JP3375777B2 - Liquid filling method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid filling method used in the filling and packaging industry of liquids in containers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the packaging industry for filling liquids into containers, for example, when filling a large amount of liquids into containers by a mechanized amount automatically, for example, when filling tempura oil or salad oil, With respect to the liquid surface that changes with the change, the follow-up filling that keeps the tip portion of the filling nozzle at a constant interval is not performed, that is, if the liquid surface and the tip portion of the nozzle are filled with a large gap, the liquid is pumped from the nozzle. Since the filling liquid discharged and hits the liquid surface, the splashed oil becomes a mist, which scatters out of the container and stains the outer surface of the container, or the whole filling device is covered with the filling liquid oil. Will end up.

When the oil adheres to the container, it cannot be commercialized unless the oil is wiped off. When the oil is applied to the filling device, the oil that has penetrated into each sliding portion of the device gradually hardens. , It causes sliding failure and causes troubles in filling work and maintenance. Further, if the above-mentioned follow-up filling is not performed, foaming will occur in the container at the time of filling, and at the end of filling, oil will blow out from the mouth of the container.
Therefore, in order to eliminate the various phenomena described above, it is necessary to follow up filling.

However, in the case of the filling method such as oil as described above, the problem cannot be solved by the conventional method of the weight type follow-up filling. The reason is that the thermal expansion of filling liquids such as tempura oil and salad oil cannot be ignored, and there may be a difference in liquid temperature of about 5 ° C within one day, and a temperature of about 10 ° C annually. At present, the difference is not uncommon.

In the case of filling with a resin bottle, it is common to fill until the liquid surface reaches the caliber portion.
In the case of a resin bottle for liters, a diameter of around φ25 is often used, and in the case of soybean oil, the liquid temperature is 1 in one day.
When the temperature difference is 8 ° C to 23 ° C and the temperature difference is 5 ° C, the capacity change is about 4.1 cc. In the φ25 caliber, the difference in the liquid level of 4 cc is 8 mm or more, so the weighing element is only weight, that is, the volume of the filled bottle is estimated by measuring the weight of the filled liquid. When the liquid level is set by setting, the interval between the tip of the filling nozzle and the liquid level is not followed and maintained at the interval for eliminating the above trouble, and the following bad phenomenon occurs.

There is a risk that the nozzle will get into the liquid and the measurement error will increase. When the nozzle enters the liquid, buoyancy acts on the nozzle, and the reaction force (reaction force) is applied to the weight scale, causing a measurement error. Since the length that the nozzle enters the liquid changes due to the change in temperature, the reaction force (drag force) also changes, so correction cannot be performed. This is all the more true if the nozzle goes into the liquid or not.

If the filling is completed while the nozzle remains in the liquid, the liquid surface rises by that amount, and the liquid leaks out of the bottle depending on the length of the liquid. The liquid on the outer wall of the nozzle drips forever and drips onto the bottle surface, and the liquid will also come into contact with the machine or equipment that comes into contact with the bottle when it is unwound, or on a bottle that is not wet.

If the nozzle is prevented from entering the liquid,
If the gap is too wide, the liquid will scatter or foam to reduce the effect of follow-up filling.

As described above, the distance between the liquid surface and the tip of the nozzle is desired to be 5 mm or less in order to suppress the foaming and the scattering of oil, but at present, the distance is about 10 mm in preparation for the variation in the liquid surface. The fact is that the variation of the liquid level due to the temperature difference is a big problem.

Therefore, in the liquid filling and packaging industry, in the case of a liquid type having a low foaming property, in the case of a liquid type having a high foaming property, the weight or volume is filled based on the weight or volume input to the control means. Needs to keep the distance between the liquid surface and the nozzle tip as small as possible, and to always measure the accurate filling volume and obtain the correct liquid level, so that all the problems that have occurred in the past can be solved. There has been a strong demand for the appearance of a filling device and a filling method that can be used for volume filling.

[0011]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned needs, and a detection means is provided in the flow path of the filling liquid, and the detection signal and the filling in the container measured by the measuring means. The volume signal of the filled liquid is calculated and output by the weight signal of the liquid and the relational elements of the target filling liquid temperature and the specific gravity, which are input in advance to the control means, and the filling tip and the liquid surface of the filling means are calculated. By compensating and holding the interval of the value within the set reference value and filling the liquid, it is possible to fill not only the accurate weight but also the accurate volume even when filling the liquid whose volume change due to temperature change is large. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid filling method that does not cause liquid scattering or liquid blowing.

[0012]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is to provide a container provided on an upper part of a container corresponding to a container pedestal and a container spout on the pedestal. Filling means for filling the liquid, elevating means linked to the receiving base or the filling means, measuring means attached to the receiving base to measure the weight of the filling liquid in the container, and a liquid flow path in the filling means. In a liquid measuring and filling device comprising a detecting means provided inside for measuring the temperature of the liquid or the specific gravity of the liquid, the elevating means, a filling means, a measuring means, and a control means linked to the detecting means, The volume change value due to the change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the temperature change of the liquid is input to the control means, and the specific gravity signal or the temperature signal and the weight signal obtained at the time of filling are calculated by the control means to fill the liquid in the container. The actual volume of By controlling the elevating means by this signal, the distance between the filling tip of the filling means and the liquid surface in the container is maintained within the set reference value even if the volume change due to the volume expansion of the filling liquid occurs. There is a liquid filling method for correcting and filling the liquid.

A container cradle, a filling means for filling a container with a liquid corresponding to the pouring port of the container on the cradle, and an elevating and lowering device linked to the cradle or the filling means. Means, a measuring means attached to the cradle for measuring the weight of the liquid filled in the container, a detecting means for measuring the temperature of the liquid or the specific gravity of the liquid provided in the liquid flow path in the filling means, A liquid metering and filling device comprising an elevating means, a filling means, a measuring means, and a control means linked to a detecting means, wherein a numerical value of volume change due to a change in specific gravity of a liquid to be filled or a temperature change of the liquid is supplied to the control means in advance. Enter it,
The specific gravity signal or the temperature signal and the weight signal obtained at the time of filling are calculated by the control means to detect the actual volume of the filling liquid in the container, and the elevating means is controlled by this signal to control the filling tip portion of the filling means. Filling with a liquid filled by correcting the distance to the liquid level in the container so that the liquid is filled within the set reference value even if a volume change occurs due to the volume expansion of the filling liquid.
The weight or volume to be filled is input to the control means in advance, and the filling with the liquid by the weight or the volume value is selectively performed regardless of the change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the volume change due to the temperature change of the liquid. There is a liquid filling method performed.

By means of the liquid flow rate control means provided in the liquid flow path in the filling means, a small flow rate is used at the start of filling.

[0015]

The liquid filling method of the present invention constructed as described above has the following actions. A volume change numerical value due to a change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or a change in the temperature of the liquid is input in advance to the control means. In the filling device, either the cradle on which the container is placed or the filling section of the filling means is moved up and down by the lifting and lowering means. (In this operation, an example is shown in which the pedestal moves up and down.)

Then, the specific gravity of the liquid or the temperature of the liquid is measured by the detection means provided in the liquid flow path of the filling means. In this way, the liquid is filled in the container,
Along with this, the filling amount is measured by the weighing means attached to the pedestal, and the specific gravity or both the temperature and weight signals are sequentially sent to the control means for calculation.

By this calculation, the liquid level can be accurately obtained by detecting the actual volume of the liquid filled in the container, that is, the volume of the filled liquid that has been expanded in volume by thermal expansion.
The specific gravity signal or temperature signal obtained by the detection means at the time of filling is measured before starting the filling work, or is measured immediately before that for each container, or is filled in the container. This is based on each case such as one measured in the middle (one in which a plurality of detection signals are obtained per container), and any one of these measurements is selectively performed.

When the elevating means is controlled in this manner, the gap between the filling tip portion of the filling means and the liquid surface in the container is corrected and held within the set reference value, and follow-up filling is performed. Further, when the liquid flow rate control means provided in the liquid flow path of the filling means is operated, the filling amount from the filling means becomes a small flow rate at the start of filling.

On the other hand, in the case of a liquid type having a low foaming property, by inputting the weight or the volume to the control means, the weight or the volume is irrespective of the change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the volume change due to the temperature change of the liquid. Fill with liquid according to capacity.

[0020]

An embodiment of the liquid filling method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A in FIGS. 1 and 2
Is a liquid metering and filling apparatus adopting the method of one embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus A shown in FIG. 1 is an elevating type of the container b, and the apparatus A shown in FIG. 2 is an elevating type of the filling nozzle 12. Then, the configuration is such that the pedestal 1 of the container b, the filling means 2,
It comprises an elevating means 3, a measuring means 4, a detecting means 5, and a controlling means 6.

In the apparatus A shown in FIG. 1, the pedestal 1 is attached to the machine base 7 via a vertically movable mounting body 8, and a receiving surface 1a on which a container b is stably placed. Are formed.

The filling means 2 includes a liquid tank 9 containing a predetermined amount of liquid to be filled, and a filling valve 11 connected to the liquid tank 9 by a pipe 10 for feeding and stopping the liquid. , A filling nozzle 12 connected to and suspended from the filling valve 11.
The liquid in the liquid tank 9 is discharged from the lower edge of the.

The elevating means 3 is linked to the mounting body 8 of the pedestal 1 and is moved by the screw shaft 14 operated by the driving member 13 such as a numerically controlled servo motor. An arbitrary amount of the pedestal 1 is moved up and down. The drive member 13 may be any drive source as long as it can be numerically controlled by the control means 6.

The above-mentioned measuring means 4 is attached to the pedestal 1 to measure the weight of the filling liquid of the container b placed on the pedestal 1, and a conventional strain gauge (load cell) or the like is used. This detection signal is sent to the control means 6.

The above-mentioned detecting means 5 is a temperature measuring member or a pycnometer, and is provided in the liquid flow path of the filling means 2, for example, in the liquid tank 9 to measure the specific gravity and temperature immediately before the filling of the liquid. As the detecting means 5, both the temperature measuring member and the hydrometer or either one of them is selectively used.

And a hydrometer capable of electrical measurement,
The temperature measuring member includes, for example, a temperature transmitter that includes a temperature sensor unit that converts temperature into an electric signal and a conversion unit that amplifies and outputs the electric signal. For example, a temperature transmitter may be used in the liquid. preferable.

For the temperature measurement, an average value per unit time is taken, and this is input to the control means 6. In addition, the above-mentioned "flow path of the liquid" means an appropriate position of the liquid tank 9, a middle of the pipe 10, a filling valve 11, a filling nozzle, a position where the liquid is discharged, or a position inside the container b. The specific gravity signal or the temperature signal by the detecting means 5 obtained at the time of filling is
What was measured before the start of the filling operation, or for each container b that was continuously supplied in large quantities, that measured immediately before that corresponding to the filling means 3, or into the container b Continuous measurement during filling (one that obtains multiple detection signals per container b)
In any of these cases, any one of these cases may be selectively measured, and control may be performed by a plurality of programming by the control means 6 in which these cases are appropriately combined.

The above-mentioned control means 6 is linked to the elevating means 3, the filling means 2, the measuring means 4, and the detecting means 5, and has an input section, an output section, a display section, a storage section, an arithmetic section, and a control section. A computer equipped with etc. is used.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, when soybean oil is filled in the resin bottle b, it is a volume expansion numerical value (coefficient, function) of soybean oil due to heat. As shown in Table 1, relational elements (volume change value due to temperature / specific gravity change) between the amount of the liquid to be filled and the temperature and the specific gravity thereof are input to the control means 6 (computer) in advance.

It should be noted that the temperature and
The specific gravity value is input in a more detailed range than this table.

[0031]

[Table 1]

When the resin bottle is filled with 500 g of this soybean oil, as shown in FIG.
After the container is supplied, the pedestal 1 is raised by the elevating means 3 to the position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1 so that the container b can be prepared for filling, and the gap between the tip 12a of the filling nozzle 12 and the liquid surface can be obtained. Is set to 10 mm.

Then, when the temperature of the soybean oil was measured by the temperature measuring member in the detecting means 5 provided in the liquid tank 9,
It was 20 ° C.

Therefore, the filling amount of 500 g to the control means 6
And the temperature of 20 ° C. and the shape (caliber etc.) of the resin bottle b were input. When the filling of the soybean oil into the container b is started, the measuring means 4 attached to the pedestal 1 starts measuring the filling amount of the liquid along with this, and this signal is sequentially sent to the control means 6. It was

As a result, the control means 6 successively calculates the actual volume filled in the bottle b based on the data and the filling weight, and sends an operation signal to the lifting means 3 of the cradle 2. The bottle b descends, and the distance between the tip 12a of the filling nozzle 12 and the liquid surface is always within the set reference value.
Maintained at 0 mm (error ± 2 to 3 mm) and the specified amount (543.90cc
Therefore, an amount that allows for the excess is set as a slight error. ) Was filled.

During this time, the soybean oil, which is the filling liquid, scatters into a mytos form or jumps out of the bottle b and does not contaminate the bottle b or the peripheral equipment, and foams in the bottle b. There was no.

The tip portion 1 of the filling nozzle 12 described above.
The set reference value, which is the distance between 2a and the liquid surface, may be constant during the filling process, or may change like L1, L2, L3 during filling, as shown in FIG. However, the values of L1 to L3 are held within the set reference value.

When a specific gravity meter is used as the detecting means 5, the specific gravity of soybean oil is 0.91929. By sending this signal to the controlling means 6, the soybean oil filled with 500 g has a capacity of 54%.
The operation is 3.90cc.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 16 is a flow rate control means, which is provided in the liquid flow path of the filling means 2 and is provided with a filling nozzle 12
By controlling the flow rate of the liquid per unit time from the tip portion 12a of the container b to make the liquid filling the container b a small flow rate, and hitting the container b surface with the discharge pressure from the filling nozzle 12 or the like,
The purpose is to prevent adverse effects on the weighing means 4 connected to the cradle 1.

This flow rate control means 16 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), a stepless flow control valve having a conventional restriction valve, a plurality of orifices 17 having different cross-sectional areas as shown in FIG. Switching member 1 for selectively switching by rotating means or the like
8 is used in a stepwise manner, and as the orifice type, an orifice 17 having a small cross-sectional area is selected at the beginning of filling until it has a predetermined weight or volume.

In filling the liquid into the container b, whether or not the container b is filled with an accurate volume or weight is important in the filling state immediately before the completion of filling, and the discharge amount from the filling nozzle 12 is as small as possible. This operation can be solved by using the flow rate control means 16 described above. For example, a narrowing valve of the control valve is operated or a switching member 18 is operated to make a small break. The choice is an orifice of area.

In FIG. 2, A is a liquid metering and filling device showing an elevating type of the filling nozzle 12, in which the pedestal 1 of the container b is fixed to the machine base 7 via the mounting body 8 and filling. Since the construction of the weighing means 4, the detection means 5, and the control means 6 linked to the means 2 and the pedestal 1 is almost the same as that of the above-mentioned pedestal elevation type, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The elevating means 3 in this example is a screw operated by a driving member 19 such as a servomotor numerically controlled for a filling valve 11 and a filling nozzle 12 supported by a machine body 7 so as to be vertically movable (not shown). By the movement of the shaft 20, the filling nozzle 12, that is, the tip portion 12a thereof is moved up and down by an arbitrary amount.

As the driving member 19, any means can be adopted as long as it is a numerically controllable driving source, like the driving member 13 described above.

Therefore, the apparatus A of this example can also obtain the same operational effect as the above-mentioned example.

In this device A, the weight or capacity is input to the control means 6 and the weight or capacity is changed regardless of the change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the change in the volume due to the temperature change of the liquid. It can be filled with a liquid, and is mainly used for filling a liquid type having low foamability.

In the case of this liquid type, the filling nozzle is finely controlled by finely controlling the elevating means 3 linked to the cradle 1 or the filling means 2 in response to a change in the specific gravity of the liquid or a change in the volume due to the change in the temperature of the liquid. The tip 12a of 12 is filled without following the liquid surface, and the filling capacity is exclusively improved. In this device A, liquid level follow-up filling corresponding to volume change caused by specific gravity and temperature of liquid,
The filling of the predetermined weight / volume numerical values by the control means 6 can be used in combination with two types of filling methods by the button selection operation in the control means 6.

That is, if the weight is designated, a mode for filling the designated weight is designated, and if the liquid temperature and the volume at the liquid temperature are designated, the weight / temperature measurement value at the time of filling and the filling liquid previously input. Depending on the relationship between temperature and specific gravity of
At the specified temperature, calculation and correction are performed to reach the specified volume, and if only the volume is specified, the weight / temperature measurement value at the time of filling and the temperature and specific gravity of the filling liquid entered in advance The apparatus A or its method, which is provided with a mode in which calculation and correction are performed so as to obtain a designated volume at a liquid temperature at the time of filling, and filling is performed by a related element.

The output display is also a device A that can be filled by either weight, specified or volume at real time temperature.

[0050]

According to the present invention configured as described above, the filling of a container with a liquid that is likely to expand in volume due to a temperature change is accompanied by previously input data and signals from the detecting means and the measuring means which are successively measured. Is calculated by the control means and sent to the lifting means as a lifting control signal,
Since the gap between the filling tip of the filling means and the liquid surface in the container is constantly corrected and maintained within the set reference value, liquid scattering, liquid blowing, foaming, or the like is suppressed, and the weight or volume is maintained. Accurate liquid filling is performed.

In order to continuously perform accurate volume measurement from the beginning of filling, the signal is always sent to the control means, and this signal is fed back to the elevating means for control, so that the filling tip and the liquid surface are controlled. The liquid is filled while the so-called interval is maintained within a predetermined reference value, that is, so-called accurate real-time liquid level tracking is performed.

If different types of liquids have the same shape,
Smooth and quick mold change can be performed simply by inputting the relational elements of temperature and specific gravity.

In addition, in the case of filling of a liquid type for which detailed control is not required for the correction of the gap between the filling gap and the filling liquid surface, filling is performed according to a filling program previously input by numerical input of weight or volume. As a result, it is possible to use the same function even for liquid filling, which is expected to improve the filling ability.

[0054]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part schematically showing a pedestal raising / lowering type of an apparatus that implements a liquid filling method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part schematically showing a filling nozzle elevating type of a device that implements the liquid filling method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing each example of a flow rate control means used in the apparatus in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a liquid filling method according to the present invention.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing setting reference values in FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

A liquid metering and filling device b container 1 cradle 2 filling means 3 lifting means 4 weighing means 5 Detection means 6 Control means 16 Flow control means 17 Orifice 18 Switching member

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hisato Iga 2-8-1, Tenjin Tenjin, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Ukko Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A 64-45291 (JP, A) Japanese Patent Publication 1 -32119 (JP, B2) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65B 3/28 B67C 3/20

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container pedestal and a filling means for filling a container with a liquid corresponding to the pouring port of the container on the pedestal and the pedestal or the filling means. An elevating means, a weighing means attached to the pedestal for measuring the weight of the filling liquid in the container, and a detection means for measuring the temperature of the liquid or the specific gravity of the liquid provided in the liquid passage in the filling means. A liquid metering and filling device comprising the elevating means, the filling means, the measuring means, and the control means linked to the detecting means, wherein the volume change numerical value is controlled in advance by changing the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the temperature change of the liquid. Input to the means, the specific gravity signal or temperature signal and the weight signal obtained at the time of filling are calculated by the control means to detect the actual volume of the filling liquid in the container, and the elevating means is controlled by this signal,
It is characterized in that the space between the filling tip portion of the filling means and the liquid surface in the container is corrected so as to be maintained within a set reference value even if a volume change due to volume expansion of the filling liquid occurs and liquid filling is performed. Liquid filling method. 2. A container pedestal and a filling means for filling the liquid into the container provided on the pedestal of the container on the pedestal corresponding to the pouring port of the container on the pedestal and the pedestal or the filling means. An elevating means, a weighing means attached to the pedestal for measuring the weight of the filling liquid in the container, and a detection means for measuring the temperature of the liquid or the specific gravity of the liquid provided in the liquid passage in the filling means. A liquid metering and filling device comprising the elevating means, the filling means, the measuring means, and the control means linked to the detecting means, wherein the volume change numerical value is controlled in advance by changing the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the temperature change of the liquid. Input to the means, the specific gravity signal or temperature signal and the weight signal obtained at the time of filling are calculated by the control means to detect the actual volume of the filling liquid in the container, and the elevating means is controlled by this signal,
The gap between the filling tip portion of the filling means and the liquid surface in the container is corrected so that the liquid is filled so as to be kept within the set reference value even if the volume change due to the volume expansion of the filling liquid occurs. Inputting the weight or volume to be filled into the control means, and selectively filling the liquid by the weight or volume value regardless of the change in the specific gravity of the liquid to be filled or the volume change due to the temperature change of the liquid. And a liquid filling method. 3. The liquid filling method according to claim 1, wherein the filling is performed at a small flow rate by the liquid flow rate control means provided in the liquid flow path in the filling means.