Filling machine

Details Filling machine Filling machine

2001-06-05

2003-03-11

Huson, Gregory (Department: 3751)

Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea

With signal, indicator, recorder, inspection means or exhibitor

C141S236000, C141S192000, C141S234000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06530402

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a filling machine for filling a plurality of containers with fluid such as beverages or drugs, and in particular, to, a filling machine for monitoring a flow of fluid injected into each container by using an electromagnetic flow meter in order to fill each container with a fixed amount of fluid.
As a method of controlling fluid filled in each container to be a fixed amount, there are a method of monitoring weight of a container in which the fluid is injected and a method of monitoring a flow through a filling pipe for injecting the fluid into the container. As for the method of monitoring a flow, a vortex flow meter, an oval flow meter, an electromagnetic flow meter and so on can be utilized as a flow meter. As the vortex flow meter and the oval flow meter have structures in a channel, there may be deposits generated in the channel. For this reason, it is not desirable to use the vortex flow meter and the oval flow meter from the viewpoint of sanitation and maintenance. Thus, a filling machine using an electromagnetic flow meter having no structures in the channel is commercialized.
FIG. 12
is a block diagram showing overall configuration of a conventional filling machine using the electromagnetic flow meter.
This filling machine has a plurality of filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
placed thereon. The filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
have valves
203
a
to
203
n
provided respectively. In addition, the filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
have the electromagnetic flow meters comprised of detectors
205
a
to
205
n
and converters
206
a
to
206
n
provided respectively. The electromagnetic flow meters of the filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
calculate a flow in filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
based on electromotive force generated by applying an alternating field to fluid in the filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
respectively. Flow signals indicating the flows calculated by the converters
206
a
to
206
n
are outputted to control sections
208
a
to
208
n
respectively.
The control sections
208
a
to
208
n
control opening and closing of the valves
203
a
to
203
n
provided for the filling pipes
202
a
to
202
n
respectively. The control sections
208
a
to
208
n
open the valves
203
a
to
203
n
respectively, and then calculate a total sum of the fluid injected into containers
201
a
to
201
n
based on the flow signals outputted from converters
206
a
to
206
n
of the electromagnetic flow meters, and close the valves
203
a
to
203
n
when the total sum reaches a set value. The above set value with reference to which the control sections
208
a
to
208
n
close the valves
203
a
to
203
n
is individually adjusted at the control sections
208
a
to
208
n
before operation of the filling machine so as to fill all the containers
201
a
to
201
n
with a fixed amount of the fluid even if temperature, humidity and so on change.
Next, the electromagnetic flow meter used for the conventional filling machine shown in
FIG. 12
will be further described. While the electromagnetic flow meter comprised of the detector
205
a
and the converter
206
a
will be described as an example hereafter, the electromagnetic flow meters comprised of the detectors
205
b
to
205
n
and the converters
206
b
to
206
n
also have the same configuration respectively.
FIG. 13
is a block diagram showing an example of configuration of the electromagnetic flow meter comprised of the detector
205
a
and the converter
206
a.
An exciting current
263
c
of a predetermined frequency is outputted from an exciting section
263
to exciting coils
251
a
,
251
b
(a frequency of the exciting current
263
c
is referred to as an exciting frequency). The exciting coils
251
a
,
251
b
are excited by the exciting current
263
c
to generate an alternating field. If such a magnetic field is applied to the fluid in the filling pipe
202
a
, electromotive force having an amplitude proportionate to average flow velocity is generated by electromagnetic induction in a direction orthogonal to both the directions of the magnetic field and of the flow of the fluid. An AC voltage signal based on this electromotive force is taken out by electrodes
252
a
,
252
b
mounted opposite an inner wall of the filling pipe
202
a.
The AC voltage signal taken out by electrodes
252
a
,
252
b
is AC-amplified by an amplifier
265
and is outputted as an AC flow velocity signal
265
s
to a sample hold section
266
. On the other hand, sampling signals
264
s
,
264
t
are outputted from a sampling control section
264
to the sample hold section
266
. The sampling signals
264
s
,
264
t
are the signals indicating timings for sampling a positive side and a negative side of the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
respectively, and have the same frequency as the exciting frequency. In the sample hold section
266
, the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
is sampled according to the sampling signals
264
s
,
264
t
, and a DC flow velocity signal
266
s
of which DC potential changes according to the average flow velocity is outputted.
The DC flow velocity signal
266
s
outputted from the sample hold section
266
is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter
267
and then inputted to a processor
268
. The processor
268
calculates an average flow in the filling pipe
202
a
by performing predetermined processing to the input signal. The digital signal indicating this average flow has the same frequency as the exciting frequency, and is outputted as a flow signal from an output section
269
to the control section
208
a
shown in FIG.
12
.
FIG. 14
is a timing chart showing signals of the sections of the electromagnetic flow meter shown in
FIG. 13
, where (A) is a voltage (hereafter, referred to as an exciting voltage) 263v applied to the exciting coils
251
a
,
251
b
by the exciting section
263
, (B) is the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
outputted from the amplifier
265
, (C) and (D) are the sampling signals
264
s
,
264
t
outputted from the sampling control section
264
respectively, and (E) is the DC flow velocity signal
266
s
outputted from the sample hold section
266
.
As the exciting voltage 263v is a rectangular wave as shown in FIG.
14
(A), differential noise occurs when polarity of the exciting voltage 263v switches. This differential noise is superimposed on the AC voltage signal based on the electromotive force generated by magnetic field application. Therefore, a spike appears at the beginning of each pulse of the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
as shown by solid lines in FIG.
14
(B).
In addition, in the case where commercial power is supplied to the electromagnetic flow meter shown in
FIG. 13
, the AC noise derived from this commercial power is superimposed on the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
via the filling pipe
202
a
. However, if the frequency of the exciting voltage 263v is 1/(an even number) of the frequency of the commercial power, an error based on the AC noise can be eliminated. Moreover, the dotted lines in FIG.
14
(B) indicate waveforms in the cases where the frequency Of the exciting voltage 263v is ½ of the frequency of the commercial power, that is, 25 Hz or 30 Hz.
Thus, the electromagnetic flow meter shown in
FIG. 13
has a timing signal generating section
262
for extracting timing from commercial power
209
. This timing signal generating section
262
generates a timing signal
262
a
of 50 Hz or 60 Hz for instance based on the timing extracted from commercial power
209
. This timing signal
262
a
controls timing of the exciting section
263
and the sampling control section
264
. At this time, it is possible, by setting sampling periods by the sampling signals
264
s
,
264
t
at the end of each pulse of the AC flow velocity signal
265
s
as shown in FIG.
14
(C) and (D), to eliminate both an error based on the differential noise and an error based on the AC noise.
In this case, however, the frequency at which the flow signals are outputted from the converter
206
a
is 25 Hz or 3

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