Patent Publication Number: US-6701979-B2

Title: Machine for filling containers with a liquid substance

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to filling containers, in particular bottles and the like, with liquid substances. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     In the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industry there are known filling machines which automatically fill bottles with measured quantities of liquid substances. 
     The above mentioned machines are usually equipped with a rotating head, which is carried by a stationary structure. The head rotates on a vertical axis. A liquid delivering chamber, fed by a suitable duct, is formed inside the head. 
     The rotating head features, arranged along the edge thereof, syringe-like distributors, which deliver the liquid substance to corresponding filling nozzles, associated with the rotating head by suitable three-way valves controlling the liquid substance passage. 
     The distributors are aimed, in two different moments, at batching liquid and at feeding the batched liquid to the nozzles. 
     The machines for filling bottles must be periodically sterilized by washing the areas, which are in contact with liquid substances, in particular after a working cycle is finished and when the liquid substance for filling the bottles is to be changed. 
     The machine is sterilized by feeding a suitable sterilizing liquid or steam to the distributors and to the nozzles, via the above areas being in contact with liquid substances, i.e. the distributing chamber of the rotating head. 
     The problem related to the sterilization operation concerns the collection and disposal of the sterilizing liquid. 
     Currently, in order to sterilize, it is necessary to stop the machine and to join thereto a basin, which conveys the sterilizing liquid going out of the areas being sterilized. 
     The open-topped collection basin usually includes two semi-circular portions which are fastened removably to the machine. 
     When the sterilization is completed, the collection basin is emptied and removed from the machine. 
     Besides obvious hygienic problems and environmental pollution risk, the above solution is very expensive, mainly because of operator labor. 
     Actually, the assembling and disassembling of the basin collecting the sterilizing liquid requires a lot of time, during which the machine does not work. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to solve the above problem by proposing a machine for filling bottles and the like, which allows to perform sterilizing operations in a simple and rapid way. 
     Another object of the present invention is to propose a machine the sterilization of which can be performed in an extremely efficient way, in absolutely hygienic conditions and without causing environment pollution. 
     A further object of the present invention is to propose a machine, in which sterilization operations require a reduced use of operators labor. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to propose a machine the construction of which is very simple and which is functional and versatile. 
     The above mentioned objects are obtained in accordance with the contents of the claims, by a machine for filling containers with a liquid substance, the machine including: 
     a rotating head carried rotatingly by a stationary structure; 
     a liquid substance delivering chamber made inside said a rotating head; 
     at least one distributor arranged along the edge of said rotating head for delivering the liquid substance; 
     at least one filling nozzle associated with said rotating head and connected with said distributor; 
     the machine being characterized in that it includes: 
     container means associated to said stationary structure for collecting a sterilizing liquid introduced into said distributor and flowing in the corresponding filling nozzle; 
     covering means applicable to said container means for closing tightly said container means; 
     conveying means for conveying said sterilizing liquid substance, said conveying means being connected to said covering means and associated to said nozzle and to said distributor for connecting tightly said nozzle and said distributor with said container means. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The characteristic features of the present invention will be pointed out in the following description of a preferred, but not only embodiment, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic vertical section view of a preferred embodiment of the proposed machine for filling bottles and the like with liquid substances; 
     FIGS. 2 a,    2   b  and  2   c  show vertical section views of a distributing device of the filling machine, in different operation steps; 
     FIG. 3 shows a vertical section view of a nozzle of the filling machine; 
     FIG. 4 shows a connection of the distributing device of FIG.  3  and the nozzle to a basin, associated to the machine for collecting the sterilizing liquid; 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  show vertical section views of the above sterilizing liquid collecting basin, in an opening and closing position, respectively. 
    
    
     BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the above figures, reference numeral  1  indicates the machine for filling bottles with a liquid substance. 
     The machine  1  includes a head  2  rotating on a vertical axis, The head  2  is carried by a stationary structure  3  forming the machine base. 
     Inside the rotating head  2  there is formed a liquid substance delivering chamber  4 . A duct  5  feeds the chamber  4  with the liquid substance. 
     Along its edge, the rotating head  2  features a plurality of syringe-like distributors  6  which deliver the liquid substance to corresponding filling nozzles  7  (FIG. 3) mounted to the rotating head, via suitable three-way valves  17  for controlling the liquid substance flow. 
     The syringe-like distributors  6  include a cylindrical sleeve  8 , in which a piston  9  slides. 
     The upper part of the sleeve  8  features a hole  10 , through which the liquid substance is delivered (FIG. 2 a ). 
     The lower part of the cylindrical sleeve  8  features a ring-like area  18  with widened diameter, in correspondence of which there is made at least one discharge hole  11 . 
     The discharge hole  11  communicates with a duct  12  formed in a cap  13  covering the base of the cylindrical sleeve  8 . 
     The stem  19  of the piston  9  passes axially and tightly through the cap  13 . 
     Under the cylindrical sleeve  8 , the cap  13  defines a chamber  14 . The bottom of the chamber  14  communicates with the duct  12  through a discharge hole  16 . 
     A connecting element  160  is fastened to the end of the duct  12  (FIGS. 2 a,    2   b  and  2   c ). 
     The top of each nozzle  7  communicates with a corresponding valve means  17  (see FIG.  1 . 
     The nozzle  7  is introduced into a collar  21 , in coaxial relation therewith. 
     The lower part of the collar  21  is closed and the upper part thereof is fastened tightly to the rotating head. 
     The collar  21  is introduced into an outer tubular sheath  22 , fastened tightly to the collar  21  and equipped, in its lower part, with a joint  26 . 
     The upper part of the collar  21  features a series of holes  23 , and the lower part of the collar  21  features a hole  24  of small diameter, which allows to drain possible accumulated condensed liquid (FIG.  3 ). 
     The holes  23  connect a first cylindrical space I 1 , defined between the outer cylindrical edge surface SP of the nozzle  7  and the collar  21 , with a second cylindrical space I 2  between the collar  21  and the tubular sheath  22 . 
     Substantially, the collar  21  (and the relative lower hole  24  and the upper hole  23 ) together with the tubular sheath  22  (with the relative joint  26 ) form a device  50 , which allows to sterilize the nozzle  7  by washing, during the stops for maintenance operation of the machine  1 . 
     In particular, the inner channel as well as the outer cylindrical edge surface of the nozzle  7  are washed with a suitable sterilizing liquid introduced into the distributor  6  and going out from the nozzle  7  and flowing along the above first cylindrical space I 1  and second cylindrical space I 2 , as will be explained later on. 
     A substantially ring-like basin  30  for collecting the sterilizing liquid, is associated to the stationary structure  3  and connected to a discharge channel  31  (see FIGS. 5 a,    5   b ). 
     The basin  30  can be closed by closing means  100  including a cover  32 , fastened to the rotating head  2  and equipped with a sealing plate  33 . 
     A plurality of vertical tubes  34  pass tightly through the cover  32  and extend inside the basin  30 , in correspondence to the above mentioned distributors  6  and sterilizing devices  50 , to which they are connected by flexible pipes  25 A,  25 B (FIG.  4 ). 
     At their tops, the vertical tubes  34  feature respective joints  36 , which are to be connected to the above flexible pipes  25 A,  25 B and are closed during the production cycle by relative plugs  35 . 
     The basin  30  is operated, by suitable operating means, not shown, to move vertically (arrow X in FIG. 5 b ) between a lowered opening position A (FIG. 5 a ) and a raised closing position C (FIG. 5 b ), in which it goes in abutment against the seal  33 . 
     During normal operation conditions, the basin  30  is situated in the lowered position A, so as to avoid rubbing of the seal  33 , rotated together with the rotating head  2 , on the basin  30 . 
     When the sterilization is to be performed by washing of the machine  1 , during normal machine  1  maintenance operations, the basin  30  is moved to the raised closing position C, in which it goes in abutment against the seal  33 . 
     Moreover, it is necessary to join each nozzle  7  with the relative sterilization device  50 , in a way as described above. 
     Finally, the vertical tubes  34  are connected to the distributors  6  and sterilization devices  50  by the flexible pipes  25 A,  25 B (FIG.  4 ), which feature joints, which are complementary to the joints  160 ,  26 ,  36  of the distributors  6 , of the sterilization devices  50  and of the covering means  100 . 
     In this configuration, the sterilization is performed by feeding a suitable sterilizing liquid to the areas in contact with liquid substances, i.e. the delivering chamber  4  of the rotating head  2 , the distributors  6  and the nozzles  7 . 
     The sterilizing liquid is sucked into the distributors  6  by the motion of the piston  9 , which moves, starting from the top dead center (FIG. 2 a ). 
     The piston  9  is imposed a stroke, whose amplitude is bigger than the maximum amplitude of the stroke in normal operation condition, indicated with broken line  9   a  in FIG. 2 b,  so as to uncover the ring-like area  18 , having widened diameter, of the cylindrical sleeve  8 , which thus gets in contact with the sterilizing liquid. 
     During the subsequent upwards stroke of the piston  9 , the sterilizing liquid is pumped through the hole  10  and the sterilizing liquid which filled the area  18 , goes down along the cylindrical sleeve  8  up to the chamber  14  of the cap  13 . 
     Thus, the whole cylindrical sleeve  8  is in contact with the sterilizing liquid. 
     The sterilizing liquid, pumped by the distributors  6 , flows into the nozzles  7 , from which it goes out, so as to go upwards through the first cylindrical space I 1  and, to go down again by the upper holes  23  and through the second cylindrical space I 2 , so as to be conveyed to the basin  30  by the relative pipe  25 B, according to a continuous feeding flow of the sterilizing liquid. 
     Finally, the sterilizing liquid collected in the basin  30  is discharged through the discharge channel  31 . 
     Therefore, the proposed machine allows a simple and rapid sterilization operation by washing. 
     Actually, in order to perform the sterilization step, it is sufficient, when the machine  1  is stopped, to connect each nozzle  7  with the relative sterilizing device  50 , to close the collecting basin  30 , fastened to the structure of the machine and to connect, by the flexible pipes  25 A,  25 B, the distributors  6  and the tubular elements with the joints  36  of the basin cover  32 . 
     This causes a reduced external time and minimal use of manpower, which results in costs reduction and productivity increase. 
     The sterilization performed by the proposed machine takes place in absolutely hygienic conditions and without causing environment pollution. 
     It is understood that what above, has been described as a pure, not limitative example, therefore, possible variants of the invention remain within the protective scope of the present technical solution, as described above and claimed hereinafter.