and an upper bar  82  which extends in an arc of a circle, between which pass the flexible tubes of several adjacent filling stations. Each clamping system further comprises an actuating device of the upper bar, here formed of a cylinder  83  for example of the pneumatic type. 
     The clamping systems  8   a  are mounted on a support ring  84  formed of several elements in an arc of a circle mounted between radial cross-members  12  ( FIG. 1 ) of the support structure  10 . The lower bar  81  of each clamping system is mounted in a fixed manner to the free ends of two vertical lugs  85  integral with the support ring  84 . The upper bar is mounted at the free end of the rod  83   a  of the cylinder, the body  83   b  of the cylinder being mounted on the support ring  84 , between the vertical lugs  85 . In order to guide the movement in vertical translation of the upper bar  82  between its two positions, the upper bar is mounted slidingly on the two vertical lugs  85 , the upper bar comprising for example two studs  82   a  mounted slidingly in openings  85   a  of the vertical lugs. In the example shown in the figures, the machine comprises thirty filling stations and six clamping devices  8   a  associated with five filling stations  2 , three flexible tubes being for example arranged between two vertical lugs, and one tube beyond each vertical lug. The upper bars of the clamping systems are displaced together in idle position or in active position via the simultaneous control of their cylinder in order to adapt the machine to two different filling products. 
     Such as indicated previously, the loss of head of the supply pipes, and therefore the rate of the filling product in said supply pipes, and therefore the speed of the flow of the product on the discharge opening  33  of the filling spout can be adapted easily according to the filling product to be metered, automatically and simultaneously for all of the filling stations, without replacing or adding any part, which simplifies the manipulation to pass from one product to another product having a different viscosity and increases the level of hygiene by avoiding manual interventions within the metering enclosure. 
     Alternatively, the pneumatic cylinders  83  are replaced with electric cylinders of the “brushless” type, making it possible to adjust the upper bars to different active positions, and as such process several filling products having different viscosities on the same machine. 
     It is of course understood that the invention is not limited to this type of machine, the machine able to be of the linear type, with one or several metering stations, with an offset storage tank or built into said machine. 
     Although the invention has been described in connection to a particular embodiment it is in no way limited to this, and it comprises all of the technical equivalents of the means described as well as combinations thereof if the latter fall within the scope of the invention.