• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    Fig. 1 The invention relates to a direction for filling containers under vacuum with a mainly liquid foodstuff. The device comprises a filling system, a feed for food to the filling system and a vacuum pump connected to the filling system. The device further comprises a tank for collecting food that is sucked in by the vacuum pump. This tank is placed between the filling system and the vacuum pump. The invention further relates to a method for filling containers under vacuum with a substantially liquid foodstuff. FIG. 1
    公开号:BE1023066B1
    申请号:E2015/5795
    申请日:2015-12-07
    公开日:2016-11-16
    发明作者:Philippe Pierre Alain Vandamme；Delphine Emanuelle Risch
    申请人:Continental Foods Belgium Nv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Device and method for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum
    Technical field
    The present invention relates to an improved device for filling containers with a substantially liquid foodstuff under vacuum.
    The invention further relates to an improved method for filling containers under vacuum with a mainly liquid food.
    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    When filling containers with foodstuffs such as, for example, liquid or mainly liquid foodstuffs, it is important that the containers are filled under vacuum. By filling the containers under vacuum, as much air as possible is extracted from the food and the amount of oxygen in the food is limited. This guarantees a long storage time for the food. Moreover, the filling of containers under vacuum allows for uniform filling of the containers.
    The filling of containers with foodstuff by means of a vacuum filling system is known. This is used, among other things, for filling bottles, cans or beverage cartons with mainly liquid foods such as soup, broth, sauce, stew or ragout.
    Vacuum filling systems known in the art consist of a filling system, a feed for the filling system and a vacuum pump connected to the filling system. The vacuum pump ensures that the containers are filled under vacuum.
    In the vacuum filling systems known according to the prior art, it is not possible to prevent a part of the food from being sucked in by the vacuum pump during the generation of the vacuum and thus ending up in the connecting channel to the vacuum pump and even into the vacuum pump. The problem is more pronounced with liquid or very liquid foods, for example with broths or soups.
    Because food is sucked in by the vacuum pump, contamination occurs in the channel to the vacuum pump and if the food is sucked into the vacuum pump, contamination also occurs in the vacuum pump itself. Cleaning the channel to the vacuum pump and the vacuum pump is intensive and difficult and leads to a long shutdown of the vacuum filling system.
    Moreover, the known vacuum filling systems have the drawback that an unstable vacuum is created when a part of the foodstuff is sucked into the vacuum pump.
    Furthermore, it is important to note that by sucking in a part of the food through the vacuum, an important part of the food is lost.
    Summary of the invention
    It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for filling containers with a substantially liquid foodstuff under vacuum.
    It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum, whereby foodstuffs are prevented from entering the vacuum pump.
    It is a further object of the invention to provide a device for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum, wherein the vacuum remains stable during filling.
    It is another object of the invention to provide a device wherein the loss of food because food enters the vacuum pump is minimized or avoided.
    It is an object of the invention to provide a method for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum.
    According to a first aspect of the invention, a device is provided for filling containers under vacuum with a food that is essentially liquid. The device comprises a filling system; a feed for food to the filling system; a vacuum pump connected to the filling system.
    The device according to the invention further comprises a tank for collecting food which is sucked in by the vacuum pump. The tank is placed between the filling system and the vacuum pump.
    By placing a tank between the filling system and the vacuum pump, the food that is sucked in by the vacuum pump is collected in the tank. In this way it is prevented that food enters the vacuum pump. The collection of the food in the tank is effected by the effect of gravity on the food.
    Preferably, the filling system is connected to the tank by a first connecting channel and the tank is connected to the vacuum pump by a second connecting channel. If food is sucked in by the vacuum pump, it enters the first connecting channel and then it is collected by gravity in the tank. Because the food product is collected in the tank, it is prevented that the food product ends up in the second connecting channel and the food product is prevented from ending up in the vacuum pump. Moreover, this prevents instability of the vacuum. Furthermore, collecting food in the tank offers the possibility of reusing the collected food, for example by leading the food back to the food supply to the filling system.
    As a filling system, any type of filling system can be used, such as, for example, a vacuum filling system for filling bottles, jars, cans or (beverage) cardboard.
    As a feed system, any type of feed system can be used, such as, for example, a funnel-shaped feed (hopper) or screw-shaped feed.
    The purpose of a vacuum pump is to extract the air from a room (here the filling system, the tank and possibly the connecting channels) in order to reduce the pressure in that room.
    Any food packaging can be considered as a container. The containers are preferably made from plastic, glass, metal or cardboard. Examples of containers are plastic bottles, glass bottles or jars, metal cans or beverage cartons.
    The containers preferably have a volume ranging between 0.2 liters and 5 liters, such as, for example, 0.5 liters. 0.75 liters, 1 liter or 1.5 liters.
    Any foodstuff that is essentially liquid can be considered as a foodstuff. The device for filling containers with a food according to the invention under vacuum is particularly suitable for filling containers with very liquid foods, for example for filling containers with drinks, soup or broth.
    Bouillon is understood to mean an aqueous solution in which flavor, aromas and / or nutrients have been added by drawing meat, vegetables, fish and / or other foods into the aqueous solution.
    The tank can take any shape. The lower part of the tank preferably has a conical or partially conical shape.
    In a preferred embodiment, the tank is provided with a discharge channel for discharging the food product that is collected in the tank. The discharge channel is preferably provided in the lower part of the tank, such as, for example, at the bottom of the tank. The discharge channel is preferably provided with a tap for opening or closing the discharge channel.
    Preferably, the discharge channel can direct the food product collected in the tank back to the filling system, such as, for example, to the food supply to the filling system. Such an embodiment offers the advantage that no foodstuff is lost since the foodstuff that is collected in the tank is brought back into the filling system. For this purpose, the tank is preferably equipped with a controller which transmits a signal at predetermined times to return the food product collected in the tank to the filling system.
    In a preferred embodiment the tank consists of more than one chamber, for example of two chambers, such as for example an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The lower chamber preferably has a conical or partially conical shape.
    Preferably the lower chamber of the upper chamber can be closed by a valve. When the valve is closed, the vacuum is retained in the upper chamber and the filling system.
    In a preferred embodiment, the tank is provided with a controller which, on the basis of a signal from a height sensor that measures the volume of food in the tank, closes the valve and directs the food collected in the tank to the filling system, such as, for example, to the feed for the food to the filling system. The signal from the height sensor corresponds, for example, to reaching a predetermined volume of food in the tank, for example in the lower chamber of the tank.
    According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for filling containers under vacuum with a substantially liquid food is provided. This method uses a device for filling containers as described above.
    The device for filling the containers preferably comprises a filling system, a feed to the filling system, a vacuum pump connected to the filling system and a food-collecting tank, the tank being placed between the filling system and the vacuum pump. The method comprises the following steps: collecting food in the tank which is sucked in by the vacuum pump during the vacuum suction of the filling system.
    In a preferred embodiment, the food product that is collected in the tank is discharged at a predetermined times via a discharge channel. This foodstuff can be led back to the filling system via the discharge channel, for example to the feed of foodstuff to the filling system. In this way the food collected in the tank can be reused.
    The predetermined time preferably corresponds to the time that the volume of the food in the tank reaches a predetermined volume. The discharge of the food into the tank is controlled, for example, by a controller which controls the discharge of the food based on a signal from a height sensor that measures the volume of food in the tank.
    In a preferred embodiment, the tank consists of more than one chamber, for example an upper chamber and a lower chamber that can be closed off from each other by a valve. In such an embodiment, once the volume in the lower chamber reaches a predetermined level, the controller sends a signal to the valve, thereby closing the valve and separating the upper chamber from the lower chamber. The controller then gives a signal that the food product collected in the tank can be discharged and can, for example, be fed to the filling system.
    Brief description of the figures
    The invention will be explained below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the figure. The figure herein shows a schematic overview of a device for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum.
    Extensive description of the figures
    The figure shows a schematic overview of a device for filling containers with foodstuff under vacuum. The device 1 comprises a filling system 2 for filling containers 3, a food supply 4 to the filling system 2 and a vacuum pump 5. The device 1 further comprises a tank 6 which is placed between the filling system 2 and the vacuum pump 5. The tank 6 is preferably connected to the filling system 2 by means of a first connecting channel 7 and the tank 6 is connected to the vacuum pump 5 by means of a second connecting channel 8.
    The tank 6 consists of an upper chamber 9 "and a lower chamber 9". The lower chamber 9 "preferably has a conical or partially conical shape. The upper chamber 9 "and the lower chamber 9" can be closed off from each other by means of a valve or valve 10. In case the valve 10 is closed, the vacuum in the filling system 2 and in the tank 6 is retained.
    The tank is provided with a discharge channel 11. This discharge channel 11 is preferably located in the lower part of the tank 6, for example at the bottom of the tank 6. In the embodiment as shown in the Figure, the discharge channel 11 is located at the bottom of the lower chamber 9 '' . The drain channel 9 is provided with a tap for opening or closing the drain channel.
    When the vacuum pump 5 is switched on, part of the food is sucked in by the vacuum pump 5. This foodstuff first arrives in the first connecting channel 7 and is then collected in the tank 6. The collected foodstuff is collected in the lower chamber 9 ”of tank 6. Once the level of the food in the lower chamber 9 "of tank 6 reaches a predetermined level, a controller sends a signal to the valve 10, thereby closing the valve 10. This closes the upper chamber 9 "from the lower chamber 9".
    The vacuum is hereby maintained in the upper chamber 9 'and the filling system 2. Once the lower chamber 9 "is closed off from the upper chamber 9', the collected food can be discharged via discharge channel 11 and optionally to the filling system 2. e.g. to the feed 4 for food be led to the filling system.
    权利要求:
    Claims (6)
    [1]
    Conclusions
    A device for vacuum filling containers with a substantially liquid food, which device is a filling system, a feed for food to the filling system, a vacuum pump connected to the filling system and a tank for collecting food sucked in by the vacuum pump comprises, wherein the tank is placed between the filling system and the vacuum pump and comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber, wherein the lower chamber of the upper chamber can be closed by means of a valve and wherein the tank is provided with a controller based on a signal from a height sensor in the tank the valve closes and the food collected in the tank leads to the feed for the food to the filling system.
    [2]
    A device according to claim 1, wherein the tank is provided with a discharge channel for discharging the food product that is collected in the tank.
    [3]
    A device according to claim 2, wherein the discharge channel leads the food product collected in the tank back to the supply to the filling system.
    [4]
    A device according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower chamber has a conical shape.
    [5]
    A method for filling containers under vacuum with a substantially liquid food product by means of a device for filling containers under vacuum as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.
    [6]
    A method according to claim 5, wherein the device for vacuum filling containers comprises a filling system, a feed for food to the filling system, a vacuum pump connected to the filling system and a tank for collecting food, the tank between the filling system and the vacuum pump is placed, the tank comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber that can be closed off from each other by a valve and wherein the tank comprises a controller which can close the valve on the basis of a signal from a height sensor in the tank and the food collected from the tank to the feed for the food can lead to the filling system, the method comprising the following step - collecting in the tank of food that is sucked in by the vacuum pump during the vacuum suction of the filling system: - closing the valve and discharging foodstuff that is collected in the lower chamber by controlling the controller.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    法律状态:
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    DE102016224120.6A| DE102016224120A1|2015-12-07|2016-12-05|Apparatus and method for vacuum filling of containers with food|
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