JPH0479918B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to liquid filling valves, and more particularly to liquid filling valves that include a sleeve nozzle that is inserted into a container and that separates the container and sleeve nozzle from each other at a predetermined speed. The present invention relates to a diaphragm-operated filling valve for filling the container with liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Conventionally, in container filling devices, nozzle means are generally placed above the top-open container so that the liquid product falls through the entire depth of the container, so that the container becomes full. In other known filling devices, bubbles form when the filling device is inserted into the container or the container is fitted around the filling device, making it difficult to seal the top of the container. A method is adopted in which the container is gradually filled while the filling device is moved in a direction away from the container, thereby minimizing the generation of bubbles. Such a filling device will henceforth be referred to as a "bottom-up filling valve".

However, conventional bottom-up fill valve units typically have mechanically actuated and/or constant-open valves and operate at very high pressures, e.g.
It has an arrangement that uses pressures as high as 14 Kg/cm ² (200 psi). Such constant-open valves generally open a fixed amount to abut a stopper member each cycle, thereby producing only a fixed spray pattern. Therefore, this type of bottom-up filling valve can only be used with containers of a certain size and shape. When filling different containers, it is troublesome to separately prepare a dedicated bottom-up filling valve.

(Problem to be Solved) The problem to be solved is to provide a bottom-up filling valve of a diaphragm actuated type, and to provide milk or clear youth products and buttermilk or mushy products such as orange juice, for example.
That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bottom-up type filling valve that can be equipped with replaceable sleeve nozzles suitable for high-viscosity liquid products, and thereby can flexibly accommodate containers of different sizes and shapes as described above. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a self-compensating bottom-up filling valve that can operate at low pressures, such as about ⁵ psi, and is self-compensating for filling containers of various sizes and shapes; are liquid products of different viscosities, e.g. low viscosity liquid products such as milk or clear juice products, or
To provide a bottom-up type filling valve which can be equipped with replaceable sleeve nozzles suitable for thick and highly viscous products such as orange juice, and can thereby flexibly accommodate containers of different sizes and shapes. It is.

A pressure responsive means including a diaphragm and a spring means is mounted between an upper body portion and a main body portion below the upper body portion, the pressure responsive means flowing into the main body portion. The liquid moves towards the upper body part under its own pressure, and when the flow of fluid into the main body part is stopped, it moves towards the main body part and thereby flows into the main body part. The liquid is further pushed downward into the inside of the sleeve nozzle, and a cylindrical surface formed at a predetermined height on the main body portion and a truncated conical surface formed at a predetermined height directly above the cylindrical surface are formed. an orifice formed directly above the valve seat of the main body that receives a selected amount of liquid product flow from the main body into the sleeve nozzle; a first valve member coupled to the main body portion is movable a distance corresponding to a metered volume of liquid entering the main body portion; and a sleeve nozzle is coupled to the lower end of the main body portion. A second valve member connected to the pressure response means by rod means cooperates with a flange formed inwardly at the lower end of the sleeve nozzle.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the filling valve assembly of the present invention, diaphragm actuation in a bottom-up filling valve is provided by the pressure responsive means, and the pressure responsive means and the valve seat formed in the main body portion are directly above the valve seat. The formed orifice provides a self-compensating bottom-up filling valve that can operate at low pressures, e.g., about ⁵ psi, and for filling containers of various sizes and shapes. a sleeve nozzle is coupled to the lower end of the main body; a second valve member coupled to the pressure response means by rod means cooperates with a flange formed at the lower end of the sleeve nozzle in an inwardly inclined manner; The movable configuration provides a bottom-up filling valve that can be equipped with replaceable sleeve nozzles suitable for liquid products of different viscosities.

(Description of Examples) Next, a detailed description will be given with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a main body part 12, an upper body part 14, and a lower body part 1.
6 shows a fill valve assembly 10 consisting of 6. Main body part 1
2 comprises a cylindrical housing 18. An inlet connection means 20 is formed adjacent the upper end of the side wall of the housing. A frusto-conical seat 22 is formed in the inner lower portion of the main body portion 12 and below the orifice area. The orifice region includes a substantially cylindrical surface 23a adjacent the seat 22 and a substantially cylindrical surface 23a adjacent the seat 22.
a, and a truncated conical surface 23b which is more inclined above a. Their functions and purposes will be described later. A valve member 24 having a frusto-conical outer peripheral edge is attached to the valve rod 26 and is movable axially within the main body portion 12. The valve rod 26 has a seat 22 when the valve member 24 is closed.
A guide member 28 is formed to cooperate with the housing 18 to maintain the valve rod in axial alignment with the main body portion 12 so as to engage and create a seal.

The outer peripheral edge of lightweight diaphragm 30 is mounted between upper body portion 14 and main body portion 12 . The diaphragm 30 is preferably made of a suitable cloth material coated with a rubber compound, such as silicone. The upper end of the valve rod 26 projects through an opening 32 formed in the center of the diaphragm 30. The central portion of the diaphragm is located between a retaining flange 34 formed on the valve rod 26 and a cup-shaped piston member 36 with an opening in the central portion. A piston member 36 is mounted around the valve rod and secured against the diaphragm 30 by a locking nut 38. A ventilation hole 39 is formed in the wall of the upper body portion 14 . Part 3
6 and the end wall 41 of the upper body portion 14.
0 is set. If desired for a particular product, pneumatic or other types of pressure means may also be used in place of or in conjunction with spring 40 to provide faster response times. Will.

Three types of lower body portions 16 are suitable for snap-on pin and groove connection means or bayonet connection means 4.
2 is exchangeably connected to the housing 18 of the main body portion 12. An O is inserted between the lower body part and the main body part and in the groove 45 formed in the main body part.
- A ring seal 44 is provided. One type of lower body portion 16 (hereinafter referred to as “sleeve nozzle 16
a") includes an outlet opening 46 defined by an inner flange 48 formed at the lower end of the lower body portion 16. Diffuser 50 is attached to flange 48
A spring 2 is removably attached to the inner surface of the diffuser and is provided between the diffuser and the lower edge of the main body.
2 in a pressed state against the flange 48. Such a sleeve nozzle is suitable for filling conventional milk and clear juice. Diffuser 50
The screen bag may conventionally consist of a screen bag having a number of openings (not shown) narrow enough to retain liquid by capillary action until pressure is applied. It will be appreciated that a sleeve nozzle such as that described above may be adapted to an apparatus for filling containers such as those shown surrounding the nozzle 16a and designated by the reference numeral 53 by the bottom-up filling method described above.

A second type of lower body portion 16 (hereinafter referred to as "sleeve nozzle 16b") illustrated in FIG.
has an outlet opening 54 defined by an inwardly angled flange 56 at the lower end of the lower body portion 16b. The conical enlarged portion 57 formed at the lower end of the rod 58 terminates in a cylindrical lip seal surface 60. Rod 58 has a flat extension 62 at its upper end. The extension 62 fits into a slot 64 formed in the end of the upper valve rod 26.
It is attached by a pin 66 extending through aligned openings 68 and 70 formed in each rod 26 and 58. A guide member 72 is formed on rod 58. The guide member cooperates with the wall of the lower portion 16 to position the lip seal surface 60 in a fitted position inside the outlet opening 54 to form a capillary seal therebetween. A spherical extension 74 is formed on the outer surface of lip seal surface 60. The spherical extension 74 assists in shaping the liquid flow pattern when the lip seal surface 60 is open to the opening 54. The sleeve nozzle 16b is suitable for filling heavy, mushy products such as buttermilk and orange juice.

A third type of lower body 16 (hereinafter referred to as "sleeve nozzle 16c") illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a valve 76 formed in the end of rod 58. The valve cooperates with a seat 78 formed at the lower end of the sleeve nozzle. In this embodiment, the valve 76/
78 closes, the upper valve 22/24 opens;
It functions as an orifice. In addition to shaping the liquid flow pattern, the spherical extension also functions as a sealing surface.

In operation, the valve assembly 10 is first primed by filling the main body portion 12 and lower nozzle portion 16 with a selected liquid product. When ready for production operation, a predetermined volume of fluid product is transferred from a tank (not shown) via a timed actuating piston or other suitable device (not shown) to the inlet connection means 20 and then to the main body. 12. Upon entry of product into the main body, the assembly or pressure responsive means consisting of diaphragm 30, retaining flange 34 and piston member 36 is urged upwardly against the force of spring 40, thereby lifting valve rod 26.
Air within the assembly escapes through the vent hole 39.
This causes the valve member 24 to be lifted upwardly from the seat 22 by a small volume, e.g., half a pint, in orifice face 23a, or by a larger volume, e.g., several pints or quarts, in orifice face 23b. . This actuation causes the incoming product to flow through the valve portions 22/24, thereby causing equal volumes of fluid contained in the lower body portion 16 and the main body portion 12 to pass through the diffuser 50. Downward and regular indexing conveyors (not shown)
into a container of selected dimensions located by. Conventional external means could be used to move the container up and down relative to the sleeve nozzle 16. Once the pumping stroke is completed, spring 40 urges diaphragm 30 and thus valve 24 downwardly until valve 24 is seated again in seat 22. The incoming liquid fills the liquid volume in the main body portion 12 and the lower body portion 16, preparing it for the next cycle.

Similarly, fluid product is retained within the main body portion 12 and between the valve member 24 of the sleeve nozzle 16b and the lower lip seal surface 60 by the capillary sealing effect between the lip seal surface 60 and the adjacent opening 54. Ru. The operation in this case is the same as described above for the sleeve nozzle 16a once a timed predetermined amount of liquid is communicated through the inlet connection means 20.

When using the sleeve nozzle 16c, there is likewise a column of liquid product above the closed bottom valve 76/78. As a metered volume of new liquid product is pumped into main body portion 12, rods 26 and 58 are lifted by the combined force pushing up diaphragm assembly 30/34/36.
The lower valves 76/78 are then opened, releasing a predetermined amount of fluid into the waiting container. At this time, the container is moved downward from around the sleeve nozzle 16c.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the main body portion 12 is
The device shown in the figure includes a frusto-conical valve 24, a valve rod 26, and a valve seat 80.
The frusto-conical surface of the valve seat 80 extends into the wall of the body housing 18, and the valve seat 80 and the cylindrical surface 23a
It will be appreciated that the valve seat differs from the valve seat 22 in that it leads to an annular groove 82 forming an annular recess in the wall of the housing between the valve seat and the valve seat. Such a configuration is compatible with the function of the diffuser 50 of the sleeve nozzle 16a of FIG. The benefit of having an annular recess 82 is that the vertical travel distance of the valve 24 and valve rod 26 is considerably reduced, thereby providing better response to both the opening and closing functions of the valve 24. . In other words, the closing action is affected by the "sink stopper" effect, i.e. the suction and/or
Or it will function while achieving an inertial effect. Yet another benefit is that diaphragm wear is minimized because diaphragm deformation is reduced.

Although the modified annular recess 82 is incompatible with the lip seal structure of the embodiment of FIG. 2, the sleeve seal 16c, valve 76 and seat 78 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 may be replaced with the sleeve nozzle 16a without any adverse effect. I want you to understand that you can.

The present invention provides a filling valve system which has a wide range of applications, is applicable to a variety of liquid products as well as containers of various sizes, and which is extremely efficient in operation and compatible with today's forming, filling and sealing machinery. It will be clear that the high speed manufacturing requirements of

Although the invention has been described in terms of only three embodiments, other embodiments are possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the present invention. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of other embodiments of the apparatus which may replace the lower body portion of the structure of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing another embodiment of the valve and seat portion of the structure of FIG. 1; FIG. 10: Filling valve assembly, 12: Main body part, 14:
Upper body part, 16: Lower body part, 20: Inlet connection means, 22: Valve seat, 24: Valve member, 26: Valve rod, 30: Diaphragm, 36: Piston, 5
0: Diffuser, 60: Lip seal surface, 82: Annular groove.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A filling valve assembly for filling a container with a liquid product, comprising: an upper main body portion; a main main body portion; and a reciprocatingly mounted assembly between the upper main body portion and the main main body portion. a spring means mounted between the pressure responsive means and the upper end of the upper body; an inlet connection means and an inlet opening formed in a side of the main body; a valve seat formed in the portion, and an orifice formed directly above the valve seat;
a cylindrical surface formed at a predetermined height on said main body portion; and a frusto-conical surface formed at a predetermined height directly above said cylindrical surface for receiving a selected amount of liquid product flow. a first valve member coupled to said pressure responsive means by rod means and mounted for reciprocating cooperation within said orifice; and at a lower end of said main body; a combined sleeve nozzle; an inwardly inclined flange formed at the lower end of the sleeve nozzle; and a rod means for cooperation between the inwardly inclined flange. a second valve member coupled to the pressure responsive means for stopping flow of a metered volume of liquid product from a source of liquid product into the main body portion through the inlet opening; Accordingly, only one of the first valve member and the second valve member is brought into engagement with the valve seat and one of the inwardly inclined flanges by the spring means. said pressure responsive means resisting the force of said spring means by being energized to initiate flow of a metered volume of liquid product from a source of liquid product into said main body portion through said inlet opening; and one of the first valve member and the second valve member is spaced from the valve seat and one of the inwardly sloped flanges, wherein the a first valve member is movable a distance corresponding to the metered volume, while passing between the second valve member and an inwardly formed flange;
The fill valve assembly is adapted to force an amount of liquid product into the container interior equal to the amount dispensed into the main body. 2. The pressure responsive means includes a diaphragm defined between the retaining flange and a piston member mounted adjacent the upper end of the rod at a location immediately above the inlet opening, the diaphragm having a circumferential edge thereof. 2. A fill valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring means is retained between an upper body portion and a main body portion, the spring means being mounted between the piston member and the upper wall of the upper body portion. 3. The filling valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve nozzle has a predetermined length and is removably connected to the main body. 4. Claim No. 4 in which an annular chamber is provided adjacent to the cylindrical surface for reducing the travel distance of the valve for a selected amount of liquid product and for reducing the opening and closing time for said selected amount of liquid product. Filling valve assembly according to paragraph 1. 5 The flange formed to be inclined inward and the second
The valve member includes a capillary seal positioned at the lower end of the sleeve nozzle to maintain a column of liquid product above it while flow of the metered volume of liquid product to the main body is stopped. A filling valve assembly according to claim 1, which acts as a means. 6. Claim 5, wherein the second valve member comprises an enlarged member at the lower end of the rod means formed in lip seal with an inwardly inclined flange of the sleeve nozzle. filling valve assembly. 7. The column of liquid product is arranged between the first valve member and the second valve member while the flow of the metered volume of liquid product from the source of liquid product to the main body through the inlet opening is stopped. Claim 1 maintained in
Filling valve assembly as described in Section. 8 The second valve member and the inwardly formed flange act as a capillary sealing means, and the first valve member, valve seat and orifice act as a combination valve and variable orifice means. 7
Filling valve assembly as described in Section. 9. A filling valve according to claim 7, wherein the second valve member and the inwardly inclined flange act as valve means, and the first valve member and the orifice act only as variable orifice means. assembly. 10 A spherical extension is formed on the outer surface of the second valve member to assist in shaping the liquid flow pattern when the second valve member is raised above the inwardly formed flange. A filling valve assembly according to claim 7.