WO2008009844A1

WO2008009844A1 - Device and method for filling a tank with a fluid product

Info

Publication number: WO2008009844A1
Application number: PCT/FR2007/051660
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gilles Husard
Original assignee: Airlessystems
Priority date: 2006-07-21
Filing date: 2007-07-13
Publication date: 2008-01-24
Also published as: ES2368616T3; CN101511678A; EP2049400A1; US20090283175A1; FR2903975A1; CN101511678B; FR2903975B1; BRPI0714392A2; EP2049400B1

Abstract

Device for filling tanks (1) with a fluid product (P), the device comprising means (2) for injecting the fluid product, a filling nozzle (3) connected to the injection means (2), supporting means (5) for supporting a tank (1), and means of relative displacement (4) for bringing the nozzle (3) towards or away from the supporting means (5) along an axis (X), said device being characterized in that the supporting means (5) are connected to rotation means (6) for turning the supporting means and thus the tank (1) upon itself about the axis (X).

Description

Device and method for filling the reservoir with a fluid product

The present invention relates to a method and a device for filling a tank with a fluid product. For this purpose, devices are generally used comprising means for injecting fluid product, a filling nozzle connected to these injection means, support means for receiving the reservoir to be filled as well as relative displacement means for approaching and move the nozzle away from the support means along a predetermined axis. This type of filling device is particularly used in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy.

It has already been known for a very long time to use injection means associated with a filling nozzle for filling tanks with fluid product.

The nozzle is introduced into the reservoir through its opening and the injection means are turned on to feed the fluid product through the filling nozzle. During filling, the filling nozzle can remain static with respect to the tank. Alternatively, it is also possible to move the filling nozzle inside the tank as it fills with fluid. In either case, the fluid frequently traps air bubbles within the reservoir, particularly when the product has viscosities greater than 30,000 centipoise. This is not acceptable, and quite inadmissible when the fluid is particularly fragile. In this case, it is preferable to perform the vacuum filling operation, for example by placing the tank inside a vacuum chamber equipped with a filling head. Thus, before injecting the fluid into the tank, the chamber is removed from its air. The filling fluid product can then be performed without risk of trapping air bubbles. Once the filling operation is completed, the tank can be returned to atmospheric pressure, or alternatively, the chamber can be provided with a pump mounting station or valve. This vacuum filling technique is particularly effective and gives very good results. However, it requires expensive equipment and maintenance. This increases considerably the cost of the filling operation, and thus the cost of the fluid dispenser.

Another drawback related to the vacuum filling technique is the time required to put the chamber under vacuum and put it back to atmospheric pressure. As a result, the assembly lines using such vacuum filling devices are particularly slow, which again increases the cost of the filling operation.

Documents US5095955, DE 19534329 and US4966205 describe tank filling devices in which the fluid product injection rate, the tank rotation speed and / or the axial displacement speed of the nozzle can be modified. However, flow and speed values are constant during filling. As a result, the filling is not optimal, especially at the beginning and end of filling.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a less expensive and faster filling device.

To solve this problem, the present invention proposes a method of filling fluid to fill a tank having a bottom and an opening, the method comprising the following successive steps: - arranging the tank on a rotating support,

- introduce an injection nozzle in the tank to the level of its bottom,

and at the same time, injecting fluid into the reservoir through the nozzle, rotating the rotary support and the reservoir disposed thereon, and reassembling the nozzle in the reservoir, the speed of rotation, the injection rate and / or the rate of ascent varying during filling of the tank. Thus, the three main parameters of the filling operation, namely the axial displacement speed of the nozzle, the rotational speed of the reservoir and the injection rate, can be modified in a correlated manner to achieve optimum filling performance. . Each parameter can thus be chosen and modified during the filling according to several criteria, in particular the viscosity of the fluid product. To perform this correlation, the filling device further comprises adjustment and control means for adjusting and controlling at least one parameter among the rotational speed of the rotation means, the axial speed of the relative displacement means and the flow rate. injection of the injection means. These adjustment and control means may for example be in the form of appropriate software that determines the optimum values for speeds and flow. The software can for example automatically calculate two parameters according to a parameter imposed. The three parameters can also be determined automatically according to the viscosity of the fluid product. Other criteria can also be considered to determine the value of the parameters, such as the tank diameter and / or its height, and more generally its shape.

Advantageously, the nozzle comprises an outlet which remains substantially static with respect to the upper surface of the fluid product in the reservoir during its filling. In another aspect, the speed of rotation of the reservoir varies during filling of the reservoir. Alternatively or additionally, the injection rate varies during filling of the reservoir. The filling method of the invention may also include correlating the rotational speed, the rate of rise of the base and / or the injection rate during filling of the reservoir. In some cases, the speed of rotation and the ascent rate are higher at the beginning of filling than at the end of filling.

According to an advantageous procedure, the filling comprises at least three phases, namely an initial filling phase of the bottom region I of the tank, an intermediate filling phase of the barrel region II of the tank and a final filling phase of the tank. the neck region III of the reservoir, the rotation speed being advantageously greater in the initial phase than in the final phase and lower in the initial phase than in the intermediate phase. This mode is particularly effective with variable volume tanks using a piston-follower that slides tightly in a cylindrical barrel formed by the body of the tank. Indeed, such a piston-follower tank defines areas that are particularly difficult to fill viscous fluid product. With this procedure, it ensures a total filling of these areas. The invention also defines a fluid product filling device for filling tanks, the device comprising fluid product injection means, a filling nozzle connected to the injection means, support means for receiving a reservoir and relative movement means for moving the nozzle towards and away from the support means along an axis X, the support means being coupled to rotation means for driving the rotational support means and thus the reservoir rotating about itself around the axis X, characterized in that it further comprises adjustment and control means for adjusting and controlling, during the filling of the reservoir, at least one parameter among the rotational speed of the rotation means, the axial speed relative displacement means and the injection rate of the injection means.

Thus, it eliminates any risk of formation of trapped air bubbles in the fluid stored in the tank. Advantageously, the displacement means are controllable in axial speed to maintain the nozzle at the upper surface of the fluid in the reservoir during its filling. By rotating the reservoir, the upper surface of the fluid within the reservoir is in the form of a meniscus which is all the more hollow that the speed of rotation is important. Because the reservoir rotates about itself about the X axis and the nozzle is displaceable in axial translation along this axis X, the nozzle is positioned in the center of the meniscus at its lowest point. By maintaining substantially the contact between the lower end of the nozzle and the upper surface of the fluid product, it is ensured that the fluid product is fed directly into the mass of fluid already introduced inside the reservoir. This eliminates any risk of splashing or splashing and the meniscus of the fluid can thus rise inside the tank in a substantially constant and regular manner. This reliably prevents any formation of air bubbles inside the tank.

One of the principles of the invention lies in the fact of combining the rise of the nozzle with the rotation of the reservoir. Another principle lies in the fact of varying the speed of rise of the nozzle, the speed of rotation of the reservoir and / or the injection rate of the fluid during filling of the reservoir. Another principle is to vary these three parameters together in a correlated manner during filling. It is also possible to vary only two of the three parameters in a correlated manner. However, a basic principle is to rotate the tank while filled, the nozzle is fixed or movable relative to the tank.

The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of the invention. In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a filling device according to the invention,

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 show successive filling steps carried out according to a method of the invention, and FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a conventional piston-follower reservoir to explain the different phases of the invention. filling according to the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 to explain in detail the various elements of a filling device according to the invention. The filling device comprises injection means 2, an injection nozzle 3, axial displacement means 4, rotary support means 5, rotation means 6 and adjustment and control means 7. The device can of course still include other elements for its proper functioning or to provide additional functions. The filling nozzle 3 here comprises a filling cannula 31 connected to a head 32. The filling cannula 31 terminates in a dispensing outlet 33.

The nozzle 3 is associated with the axial displacement means 4 which allow the nozzle to move axially along an axis X. In other words, the nozzle 3 can go down and up.

On the other hand, the nozzle 3 is fluidly connected to the injection means 2 which can convey fluid to the nozzle 3 and through its dispensing outlet 33. On the other hand, means of 5 are coupled to rotating drive means 6 which act to rotate the support means on themselves about the axis X.

Consequently, the filling nozzle 3 and the support means 5 are both arranged on the X axis, the nozzle moving axially along the X axis and the support means rotating around them themselves. axis

X. The support means 5 are here fixed axially so that the axial displacement of the filling nozzle 3 has the effect of bringing the nozzle closer to or away from the support means 5. In a variant, it is also possible to imagine that the nozzle 3 is axially fixed and that the support means 5 already rotated about the axis X further move axially along this axis away from and toward the nozzle 3. The important characteristic is that it there is a relative displacement between the nozzle and the support means, no matter whether it is one or the other that moves axially.

The adjustment and control means 7 act here on both the injection means 2, the displacement means 4 and the rotation means 6.

It can however be imagined that the adjustment and control means act only on one or two of these elements. The adjustment and control means 7 control the actuation of the displacement means 4 so as to axially move the filling nozzle 3. In addition, the adjustment and control means act on the displacement means for adjusting or varying the axial displacement speed of the filling nozzle 3. Well Of course, the adjustment and control means can thus act to adjust the rate of displacement of the nozzle 3, that is to say its speed of movement and its travel distance between a top dead center and a bottom dead center.

The control adjusting means 7 also act on the injection means 2 to control the putting into operation of the injection means

2, but also to adjust or vary the flow rate of fluid injection. Indeed, depending on the speed of displacement of the nozzle 3, it is necessary to adapt or correlate the injection rate of fluid produced by the injection means 2. If the axial displacement speed of the nozzle 3 is slow, it is necessary to reduce the rate of injection of fluid product. On the other hand, if the speed of movement of the nozzle is high, it is necessary to increase the injection rate. Similarly, if during a displacement of the nozzle 3, for example the ascent of the nozzle, the speed varies, it is also necessary to vary the injection rate during the ascent of the nozzle. The adjustment and control means 7 also act on the rotation means 6 to control the actuation of the rotation means, but also to adjust or vary the speed of rotation. For example, it is possible to imagine that the speed of rotation is higher at the beginning of the filling operation than towards the end of the filling operation. Thus, the adjustment and control means 7 constitute, in a way, the brain of the filling device making it possible to adjust and control all the parameters of the device, namely the speeds of rotation and the axial displacement and the flow of fluid product. . The adjustment and control means 7 make it possible to correlate all these parameters in order to obtain optimum filling performance. For example, two or three parameters may be determined in a correlated manner according to certain criteria, such as, for example, the viscosity of the fluid to be injected, the diameter of the tank and its height, and more generally the shape of the tank. Viscosity variations can also be taken into account depending on the temperature or the setting in motion of the fluid product. It is also possible to determine two parameters according to a parameter imposed. The adjustment and control means 7 may for example be in the form of appropriate software implemented in a computer.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 to explain in detail a complete operating cycle of the filling device according to the invention used according to the filling method according to the invention.

Initially, a reservoir 1 comprising a bottom 11, an opening 12 formed by a neck 13. The reservoir 1 is disposed on the support means 5 axially centered on the axis X. The cannula 3 is disposed axially above of the opening 12, as shown in Figure 1. The first step of the filling process is to bring the nozzle 3 of the support means 5 by penetrating the cannula 31 into the reservoir through its opening 12. The cannula 31 is introduced until the dispensing outlet 33 is located near or in contact with the bottom 11 of the tank 1.

It is then possible to actuate the injection means 2 so as to feed fluid into the reservoir. Simultaneously or very shortly after or before, the rotation means 6 are actuated so as to drive the reservoir 1 in rotation about itself about the axis X. Simultaneously or very shortly after or before, the actuators are actuated. moving means 4 so as to raise the nozzle inside the tank. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, it is advantageous for the outlet 33 of the cannula to follow the upper surface S of the fluid product inside the reservoir. In other words, it is advantageous for the cannula 31 to remain in contact with the fluid inside the reservoir. Due to the rotation of the reservoir 1, the upper surface S of the fluid product conforms in the form of a meniscus which is further widened that the speed of rotation of the reservoir is important. The cannula 31 is located in the center of the meniscus at its lowest point. The outlet 33 can thus be maintained just above the lowest point of the meniscus and follow this lowest point as the reservoir is filled.

The filling operation is then continued as shown in FIG. 3. The reservoir fills and the outlet 33 of the cannula follows the upper surface S of the product. The filling operation ends when the cannula 31 only has its output 33 introduced into the opening 12. This is shown in Figure 4. It can then be definitely up the nozzle 3, stop the rotation 5 and of course stop the injection. The reservoir 1 is then perfectly and completely filled with fluid product P without including any air bubbles. This is explained by the fact that the filling has combined or correlated the displacement of the nozzle 3, the injection rate and the rotation of the tank 1. Indeed, to obtain a perfect filling, it is necessary to vary some parameters during of the filling operation. For example, the speed of rotation can be decreased at the end of filling. We can also reduce the injection rate at the end of filling. This naturally causes a slowing down of the rise of the nozzle at the end of filling. It is then easily understood that it is important and clever to correlate all the parameters by varying them appropriately to achieve the desired goal, namely a perfect filling without inclusion of air. Reference will now be made to FIG. 6 to explain in detail an advantageous procedure of the invention for filling a variable volume tank using a follower piston. This tank 1 comprises a cylindrical sliding barrel 10, a neck 13 defining an opening 12, and a bottom which is here in the form of a follower piston 11 engaged with sliding sliding inside the sliding shaft 10. For this, the follower piston 11 comprises a plate 111 defining at its center a cavity 114 which is intended to receive the pump body fixed in the neck 13 at the end of the stroke of the follower piston when it comes close. of the collar. On the other hand, the plate 111 is extended in its outer periphery by two annular lips 112 and 113 which are in leaktight sliding contact inside the barrel 10. In the initial position before filling, the follower piston 11 is in the configuration shown in Figure 6. The tank then defines a maximum useful volume. Each actuation of the pump (not shown), the product is extracted from the reservoir, which has the effect of sucking the follower piston 11 which then moves in the barrel 10 in the direction of a decrease in the volume of the reservoir . This is a quite conventional configuration for a piston-follower tank. All tanks are difficult to fill, but this type of piston-follower tank is even more difficult to fill due to the rugged shape of its bottom formed by the piston-follower 11. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to fill a zone Z1 defined by the cavity 114 and a zone Z2 which extends around the upper lip 113 on the outer periphery of the plate 111. These zones Z1 and Z2, visible in FIG. 6, are specific to the piston-follower tanks. In addition to these areas, the tank, like any other tank, still defines two other areas Z3 and Z4 which are also difficult to fill. The zone Z3 is defined at the upper end of the barrel at the transition zone between the barrel and the neck 13. As for the zone Z4, it corresponds to the inside of the neck 13.

The device and the filling method according to the invention can be used very effectively to fill such a piston-follower tank. For this, the reservoir is artificially divided into three regions I, II and III, which respectively correspond to the bottom region of the reservoir, the barrel region of the reservoir and the neck region of the reservoir. In order to achieve a perfect filling of zones Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4, the speed of rotation of the reservoir, the speed of rise of the nozzle and / or the injection rate of a region to be suitably varied will be suitably varied. 'other. Thus, the filling comprises at least three phases corresponding to the three regions I, II and III. For example, the tank can be rotated at 1500 rpm in region I, at 2000 rpm in region II and at 500 rpm.

1000 rpm in region III. The injection rate can be kept constant, or conversely be modulated in a manner correlated with the variation of the speed of rotation. As for the speed of rise of the nozzle, it must be appropriately modified so as to maintain its outlet 33 substantially static with respect to the bottom of the meniscus formed by the upper surface of the fluid within the tank. The determination of each of the parameters of the device can be carried out empirically and / or by trial and error until optimal filling of the reservoir is achieved. It will then suffice to keep the values of the various parameters in a memory integrated in the adjustment and control means 7. In the operating mode just described, the parameters can be kept constant within each region I, II and III. However, it is also possible to vary the values of the parameters within a region, for example in the region I or in the region III in order to optimize the filling of the zones Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4.

Thanks to the invention, tanks can be filled with the same quality as a vacuum filling device, only by combining certain parameters in a correlated manner.

Claims

claims

1.- Fluid product filling method (P) for filling a reservoir (1) having a bottom (11) and an opening (12), the method comprising the following successive steps:

placing the reservoir (1) on a rotary support (5); introducing an injection nozzle (3) into the reservoir (1) up to its bottom (11),

and at the same time, injecting fluid (P) into the reservoir (1) through the nozzle (3), rotating the rotary support (5) and the reservoir (1) disposed thereon, and reassembling the nozzle (3). ) in the tank (1), the rotation speed, the injection flow rate and / or the recovery rate varying during filling of the tank.

2. A filling method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle (3) comprises an outlet (33) which remains substantially static with respect to the upper surface (S) of the fluid product (P) in the reservoir (1) at during its filling.

3. Filling method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising correlatively adjusting the rotational speed, the rate of rise of the nozzle and / or the injection rate during filling of the reservoir.

4. A filling method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the rotational speed, the ascent rate and / or the injection rate are determined depending on the shape of the reservoir to be filled and / or the viscosity of the fluid to be injected into the reservoir.

5. A filling method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the speed of rotation and the ascent rate are higher at the beginning of filling than at the end of filling.

6. A method of filling according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reservoir comprises a shaft (10), a bottom (11) and a neck (13) thus defining bottom regions I, barrel II and of col III, the filling comprising at least three phases, namely an initial filling phase of the bottom region I of the reservoir, an intermediate phase of filling the barrel region II of the reservoir and a final phase of filling the reservoir. col III region of the reservoir, the rotation speed being advantageously higher in the initial phase than in the final phase and lower in the initial phase than in the intermediate phase.

7.- Fluid product filling device (P) for filling tanks (1), the device comprising fluid product injection means (2), a filling nozzle (3) connected to the injection means (2). ), support means (5) for receiving a reservoir (1) and relative displacement means (4) for moving the nozzle (3) towards and away from the support means (5) along an axis (X), the means of support (5) being coupled to rotation means (6) for driving the rotational support means and thus the reservoir (1) in rotation about itself about the axis (X), characterized in that it further comprises adjustment and control means (7) for adjusting and controlling, during filling of the reservoir, at least one parameter among the rotational speed of the rotation means, the axial speed of the relative displacement means and the injection rate of the injection means.

8. A filling device according to claim 7, wherein the displacement means (4) are controllable in axial speed to maintain the nozzle (31) at the upper surface (S) of the fluid product (P) in the reservoir. (1) during its filling.