FILLING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FILLING PACKAGES WITH A FLUID PRODUCT

• Main Authors: BISCHOFF, Joerg, BRUNK, Barbara, OTT, Frank, HANSEN, Dirk, GEISSLER, Hanno
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 25.12.2019
• Subjects: BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OFBOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CONVEYING; FUNNELS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; LIQUID HANDLING; OPENING, CLOSING; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

The invention relates to a filling machine (1, 1′) for filling packages (2) with fluid products with a continuously circulating transport device (14) for transporting the packages (2) through the filling machine (1, 1′), comprising a plurality of cells (15) for receiving the packages (2), wherein a supply device (13) for supplying packages (2) to be filled is assigned to a supply region (16) of the transport device (14), and an output device (27) for outputting the packages (2) is assigned to an output region (28) of the transport device (14), wherein a filling region (17) is provided between the supply region (16) and the output region (28) in the transport direction (14) of the transport device (14), and a return region (29) of the respective transport device (14) is provided between the output region (28) and the supply region (16), and wherein at least one nozzle (38, 38′) for spraying the cells (15) with a cleaning fluid (40) is associated with the return region (29) of the transport device (14). According to the invention, so that the accumulation of impurities and the contamination of the filled product with microorganisms can be better prevented, a spray wall (39) is arranged on the side of the transport device (14) facing away from the at least one nozzle (38, 38′) and opposite the nozzle (38, 38′) in order to catch and discharge cleaning fluid (40) sprayed from the nozzle (38, 38′) and passing the cells (15).