Filling element with free flow to screen outlet changeover system

Abstract

To provide a filling member capable of improving diversity of the filling member having both high level quality and safety in a filling process.SOLUTION: The filling member (1) for filling a container with a product to be filled preferably in a beverage filling system includes a screen device (31) provided with a product outlet (11) designed so as to dispense the product to be filled to the container arranged thereunder and a screen (31c) as first facility means, and includes a facility part (30) where the screen is set to a screen state in which the screen (31c) is arranged between the product outlet (11) and the container so as to filtrate the product to be filled by the screen (31c) when introduced into the container, and to a state in which the screen (31c) is designed so as to be, if necessary, transferred from the screen state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention preferably relates to a filling member for filling a filling product into a container in a beverage filling system for filling, for example, water, juice, soft drink, smoothie, dairy product, and others.

Background Art

[0002] Various designs of filling members for filling filling products, specifically liquid or paste-like filling products and filling products having high viscosity, are known. For example, for frequently filling dairy products and juice, a so-called free-flow filling system is used in which the filling product flows freely, that is, the filling product flows from the filling product outlet of the filling member into the container to be filled without being affected by any guiding device. The flow rate of the filling product in such a free-flow filling system is generally controlled by a valve including a valve cone disposed in a valve receiving portion having a complementary shape to the valve cone. Therefore, the filling process is started by raising the valve cone from the valve receiving portion, and then the filling process is ended again by lowering the valve cone to the valve seat.

[0003] It is known to provide a screen on the filling valve to prevent foreign matter from entering the container during the filling process. Patent Document 1 proposes installing a screen in the lower region of the inner cylinder of the filling valve in this regard. In Patent Documents 2 and 3, the use of a screen-like element for adjusting the liquid flow is known.

[0004] The screens according to the above prior art are integral components of their respective filling members. As in the case of Patent Document 1, for example, the screen can be optionally removed and replaced for the purpose of cleaning or replacement, but the combined operation of the filling member with or without the screen may not be possible or may not be possible in a simple manner depending on the requirements. Therefore, in order to operate the filling member with or alternatively without the screen, the filling operation is interrupted and the filling member is partially disassembled by mechanical / manual intervention.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to specify an improved filling member, specifically, to improve the diversity of filling members having both high-level quality and safety in the filling process.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] This object is achieved by a filling member having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are obtained from the dependent claims, the following description of the invention, and the description of the preferred exemplary embodiments.

[0008] The filling member according to the present invention serves to fill a filling product into a container. The filling member is particularly preferably used in a beverage filling system for filling, for example, water, juice, soft drinks, smoothies, dairy products, and others. The filling member is suitable for filling clean filling products such as water and dairy products, and filling products mixed with additives of various viscosities and / or, for example, syrup, pulp, fruit pieces, fibers, and others.

[0009] The filling member includes a product outlet designed to dispense the filling product into a container disposed thereunder. The term "thereunder" is to be understood to mean the direction of gravity in this case. It is true that when the filling member is used as intended, spatial relationships such as "above", "below", "thereunder", etc. are clearly defined. The filling member further includes a screening device with a screen as a first equipment means, and a screen is disposed between the product outlet and the container such that when the filling product passes through the screen and is introduced into the container, it is thereby filtered, and is designed to transfer the screen as needed to and from a screened state. Depending on the filling product and / or filling conditions, the screen can be appropriately introduced into or removed from the filling product stream.

[0010] As a result, the filling member enables particularly diverse filling operations. For example, a clean product such as water is filled with a screen inserted into the filling product stream, thereby preventing or at least reducing contamination of the filling product by foreign matter. The screen functions as a final barrier against foreign matter in this case. On the other hand, for example, a viscous filling product or a product containing fibers and / or fruit pieces may be filled without a screen, whereby the filling member can be used in a highly flexible manner. The filling curve can be arbitrarily adapted when the screen is inserted.

[0011] The screen also enables improvement of the dripping behavior. The openings and / or mesh of the screen can have dimensions and arrangements such that uncontrolled dripping of the liquid adhering to the lower region of the valve cone, for example, is prevented or at least reduced.

[0012] To clean the screen in the inserted or retracted state, the screen can be sprayed from below by being acted upon from below by a cleaning jet from a corresponding nozzle.

[0013] Preferably, the screen device includes a screen cup that includes a screen, and the equipment part is designed to press the screen cup in the screen state against the housing part of the filling member, and the screen cup surrounds the product outlet in a fluid-tight manner to prevent the filled product from leaking from the screen to the product outlet. In this way, without restricting the diversity of the use of the filling member, specifically without the need for partial disassembly of the filling member for the installation or removal of the screen, a clean filling process is always achieved.

[0014] Preferably, the movement of the screen device to and from the screen state includes a pivoting movement, and the above-mentioned diversity can be realized in a simple and reliable manner with respect to mechanical components. In this case, the screen device preferably includes a pivoting arm that is held by a pivoting shaft of the equipment part and is pivotable by the pivoting shaft.

[0015] Preferably, the movement of the screen device to and from the screen state particularly preferably includes a translational movement in the axial direction of the product outlet. In this way, corresponding equipment means can be pressed and / or pushed against the filling member to provide a reliable fluid-tight connection. The relative translational displacement between the filling member and the equipment means can be achieved in this case by the displacement of the filling member and / or the displacement of the equipment means.

[0016] Preferably, the filling member is designed for so-called free-flow filling. In this case, after the filled product exits the product outlet, generally at atmospheric pressure, it flows freely, that is, without being affected by guiding means, into the container to be filled as the filling member is designed.

[0017] The filling product in this case can be set to a swirling motion by a swirl fluid and / or a product outlet of a corresponding shape, so that under the action of centrifugal force, this filling product flows downward in a spiral movement on the container wall. Any gas disposed in the container and discharged by the filling product during the filling process can leak from the central container opening. In this way, a uniform, smooth and uninterrupted filling process can be realized with a short filling time.

[0018] Preferably, the filling member includes a filling valve comprising a product passage fluidly connected to the product outlet, a valve cone disposed in the product passage, a valve seat that is complementary in shape to the valve cone in at least some sections, and an actuator designed for the displacement of the valve cone in the axial direction of the product outlet such that the valve cone can be inserted into the valve seat to close the product outlet and can be retracted from the valve seat to open the product outlet. In this way, a free-flow valve can be realized in a simple and reliable manner with respect to mechanical components.

[0019] The filling valve can be designed as a check valve so that it can switch in a binary manner between a closed state and an open state. Alternatively, flow control may be performed on the filling valve such that in addition to the closed state, a plurality of open states are set with various volumetric flow rates. The control of the filling valve can be performed in a separated or continuous manner in this case. The above-described flow control can be realized, for example, by a valve cone having a cylindrical shape that is tapered toward the product outlet. A product passage having a shape of an annular passage in the region of the valve cone is formed on the inner surface by the outer peripheral surface of the valve cone in at least some sections. On the outside, an annular gap is defined by the valve housing. According to this exemplary embodiment, the valve cone is designed to be displaceable in the axial direction, that is, upward and downward. In this way, the annular gap at the product outlet can be increased or decreased. The height adjustment of the valve cone is preferably performed in a stepless manner within the operating range, that is, between the fully open position and the closed position.

[0020] Preferably, the equipment part includes at least one other equipment means in addition to the screening device. In this case, the equipment part is designed to transfer the other equipment means to and from a state below the product outlet. In this way, the equipment part can be used synergistically for the flexible use of one or more other equipment means, further enhancing the diversity of the filling members.

[0021] Therefore, at least one of the other equipment means is another screening device with a screen, and its filter characteristics are different from those of the screen of the first equipment means. Therefore, for example, foreign objects of various sizes can be filtered out of the filling product stream according to the filling product and / or the field of use.

[0022] Particularly preferably, at least one of the other equipment means is a CIP cup device having a CIP cup. In this case, the equipment part is preferably designed to transfer the CIP cup to and from a CIP state in which the CIP cup closes the product outlet, if necessary, for cleaning and / or sterilization operations. In this way, the equipment part can be used synergistically to set the screening state and the CIP state, further enhancing the diversity of the filling members.

[0023] In this case, the term "CIP" is understood to mean "cleaning in place", that is, a cleaning method in which the filling member can be washed with water and / or steam cleaned by a cleaning medium in the installed state without the need to be disassembled for cleaning. For the sake of linguistic simplicity, the term "CIP" in this specification also includes a so-called "sterilization in place (SIP)", which is a sterilization method in which the filling member can be washed with water and / or steam cleaned by a sterilization medium in the installed state without the need to be disassembled for sterilization in a similar manner.

[0024] Preferably, the movement of the CIP cup into and out of the CIP state involves a pivotal movement, whereby the diversity of the filling members can be realized in a simple and reliable manner with respect to the mechanical components. In this case, the CIP cup device preferably has a pivoting arm that is held by a pivoting shaft of the equipment part and is pivotable by the pivoting shaft.

[0025] The CIP cup can be designed to close the product outlet in a fluid-tight manner. Alternatively, the CIP cup can have an opening and / or be provided with a drain pipe for discharging the cleaning and / or sterilization medium. The CIP cup may be designed as a steam cup to enable the sterilization of the product guiding components by superheated steam or the like.

[0026] Preferably, the movement of the CIP cup into and out of the screen state involves, particularly preferably, a translational movement of the CIP cup in the axial direction of the product outlet. In this way, the corresponding equipment means can be pressed against the filling member to provide a reliable fluid-tight connection. The relative translational displacement between the filling member and the equipment means can be achieved in this case by displacing the filling member and / or by displacing the equipment means.

[0027] Preferably, the equipment part is designed to transfer the screen and the CIP cup into and out of a screen / CIP state in which both the screen and the CIP cup are arranged below the product outlet. As a result, a combined use of both equipment means is obtained as a possible variant, so that a wide variety of possibilities can be realized for the cleaning and / or sterilization of the filling member with or without a screen.

[0028] Preferably, the screen device includes a screen cup that includes the screen, and the equipment part is designed such that in the screen / CIP state, the screen cup is pressed against the valve housing while the CIP cup is pressed against the screen cup directly below. In this way, two equipment means can be pressed against the filling member to provide a reliable fluid-tight connection.

[0029] Preferably, the screen is designed to be replaceable. In this case, the replaceability or substitutability is not necessarily only useful for cleaning or maintenance, or for replacement in case of damage, but various filter characteristics can be achieved in this way depending on the filling product and / or use. In this case, for example, the screen can be designed to be replaceable as a small modular unit, and / or the screen cup and / or the screen device can be designed to be replaceable as a large modular unit. This also applies to other equipment means, specifically the CIP cup device.

[0030] Alternatively, the screen can be configured as an integral part of the screen device, and specifically as an integral part of the swivel arm of the screen device. In this case, the screen can be particularly preferably incorporated into the material of the screen device and / or the swivel arm, and particularly preferably introduced into the material by laser. In this way, a stable and cost-effective screen device can be provided by integral design.

[0031] In the case of multiple equipment means, these equipment means are preferably designed to be swivellable and / or movable independently of each other, while multiple equipment means may be mounted on one and the same swivel shaft. Thus, for example, multiple screen devices can be mounted on the swivel shaft, and alternatively or additionally, multiple screen cups can be mounted on the swivel arm of the screen device such that the screen cups can be inserted into the filling product flow below the product outlet. In this regard, the multiple equipment means according to this embodiment form a type of "magazine" from which suitable equipment means can be selected.

[0032] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments. The features described herein can be realized individually or in combination with one or more other features as long as the features presented above do not conflict with each other. The following description of the preferred embodiments is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] A further preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail by the following description of the figures.

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Figure 8B

[0034] With reference to the figures, preferred exemplary embodiments are described below. In this case, elements that are identical, similar, or functionally identical are presented with the same reference numbers in various figures, and repetitive descriptions of these elements are omitted in some cases to avoid redundancy.

[0035] FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic three-dimensional partial views of the filling member 1 according to exemplary embodiments shown in two different states described in more detail below. First, the basic structure of the filling member 1 is presented.

[0036] The filling member 1 is designed herein for free-flow filling in which the filling product falls freely at approximately atmospheric pressure, i.e., without being affected by any guiding device, into a container to be filled (not shown in the figures). The filling product in this case can be set to a swirling motion by the corresponding shape of the vortex fluid and / or the product outlet 11, so that due to the action of centrifugal force, this filling product flows downward in a spiral movement on the container wall. Any gas disposed in the container and discharged by the filling product during the filling process can leak from the central container opening. In this way, a uniform, smooth, and uninterrupted filling process can be realized with a short filling time.

[0037] The filling member 1 is preferably used in a beverage filling system for filling, for example, water, juice, soft drinks, smoothies, dairy products, and others. The filling member 1 is also suitable for filling filling products with various viscosities and / or mixed with additives such as syrup, pulp, fruit pieces, and others.

[0038] The filling member 1 has a product passage 10 with the above-mentioned product outlet 11 for the filling product to flow into a container disposed thereunder. For this purpose, the filling product is taken out from a filling product tank (not shown) disposed downstream of the filling member 1 and / or can flow into the product passage 10.

[0039] The filling member 1 also has a filling valve 20 including a valve cone 21 and a valve seat 22 that are complementary in shape in at least some sections. The filling valve 20 further includes an actuator not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In order to close the product passage 10 and / or the product outlet 11 and thus cut off the flow rate, the valve cone 21 is inserted into the valve seat 22, and the actuator can axially displace the valve cone 21 so as to retract from the product passage and / or the product outlet to open the product passage 10 and / or the product outlet.

[0040] The filling valve 20 can be designed as a check valve to enable switching in a binary manner between a closed state and an open state. Alternatively, flow rate control can be performed on the filling valve 20 such that a plurality of open states are set to various volumetric flow rates in addition to the closed state. The control of the filling valve 20 can be performed in a discrete or continuous manner in this case.

[0041] The above-described flow control can be achieved, for example, by a valve cone 21 having a cylindrical shape that is tapered toward the product outlet 11. A product passage 10 having an annular passage shape in the region of the valve cone 21 is formed on the inner surface at least in some sections by the outer peripheral surface of the valve cone 21. On the outside, an annular gap is defined and / or formed by the valve housing 12. According to this exemplary embodiment, the valve cone 21 is designed to be displaceable in the axial direction, i.e., upward and downward. In this way, the annular gap at the product outlet 11 can be increased and decreased. The height adjustment of the valve cone 21 is preferably carried out in a stepless manner within the operating range, i.e., between the fully open position and the closed position or the minimum flow position.

[0042] The filling member 1 also has an equipment part 30 that is designed to provide one or more equipment means to the filling member 1, specifically at the product outlet 11. The equipment means are preferably cup-shaped aids, tools, etc. that can be moved by the equipment part 30 below the product outlet 11 to completely or partially close the product outlet 11, adjust the product flow rate, and filter the product or others.

[0043] In this exemplary embodiment, two equipment means are provided, namely a screen device 31 and a CIP cup device 32.

[0044] In this case, the term "CIP" represents "Clean In Place", a cleaning method in which the filling member 1 does not need to be disassembled for cleaning and can be washed with water and / or steam with a cleaning medium in the installed state. For the sake of linguistic simplicity, the term "CIP" also includes what is so-called "Sterilize In Place" (SIP) in this specification, i.e., a sterilization method in which the filling member 1 does not need to be disassembled for sterilization and can be washed with water and / or steam with a sterilization medium in the installed state.

[0045] The equipment part 30 is designed to rotate the screen device 31 and the CIP cup device 32 as required and preferably independently of each other. In other words, the screen device 31 and the CIP cup device 32 are moved by a swiveling movement to their respective working positions disposed below the product outlet 11 correspondingly and to move away from the working positions.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, it should be mentioned that translational movement or movement on other trajectories can be performed while the equipment means move to their respective working positions and away from the working positions without the need for manual intervention or without the filling member 1 being partially or completely disassembled for the installation and / or removal of the equipment means.

[0047] According to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the screen device 31 has a screen cup 31b provided at the other end of the swivel arm 31a, which is held by the swivel shaft 33a of the swivel device 33 of the equipment part 30 and is swivellable about the swivel shaft 33a or the axis of the swivel shaft.

[0048] The swivel arm 31a and / or the screen cup 31b are preferably manufactured from plastic or stainless steel. The swivel arm 31a and the screen cup 31b can be composed of a number of parts or one part.

[0049] The screen cup 31b includes a screen 31c (see FIG. 2) designed as a filter to collect particles larger than a specific size, i.e., dust, metal chips, etc., and prevent these particles from entering the container to be filled. For this purpose, the screen 31c has a plurality of openings, and its size and arrangement determine the filtering effect.

[0050] The openings of the screen 31c are introduced into a suitable material by, for example, a laser, whereby the screen 31c can be manufactured integrally in a simple manner and / or as a single part.

[0051] In this regard, it should be mentioned that the screen cup 31b including the screen 31c is directly laser processed on the swivel arm 31a, whereby the screen device 31 can be manufactured in a particularly simple and resource-saving manner.

[0052] Alternatively, the screen 31c may be manufactured by 3D printing, sintering, or different methods. The screen 31c may alternatively be configured as a mesh or a mesh product. Preferably, in this exemplary embodiment, the screen 31c is held and / or fixed by a fixed part 31d which is in an annular configuration.

[0053] The opening diameter of the screen 31c can be in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm, for example suitable for water filling. For oil filling, an opening diameter in the region of 0.05 mm is appropriate. Thus, the screen 31c is also capable of filtering microplastics in addition to large foreign matters.

[0054] Similarly, the CIP cup part 32 also has a swivel arm 32a which is held on the swivel shaft 33b and is swivellable about the swivel shaft 33b or the axis of the swivel shaft. The swivel shafts 33a and 33b can be the same or independent components. Thus, the swivel shafts 33a and 33b are, for example, arranged concentrically with each other and can be activated independently of each other.

[0055] The CIP cup part 32 also has a CIP cup 32b which is provided at the other end of the swivel arm 32a in relation to the swivel shaft 33b.

[0056] The swivel arm 32a and / or the CIP cup 32b are preferably manufactured from plastic or stainless steel. The swivel arm 32a and the CIP cup 32b can be composed of a number of parts or a single part.

[0057] The CIP cup 32b is designed to be close to the product outlet 11 during the cleaning and / or sterilization of the filling member 1. The CIP cup 32b can be designed to be close to the product outlet 11 in a fluid-sealed manner.

[0058] Alternatively, in order to discharge the cleaning and / or sterilization fluid, the CIP cup 32b can have an opening and / or be provided with a drain pipe. In order to enable the sterilization of the product guiding components by superheated steam or the like, the CIP cup 32b can also be designed as a steam cup.

[0059] For cleaning and / or sterilization, the corresponding treatment medium is introduced into the filling member 1 through the passage guiding the filled product during the manufacturing operation. Therefore, due to the positioned CIP cup 32b, the treatment medium cannot be drained through the product outlet 11, and can be discharged, for example, through another passage that branches off from the above-mentioned product outlet 11 or can also be provided in the CIP cup 32b.

[0060] The screen 31c can be designed to be replaceable. In this case, the replaceability or substitutability does not necessarily only serve for cleaning, maintenance, or replacement. In case of damage, various filter characteristics can be realized in this way depending on the filled product and / or use. In this case, for example, the screen 31c can be designed to be replaceable as a small modular unit and / or the screen cup 31b and / or the screen device 31 can be designed to be replaceable as a large modular unit. One or more of these features for replaceability can also be provided in the CIP cup device 32 in the same way.

[0061] Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of equipment means are realized as the screen device 31, whereby various filter characteristics can be realized and set without adjusting the filling member 1.

[0062] Figure 1 shows a state where the screen cup 31b and the CIP cup 32b are disposed outside the operating position, that is, not disposed below the product outlet 11. This state is also referred to as the "normal state" in this specification. In the normal state, the filled product can flow freely into the container without further adjustment.

[0063] Figure 2 shows a state where the screen cup 31b has pivoted to the operating position, that is, the screen 31c is disposed below the product outlet 11 so that it is filtered when the filled product or different liquid flows through the screen 31c and leaves the product outlet 11. This state is also referred to as the "screen state" in this specification.

[0064] The screen cup 31b, specifically the annular fixed portion 31d, can be in fluid sealing contact with the lower portion of the valve housing 12 in the screen state to prevent the liquid from leaking from the filling member 1 through the gap and over the screen 31c in an uncontrolled manner.

[0065] For example, in order to bring equipment means such as the screen cup 31b and / or the CIP cup 32b into contact with the valve housing 12 of the filling member 1, the corresponding equipment means can be pressed against the filling member 1. Therefore, the filling member 1 and / or the equipment means can be designed to be movable in a translational manner in the axial direction. In this case, the movement of the equipment to the operating position thus includes rotational and translational movements.

[0066] Figures 3A to 8B show the filling member 1 according to further exemplary embodiments in various states as cross-sectional views with two side perspective representations, respectively.

[0067] The design of the filling member 1 according to a further exemplary embodiment is similar to the designs of Figures 1 and 2, and the filling member 1 is shown together with an exemplary actuator 40 designed to activate the valve cone 21.

[0068] The actuator 40 can be actuated, for example, electrically, magnetically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. In this example, the actuator 40 has a medium connection 41 to which an actuating medium such as electric power, compressed air, or the like can be supplied in order to activate the valve cone 21. The actuator 40 also has a spring 42, preferably designed as a helical spring, which serves to pre-tension the valve cone 21 to an operating position, for example a closed position or a fully open position.

[0069] The equipment part 30 also has an actuator 34 which is designed to move equipment means, that is to say in this case the screen cup 31b and / or the CIP cup 32b, to and from corresponding operating positions. The actuator 34 can include an electric motor for pivoting the equipment means via a pivoting device 33. The actuator 34 can also include a lifting actuator which is executed, for example, electrically, magnetically, pneumatically, or hydraulically in order to perform the above-described possible upward movement of the equipment means and / or the filling member 1 with respect to the equipment part 30 (more specifically at least its valve housing 12).

[0070] Figures 3A and 3B show a filling member 1 comprising a screen device 31 as equipment means in a normal state in which the screen cup 31b of the screen device 31 is arranged outside the operating position.

[0071] Figures 4A and 4B show the filling member 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of Figures 3A and 3B in a state in which the screen cup 31b is pivotally inserted, that is to say arranged below the product outlet 11.

[0072] Figures 5A and 5B show the filling member 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of Figures 3A and 3B in a screen state in which the screen cup 31b is pressed against the valve housing 12 in the operating position.

[0073] Figures 6A and 6B show a filling member 1 comprising a CIP cup device 32 as equipment means in a state in which the CIP cup 32b is pivotally inserted, that is to say arranged below the product outlet 11.

[0074] Figures 7A and 7B show the filling member 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B in a state where the CIP cup 32b is pressed against the valve housing 12 in the working position, which is also referred to herein as the "CIP state".

[0075] Figures 8A and 8B show the filling member 1 comprising a screen device 31 and a CIP cup device 32 in a state where both the screen cup 31b and the CIP cup 32b are in the working position, which is also referred to herein as the "screen / CIP state". In this combined state, the screen cup 31b is pressed against the valve housing 12, while the CIP cup 32b is pressed against the screen cup 31b directly therebelow.

[0076] In the exemplary embodiments presented above, in the case of a plurality of equipment means, the equipment means are rotatable independently of each other, but the plurality of equipment means can be mounted on a single rotating shaft 33a or 33b. Thus, for example, a plurality of screen devices 31a can be mounted on the rotating shaft 33a, and alternatively or additionally, the screen cups 31b can be mounted on the rotating arm 31a such that the screen cups 31b are "sequentially selected" in a magazine manner. This applies equally to other equipment means such as, for example, the CIP cup device 32. Various equipment means may be mounted on one and the same rotating shaft.

[0077] The filling member 1 described herein enables, in particular, a variety of operations, specifically in the case of free-flow filling. For example, a clean product such as water is filled when the screen 31c is inserted, and contamination of the filled product by foreign matter can be prevented or at least reduced. The screen 31c functions as a final barrier against particles or foreign matter in this case. A viscous filling product or a product containing fibers and / or pieces of pulp is filled, for example, without the screen 31c, and the filling member 1 can be used in a highly flexible manner. When the screen 31c is inserted, the filling curve can optionally be adapted.

[0078] The dimensions and arrangement of the openings and / or meshes of the screen 31c are such that uncontrolled dripping of the liquid adhering to the lower region of the valve cone 21 is prevented or at least reduced, whereby the screen 31c can also improve the dripping behavior.

[0079] To clean the screen 31c, the screen is acted upon from below by a cleaning jet from the corresponding nozzle in the inserted or retracted state and can thus be sprayed from below.

[0080] The equipment part 30 can additionally be used synergistically for the flexible use of one or more other equipment means such as the CIP cup 32b. As a possible variant, this results in the combined use of both equipment means such that various possibilities can be realized for the cleaning and / or sterilization of the filling member 1, with or without the screen 31c.

[0081] Where applicable, all of the individual features disclosed in the exemplary embodiments can be combined with each other and / or replaced without departing from the scope of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0082] 1 Filling member 10 Product passage 11 Product outlet 12 Valve housing 20 Filling valve 21 Valve cone 22 Valve seat 30 Equipment part 31 Screening device 31a Swivel arm 31b Screen cup 31c Screen 31d Fixed part 32 CIP cup device 32a Swivel arm 32b CIP cup 33 Swiveling device 33a Swivel shaft 33b Swivel shaft 34 Actuator 40 Actuator 41 Media Connection 42 Spring

Claims

1. A filling member (1) for filling a container with a filling product, comprising: a product outlet (11) configured to dispense the filled product into a container disposed below; an equipment part (30) having a screen device (31) with a screen (31c) as a first equipment means and configured to transport the screen (31c) as required to and from a screen state in which the screen (31c) is disposed between the product outlet (11) and the container so that the filled product is filtered by the screen (31c) when introduced into the container; It is equipped with The filling member (1), characterized in that the equipment part (30) contains at least one further equipment means in addition to the screen device (31) and is configured to transport the further equipment means to and from a state below the product outlet (11).

2. The filling member (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the screen device (31) comprises a screen cup (31b) having the screen (31c), the equipment part (30) is configured to press the screen cup (31b) in the screen state against a housing part of the filling member (1), and the screen cup (31b) surrounds the product outlet (11) in a fluid-tight manner to prevent the filled product from leaking from the screen (31c) into the product outlet (11).

3. 3. A filler element (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the movement of the screen device (31) into and out of the screen state comprises a pivoting movement.

4. A filler member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the movement of the screen device (31) into and out of the screen state comprises a translational movement.

5. The filling member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling member is configured for free-flow filling.

6. 6. The filling element (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a filling element comprising: a product passage (10) fluidly connected to the product outlet (11); a valve seat (22) having a shape complementary in at least some sections to a valve cone (21) arranged in the product passage (10); and an actuator (40) configured for displacement of the valve cone (21) in the axial direction of the product outlet (11) such that the valve cone (21) is insertable into the valve seat (22) for closing the product outlet (11) and retractable from the valve seat for opening the product outlet (11).

7. 2. A packing element (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the further equipment means is a screening device comprising a screen, the filtering characteristics of which differ from those of the screen (31c) of the first equipment means.

8. The filling member (1) according to claim 1 or claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the further equipment means is a CIP cup device (32) having a CIP cup (32b), and the equipment part (30) is configured to transport the CIP cup (32b) into and out of a CIP state in which the CIP cup (32b) closes the product outlet (11) as required.

9. 9. The filler member (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the movement of the CIP cup device (32) into and out of the CIP state comprises a pivoting movement.

10. The filler member (1) according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the movement of the CIP cup device (32) into and out of the CIP state comprises a translational movement.

11. The filling member (1) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the equipment part (30) is configured to transport the screen (31c) and the CIP cup (32b) to and from a screen / CIP state in which both the screen (31c) and the CIP cup (32b) are arranged below the product outlet (11).

12. The filling member (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the screen device (31) includes a screen cup (31b) which includes the screen (31c), and the equipment part (30) is configured such that in the screen / CIP state, the screen cup (31b) is pressed against the valve housing while the CIP cup (32b) is pressed against the screen cup (31b) directly below.

13. The packing element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screen (31c) is configured to be replaceable.

14. The filling member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the screen (31c) is configured as an integral part of the screen device (31), in particular as an integral part of the pivot arm (31a) of the screen device (31).

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