EP0069947A2 - Barrel filling device comprising a spout and a conical gasket, and a method of using such a barrel filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The drum filling element with a filling tube (4) to be extended from a rest position into a drum and with the sealing function taking over the sealing function relative to the drum during the filling process is to be provided with means for the full-surface disinfection of the components coming into contact with the filling material and with the ambient air. The solution is characterized by a cladding tube (7) surrounding the filling tube (4) at a distance with the annular space (8) between the supply and discharge lines (10, 11) for disinfectant solution between the filling and cladding tube.

Description

The invention relates to a barrel filling element with a filling tube extending from a rest position, in particular provided for changing the barrel, into a barrel, and with the sealing function during the filling process, which takes over the sealing cone relative to the barrel or its filling hole. It also relates to a method for operating the barrel filling member.

In such devices used, for example, for filling beer kegs, disinfection of the above-mentioned components, namely the filling tube and the sealing cone, is indispensable, since in the working or filling position, these components with both the filling material and - in the rest position - with come into contact with the polluted ambient air. In previous barrel filling elements, the filling tube and the sealing cone are sprayed with disinfectant solution in the rest position from two to three individual nozzles rigidly attached to the handle. However, the disinfectant solution is not distributed over the entire circumference. Another disadvantage is that the filling tube, which is drawn in at rest and when changing the barrel and only extended again for filling, is only detected in a short area by the jets from the rigidly attached nozzles during the wetting process which is only possible in the rest position. When the filling pipe is extended into the barrel to be filled, the barrel does not dip either sterilized part of the filling tube in the contents, so that possibly germs can be transmitted.

The invention has for its object to provide an application device with which a disinfectant solution is to be applied to the sealing cone and filling tube in the rest position of the barrel filling member in such a way that sterility is ensured on these parts during the entire operating sequence. The solution according to the invention is characterized for the barrel filling element mentioned at the outset by a cladding tube surrounding the filling tube at a distance with the supply and discharge line for disinfection solution assigned to the annular space between the filling and cladding tube. According to a further invention, the sealing cone is surrounded by the atomizer ring with a sufficient number of nozzles for applying a disinfectant to the cone.

As long as the annular gap between the filling tube and the cladding tube is filled with disinfectant solution, it is ensured that the length of the filling tube that comes into contact with the filling material comes into contact with the disinfectant solution. Since the disinfectant solution in the annular gap can be constantly exchanged through the inlet and outlet, sufficient sterility can be ensured at all times. At the same time as this disinfection, the sealing cone, which takes on the sealing function between the barrel and the barrel filling element during the filling process, can also be mixed with a disinfectant mixture, e.g. a mixture of disinfectant solution and sterile air, with the help of the atomizer ring, which can have any number of nozzle contacts, be wetted all over.

• Fig. 1 einen vertikalen Längsschnitt durch den Kopfbereich eines Füllorgans; und
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt längs der Linie A-B von Fig. 1.

Further details of the invention are explained on the basis of the schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment. Show it:

• 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the head region of a filling element; and
• FIG. 2 shows a section along the line AB from FIG. 1.

The filling element according to the invention consists of the filling tube 4 to be displaced in a housing 1 - guided in a grooved collar 2 - in the direction of arrow 3, the head of which is covered in the drawing, but essentially has a valve for dispensing the filling material. At the lower end, the filling element is designed as a sealing cone 5, which is to be used in a sealing manner during operation in the filling hole of the barrel (not shown). The grooved ring sleeve 2 provided for guiding the filling pipe 4 is held in the housing 1 with the aid of a pressure screw 6. The pressure screw 6 receives on its upper side a cladding tube 7 so that an annular space 8 is formed between the filling tube 4 and the cladding tube 7. The lower end of the annular space 8 is sealed inwards between the pressure screw 6 and the grooved collar 2 and outwards with an O-ring 9. The annular space 8 has an inlet 10 and an outlet 11 for the disinfectant solution 12.

Even in the exemplary embodiment described so far, the filling tube 4, also referred to as a rapier, is constantly surrounded by disinfectant solution above the grooved collar 2 when the annular space 8 is filled accordingly. In order to achieve this, the disinfectant solution 12 can each time the filling organ returns to the rest position via the Inlet 10 are renewed, while the used solution 12 can flow away via the outlet or overflow 11.

For example, at the same time that the disinfectant solution 12 is renewed on the outer surface of the filling tube 4 in the area of the annular space 8, the sealing cone 5, which takes over the sealing function between the barrel or the barrel hole on the one hand and the barrel filling member on the other hand during the filling process, can be made from a mixture 13 Disinfectant solution 12 and sterile air 14 can be wetted on all sides with an arbitrary number of nozzle contacts 16 using an atomizer ring 15. In the barrel filling device according to the invention, the filling tube 4 and the sealing cone 5 are thus to be disinfected over their entire surface already in the rest position with the aid of a disinfection solution 12 or a mixture 13 of disinfection solution 12 and sterile air 14.

Reference symbol list

• 1 = housing
• 2 = grooved collar
• 3 = arrow direction
• 4 = filling pipe
• 5 = sealing cone
• 6 = pressure screw
• 7 = cladding tube
• 8 = annulus
• 9 = O-ring
• 10 = inflow
• 11 = process
• 12 = disinfectant solution
• 13 = mixture
• 14 = sterile air
• 15 = atomizer ring
• 16 = nozzle bore

Claims (4)

1. barrel filling member with a filling tube (4) to be extended into a barrel, in particular for the barrel change, and with the sealing function during the filling process relative to the barrel or to its barrel hole sealing cone (5), characterized by a filling tube (4 ) with a surrounding cladding tube (7) with the annular space (8) between the filling and cladding tube (4, 7) associated supply and drain line (10, 11) for disinfectant solution (12). 2. Drum filling member according to claim 1, characterized by a sealing cone (4) surrounding disinfectant atomizer ring (15). 3. barrel filling member according to claim 1 or 2 with a housing (1) with a sealing guide, in particular with a grooved collar (2), for displaceably receiving the filling tube (4), characterized in that the annular space (8) between the filling and cladding tube ( 4, 7) extends at the lower end to the guide and is sealed there, in particular with the aid of an O-ring (9). 4. A method for operating the barrel filling member according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the filling tube (4) within the cladding tube (7) in the rest position, when extended or retracted, is continuously washed by disinfectant solution.

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