Abstract:
A device for filling liquid to pasty food products into prefabricated individual containers including a support rim, the device including carrier elements which are run by a drive continuously through the device, which carrier elements form receiving openings for the individual containers and include a top side that is oriented away from a direction of gravity and configured to carry the support rim of the individual containers that are inserted into the receiving openings; operating stations in whose operating range the carrier elements move during an endless cycle of the carrier elements in the device; at least one operating station that is configured as a sterilization device which de-germinates the carrier elements and the individual containers; a lifting device forming a portion of the sterilization device and configured to lift individual containers that are seated in the receiving openings and which contact a top side with the support rim.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from and incorporates by reference German Patent Applications DE 10 2016 105 780.0 filed on Mar. 30, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/333,815 filed on May 6, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a device for filling liquid to pasty food products into prefabricated individual containers which include a support rim, the device including carrier elements which are run by a drive continuously through the device, forming receiving openings for the individual containers and including a top side that is oriented away from a direction of gravity and configured to carry the support rim of the individual containers that are inserted into the receiving openings, operating stations in whose operating range the carrier elements move during an endless cycle of the carrier elements in the device, at least one operating station that is configured as sterilization device which is used for de-germinating the carrier elements and the individual containers, a lifting device forming a portion of the sterilization device with which configured to lift individual containers that are seated in the receiving openings and which contact a top side with the support rim so that a gap is formed for sterilization purposes, a control that is used at least for controlling the lifting device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Filling devices of this generic type are known from EP 1 134 182 A1 or EP 2 527 260 A1 also owned by the applicant. Both devices include a plurality of carrier elements which in turn include a plurality of receiving openings for individual containers. The carrier elements are run in a continuous cycle through an upper main element and a lower main element through the filling device. Thus, the carrier elements are arranged in direct contact with each other at least in a main element which includes the operating stations processing the containers. This way receiving openings are arranged in this main element in pass through direction behind each other in rows and in columns adjacent to each other transversal to the pass through direction. 
         [0004]    The operating stations of the filling device feed individual containers, place the individual containers in receiving openings, perform sterilization of the individual containers and carrier elements, fill the individual container with food products like e.g. yogurt, a beverage or a spreadable fat material etc. Then the individual containers are covered in a sealing station with a sealing foil and closed, optionally subjected to a seal test and subsequently combined into assemblies and packaged. When easily perishable food products like e.g. yogurt are being filled a filling device is typically housed in a sterile portion. Sterile air is blown into this housing so that a positive pressure is created in this location that prevents a penetration of germs through the air. 
         [0005]    The essential difference between both known filling and transport devices is the drive mode. In the first known device the cell plates are attached to an endless feed device, typically a chain and are transported by the chain through the device in a revolving manner. The second known device omits the endless drive device since the endless drive device can have considerable disadvantages under particular conditions. 
         [0006]    As a matter of principle filling food products requires maintaining stringent hygiene standards wherein the hygiene standards differ from each other depending on the type of product. The instant invention relates in particular to a device for filling food products with a low acid content into individual containers like e.g. filling sauces for meals ready to eat, snacks or finger food. Products of this type are typically very sensitive so that already small germ loads which are not a problem e.g. for products with higher acid content are problematic and lead to a quick spoiling of the food products. 
         [0007]    In order to keep the germ loading sufficiently small the sterilization device has to comply with stringent requirements since the high cyclic rate of the carrier elements only permits a small dwelling time in the sterilization device. 
         [0008]    The carrier elements filled with the individual containers are therefore introduced into the sterilization device and covered with a fine peroxide mist. Thus, the individual containers are lifted slightly so that a gap is formed between the support rim of the container and the top side of the carrier element. The sterilizing peroxide mist penetrates through this gap also into surface portions of he carrier element that are covered otherwise. 
         [0009]    However, there is also a need to sufficiently sterilize carrier elements without containers since cell plates without containers can run into the sterile portion of the arrangement during start up or shut down of a production cycle, during interferences in the container feed or during container sealing. This sterile portion extends from the container sterilization to the portion of container sealing. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the generic type described supra, whose sterilization device also keeps cell plates without container sufficiently germ free. 
         [0011]    The object is achieved by a device for filling liquid to pasty food products into prefabricated individual containers which include a support rim, the device including carrier elements which are run by a drive continuously through the device, which carrier elements form receiving openings for the individual containers and include a top side that is oriented away from a direction of gravity and configured to carry the support rim of the individual containers that are inserted into the receiving openings; operating stations in whose operating range the carrier elements move during an endless cycle of the carrier elements in the device; at least one operating station that is configured as sterilization device which is used for de-germinating the carrier elements and the individual containers; a lifting device forming a portion of the sterilization device which lifting device is configured to lift individual containers that are seated in the receiving openings and which contact a top side with the support rim so that a gap is formed for sterilization purposes; and a control that controls at least the lifting device, wherein the sterilization device is configured with at least one closure device which is configured to close the receiving openings of the carrier elements that do not include containers during sterilization. 
         [0012]    It is an essential advantage of the invention that the closure device facilitates treating the container less carrier elements in the same way by the sterilization device as carrier elements whose receiving openings are occupied by individual containers. In particular the peroxide mist that is present during the rather short dwelling time of the carrier elements in the sterilization device and in the subsequent drying device behaves due to the closure element almost in an identical manner with respect to its flow and precipitation properties as it does when sterilizing carrier elements that are occupied by containers. An adjustment of the sterilization process for empty carrier elements that is possible in principle like e.g. a change of the dwelling time, an adaptation of the peroxide mist or an adaptation of the subsequent drying is not necessary due to the closure device. The device according to the invention can therefore be operated without adapting the sterilization or feed parameters also for carrier elements without containers. 
         [0013]    Thus, it is provided that the closure element is arranged below the carrier elements to be sterilized. 
         [0014]    Contrary to simulating inserted containers which rest on a top side of the carrier elements with a support rim of the containers the invention takes a novel approach in that it moves the closure element from below against the carrier element and thus implements the closure of the receiving openings from a bottom side of the carrier element. This has the essential advantage that the top side is fully accessible for applying the sterilization mist and the closure element does not have to penetrate into the receiving opening with a precise fit, instead the closure element can for example be applied to the bottom side of the carrier element which requires a less precise positioning of the closure element and the carrier element relative to each other than would be necessary for a simulation of an inserted container by the closure element. 
         [0015]    It is furthermore provided that the closure element forms part of the lifting device for the individual containers. 
         [0016]    The invention takes advantage of the technical properties of the sterilization device in that it integrates the closure element into the lifting device for the individual containers. This has many advantages. For example drives and other technical devices are provided in this portion wherein the drives and other technical devices can also be used for controlling the closure device. 
         [0017]    It is furthermore provided that the control causes a lifting movement of the lifting device when the individual containers are inserted into the receiving openings and causes a closure movement of the closure element when the receiving openings do not include a container. 
         [0018]    Advantageously according to this embodiment the provided drives are used for the lifting device as well as for the closure element in order to induce depending on a loading condition of the carrier element either a closure movement of the closure element or a lifting movement of the lifting device in order to lift the containers out of the carrier element receiving openings while forming a gap. 
         [0019]    It is furthermore provided that the lifting device includes at least one lifting plate for lifting the individual containers and that the lifting plate forms the closure element. 
         [0020]    This embodiment of the invention advantageously uses the lifting arrangement or its lifting devices itself in a double function on the one hand side the lifting device, thus a lifting plate is used for lifting the individual containers. When the carrier elements are without a container the lifting device is used as a closure device. This double function of the closure device has the essential advantage that only the control and the drive of the lifting device have to be adapted in order to achieve an effective sterilization of the carrier elements in a condition where they do not hold containers. 
         [0021]    It if furthermore provided to use plural lifting plates and to form separately controllable functional groups in particular when the control moves the lifting plates that are combined into functional groups into a lifting position or a closing position as a function of free receiving openings or receiving openings that are loaded with containers, wherein a sterilization device that sterilizes plural carrier elements simultaneously associates at least one functional group with each carrier element that is arranged in the sterilization device. 
         [0022]    The essential advantage is that the sterilization device is passed through by plural carrier elements and the lifting device can close through its configuration carrier elements without containers and can also lift containers in loaded carrier elements in order to perform sterilization. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    Further advantages of the invention can be derived from the subsequent description of an advantageous embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified representation of the device according to the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a representation of an individual container; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of a support element; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  illustrates a simplified representation of the sterilization device cut along the feed direction; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a representation according to  FIG. 3  with the lifting device in a closure position; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates a representation according to  FIG. 3  with the lifting device in the closure and lifting position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    The figures illustrate a device according to the invention that is designated overall with reference numeral  10  and illustrated in  FIG. 1  in its entirety. The device includes an upper main element  11  and a lower main element  12  which are connected with each other by two side elements that are arranged at ends and are not illustrated. Carrier elements  13  also designated as cell plates run through the main elements  11  and  12  in a continuous cycle. For propelling the carrier elements a continuously revolving drive chain is used in the illustrated embodiment that is not visible in  FIG. 1 . Operating stations  14  are arranged above the upper main element  11  in a feed direction V of the upper main element  11  behind each other. 
         [0031]    Based on the upper main element starting in  FIG. 1  on a right side and terminating on a left side the following are arranged in sequence, a container insertion device  15 , a sterilization device  16 , a filling device  17  and a sealing device  18 . The sealing device  18  is divided into a sealing foil feed  19  and the actual sealing station  21  applying the sealing foil  34  to the individual containers  20 . 
         [0032]    A carrier element  13  coming in at a beginning of the upper main element  11  moves along the feed direction V through the upper main element  11 . It is initially provided with individual containers  20  in the container insertion device  15  and then moves into the sterilization device  16  in order to sterilize the carrier element  13  and the inserted containers  20 . During another feed in a direction towards the filling device  17  the carrier element  13  and the inserted individual containers are dried. Then the individual containers  20  are filled in the filling device  17  with a liquid to pasty food product, thus in particular with a mildly acidic food product  22 . The unfilled head space  28  of the individual container is flushed with nitrogen in order to reduce the oxygen content to the desired amount of less than 3% and is then moved in the feed direction V to the sealing device  18 . In the sealing station  21  the sealing foil is fixed by respective sealing heads above the container opening. Thereafter the containers  20  are removed from the carrier element  13  and the carrier element  13  switches at an end of the upper main element  11  through a non-illustrated side element into the lower main element  12 . The carrier element  13  runs through the lower main element  12  in a return direction R until it is returned back into the upper main element  11  at an end of the lower main element  12 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 1A  illustrates an individual container  20  in a sectional view. The container  20  is a so called individual container which is delivered prefabricated and retrieved from a stash for insertion into the carrier elements  13 . The individual containers  20  inserted into the device according to the invention are thus different from deep drawn containers which are also typically used for filling with food products. The deep drawn containers, however, are formed directly before the filling process and only separated from each other after sealing the containers. 
         [0034]    The container type that is being used causes significant differences with respect to the filling process. In deep drawn containers the carrier elements  13  are completely covered by the deep drawing foil whereas a carrier element surface is directly accessibly through intermediary spaces between the individual containers  20  when individual containers are used. Consequently when using individual containers a need for carrier element sterilization does not arise to the same extent. 
         [0035]    Individual containers are increasingly used in high value products in order to provide the quality food product  22  with an appropriate packaging. 
         [0036]    The individual container  20  illustrated in  FIG. 1A  is filled with a food product  22  and forms a circumferential support rim  24  in a portion of the container opening  23 . A bottom side  25  of the support rim serves as a contact surface on the carrier element  13  in order to prevent slippage through the receiving opening  26 . The top side  27  of the support rim  24  forms a contact surface between the container  20  and a sealing foil. 
         [0037]    Above the food product  22  and up to the support rim  24  or for a closed container  20  up to the sealing foil there is a so called head space  28  of the container  20  which is filled with a gas as a matter of principle. In particular for only slightly acidic easily perishable food products nitrogen is typically injected at this location in order to minimize oxygen content. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  illustrates a carrier element  13  which forms receiving openings  26  which are partially filled with individual containers  20  for illustration purposes. Receiving openings  26  form containers rows  29  oriented in the feed direction V and container columns  30  that are arranged adjacent to each other parallel to the feed direction. As can be derived from  FIG. 2  the containers  20  are inserted into the receiving openings  26 , wherein the support rim  24  of the containers contacts a top side  31  of the carrier element  13 . The support rim  24  of each container  20  thus covers a surface portion of the top side  31 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 3-5  illustrate a schematic representation of the sterilization device  16 . Only components that are relevant for the invention are illustrated. Other components were omitted in the representation for reasons of clarity. 
         [0040]    The carrier elements  13  run through the sterilization device  16  in the feed direction V. In  FIG. 3  all carrier elements  13  are configured with individual containers  20  which are inserted into the receiving openings  26 . 
         [0041]    The sterilization process is performed under a hood  32  under which a diffusor  32  is arranged which distributes a peroxide mist in the sterilization space  35  that is introduced through infeeds  34 . Three lifting devices  36  are arranged below the carrier elements  13  in a portion of the sterilization hood  32 . Thus, each of the lifting devices  36  is arranged below exactly one carrier element  13  and initially includes a drive unit  37 . The drive unit  37  actuates an actuation arm  38  which is used for lifting or lowering a plunger  39 . The plunger  39  includes a lifting plate  40  on a side oriented towards the carrier element  13 . Each plunger  39  is supported in a rail  41  which provides a vertical lift movement H and a vertical lowering movement S. 
         [0042]    In  FIG. 3  the lifting plates  40  are in a lowered position which facilitates feeding the cell plates  13  forward.  FIG. 3  also illustrates normal operations of the sterilization device  16 . During normal operations each carrier element  13  below the hood  32  is covered with individual containers  20 . Before letting the peroxide mist into the sterilization space  35  the lifting plates  40  go through a lift movement in the direction H. The lift movement brings the lift plates  40  in contact with the base of the individual containers  20 , wherein a continued lift movement lifts the containers  20  out of the carrier element  13 . The lifting process generates a gap between the support rim  24  of each container  20  and the top side  31  of each carrier element  13 . The peroxide mist that is blown in does not only wet the inner surfaces of the containers and free surface portions of the carrier elements  13  but also reaches the gap provided between the support rim  24  and the top side  31  so that the carrier elements  13  are also sterilized in portions arranged below the support rim  24 . After sterilization the lifting plates are moved back into their starting position by a lowering movement S which puts the containers  20  back into the carrier elements  13  again. Thereafter a feed cycle is performed which typically moves the carrier element that is in front in the feed direction to the next operating station. The next sterilization process of the device  10  starts when the lifting plates  40  are raised again. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates the sterilization device  16  according to the representation in  FIG. 3  but the carrier elements that are arranged below the sterilization hood  32  are without containers. The situation illustrated in  FIG. 4  can occur for example when the device  10  starts up when carrier elements  13  that are not yet provided with containers  20  run through the device  10 . Through suitable sensors a control operating the lifting device  16  detects that the support elements  13  are provided with containers  20  and moves the lifting plates  40  beyond their lifting position into a closure position closing the receiving openings  26  because the carrier elements are not provided with containers. In this closure position the lifting plates  40  contact the bottom side of the carrier elements  13  and thus close the receiving openings  26 . The blown in peroxide mist can spread in the sterilization space  35  without negative interference from unoccupied receiving openings  26  and can wet the carrier element surfaces. Before the next feed cycle the lifting plates  40  are moved back into their lowered position which then provides a free feed movement of the carrier elements  13 . 
         [0044]    A different operating situation of the sterilization device  16  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . One of the carrier elements  13  arranged below the sterilization hood  32  is kept without a container. Two other carrier elements  13  are configured with individual containers  20 . It is illustrated herein how the receiving openings  26  of the carrier element  13  without container are closed by the lifting plate  40 . For this purpose the control of the lifting device  16  has forced a closure movement in a direction H upon the drive  37  that is arranged in front in the feed direction V. In the other two drives merely a lifting movement was caused so that the containers  20  inserted into the carrier elements  13  are raised for the subsequent sterilization process so that a gap is formed. After the sterilization process is completed the lifting plates  40  are lowered into their starting position. Also in this operating situation in order to facilitate a feeding of the carrier elements  13  in the feed direction V. 
         [0045]    It can be derived in particular from the representation according to  FIG. 5  that the individual lifting devices  36  can be controlled individually so that an individual reaction can be executed in response to a respective loading situation of the carrier elements  13  with containers  20 . Thus, the lifting devices  36  are separately controllable functional groups in the instant embodiment. 
         [0046]    An advantageous sterilization device  16  with a lifting device  36  for a device  10  for filling food products was shown which provides a safe sterilization process for carrier elements  13  without containers. Thus, the lifting device  36  is used to control the closure devices which close the receiving openings  26  of the carrier elements  13  from below. Particularly advantageously the lifting devices  40  that are provided anyhow are used as a closure device. In a sterilization device  16  which sterilizes plural carrier elements  13  simultaneously it is provided to use plural lifting devices  36 , wherein a lifting device  36  is associated with each carrier element  13 . The separate control of the lifting devices  36  facilitates running the filling device as a function of the carrier elements  13  being loaded with containers  20  or not. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
       [0047]      10  device 
         [0048]      11  upper main element 
         [0049]      12  lower main element 
         [0050]      13  carrier element/cell plate 
         [0051]      14  operating station 
         [0052]      15  container insertion device 
         [0053]      16  sterilization device 
         [0054]      17  filling device 
         [0055]      18  sealing device 
         [0056]      19  sealing foil feed 
         [0057]      20  individual container/individual cup 
         [0058]      21  sealing station 
         [0059]      22  food product 
         [0060]      23  container opening 
         [0061]      24  support rim 
         [0062]      25  bottom side of  24   
         [0063]      26  receiving opening 
         [0064]      27  top side of  24   
         [0065]      28  head space of  20   
         [0066]      29  row 
         [0067]      30  column 
         [0068]      31  top side of  13   
         [0069]      32  hood 
         [0070]      33  diffusor 
         [0071]      34  feed 
         [0072]      35  sterilization space 
         [0073]      36  lifting device 
         [0074]      37  drive unit 
         [0075]      38  actuation arm 
         [0076]      39  plunger 
         [0077]      40  lifting plate 
         [0078]      41  rail 
         [0079]    H lifting movement 
         [0080]    S lowering movement 
         [0081]    R return direction 
         [0082]    V feed direction