Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving... – Filling means controlled by gas condition in receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-31
2002-10-01
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving...
Filling means controlled by gas condition in receiver
C141S048000, C141S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457495
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to apparatus for, and methods of, filling containers with fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of prior art filling apparatus and methods are employed for filling containers, such as bottles and the like, with consumable liquid products. Such liquid products can include carbonated beverages such as soda and beer, as well as non-carbonated beverages such as milk-based products, juices, and wine. Typically, containers comprising glass bottles are filled with a beverage liquid product after which the bottles are sealed with a bottle cap or the like.
Often, a concern is posed by the potential for the presence of atmospheric gases, and oxygen in particular, within the bottle after the bottle is filled and sealed. The presence of such atmospheric gases within the bottle after the bottle is filled and sealed can tend to facilitate relatively rapid degradation of liquid products, and particularly beer. In some cases, such as in the case of beer, it can be most preferable to avoid contact of the beer liquid product with atmospheric gasses at anytime during the brewing and filling operation. That is, at least in the case of beer, it is most preferable to prevent the contact of the beer with any atmospheric gases, and oxygen in particular, during the bottling process. It is additionally preferable to exclude atmospheric gases, and oxygen in particular, from the container which holds the beer.
In addition to preventing contact of the liquid beverage product with atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, it is also often desirable to prevent foaming, or any unnecessary agitation, of the liquid product during the bottling thereof, at least to the extent feasible. This is because excessive foaming or agitation of the liquid beverage product can result in the separation of desirable gases which are dissolved within the liquid product. For example, beer often contains dissolved carbon dioxide which adds desirable qualities thereto, and which provides other benefits. Excessive agitation of beer during bottling can cause problems in the filling operation due to the excessive formation of foam, and can cause a decrease in the quality of the beer liquid product.
A great degree of effort has been expended toward developing prior art filling methods and apparatus which would theoretically both avoid exposure of the beverage liquid product with atmospheric gases and minimize agitation of the product during filling operations. Examples of such methods and apparatus are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,780 to Meheen. In accordance with the '780 patent, both a three-tube embodiment and a four-tube embodiment of a filling apparatus are disclosed.
Referring to
FIG. 3
of the '780 patent which is substantially reproduced in the drawings which accompany the instant application as Prior Art
FIG. 1
, a side elevation schematic diagram of a prior art three-tube filling apparatus
11
in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention of the '780 patent is shown. The prior art filling apparatus
11
is employed for dispensing a liquid product
5
, such as a beverage, into a product container
3
such as a bottle or the like. The prior art filling apparatus
11
comprises a fill tube
17
, a purge tube
23
, and an off-gas tube
35
as shown.
The tubes
17
,
23
,
35
are supported by a filling head
30
. A sealing gasket
9
is also supported by the filling head
30
and is configured to provide a seal between the lip
7
of the bottle
3
and the filling head. The off-gas tube
35
is connected to a moisture separator
607
by way of an off-gas control valve
21
. In addition, a control unit
43
is employed to control various operational functions of the filling apparatus
11
, such as the operation of the valve
21
.
Now referring to
FIG. 2
of the '780 patent, which is substantially reproduced in the drawings which accompany the instant application as Prior Art
FIG. 2
, a sequence
10
of operational steps “A” through “I” is shown. The sequence
10
of operational steps substantially corresponds to one possible operational scheme of the prior art three-tube filling apparatus
11
described above. Referring to both
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the instant application, the operation of the prior art filling apparatus
11
begins with the operational step “A” wherein the bottle, or container,
3
is positioned in preparation for filling thereof. The next step in the sequence
10
is the operational step “B” in accordance with which the filling apparatus, or assembly,
11
is to be lowered into the container
3
.
In accordance with step “C” of the sequence
10
, a purge operation is initiated before the filling apparatus
11
is fully lowered into the bottle
3
. The purge operation, in accordance with step “C,” comprises introducing an inert gas
13
into the purge tube
23
in an effort to drive atmospheric gas from the bottle .
3
. Step “D” is the next step of the sequence
10
, in accordance with which the off-gas control valve
21
is opened. Moving to step “E” which is the next step of the sequence
10
, the filling apparatus
11
is fully lowered into place as shown in
FIG. 1
of the instant application.
Still referring to both
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a seal is established by way of the sealing gasket
9
between the filling apparatus
11
and the bottle
3
in accordance with step “F.” Once the seal is established in accordance with step “F” the filling of the bottle
3
can commence by introduction of the liquid product
5
into the fill tube
17
. The liquid product
5
, by entering the bottle
3
, displaces gas within the bottle which can escape through the off-gas tube
35
. After the filling commences, the operational sequence
10
then progresses to step “G” in accordance with which the flow of gas out of the bottle
3
is restricted by way of the operation of the off-gas control valve
21
.
The operational sequence
10
then progresses to step “H” in accordance with which filling of the bottle
3
is stopped. That is, in accordance with step “H” the flow of liquid product
5
into the bottle
3
ceases. The final step of the operational sequence
10
is step “I” which is an optional step. In accordance with step “I” a pulse of gas
51
can be introduced into the off-gas tube
35
.
The pulse of gas
51
in accordance with step “I” can be employed to cause foaming of the liquid product
5
in the case wherein a gas, such as carbon dioxide, is dissolved within the liquid product, such as in the case of beer. The foaming of the liquid product
5
in accordance with the step “I” can cause the foam to displace the remaining atmospheric gas which is present within the bottle
3
. After the step “I” the filling apparatus
11
can be removed from the bottle
3
, whereupon the bottle can be capped or otherwise sealed.
Now referring to
FIG. 6
of the '780 patent, which is substantially reproduced in the drawings which accompany the instant application as Prior Art
FIG. 3
, a side elevation schematic diagram of a four-tube filling apparatus
12
in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention of the '780 patent is shown. As is seen in
FIG. 3
, the prior art four-tube apparatus
12
of the '780 patent is similar to the three-tube embodiment in accordance therewith, which is described above, with the exception of the addition of a fourth tube
601
and a valve
605
connected thereto.
That is, the prior art four-tube filling apparatus
12
comprises a fill tube
17
, a purge gas tube
23
, an off-gas tube
35
, and a fourth tube
601
. The four tubes
17
,
23
,
35
,
601
are supported by the filling head
30
. The filling head
30
can be substantially sealed against a lip
7
of a container
3
, such as a bottle or the like. The prior art filling apparatus
12
can be employed for filling the container
3
with a liquid product
5
such as a beverage or the like. The prior art filling apparatus
12
also comprises an off-gas control valve
21
as well as a valve
605
. A control unit
43
is also included in the pri
Douglas Steven O.
Reid John S.
Reidlaw, L.L.C.
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