EP2758333A1

EP2758333A1 - Controlled exhaust device associated with a device for the pressurised distribution of liquid into a container

Info

Publication number: EP2758333A1
Application number: EP12761620.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Jacques Graffin
Original assignee: Serac Group SAS
Current assignee: Serac Group SAS
Priority date: 2011-09-20
Filing date: 2012-09-19
Publication date: 2014-07-30
Also published as: BR112014001681A2; WO2013041585A1; FR2980182B1; US20130068347A1; FR2980182A1

Abstract

The controlled exhaust device comprises: an exhaust vent (36, 39) opening into an area for the pressurised distribution of liquid, and into a closed chamber (67) having an upper wall comprising an exhaust port (45) surrounded by an upper seat for a latching exhaust valve (46); and a latching exhaust valve comprising a weighing valve (46) mounted to slide between a high position and a low position in a latching exhaust valve guide comprising a guide conduit (52) having a lower end in communication with the exhaust vent (36), and an upper end coaxial to the upper seat of the latching exhaust valve. The latching exhaust valve is mounted in the guide conduit (52) with a clearance creating a sufficient loss of charge for the latching exhaust valve (46) to be repelled, in the same way as a piston, by liquid penetrating into the chamber (67) through the exhaust vent (36).

Description

CONTROL EXHAUST DEVICE ASSOCIATED WITH A DEVICE FOR PRESSURIZING LIQUID PRESSURE IN A CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a controlled exhaust device associated with a dispensing device under pressure of liquid in a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For the constant level filling of containers with a fluid dispensed under pressure there are known filling spouts comprising: an annular connection portion configured to provide a sealing support with a container neck and delimit a dispensing area; a distribution duct connected to a liquid supply source under a distribution pressure via a dispensing valve and opening into the dispensing zone; an exhaust vent opening on the one hand in the distribution zone, and on the other hand according to a vent orifice, and a controlled exhaust device comprising an exhaust lock valve controlled by a liquid level in the exhaust vent, interposed in the exhaust vent between the dispensing zone and the venting port. When filling a container, the air contained in the container is expelled by the liquid introduced into the container and escapes through the venting port. When the liquid reaches the lower end of the exhaust vent, the liquid rises into the exhaust vent and causes the exhaust lock valve to close. The dispensing valve is then closed and the container is separated from the annular connecting portion so that the liquid contained in the exhaust vent falls back into the container.

To prevent liquid from escaping through the vent port, it is necessary for the exhaust lock valve to close before the liquid reaches the exhaust lock valve seat. For this purpose the existing devices include a flap exhaust lock associated with a float. When the container is separated from the annular connecting portion, the float continues to be carried by the liquid contained in the exhaust vent. In addition, the force applied by the float generates capillary retention forces at the interface between the exhaust lock valve and its seat.

Moreover, the amount of liquid that rises in the exhaust vent and then returns to the container is a function of the volume of the float ensuring the closing maneuver of the exhaust lock valve. This poses a problem insofar as the liquid used to lift the float then returns to the container and may be polluted during its passage through the exhaust vent. It is therefore desirable to minimize the volume of the exhaust lock valve, which can not be done with a float.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to minimize the volume of liquid passing through the exhaust vent while ensuring a rapid closure and reopening of the exhaust lock valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With a view to achieving this object, the invention proposes a controlled exhaust device associated with a device for dispensing liquid pressure into a container, the controlled exhaust device comprising:

an exhaust vent opening on the one hand in a pressurized liquid distribution zone, and on the other hand in a closed enclosure having an upper wall having an exhaust port surrounded by an upper seat for a valve exhaust lock;

an exhaust lock valve disposed in the chamber below the upper valve seat exhaust lock and controlled by a liquid level in the exhaust vent, wherein the exhaust lock valve comprises a weighing valve mounted to slide between a high position and a low position in a lock valve guide exhaust system having a guide duct having a lower end communicating with the exhaust vent, and an upper end coaxial with the exhaust lock valve upper seat, and the exhaust locking flap mounted in the duct guide with a clearance creating a sufficient pressure drop so that the exhaust lock valve is pushed in the manner of a piston by liquid entering the enclosure through the exhaust vent.

Thus, the closing force is mainly a function of the pressure difference between the delivery pressure and the pressure beyond the exhaust lock valve. The exhaust lock valve may therefore be small in size so that the amount of liquid flowing through the exhaust vent is small. In addition, as soon as the container is released, the pressure drops in the exhaust vent so that the exhaust locking valve is no longer pressed against its seat and therefore falls instantly.

According to an advantageous version of the invention, the device comprises a short-circuit conduit extending in parallel with the guide duct and having a lower end opening below the exhaust locking valve and an upper end opening above it. the exhaust lock valve when it is in the down position. Thus, as soon as the exhaust locking valve leaves its seat an air intake is established above the liquid contained in the exhaust vent so that the liquid contained in the exhaust vent flows very quickly in the container, which allows to increase the rate of filling.

According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, the short-circuit conduit has a volume greater than a volume swept by the exhaust lock valve between the low position and the high position. The short circuit conduit then acts as a buffer volume and ensures closure of the exhaust lock valve before liquid reaches the seat of the exhaust lock valve.

According to yet another advantageous aspect of the invention the short-circuit conduit is delimited by a notch on one side of the exhaust lock valve guide, and a side wall of the enclosure. Thus, the friction forces on the walls of the short-circuit conduit are minimized and the emptying of the exhaust vent is further accelerated.

According to another aspect of the invention, the device comprises a calibrated valve mounted between the exhaust locking valve and the venting orifice. Preferably, the exhaust vent is connected to a fluid introduction port equipped with a check valve. It is thus possible to condition gaseous liquids by establishing a counter-pressure in the container, or to condition oxygen-sensitive flat liquids by injecting a neutral gas into the container prior to filling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred non-limiting embodiment of the controlled exhaust system according to the invention, with reference to the attached figures among which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a filling carousel equipped with filling nozzles according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of the box A of FIG. 1 along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of the box B of FIG. 1 along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the exhaust lock valve guide according to the invention,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the box C of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, the filling carousel according to the invention comprises an annular supply manifold 1 supplied with pressurized liquid by radial ducts 2 having one end connected to the supply manifold 1 and an opposite end connected to a rotary joint 3 providing a connection with a pressurized liquid supply source symbolized by a pump 4 associated with a storage tank 5. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the collector 1 is formed by an annular groove 6 made in a tray 7, and closed by an annular cover 8 suitably fixed to the plate 7 by not shown bolts extending in holes 9, the seal between the plate 7 and the cover 8 being provided by O-rings 10 and 11. Beaks fillers 12 are suspended under the plate 7. Each filling spout 12 has a spout body 13 crossed by a vertical bore 14 having at its lower portion a recess 15 in which is mounted an annular seal 16 forming an annular connecting portion configured to provide a sealing with a container neck 17.

A distribution duct formed by a rectilinear tube 18 is mounted in the bore 14 and is held in place by an O-ring 19 compressed by a socket 20. The lower end of the distribution duct 18 extends inside the container in which it defines a distribution zone 21. The upper end 22 of the distribution duct 18 is fixed under the plate 7 and is connected to the supply manifold 1 by a bore 23, via a dispensing valve 24. In the illustrated embodiment the dispensing valve 24 comprises a ball 25 resting on a bowl 26 sealingly mounted across the distribution duct 18 and having a dispensing orifice 27 having a diameter smaller than that of the ball 25. The ball 25 is operated by a magnetic actuator comprising a finger 28 carried by a cylindrical magnetic reinforcement 29 disposed inside the duct 18 and whose position is determined by a magnetic ring 30 mounted axially movable to the distribution duct 18 and surrounding it at the level of the magnetic reinforcement 29. The position of the magnetic ring is determined by an operating member here comprising a roller 31 fixed on the magnetic ring 30 and cooperating with a guide cam 32. The finger 28 extends coaxially to the dispensing orifice 27 of the cup 26 so that depending on the axial movements of the magnetic armature 29, the ball 25 is either resting on the edge of the dispensing orifice 27 to ensure a closure of the supply conduit 18, or spaced from this position by the finger 28 so that pressurized liquid can flow through the dispensing orifice 27 into the dispensing duct 18.

At the lower part of the bore 14, the latter comprises a recess 33 in which is mounted a tube 34 which extends coaxially with the distribution duct 18 and is spaced from it and which extends downwards to close to the lower end of the distribution duct 18. At its upper end, the tube 34 is pierced with an orifice 35 which coincides with a bore 36 in the spout body 13. The tube 34 and the bore 36 thus define a portion of an exhaust vent whose upper end opens into an exhaust control member 37.

In the illustrated embodiment, the exhaust control member 37 comprises a body 38 having a longitudinal bore 39. At its lower end, the bore 39 opens into a bore 44 of larger diameter than the bore 39 so that the recess between the bore 39 and the bore 44 defines an upper seat 45 for a weighing valve formed here by a steel ball 46. For the purposes of the invention, the term "check valve" means a valve having a density that is not sufficient to be able to to be carried by the liquid to be conditioned. The ball 46 is mounted in an exhaust locking valve guide formed here by a sleeve 47 having a cylindrical side wall 48 of the same diameter as the bore 44, provided with an annular flange 49 having dimensions identical to a recess. 50 of the bore 48 so that after press fit of the sleeve 47 in the body 38 and attachment to the body 13 by means not shown, the sleeve 47 is sealingly mounted in the body 38 and is applied from The sleeve 47 thus delimits with the bore 48 a closed enclosure 67 provided with an exhaust orifice 45.

The bushing 47 has a central bore 51 coaxial with the bore 39 in the body 38 and of the same diameter as the latter. The lower end of the bore 51 coincides with the upper end of the bore 36 in the block 13. Opposite the lower end of the bore 39 the bushing 47 has an upper bore 52, coaxial with the bore 51 forming a guide duct for the ball 46 and having a diameter, greater than that of the ball, adapted so that the clearance between the ball 46 and the bore 52 creates a sufficient pressure drop so that the ball 46 is pushed in the manner of a piston by the arriving liquid by drilling 36. In practice a set of 0.5 tenths of a mm to one tenth of a mm is satisfactory. The recess between the bore 51 and the bore 52 defines a lower seat 55 for the ball 46. Preferably the lower seat 55 is at a distance from the upper seat such that the stroke d of the ball 46 between the low position shown in the line. continuous in Figure 5, and the upper position shown in dashes, at most equal to the radius of the ball 46.

Moreover, the bushing 47 has a radial bore 54, of the same diameter as the bore 51, associated with a lateral notch 53 having a section greater than the bore 51 to delimit, with the lateral wall 48 of the enclosure 67 a short conduit. -circuit extending in parallel to the guide duct 52 and having a lower end opening below the ball 46 and an upper end opening above the ball 46 when the latter in a rest position resting on the seat lower 55. Preferably, the short circuit conduit has a volume greater than a volume swept by the exhaust lock valve between a low position and a high position.

Referring to Figure 3, the body 38 further comprises a bore 56 transverse to the bore 39 and associated with a bore 57 in which is screwed a sleeve 58 whose central duct 59 forms part of the exhaust vent and opens outside the body 38 according to a venting orifice 60. The bore 57 has a diameter greater than the bore 56 and the recess thus formed forms a seat for a ball 61 biased towards it by a spring 62 disposed in the central duct of the sleeve 58, and whose bearing force is determined by the screwing of the sleeve 58. The sleeve 58, the ball 61 and the spring 62 thus form a valve calibrated between the orifice of exhaust 45 and vent port 60. Still with reference to FIG. 3, the upper end of the longitudinal bore 39 is equipped with a pressurized gas injection member comprising a bushing 40 in which a nonreturn valve 41 is mounted. The bushing 40 is connected to a source of pressurized gas such as a nitrogen cylinder 42, via a valve 43 whose position is controlled by an operating member such as a roller associated with a cam, not shown.

Furthermore, the filling nozzle according to the invention comprises a connecting duct 63 opening on the one hand into the dispensing duct 18 and on the other hand into the bore 39. A valve 64 is mounted on the connecting duct 63 and its position is determined by a control member such as a roller 65 associated with a retractable cam 66.

The device thus described serves to implement the method according to the invention as described below. The calibrated valve 61 is first set to close the exhaust vent according to a setting at the maximum exhaust pressure that is desired to reach the container during filling, this calibration pressure being of course lower. at the distribution pressure. A container to be filled is pressed against the annular connection portion. If necessary depending on the desired filling conditions, a gas at a pressure at most equal to the exhaust pressure is injected into the exhaust vent. It should be noted in this regard that because of its weight the exhaust lock valve 46 is normally supported on the lower seat 55. In addition, because of the existence of the short circuit conduit 53 and the size difference between the bore 51 and the bore 52, the exhaust lock valve is plated on the lower seat 55 with a greater force as the pressure is higher in the exhaust vent.

The dispensing valve is then opened and the The liquid then flows into the container at a rate which is a function of the difference between the dispensing pressure and the pressure in the container. When the liquid reaches the lower end of the tube 34, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid rises in the exhaust vent. When it reaches the bushing 47, the liquid rises simultaneously in the bore 51 and in the short-circuit conduit 53 but due to the difference in volume between the short-circuit conduit and the bore 51, the liquid rises faster in the bore 51 only in the short circuit conduit so that the exhaust lock valve is pushed against the upper seat 45 before the liquid reaches it through the short circuit conduit. When the exhaust vent is closed by the exhaust lock valve 46, the liquid ceases to flow into the container. The dispensing valve 24 is then closed and the container is lowered to disengage it from the seal 16. The neck of the container is thus vented and because of the pressurized gas trapped between the calibrated valve 61 and the locking valve exhaust 46, the latter is pushed sharply downwards and the liquid contained in the exhaust vent is driven to the container.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

In particular, although the invention has been illustrated with an exhaust lock valve in the form of a steel ball, an exhaust locking valve of another material, for example ceramic, can be used, or an exhaust locking valve having another shape, for example a truncated cone shape, or using an exhaust locking valve comprising a plurality of parts connected to each other, a part serving to close the exhaust port sealingly while another part serves as a maneuvering member.

Although the invention has been illustrated in connection with a device comprising a calibrated valve mounted between the exhaust locking valve and the venting orifice, and a fluid introduction member equipped with a non-return valve connected to the exhaust vent, which allows gaseous liquids or oxygen-sensitive flat liquids to be conditioned, the exhaust lock valve can open directly into the open air for the conditioning of flat liquids at a high rate.

Although the invention has been illustrated with a short-circuit conduit opening under the exhaust locking valve by a bore of the same size as the bore under the exhaust lock valve, the short-circuit conduit may be circuit in connection with the exhaust vent through a smaller orifice, which creates a greater pressure drop slowing the rise of the liquid in the short-circuit conduit, and reduces the dimensions of the short-circuit conduit. circuit and thus reduce the amount of liquid flowing through the exhaust vent, but the return of the liquid to the container will also be slowed. The dimensions of each component will therefore be determined according to the priorities of each case.

Claims

A controlled exhaust device associated with a device for dispensing liquid pressure into a container, the controlled exhaust device comprising:

an exhaust vent (36, 51, 39, 59) opening on the one hand in a distribution zone (21) of liquid under pressure, and on the other hand in a closed chamber (67) having a top wall comprising an exhaust port (45) surrounded by an upper seat for an exhaust lock valve (46);

an exhaust lock valve disposed in the chamber below the exhaust valve check valve upper seat (45) and controlled by a liquid level in the exhaust vent,

Characterized in that the exhaust lock valve comprises a heavy-duty valve (46) slidably mounted between a high position and a low position in an exhaust lock valve guide having a guide duct (52) having an end lower end communicating with the exhaust vent, and an upper end coaxial with the upper seat of the exhaust lock valve, and in that the exhaust locking flap is mounted in the guide duct (52) with a clearance creating a sufficient pressure drop so that the exhaust lock valve is pushed in the manner of a piston by liquid entering the enclosure through the exhaust vent.

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a short-circuit conduit (53) extending in parallel to the guide duct (52) and having a lower end opening below the exhaust lock valve (46) and an upper end opening above the exhaust lock valve (46) when the latter is in the position low.

3. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the short circuit conduit (53) has a volume greater than a volume swept by the exhaust lock valve between the low position and the high position.

4. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the short circuit conduit is defined by a notch (53) on one side of the exhaust lock valve guide, and a side wall (44) of the enclosure.

5. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the exhaust lock valve comprises a ball (46), and in that the guide channel comprises a bore (52) having a diameter greater than that of the ball.

6. Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the exhaust locking valve guide comprises a bore (51) coaxial with the guide duct (52) extending below the guide duct and defining therewith a lower seat (55) for the exhaust lock valve.

7. Device according to claim 2 and claim 6 characterized in that the short-circuit conduit opens under the lower seat (55) of the exhaust locking valve according to a bore (54) having a diameter at most equal to the diameter from the lower seat.

8. Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the ball (46) has a stroke (d) less than a radius of the ball.

9. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a calibrated valve (61,62) mounted between the exhaust locking valve (46) and the venting orifice (60).

10. Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the exhaust vent (39) is connected to a fluid introduction port equipped with a non-return valve (41).