Filling apparatus

Abstract

The filling apparatus 10 includes a filling valve 16, a cleaning cup 18 disposed below the filling valve 16 and swingable and vertically movable via a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a rotary shaft 24, a swinging mechanism 23 rotating the rotary shaft 24, a lower cam 32 with an upwardly inclined cam profile, and an upper cam 34 positioned above the lower cam 32 and rotatable and vertically movable about the shaft 24 while engaging the lower cam 32's cam profile. The cleaning cup 18 being connected to the upper cam 34 and a coil spring 35 biases the upper cam 34 downward. The driving mechanism swings the cleaning cup 18 beneath the filling valve 16 and then a stopper 26 restricts rotation of the upper cam 34, causing the upper cam 34 to rise along the cam profile of the lower cam 32.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling apparatus equipped with a cleaning cup that is attachable onto a nozzle tip of a filling valve.2. Description of Related Art

[0002] A filling apparatus equipped with a cleaning cup is known, in which a cleaning cup is held tightly against the nozzle outlet of a filling valve during performing cleaning-in-place (CIP) operations (see Patent documents 1 and 2). Such apparatuses need to move the cleaning cup from a retracted position to a position directly beneath the filling valve, and then raise the cleaning cup relative to the filling valve to press it against the filling valve outlet. Therefore, conventional apparatuses have required a rotation mechanism for swinging the cleaning cup provided at the tip of the arm, as well as a separate lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the cleaning cup relative to the filling valve. Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4622142; Patent Document 2: JP 2001-122394. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus capable of performing both swinging and vertical motion of a cleaning cup using a single drive means.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a filling apparatus is provided that includes: a filling valve that discharges a filling liquid into a container; a cleaning cup arranged below the filling valve and configured to be swingable and vertically movable; and a driving mechanism configured to swing and vertically move the cleaning cup. The cleaning cup is detachably configured to sealingly fit onto the filling valve to clean a liquid passage of the filling valve.

[0005] The driving mechanism includes: a rotary shaft; a driving device that rotates the rotary shaft; a cam fixed to an outer circumference of the rotary shaft and having an inclined cam profile extending upwardly; a lifting member that engages with the cam profile and is disposed above the cam, the lifting member being rotatable and vertically movable around the rotary shaft; a biasing member that biases the lifting member downward; a connecting member attached to the lifting member and provided with the cleaning cup; and a limiter that limits a rotation range of the lifting member; wherein the driving mechanism is configured such that rotation of the rotary shaft causes the cam and the lifting member to rotate integrally and the rotation range of the lifting member is limited by the limiter, whereby the cleaning cup is moved below the filling valve, and a relative rotation of the cam with respect to the lifting member causes the lifting member to raise along the cam profile to fit the cleaning cup onto the filling valve.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a filling apparatus that performs both swinging and vertical motion of the cleaning cup using a single drive means.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of a filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is side view and plan view of the area around the filling valve, showing the state in which the cleaning cup for CIP cleaning is placed in the retracted position and normal filling operation is performed. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a plan view of the area around the filling valve, showing a state in which the cleaning cup is pressed against the nozzle opening of the filling valve to perform CIP cleaning. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2, focusing on the filling valve. FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3, focusing on the filling valve. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the filling apparatus showing the cleaning path for CIP cleaning using the cleaning cup. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of a plurality of filling valves and cleaning arms in an alternate embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention is described below with references to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of a filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] A filling apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is a weight-type filling apparatus. The filling apparatus 10 receives an empty container V (see FIG. 3) from a supply wheel 12, fills the container V with contents, and then transfers it to a discharge wheel 14. Along the outer circumference of a rotary wheel 10A that rotates about a vertical axis, the filling apparatus 10 includes a plurality of filling valves 16 (see FIGS. 2-5) and grippers 17 that hold the underside of a flange provided at the neck of the container V. Each container V delivered to the filling apparatus 10 is placed directly below a corresponding filling valve 16, and with the rotation of the rotary wheel 10A, the contents (filling liquid, etc.) are discharged from the nozzle opening 16A at the lower end of each filling valve 16 into the mouth of the container.

[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a normal filling state in which a cleaning cup 18 for CIP cleaning (described later) is positioned at a retracted position. FIG. 2(a) is a side view from the tangential direction of the rotary wheel 10A where the filling valve 16 is located. FIG. 2(b) is a plan view (partially in section) showing the arrangement of the filling valve 16 and the cleaning cup 18. FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the cleaning cup 18 is sealingly fitted to the nozzle opening 16A of the filling valve 16 to perform CIP cleaning. FIG. 3(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view along the radial direction of the rotary wheel 10A where the filling valve 16 is located. FIG. 3(b) is a plan view (partially in section) showing the arrangement of the filling valve 16 and the cleaning cup 18. FIGS. 4 and 5 are partial perspective views corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, each focusing on the filling valve 16.

[0011] On the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion of the rotary wheel 10A of the filling device 10, support members 20 for supporting each filling valve 16 are provided. Each support member 20 extends vertically upward, with one face oriented radially outward of the rotary wheel 10A. At the upper end of each support member 20, an arm 22 extending horizontally outward in the radial direction is provided. A filling valve 16 is mounted at the tip of the arm 22 so that the nozzle opening 16A faces downward in a vertical orientation.

[0012] A swinging mechanism 23 is housed in the base end portion 22A of the arm 22 located on the side of the support member 20, and a rotary shaft 24 extending vertically downward is supported therein. A pinion 24A, which forms part of the swinging mechanism 23 and rotates the rotary shaft 24, is provided at the upper end of the rotary shaft 24. On the distal end portion 22B of the arm 22, a rod-shaped stopper 26 extending vertically downward is provided.

[0013] A rack 28 (see FIGS. 2(b) and 3(b)) that is movable forward and backward along the radial direction of the rotary wheel 10A is engaged with the pinion 24A. A forward / backward rod 28A, which is movable along the radial direction of the rotary wheel 10A, is attached to the base end of the rack 28. The opposite end of the forward / backward rod 28A extends toward and is connected to a driving device 30 mounted on the opposite side of the support member 20.

[0014] The driving device 30 of the present embodiment is, for example, an air actuator. A piston 30B that reciprocates within a cylinder 30A of the driving device 30 is connected to the forward / backward rod 28A. The interior of the cylinder 30A is divided into two chambers 30C and 30D by the piston 30B. Compressed air can be supplied to the respective chambers 30C and 30D through air passages 30E and 30F (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0015] By controlling the supply of compressed air to the chambers 30C and 30D, the piston 30B is moved along the longitudinal direction of the forward / backward rod 28A, thereby enabling the rack 28 to move forward and backward along the radial direction of the rotary wheel 10A. As a result, the pinion 24A engaged with the rack 28 rotates, causing the rotary shaft 24 to rotate within a predetermined range in the rightward or leftward direction.

[0016] A lower cam 32, which is an upward-facing end-face cam, is integrally attached to the lower end of the rotary shaft 24 and covers the surrounding area. Above the lower cam 32, an upper cam 34, which is a downward-facing end-face cam that engages with the lower cam 32, is disposed around the rotary shaft 24. A bush 34A is interposed between the upper cam 34 and the rotary shaft 24, and the upper cam 34 is fitted to the rotary shaft 24 such that it is both vertically movable and rotatable relative to the rotary shaft 24. Between the upper side of the upper cam 34 and the base end portion 22A of the arm 22, a coil spring 35 is wound around the rotary shaft 24 in a compressed state, urging the upper cam 34 downward against the lower cam 32.

[0017] A base end portion of a connecting member 36 that extends outward toward the exterior of the rotary wheel 10A is attached to the outer circumference of the upper cam 34, and the connecting member 36 rotates integrally with the upper cam 34. The distal end of the connecting member 36 forms a pair of engagement pieces 36A that branch to left and right into a U-shape. A stopper 26 extending downward from the arm 22 is positioned between the pair of engagement pieces 36A. A support member 38 that extends downward is provided on the lower surface of the connecting member 36. A cleaning arm 40 that extends horizontally outward toward the outside of the rotary wheel 10A is integrally provided at the lower end of the support member 38. A cleaning cup 18, which opens upward, is provided at the distal end of the cleaning arm 40. Within the interior of the cleaning arm 40, a discharge passage 18A is formed, which communicates the cleaning cup 18 with a drain tube 40A connected at the base end of the cleaning arm 40 (see FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 6).

[0018] According to the above configuration, the rotation of the upper cam 34 around the rotation shaft 24 is limited to a range in which one of the engagement pieces 36A at the distal end of the connecting member 36 is pressed against and held by the stopper 26.

[0019] Below the filling valve 16, grippers 17 for holding the underside of the flange of the neck portion of the container V are respectively arranged. Each gripper 17 is supported by the support member 20 via a weight sensor 42, such as a load cell. A container V held at its neck by the gripper 17 is positioned directly below the nozzle opening 16A at predetermined intervals, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0020] The rotational range of the connecting member 36, which is limited by the stopper 26, defines the swinging range of the cleaning arm 40, which rotates integrally around the rotary shaft 24. This swinging range is set such that, during filling, the cleaning arm 40 moves to a retracted position (FIGS. 2 and 4) where it does not interfere with the containers V, and during CIP cleaning, the cleaning cup 18 can be moved to a standby position directly below the nozzle opening 16A of the filling valve 16 (FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0021] On the other hand, the rotary shaft 24, which is rotated via the engagement of the rack 28 and the pinion 24A, rotates over a range wider than the swinging range described above. A sawtooth cam profile, which includes at least one inclined cam profile, is formed in the circumferential direction on the upper end of the lower cam 32, which rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 24. A sawtooth cam profile complemental to the cam profile of the lower cam 32 is formed along the circumferential direction on the lower end of the upper cam 34. The sawtooth cam profile may include one or multiple teeth. In this embodiment, two or three teeth are arranged rotationally symmetrically.

[0022] When the rotary shaft 24 is rotated to move the cleaning arm 40 from the retracted position toward the standby position until one of the engagement pieces 36A engages with the stopper 26, the cleaning arm 40 reaches the standby position the rotational movement stops. At this time, the cleaning cup 18 is positioned directly below the nozzle opening 16A with a predetermined clearance. When rotation of the rotary shaft 24 continues further, the lower cam 32 rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 24. Since rotation of the upper cam 34 is limited by the stopper 26, only the lower cam 32 rotates. This rotation causes the inclined sawtooth cam profile of the upper cam 34 to slide over the inclined sawtooth cam profile of the lower cam 32. As a result, the upper cam 34 is lifted.

[0023] The rotary shaft 24 continues to rotate by the driving device 30 until the cleaning arm 40, which is in the standby position, causes the cleaning cup 18 sealingly fit to the nozzle opening 16A. Thus, the cleaning arm 40 moves to the cleaning position, and the nozzle opening 16A is sealed by the cleaning cup 18.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the filling apparatus 10 showing the cleaning path during CIP cleaning using the cleaning cup 18. As shown in FIG. 6, during CIP cleaning, the cleaning arm 40 is positioned at the cleaning position, and the nozzle opening 16A is sealed by the cleaning cup 18.

[0025] A rotary body 44, including the rotary wheel 10A of the filling apparatus 10, is rotatable about a wheel rotation shaft 46. A supply manifold 48, which rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 46, is disposed at the upper end of the rotation shaft 46. Filling liquid and cleaning liquid can be supplied to the supply manifold 48 via a rotary joint 49.

[0026] A plurality of supply pipes 50, each connected to a respective filling valve 16, are radially connected to the supply manifold 48. During CIP cleaning, the rotary body 44 is kept in a stopped state, and cleaning liquid is supplied to each filling valve 16 through the supply pipes 50. The cleaning liquid supplied to the filling valve 16 washes the liquid passage of each filling valve 16, then flows out from the nozzle opening 16A into the cleaning cup 18 and is discharged through the discharge passage 18A provided in the cleaning arm 40 to the drain tube 40A.

[0027] Below the rotary body 44, an annular cleaning-liquid recovery manifold 52, which is arranged around the rotation shaft 46, is attached to the rotation shaft 46. Each drain tube 40A extends downward from the respective cleaning arm 40 and is connected to the cleaning-liquid recovery manifold 52.

[0028] A discharge port 52A is provided at one location on the outer circumference of the annular cleaning-liquid recovery manifold 52. During CIP cleaning, the discharge port 52A is connected to a cleaning-liquid discharge pipe 54 directed toward the recovery manifold 52. At the beginning of CIP cleaning, the filling apparatus 10 is rotated so that the position of the discharge port 52A aligns with the cleaning-liquid discharge pipe 54. The discharge pipe 54 is then advanced to connect with the discharge port 52A. Accordingly, cleaning liquid discharged into the drain tube 40A is disposed of via the cleaning-liquid recovery manifold 52 and the cleaning-liquid discharge pipe 54.

[0029] After completion of CIP cleaning, the rotary shaft 24 is rotated in the reverse direction by the driving device 30. As a result, the cleaning arm 40 descends from the cleaning position to the standby position and then swings from the standby position back to the retracted position.

[0030] As described above, according to the filling apparatus of the present embodiment, both the swinging motion and the vertical movement of the cleaning cup can be achieved by a single driving means.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of an alternate embodiment illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of filling valves 16 and cleaning arms 40.

[0032] In the filling apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, the rotation of the rotary shaft 24 is achieved by the rack 28 and the pinion 24A. In contrast, in the alternate embodiment, a gear 56 engaging with a plurality of pinions 24A serves to simultaneously move a plurality of cleaning arms 40 between the retracted position and the cleaning position. The remaining structural components are the same as those in the previous embodiment, and thus the same reference numerals are used and further description is omitted.

[0033] The gear 56 may be an arc-shaped or annular gear centered on the rotation shaft 46 of the rotary wheel 10A, and is rotatable in both directions about the rotation shaft 46 by means of a driving mechanism (not shown). During CIP cleaning, cleaning cups 18 are required to be mounted on all filling valves 16; therefore, in the case where arc-shaped gears are used, each gear must be provided with its own driving mechanism.

[0034] As described above, the alternate embodiment also achieves the same effects as the previous embodiment. Furthermore, the number of driving devices required to drive the cleaning arms 40 can be reduced, resulting in cost savings.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the cleaning arm is raised and lowered by using an end-face cam (upper cam) arranged above the lower cam. However, a configuration may instead be adopted in which a roller engaging with the inclined cam profile of the lower cam is attached to a lifting member that moves up and down and rotates about the rotary shaft. Any known mechanism may be used as long as the swinging motion and vertical movement of the cleaning cup can both be achieved solely by rotation of the rotary shaft.

[0036] In the present embodiment, a bush is interposed between the upper cam and the rotary shaft. However, if the lifting member such as the upper cam can be rotated integrally with the lower cam by being biased downward from above, the bush may be omitted.

[0037] In the present embodiments, the rotation range of the lifting member is limited by providing a rod-shaped stopper extending vertically between a pair of engagement pieces. However, any known configuration that can limit the rotation range of the lifting member may be used. For example, the engagement pieces may themselves be rod-shaped vertical members that engage with protrusions serving as stoppers, or the stopper may directly abut the upper cam or the cleaning cup to stop their rotation.

[0038] It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0039] 10: Filling apparatus 16: Filling valve 18: Cleaning cup 23: Swinging mechanism 24: Rotary shaft 26: Stopper (regulating means) 30: Driving device 32: Lower cam 34: Upper cam (lifting member) 35: Coil spring (biasing member) 36: Connecting member 36A: Engagement pieces (limiter) V: Container

Claims

1. A filling apparatus comprising: a filling valve that discharges a filling liquid into a container; a cleaning cup arranged below the filling valve and configured to be swingable and vertically movable; and a driving mechanism configured to swing and vertically move the cleaning cup; wherein the cleaning cup is detachably configured to sealingly fit onto the filling valve to clean a liquid passage of the filling valve; the driving mechanism comprising: a rotary shaft; a driving device that rotates the rotary shaft; a cam fixed to an outer circumference of the rotary shaft and having an inclined cam profile extending upwardly; a lifting member that engages with the cam profile and is disposed above the cam, the lifting member being rotatable and vertically movable around the rotary shaft; a biasing member that biases the lifting member downward; a connecting member attached to the lifting member and provided with the cleaning cup; and a limiter that limits a rotation range of the lifting member; wherein the driving mechanism is configured such that rotation of the rotary shaft causes the cam and the lifting member to rotate integrally and the rotation range of the lifting member is limited by the limiter, whereby the cleaning cup is moved below the filling valve, and a relative rotation of the cam with respect to the lifting member causes the lifting member to raise along the cam profile to fit the cleaning cup onto the filling valve.

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