Sanitary filling valve, filling method and cleaning method
By designing a hygienic filling valve, employing a conical seal and an umbrella-shaped flow divider, and combining vacuum and pressure relief channels, the problem of microbial growth in traditional filling valves was solved, achieving smooth filling and efficient cleaning, and meeting the quality requirements for pure draft beer filling.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202610018538.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-06
AI Technical Summary
Traditional filling valves have unsanitary blind spots and unreasonable structural design, resulting in a high risk of microbial growth. They cannot meet the microbial control standards for pure draft beer filling, affecting filling efficiency and quality.
A hygienic filling valve was designed, including a valve seat, a valve core sleeve, an elastic connector, a valve core, and a vent pipe. It adopts a conical seal, an umbrella-shaped flow divider, and other structures, combined with vacuum and pressure relief channels. Through specific filling and cleaning methods, it ensures the smoothness of the filling process and the cleaning effect.
It improves the hygiene and service life of the filling valve, reduces the difficulty of filling, ensures the smoothness and quality of the filling process, and meets the filling needs of high-end products.
Smart Images
Figure CN121609280A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of filling valve technology, specifically relating to a hygienic filling valve, a filling method, and a cleaning method. Background Technology
[0002] The beer filling valve is the most crucial and precise structure of a filling machine. The filling machine must be cleaned before and after production operation, with the filling valve being a key area requiring cleaning. Traditional filling valves have internal blind spots, numerous components, and an unreasonable structural design, increasing the number of moving parts and the risk of microbial growth. This affects the cleaning effectiveness of the CIP system, resulting in the inability to meet microbial control standards when producing draft beer, failing to meet the requirements of draft beer bottling, and being unable to fill high-end products. Currently, it is necessary to develop a hygienic filling valve to facilitate hygienic cleaning. It is also necessary to develop a hygienic filling valve filling method to ensure a smooth filling process, reduce filling difficulty, and improve filling efficiency. Finally, it is necessary to develop a hygienic filling valve cleaning method to ensure that the filling valve can be cleaned to meet hygiene requirements. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a hygienic filling valve to facilitate hygienic cleaning of the filling valve.
[0004] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: A sanitary filling valve includes a valve seat, a valve core sleeve, an elastic connector, a valve core, and a vent pipe. The valve seat is disposed in a cylinder body. The valve core sleeve is located in the liquid chamber of the cylinder body and is connected to the valve seat. The elastic connector is disposed inside the valve core sleeve and is connected to the valve core, which passes through the valve core sleeve. The elastic connector is used to drive the valve core to move in a timely manner. The top of the valve core is located in the air chamber of the cylinder body. The bottom of the valve core is connected to the vent pipe, which passes through the filling channel of the valve seat. A conical seal is provided at a predetermined position at the bottom of the valve core. The conical seal is used to seal the filling channel of the valve seat in a timely manner. The valve core has a first vent passage. The vent pipe has a second vent passage. The first vent passage and the second vent passage are connected.
[0005] Furthermore, an umbrella-shaped diverter ring integrally formed with the vent pipe is provided on the side of the vent pipe.
[0006] Furthermore, a hygienic filling valve further includes a first sealing element for timely sealing connection with the bottle mouth; the first sealing element is directly connected to the valve seat and is located at the filling channel position of the valve seat.
[0007] Furthermore, the valve seat is also provided with a vacuum channel and a first adjustment component; the vacuum channel is connected to the filling channel of the valve seat; the first adjustment component is used to seal the vacuum channel in a timely manner.
[0008] Furthermore, the valve seat is also provided with a pressure relief channel and a second adjustment component; the pressure relief channel is connected to the filling channel of the valve seat; the second adjustment component is used to block the pressure relief channel in a timely manner.
[0009] Furthermore, a sanitary filling valve also includes a power regulating device, a ball hinge device, and a valve needle; the power regulating device is mounted on the cylinder body; the power regulating device is connected to the ball hinge device; the valve needle is connected to the ball hinge device; the valve needle is inserted into the top of the valve core to block the first vent passage in a timely manner; the power regulating device is used to drive the ball hinge device and the valve needle to move.
[0010] Furthermore, the power adjustment device includes a cylinder with a cylinder piston, the cylinder piston being connected to the ball hinge device.
[0011] Furthermore, the valve needle is provided with a second sealing element; the valve needle is sealed and connected to the inner wall of the first vent passage of the valve core through the second sealing element in a timely manner.
[0012] Another objective of this invention is to provide a filling method for a hygienic filling valve to ensure the smoothness of the filling process, reduce the difficulty of filling, and improve the efficiency of filling.
[0013] A filling method for a hygienic filling valve, based on the aforementioned hygienic filling valve, includes the following steps: S1. Bottle entry: The bottle enters the filling machine's lifting cylinder tray under the conveying mechanism, and the lifting cylinder tray lifts the bottle to the point where the bottle mouth abuts against the first sealing element at the valve seat; S2. First vacuuming: After ensuring the bottle is sealed, adjust the first adjusting component at the valve seat so that the first adjusting component no longer blocks the vacuuming channel; then, use a vacuum pump to extract the air from the bottle, and the air is discharged into the air through the vacuuming channel. S3, CO2 replacement: The first regulating component is restored to block the vacuum channel; the valve needle is adjusted so that it no longer blocks the first vent; then, CO2 is introduced into the bottle through the first vent and the second vent, so that the bottle is filled with CO2. S4. Second vacuuming: Adjust the valve needle to block the first vent; adjust the first adjusting component at the valve seat to prevent the first adjusting component from blocking the vacuuming channel, and remove the air from the bottle. S5, CO2 Reserve Pressure: The first regulating component is restored to block the vacuum channel; then, the valve needle is adjusted so that it no longer blocks the first vent; then, CO2 is introduced into the bottle through the first vent and the second vent, so that the pressure inside the bottle reaches the reserve pressure required for filling. S6. Filling: The pressure inside the bottle and the pressure inside the cylinder are in equilibrium. At this time, the external force applied to the elastic connector disappears. The elastic connector is pushed upward due to its own elasticity. The valve core connected to the elastic connector is lifted upward to a set height under the elasticity of the elastic connector. The filling liquid flows from the liquid chamber of the cylinder through the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical seal, and the filling channel of the valve seat to the umbrella-shaped diversion ring on the outer wall of the vent pipe. After that, some of the filling liquid rushes to the inner wall of the bottle and flows down the inner wall of the bottle. During the filling process, the CO2 in the bottle returns to the gas chamber of the cylinder through the second vent and the first vent. Filling stops when the liquid level in the bottle just reaches the bottom of the vent. S7. Let the filling liquid stand: Since the filling liquid contains CO2, the CO2 in the freshly filled filling liquid is unstable. At this time, depressurization can easily cause foaming. It needs to stand for a few seconds. S8. Pressure relief: After the filling liquid is filled, there is a set pressure in the bottle. At this time, adjust the second adjustment component at the valve seat so that the second adjustment component no longer blocks the pressure relief channel. The pressure in the bottle is slowly released through the pressure relief channel until the pressure in the bottle is equal to the atmospheric pressure. S9. Bottle ejection: The lifting cylinder tray descends, causing the bottle to detach from the vent pipe at the valve seat. Then, the bottle is sent out of the filling machine by the conveying mechanism, completing the entire filling process; the bottle is then sent to the next process.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve to ensure that the filling valve can be cleaned to meet hygiene requirements.
[0015] A cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve, based on the aforementioned hygienic filling valve, includes: A1. The cleaning fluid enters the filling machine cylinder through the pipeline. After the cylinder is filled with cleaning fluid, the entire inner surface of the cylinder is immersed in the cleaning fluid to achieve cleaning. A2. Cleaning of the valve channel: A portion of the cleaning fluid passes through the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical seal, the filling channel of the valve seat, and the side of the vent pipe, and enters the cleaning cup pre-set under the valve seat to clean the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical seal, the filling channel of the valve seat, and the side of the vent pipe. A3. Valve passage cleaning: The power adjustment device drives the ball hinge device and valve needle to rise together. At this time, the valve needle no longer blocks the first vent passage. Under pressure, the cleaning fluid passes through the first vent passage and the second vent passage and enters the cleaning cup that is set in advance under the valve seat to clean the first vent passage and the second vent passage. A4. The cleaning solution is returned to the CIP workstation via a vacuum channel.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention discloses a hygienic filling valve. The conical seal at the bottom of the valve core features a conical side design that facilitates cleaning by allowing the cleaning fluid to flow smoothly along its surface, reducing microbial adhesion and improving the valve's hygiene. This newly designed hygienic filling valve has a rational structural design, reducing dead zones and facilitating thorough cleaning. Furthermore, the newly designed structure and connections of this hygienic filling valve are more stable and reliable, meeting the high-frequency use requirements of daily filling and extending its service life. The present invention discloses a filling method for a hygienic filling valve. Through steps S1 to S9, the filling process is ensured to be smooth, the filling difficulty is reduced, the filling efficiency is improved, and the filling quality is guaranteed.
[0017] This invention provides a cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve, which reduces the difficulty of hygienic cleaning of the filling valve and improves the efficiency of hygienic cleaning of the filling valve.
[0018] The present invention, through steps A1 to A4, ensures that the filling valve is cleaned to meet hygiene requirements. Attached Figure Description
[0019] The technology of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: Figure 1 This is a frontal view of a sanitary filling valve according to the present invention (showing the positions of various partial schematic diagrams) (wherein, the cylinder and partition are simplified schematic diagrams); Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point D; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point E; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point F; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point G; Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point H; Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point J; Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point K; Figure 9 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point L; Figure 10 This is a frontal schematic diagram of a sanitary filling valve according to the present invention (wherein, the cylinder and the partition are simplified schematic diagrams). Figure 11 This is a vertical schematic diagram of a hygienic filling valve of the present invention filling a bottle with liquid; Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A magnified view of the area at point M.
[0020] Figure label: 1-Valve seat; 2-Valve core sleeve; 3-Elastic connector; 4-Valve core; 5-Vent pipe; 6-Cylinder body; 7-Liquid chamber; 8-Gas chamber; 9-Filling channel; 10-Conical seal; 11-First vent; 12-Second vent; 13-Baffle; 14-Bottle; 15-Umbrella-shaped flow divider; 16-First seal; 17-Vacuum channel; 18-First regulating component; 19-First valve body; 20-First spring; 21-First piston; 22-First valve cover; 23-First moving part; 24-First sealing head; 25-Pressure relief channel; 26-Second adjusting assembly; 27-Second valve body; 28-Second spring; 29-Second piston; 30-Second valve cover; 31-Second moving part; 32-Second sealing head; 33-Cylinder; 34-Cylinder piston; 35-Second sealing element; 36-Valve needle; 37-Tip; 38-Conical part; 39-Connecting rod; 40-Ball head; D - First enlarged view icon; E - Second enlarged view icon; F - Third enlarged view icon; G - Fourth enlarged view icon; H - Fifth enlarged view icon; J - Sixth enlarged view icon; K - Seventh enlarged view icon; L - Eighth enlarged view icon; M - Ninth enlarged view icon; N - Flow direction of filling liquid; P - Reflux direction of CO2. Detailed Implementation
[0021] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, solution, and effects of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The same reference numerals used throughout the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar parts.
[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it can be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. Furthermore, the descriptions of "up," "down," "left," and "right" used in this invention are only relative to the relative positional relationships of the various components of the invention in the accompanying drawings.
[0023] Reference Figures 1 to 12 A sanitary filling valve (hereinafter referred to as "filling valve") includes a valve seat 1, a valve core sleeve 2, an elastic connector 3, a valve core 4, and a vent pipe 5. The valve seat 1 is disposed at the bottom of a cylinder body 6. The valve core sleeve 2 is located in the liquid chamber 7 of the cylinder body 6 and is connected to the valve seat 1. The elastic connector 3 is disposed inside the valve core sleeve 2 and is connected to the valve core 4, which passes through the valve core sleeve 2. The elastic connector 3 is used to drive the valve core 4 to move in a timely manner. The top of the valve core 4 is located in the air chamber 8 of the cylinder body 6. The bottom of the valve core 4 is connected to the vent pipe 5, which passes through the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1. A conical seal 10 is provided at a set position at the bottom of the valve core 4. The conical seal 10 is used to seal the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1 in a timely manner. The valve core 4 is provided with a first vent 11. The vent pipe 5 is provided with a second vent 12. The first vent 11 and the second vent 12 are connected.
[0024] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the elastic connector 3 is a spring.
[0025] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, a sanitary filling valve includes a cylinder 6; the cylinder 6 has a liquid chamber 7 and a gas chamber 8; a partition 13 is provided between the liquid chamber 7 and the gas chamber 8; the gas chamber 8 is located above the liquid chamber 7, and with the presence of the partition 13, the gas in the gas chamber 8 will not escape into the liquid chamber 7; the liquid chamber 7 is connected to the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1 when appropriate, specifically, if the conical seal 10 blocks the filling channel 9, the liquid chamber 7 is not connected to the filling channel 9; if the conical seal 10 blocks the filling channel 9, the liquid chamber 7 is not connected to the filling channel 9. Once the sealing element 10 no longer blocks the filling channel 9, the liquid chamber 7 is connected to the filling channel 9. Once the liquid chamber 7 is connected to the filling channel 9, the filling liquid (such as wine) in the liquid chamber 7 can be filled into the bottle 14 under the valve seat 1 through the filling channel 9. The top of the valve core 4 passes through the partition 13. The first vent 11 is connected to the gas chamber 8 as needed. The liquid chamber 7 is used to hold the filling liquid. Preferably, the liquid chamber 7 is used to hold (isobaric) wine. Preferably, the cylinder 6 is also called a wine tank. The connection between the liquid chamber 7 and the existing liquid inlet pipe, and the connection between the gas chamber 8 and the existing gas inlet pipe, can be found in the prior art and will not be repeated here.
[0026] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, an umbrella-shaped diverter ring 15 is integrally formed with the vent pipe 5 on its side. This umbrella-shaped diverter ring 15, integrally formed with the vent pipe 5, solves the problem of dirt accumulation caused by separate connections between the diverter ring and the vent pipe. This design improves the ease of cleaning the filling valve. If the diverter ring is designed to be separately connected to the vent pipe, the connection gap between the vent pipe and the diverter ring of the filling valve is difficult to clean, increasing the cleaning difficulty. If not cleaned properly, it will cause filling contamination. The umbrella-shaped diverter ring of this invention facilitates some of the filling liquid flowing along the umbrella-shaped diverter ring towards the inner wall of the bottle 14, and then flowing down along the inner wall. This helps reduce the direct impact of the filling liquid on the bottom of the bottle, and allows gas from the periphery of the bottle 14 to move towards the center, allowing the gas (CO2) to return to the gas chamber 8 through the second vent 12 of the vent pipe 5 and the first vent 11 of the valve core 4.
[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, a hygienic filling valve further includes a first sealing element 16 for timely sealing connection with the bottle mouth 14; the first sealing element 16 is directly connected to the valve seat 1 and is located at the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1. Preferably, the first sealing element 16 is located at the outlet of the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1; the direct connection of the first sealing element 16 to the valve seat 1 reduces the number of parts, thus reducing cleaning dead zones; preferably, the first sealing element 16 is directly locked and fixed to the bottom of the valve seat 1 by screws; if a separate connecting block is added to the top of the first sealing element 16 at this location before locking it to the valve seat 1, it will make cleaning the filling valve at this location extremely difficult, easily leading to dirt and grime accumulating in the filling valve at this location, and thus easily causing filling contamination. However, the present invention simplifies the connection of the first sealing element 16 at this position. Instead of adding an additional split connecting block to the top of the first sealing element 16, the first sealing element 16 is directly locked to the valve seat 1 by screws, which reduces the number of parts, reduces cleaning dead angles, and makes the filling valve more convenient to clean.
[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, both the conical seal 10 and the first seal 16 are made of rubber.
[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the valve core 4 is detachably connected to the vent pipe 5; preferably, the bottom of the valve core 4 is threadedly connected to the top of the vent pipe 5; this design of the present invention facilitates the separation of the vent pipe 5 and the valve core 4 during major disassembly and cleaning of the filling valve (preferably, after the vent pipe 5 is disassembled, it can be taken out from the bottom of the filling channel 9).
[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the valve seat 1 is further provided with a vacuum channel 17 and a first adjustment component 18; the vacuum channel 17 is connected to the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1; the first adjustment component 18 is used to block the vacuum channel 17 in a timely manner.
[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, the first adjusting assembly 18 includes a first valve body 19, a first spring 20, a first piston 21, and a first valve cover 22; the first valve body 19 is connected to the valve seat 1; the first valve cover 22 is disposed at the end of the first valve body 19; the first piston 21 is adjustablely disposed in the first valve body 19 via the first spring 20; preferably, one end of the first spring 20 is connected to the first piston 21, and the other end of the first spring 20 is connected to the first valve cover 22; through the elastic force of the first spring 20, the first piston 21 seals the valve body in a timely manner. The vacuum channel 17 is blocked, preventing gas or liquid from flowing through it. Preferably, the existing external pressure rail can be connected to a set position of the first piston 21 for timely adjustment of the position of the first piston 21. If the existing external pressure rail can be connected to the first piston 21 (first movable part 23), the existing external pressure rail drives the first piston 21, causing the first piston 21 to compress the first spring 20, thereby releasing the blockage of the vacuum channel 17 by the first piston 21, allowing the vacuum channel 17 to flow normally for gas or liquid. The existing external pressure rail and its connection to the first piston 21 are prior art, and details can be found in the prior art; further description is omitted here.
[0032] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the first piston 21 includes a first movable member 23 and a first sealing head 24; the first sealing head 24 is detachably connected to the first movable member 23; the first sealing head 24 can improve the effect of the first piston 21 in blocking the vacuum channel 17; preferably, the first sealing head 24 is threadedly connected to one end of the first movable member 23, and the other end of the first movable member 23 is connected to the first spring 20.
[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the valve seat 1 is further provided with a pressure relief channel 25 and a second adjustment component 26; the pressure relief channel 25 is connected to the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1; the second adjustment component 26 is used to block the pressure relief channel 25 in a timely manner.
[0034] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, the second adjusting component 26 includes a second valve body 27, a second spring 28, a second piston 29, and a second valve cover 30; the second valve body 27 is connected to the valve seat 1; the second valve cover 30 is disposed at the end of the second valve body 27; the second piston 29 is adjustablely disposed in the second valve body 27 via the second spring 28; preferably, one end of the second spring 28 is connected to the second piston 29, and the other end of the second spring 28 is connected to the second valve cover 30; through the elastic force of the second spring 28, the second piston 29 timely blocks the pressure relief channel 25, preventing gas from flowing through the pressure relief channel 25; preferably, an existing external pressure rail can be connected to the set position of the second piston 29 for timely adjustment of the position of the second piston 29; if the existing external pressure rail can be connected to the second piston 29 (the second movable part 31), the existing external pressure rail drives the second piston 29, causing the second piston 29 to compress the second spring 28, thereby releasing the blockage of the pressure relief channel 25 by the second piston 29, allowing the pressure relief channel 25 to flow normally. The existing external pressure rail, and the existing connection between the external pressure rail and the second piston 29, are existing technologies, which can be found in the existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.
[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the second piston 29 includes a second movable member 31 and a second sealing head 32; the second sealing head 32 is detachably connected to the second movable member 31; the second sealing head 32 can improve the effect of the second piston 29 in blocking the pressure relief channel 25; preferably, the second sealing head 32 is threadedly connected to one end of the second movable member 31, and the other end of the second movable member 31 is connected to the second spring 28.
[0036] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, both the first sealing head 24 and the second sealing head 32 are made of rubber.
[0037] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, a sanitary filling valve further includes a power regulating device, a ball hinge device, and a valve needle 36; the power regulating device is disposed on the cylinder body 6 (such as on the top cover of the air chamber 8 of the cylinder body 6); the power regulating device is connected to the ball hinge device; the valve needle 36 is connected to the ball hinge device; the valve needle 36 is inserted into the top of the valve core 4 for timely blocking of the first vent 11; the power regulating device is used to drive the ball hinge device and the valve needle 36 to move.
[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, the power adjustment device includes a cylinder 33 having a cylinder piston 34 connected to the ball hinge device.
[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the cylinder 33 is a gas-buffered cylinder. By providing a buffer chamber at the end of the cylinder 33, when the cylinder piston 34 approaches the end of its stroke, the gas in the buffer chamber can only be discharged through an adjustable buffer valve. This generates a reaction force, causing the cylinder piston 34 to decelerate until it stops, thereby avoiding or reducing the impact of the cylinder piston 34 on the cylinder end cap. Preferably, the sanitary filling valve further includes a control device, which is connected to the adjustable buffer valve. The control device can control the opening size of the buffer valve to discharge the gas in the buffer chamber in a timely manner. Through the buffer chamber, the adjustable buffer valve, and the control device, damage to the cylinder end cap by the cylinder piston 34 can be avoided, and the stroke of the cylinder 33 can be made more accurate and stable. Preferably, the control device (such as a PLC control device) and the buffer valve are existing structures, and specific details can be found in the prior art, which will not be elaborated here.
[0040] The "buffer chamber + adjustable buffer valve + control device" serves as a speed reduction device for cylinder 33 to control the movement speed of cylinder piston 34.
[0041] In another embodiment, the power regulating device is not limited to a cylinder, but can also be other power regulating devices that can drive the ball hinge device and valve needle 36 to move linearly; the deceleration device is not limited to a deceleration device composed of "buffer chamber + adjustable buffer valve + control device", but can also be other deceleration devices that can control the speed of the power regulating device.
[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the valve needle 36 is provided with a second sealing element 35; the valve needle 36 is sealed to the inner wall of the first vent 11 of the valve core 4 through the second sealing element 35 in a timely manner.
[0043] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the second seal 35 is made of rubber.
[0044] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, the valve needle 36 has a pointed portion 37 at its bottom; adjacent to the pointed portion 37, the valve needle 36 has an annular groove, and the second seal 35 is fitted into the annular groove. Inside the first vent 11, a tapered portion 38 is provided for connection with the pointed portion 37 and the second seal 35.
[0045] Reference Figures 1 to 12In one embodiment, the ball hinge device includes a connecting rod 39; one end of the connecting rod 39 is connected to the cylinder piston 34; one end of the valve needle 36 is provided with a ball head 40; the ball head 40 is detachably connected to the other end of the connecting rod 39 (e.g., hinged). The detachable connection between the ball head 40 and the connecting rod 39 facilitates the separation of the connecting rod 39 and the valve needle 36 during major disassembly and cleaning of the filling valve, allowing for a more thorough cleaning of the filling valve components. Preferably, the top cover of the cylinder 6 air chamber 8 is removable (existing technology), as detailed in the prior art, and will not be repeated here.
[0046] In one embodiment, the rigid components of the filling valve of the present invention are preferably made of stainless steel with good corrosion resistance and smoothness; for example, the vent pipe 5 (rigid component), the valve needle 36 (rigid component), and the connecting rod 39 (rigid component) are all made of stainless steel; preferably, in order to ensure that the filling valve is easy to clean, the surface of the corresponding rigid components (such as the vent pipe 5) is polished.
[0047] In one embodiment, some internal components of the filling valve of the present invention have a streamlined shape, which can minimize obstruction to water flow and facilitate hygienic cleaning of the filling valve; for example, the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1 of the present invention is a streamlined filling channel, which facilitates the smooth flow of liquid; for another example, the bottom side of the valve core 4 is a streamlined bottom side, which facilitates the smooth flow of liquid; for yet another example, the side of the conical seal 10 is conical, which is a streamlined side, which facilitates the smooth flow of liquid.
[0048] In one embodiment, the filling machine is equipped with twenty-eight hygienic filling valves; the filling machine is also designed with a CIP return pipe, which is used to connect with the corresponding cleaning channel of the hygienic filling valve (such as the cleaning channel formed by "liquid chamber 7 → filling channel 9 → vacuum channel 17"); preferably, the inner diameter of the CIP return pipe is ≥7.5mm, which helps to achieve hygienic cleaning of the filling valve.
[0049] Another objective of this invention is to provide a filling method for a hygienic filling valve to ensure the smoothness of the filling process, reduce the difficulty of filling, and improve the efficiency of filling.
[0050] Reference Figures 1 to 12 A filling method for a hygienic filling valve, based on the aforementioned hygienic filling valve, includes the following steps: S1. Bottle entry: Bottle 14 is conveyed into the filling machine's lifting cylinder tray by the existing conveying mechanism, and the lifting cylinder tray lifts the bottle 14 to the point where the bottle mouth abuts against the first sealing element 16 at the valve seat 1; S2. First Vacuuming: After ensuring the bottle 14 is sealed, adjust the first adjusting component 18 at the valve seat 1 so that the first adjusting component 18 no longer blocks the vacuuming channel 17 (e.g., by driving the first piston 21 through an external pressure rail, the first piston 21 compresses the first spring 20, and the first piston 21 no longer blocks the vacuuming channel 17, thus opening the vacuuming channel 17); then, the air inside the bottle 14 is extracted by a vacuum pump, and the air is discharged into the air through the vacuuming channel 17; among which, due to the influence of the vacuum pressure value, after the first vacuuming, about 10% of the air remains inside the bottle 14, and the air is mainly concentrated at the bottom of the bottle 14; S3, CO2 replacement: The first adjusting component 18 restores its blockage of the vacuum channel 17 (e.g., after removing the external pressure rail, the first piston 21 blocks the vacuum channel 17 using the elastic force of the first spring 20); the adjusting valve needle 36 (e.g., through the cylinder piston 34, driving the ball hinge device and the valve needle 36 to move upward together) so that the valve needle 36 no longer blocks the first ventilation channel 11; then, CO2 is introduced into the bottle 14 from the air chamber 8 of the cylinder 6 through the first ventilation channel 11 and the second ventilation channel 12, so that the bottle 14 is filled with CO2; because CO2 has high pressure and high density, it can replace about 10% of the air remaining after the first vacuuming from the bottom of the bottle 14 to the mouth of the bottle 14, which is beneficial for the second vacuuming, so as to ensure the vacuuming effect of the bottle 14; S4. Second vacuuming: Adjust valve needle 36 (e.g., by driving the ball hinge device and valve needle 36 downward together via cylinder piston 34) to block the first vent 11; adjust the first adjustment component 18 at the valve seat 1 so that the first adjustment component 18 no longer blocks the vacuuming channel 17 (e.g., by driving the first piston 21 via external pressure rail, so that the first piston 21 compresses the first spring 20, and the first piston 21 no longer blocks the vacuuming channel 17, then the vacuuming channel 17 opens), and remove the air from the bottle 14; wherein, after CO2 replacement, the air replaced to the mouth of the bottle 14 is removed earlier, and after the second vacuuming, only some CO2 remains in the bottle 14; S5, CO2 Pre-pressurization: The first regulating component 18 is restored to its original position to seal the vacuum channel 17 (e.g., after the external pressure rail is removed, the first piston 21 is used to seal the vacuum channel 17 by the elastic force of the first spring 20); then, the regulating valve needle 36 is adjusted (e.g., by driving the ball hinge device and the valve needle 36 upward together through the cylinder piston 34) so that the valve needle 36 no longer blocks the first vent 11; then, CO2 is introduced into the bottle 14 from the gas chamber 8 of the cylinder 6 through the first vent 11 and the second vent 12, so that the pressure inside the bottle 14 reaches the pre-pressurization pressure required for filling, that is, the internal pressure of the bottle 14 reaches the balance with the internal pressure of the cylinder 6, which is conducive to stable filling. At this time, the gas inside the bottle 14 is mainly CO2 gas, and the air accounts for only 2% to 3%; S6. Filling: The pressure inside the bottle 14 and the pressure inside the cylinder 6 (liquid chamber 7) are in a balanced state. At this time, the external force applied to the elastic connector 3 disappears. The elastic connector 3 is pushed up by its own elastic force. The valve core 4 connected to the elastic connector 3 is raised to a set height under the elastic force of the elastic connector 3. The filling liquid (such as wine) flows from the liquid chamber 7 of the cylinder 6 through the bottom side of the valve core 4, the side of the conical seal 10, and the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1 to the umbrella-shaped diversion ring 15 on the outer wall of the vent pipe 5. After that, some of the filling liquid rushes to the inner wall of the bottle 14 and flows down the inner wall of the bottle 14. During the filling process, the CO2 in the bottle 14 returns to the air chamber 8 of the cylinder 6 through the second vent 12 and the first vent 11. When the liquid level in the bottle 14 just reaches the bottom of the vent pipe 5, the filling stops. S7. Settling of filling liquid: Since the filling liquid contains CO2, the CO2 in the freshly filled filling liquid is unstable. At this time, depressurization can easily cause foaming, so it needs to be settling for several seconds; preferably, the settling time is 0.5 seconds to 1 second.
[0051] S8. Pressure Relief: After filling with the liquid (such as wine), the bottle 14 has a set pressure (such as 0.2MPa to 0.3MPa). At this time, adjust the second adjusting component 26 at the valve seat 1 so that the second adjusting component 26 no longer blocks the pressure relief channel 25 (for example, by driving the second piston 29 through an external pressure rail, the second piston 29 compresses the second spring 28, and the second piston 29 no longer blocks the pressure relief channel 25, so the pressure relief channel 25 opens). The pressure in the bottle 14 is slowly released through the pressure relief channel 25, so that the pressure in the bottle 14 is released to balance with the atmospheric pressure; at the same time, the air at the neck is discharged by foaming. S9. Bottle Out: The lifting cylinder tray descends, disengaging the bottle 14 from the vent pipe 5 at the valve seat 1. Then, the bottle 14 is conveyed out of the filling machine via the existing conveying mechanism, completing the entire filling process. The bottle 14 is then sent to the next process (such as the capping process of the bottle 14). The "lifting cylinder tray" and "conveying mechanism" mentioned in this invention are existing technologies; please refer to the existing technology for details, which will not be elaborated upon here.
[0052] Reference Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment, in step S6, the valve core 4 is raised by 4mm under the elastic force of the elastic connector 3 (Note: After testing, a valve core raising of 4mm is a balance value; when it is greater than 4mm, the filling speed is too fast, the filling is unstable, and it is easy to cause foaming; when it is less than 4mm, the filling speed is too slow, the filling time is too long, and the production efficiency is low).
[0053] In step S6, one of the functions of the conical seal 10 is to fix the flow direction of the filling liquid (such as wine) and achieve a stable filling effect.
[0054] In step S6 of this invention, filling is stopped when the liquid level in the bottle 14 just reaches the bottom of the vent pipe 5. This design ensures that the liquid level in the bottle 14 is consistent with the bottom of the vent pipe 5, thus ensuring the accuracy of the filling liquid level.
[0055] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve to ensure that the filling valve can be cleaned to meet hygiene requirements.
[0056] Reference Figures 1 to 12 A cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve, based on the aforementioned hygienic filling valve, includes: A1. The cleaning fluid enters the filling machine cylinder 6 through the pipeline. After the cylinder 6 is filled with cleaning fluid, the entire inner surface of the cylinder 6 is immersed in the cleaning fluid to achieve cleaning. A2. Cleaning of the valve channel: A portion of the cleaning fluid passes through the bottom side of the valve core 4, the side of the conical seal 10, the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1, the inner ring surface of the first seal 16, and the side of the vent pipe 5, and enters the cleaning cup pre-set under the valve seat 1 to clean the bottom side of the valve core 4, the side of the conical seal 10, the filling channel 9 of the valve seat 1, the inner ring surface of the first seal 16, and the side of the vent pipe 5. A3. Valve passage cleaning: The power adjustment device drives the ball hinge device and valve needle 36 to rise together. At this time, the valve needle 36 no longer blocks the first vent 11. Under the action of pressure, the cleaning fluid passes through the first vent 11 and the second vent 12 and enters the cleaning cup that is set in advance under the valve seat 1, so as to clean the valve needle 36, the second seal 35, the first vent 11 and the second vent 12. A4. The cleaning solution is returned to the CIP workstation via vacuum channel 17 (which serves as the CIP return channel). "CIP" stands for "Clean-In-Place".
[0057] In one embodiment, the filling valve of the present invention can be cleaned using either a cold washing process or a hot washing process. Regardless of whether it is a cold washing process or a hot washing process, the flow path of the cleaning fluid inside the filling valve is the same, as described in steps A1 to A4.
[0058] In one embodiment, the cold washing process includes: B1. Cold water is used as the cleaning solution. Steps A1 to A4 are performed. The preferred cold water cleaning time is 300 seconds. Step B1 is mainly used to remove residual liquid and impurities from the filling valve. B2. The cleaning solution used is peracetic acid cleaning solution, and steps A1 to A4 are performed; the cleaning time with peracetic acid cleaning solution is preferably 900 seconds; step B2 is mainly for sterilizing the inside of the filling valve. B3. Use cold water as the cleaning solution and perform steps A1 to A4. The preferred cold water cleaning time is 300 seconds. Step B3 is mainly used to remove residual peracetic acid cleaning solution from the filling valve.
[0059] In one embodiment, the hot washing process includes: C1. Cold water is used as the cleaning solution, and steps A1 to A4 are performed. The preferred cold water cleaning time is 300 seconds. Step C1 is mainly used to remove residual liquid and impurities from the filling valve. C2. The cleaning solution is a hot alkaline solution, and steps A1 to A4 are performed. The cleaning time with the hot alkaline solution is preferably 1800 seconds, and the concentration of the hot alkaline solution is preferably 1.5 v / v to 1.8 v / v (v / v is a unit of volume ratio). The temperature of the hot alkaline solution is preferably 54℃ to 60℃. This step C2 is mainly used to dissolve stubborn stains inside the filling valve. C3. Hot water is used as the cleaning solution, and steps A1 to A4 are performed; the preferred hot water temperature is 80℃ to 85℃; this step C3 is mainly used to flush the filling valve to recover the hot alkali solution. C4. Hot water is used as the cleaning solution, and steps A1 to A4 are performed; the preferred hot water temperature is 80℃ to 85℃; this step C4 is mainly used to kill microorganisms in the filling valve. C5. The cleaning solution is cold water, and steps A1 to A4 are performed; the preferred cold water cleaning time is 300 seconds; step C5 is mainly used to reduce the temperature of the filling valve to room temperature.
[0060] In one embodiment, the filling valve can be cleaned using a cold washing process alone, or a hot washing process alone, or "a cold washing process can be used first, followed by a hot washing process".
[0061] In one embodiment, after the filling valve is cleaned, each major component or part is sampled three times (microorganisms) to test the cleaning effect; for example, the sampled components are: valve core 4, elastic connector 3; the sampled parts are: the threaded connection between the vent pipe 5 and the valve core 4, and the inner wall of the liquid chamber 7 of the cylinder 6.
[0062] In one embodiment, after cleaning the filling valve, the wine can be filled according to the filling method provided by the present invention, so that the bottle 14 is filled with wine. In another embodiment, after the filling operation of the filling valve is completed, the filling valve can be cleaned according to the cleaning method provided by the present invention.
[0063] This invention discloses a hygienic filling valve with a reasonable structural design that reduces dead angles for hygienic cleaning, facilitating hygienic cleaning of the filling valve; the hygienic filling valve of this invention has reliable connections between all components, improving the smooth operation of the filling valve; this hygienic filling valve of this invention can meet the hygiene requirements of pure draft beer bottling production and can meet the filling needs of personalized high-end products.
[0064] This invention provides a filling method for a hygienic filling valve, which ensures the smoothness of the filling process, reduces the difficulty of filling, improves the efficiency of filling, and guarantees the quality of filling.
[0065] This invention provides a cleaning method for a hygienic filling valve, which can effectively solve the problem of incomplete cleaning of the filling valve and the problem of microorganisms easily growing inside the filling valve due to inadequate cleaning.
[0066] Other aspects of the sanitary filling valve, filling method, and cleaning method described in this invention can be found in the prior art and will not be repeated here.
[0067] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A sanitary type filling valve characterized by, The valve seat, valve core sleeve, elastic connecting piece, valve core and air pipe are included. The valve seat is arranged in the cylinder. The valve core sleeve is in the liquid chamber of the cylinder and is connected with the valve seat. The elastic connecting piece is arranged in the valve core sleeve and is connected with the valve core arranged through the valve core sleeve. The elastic connecting piece is used to drive the valve core to act in time. The top of the valve core is in the air chamber of the cylinder. The bottom of the valve core is connected with the air pipe arranged through the filling channel of the valve seat. The bottom of the valve core is provided with a conical sealing piece. The conical sealing piece is used to seal the filling channel of the valve seat in time. The valve core is provided with a first air passage. The air pipe is provided with a second air passage. The first air passage and the second air passage are communicated.
2. A sanitary type filling valve according to claim 1, wherein The air pipe is provided with an umbrella-shaped shunt ring which is integrally formed with the air pipe.
3. A sanitary type filling valve according to claim 1 wherein, The first sealing piece for sealing and connecting the bottle mouth in time is further included. The first sealing piece is directly connected with the valve seat and is arranged at the position of the filling channel of the valve seat.
4. A sanitary type filling valve according to claim 1 wherein, The vacuumizing channel and the first adjusting assembly are further arranged on the valve seat. The vacuumizing channel is communicated with the filling channel of the valve seat. The first adjusting assembly is used to seal the vacuumizing channel in time.
5. A sanitary fill valve according to claim 1 wherein, The pressure relief channel and the second adjusting assembly are further arranged on the valve seat. The pressure relief channel is communicated with the filling channel of the valve seat. The second adjusting assembly is used to seal the pressure relief channel in time.
6. A sanitary type filling valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that, The power adjusting device, ball hinge device and valve needle are further included. The power adjusting device is arranged on the cylinder. The power adjusting device is connected with the ball hinge device. The valve needle is connected with the ball hinge device. The valve needle is inserted into the top of the valve core and is used to seal the first air passage in time. The power adjusting device is used to drive the ball hinge device and the valve needle to act.
7. A sanitary type filling valve according to claim 6, wherein The power adjusting device includes a cylinder with a cylinder piston connected with the ball hinge device.
8. A sanitary type filling valve according to claim 6 wherein, The second sealing piece is arranged on the valve needle. The valve needle is sealed and connected with the inner wall of the first air passage of the valve core in time through the second sealing piece.
9. A method of filling with a hygienic filling valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The following steps are included: S1, bottle feeding: the bottle is fed into the filling machine lifting cylinder tray under the conveying of the conveying mechanism. The bottle is lifted to the position where the bottle mouth abuts against the first sealing piece of the valve seat by the lifting cylinder tray; S2, first vacuumizing: after ensuring the sealing of the bottle, the first adjusting assembly at the valve seat is adjusted so that the first adjusting assembly no longer seals the vacuumizing channel. Then, the air in the bottle is pumped out by the vacuum pump. The air is discharged to the air through the vacuumizing channel; S3, CO2 replacement: the first adjusting assembly is adjusted to seal the vacuumizing channel again; The valve needle is adjusted so that the valve needle no longer seals the first air passage. Then, CO2 is input into the bottle through the first air passage and the second air passage so that the bottle is filled with CO2; S4, second vacuumizing: the valve needle is adjusted to seal the first air passage. The first adjusting assembly at the valve seat is adjusted so that the first adjusting assembly no longer seals the vacuumizing channel. The air in the bottle is pumped out. S5, CO2 pressure preparation: the first adjusting assembly restores the blockage of the vacuum channel; then, the valve needle is adjusted so that the needle no longer blocks the first vent; then, CO2 is input into the bottle through the first vent and the second vent, so that the pressure in the bottle reaches the required pressure for filling; S6, filling: the pressure inside the bottle and the pressure inside the cylinder are in equilibrium, at this time, the external force applied to the elastic connecting piece disappears, the elastic connecting piece is lifted upward due to its own elastic force, the valve core connected to the elastic connecting piece is lifted to a certain height under the elastic force of the elastic connecting piece, and the filling liquid flows from the liquid chamber of the cylinder to the umbrella-shaped flow divider at the outer wall of the vent pipe through the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical sealing element, the filling channel of the valve seat, and then part of the filling liquid flows into the inner wall of the bottle and flows downward along the inner wall of the bottle; During the filling process, the CO2 in the bottle returns to the air chamber of the cylinder through the second vent and the first vent, and when the liquid level of the filling liquid in the bottle reaches the bottom of the vent pipe, the filling is stopped; S7, filling liquid standing: standing for several seconds; S8, pressure relief: after the filling of the filling liquid is completed, there is a certain pressure in the bottle, at this time, the second adjusting assembly at the valve seat is adjusted so that the second adjusting assembly no longer blocks the pressure relief channel, the pressure in the bottle is slowly released through the pressure relief channel, and the pressure in the bottle is released to balance with the atmospheric pressure; S9, bottle out: lifting the cylinder tray downward to separate the bottle from the vent pipe at the valve seat, and then sending the bottle out of the filling machine through the conveying mechanism to complete the entire filling process.
10. A method of cleaning a sanitary filling valve based on a sanitary filling valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that It includes: A1, cleaning liquid enters the filling machine cylinder from the pipeline, after the cylinder is filled with cleaning liquid, the entire inner surface of the cylinder is immersed in the cleaning liquid, and cleaning is achieved; A2, liquid valve channel cleaning: part of the cleaning liquid enters the cleaning cup set in advance under the valve seat through the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical sealing element, the filling channel of the valve seat, and the side of the vent pipe, to clean the bottom side of the valve core, the side of the conical sealing element, the filling channel of the valve seat, and the side of the vent pipe; A3, gas valve channel cleaning: the power adjusting device drives the ball hinge device and the valve needle to rise, at this time, the valve needle no longer blocks the first vent; the cleaning liquid enters the cleaning cup set in advance under the valve seat through the first vent and the second vent under the action of pressure, to clean the first vent and the second vent; A4, the cleaning liquid is finally returned to the CIP workstation through the vacuum channel.