U.S. patent application number 12/374005 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-19 for device and method for filling a tank with a fluid product.
This patent application is currently assigned to Airlessystems. Invention is credited to Gilles Husard.
Application Number | 20090283175 12/374005 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37714415 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090283175 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Husard; Gilles |
November 19, 2009 |
DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILLING A TANK WITH A FLUID PRODUCT
Abstract
A filler device for filling reservoirs with a fluid, the device
having a fluid injector, a filler nozzle connected to the injector,
a support for receiving a reservoir, and relative movement device
for moving the nozzle towards and away from the support along an
axis. The support is coupled to a rotation device for driving the
support in rotation and thus causing the reservoir to revolve about
the axis.
Inventors: |
Husard; Gilles; (Saint Jean
Des Mauvrets, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
Airlessystems
Charleval
FR
|
Family ID: |
37714415 |
Appl. No.: |
12/374005 |
Filed: |
July 13, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
July 13, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR2007/051660 |
371 Date: |
January 15, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/1 ;
141/387 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 43/59 20130101;
B65B 3/18 20130101; B65B 39/12 20130101; B65B 43/62 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/1 ;
141/387 |
International
Class: |
B65B 3/04 20060101
B65B003/04; B65B 3/00 20060101 B65B003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 21, 2006 |
FR |
0653065 |
Claims
1. A method of filling a reservoir a fluid, the reservoir having a
bottom and an opening, and the method comprising the following
successive steps: placing the reservoir on a rotary support;
inserting an injection nozzle into the reservoir down to the level
of its bottom; and simultaneously injecting the fluid into the
reservoir via the nozzle, causing the rotary support rotate with
the reservoir placed thereon, and raising the nozzle inside the
reservoir, with the speed of rotation, the injection rate, and/or
the upward speed varying during filling of the reservoir.
2. A filling method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has an
outlet that remains substantially static relative to the top
surface of the fluid in the reservoir while it is being filled.
3. A filling method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting in
correlated manner the speed of rotation, the upward speed of the
nozzle, and/or the injection rate while filling the reservoir.
4. A filling method according to claim 1, wherein the speed of
rotation, the upward speed, and/or the injection rate are
determined as a function of the shape of the reservoir to be filled
and/or as a function of the fluid to be injected into the
reservoir.
5. A filling method according to claim 1, wherein the speed of
rotation and the upward speed are greater at the beginning of
filling than at the end of filling.
6. A filling method according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir
comprises a drum, a bottom, and a neck, thereby defining a bottom
region I, a drum region II, and a neck region III, the filling
comprising at least three stages, namely an initial stage of
filling the bottom region I of the reservoir, an intermediate stage
of filling the drum region II of the reservoir, and a final stage
of filling the neck region III of the reservoir, the speed of
rotation advantageously being greater in the initial stage than in
the final stage, and lower in the initial stage than in the
intermediate stage.
7. A filler device for filling reservoirs with a fluid, the device
comprising fluid injector means, a filler nozzle connected to the
injector means, support means for receiving a reservoir, and
relative movement means for causing the nozzle to move towards and
away from the support means along an axis, the support means being
coupled to rotation means for driving the support means in rotation
and thus causing the reservoir to revolve about the axis, the
device being characterized in that it further comprises adjustment
and control means for acting during filling of the reservoir to
adjust and control at least one parameter selected from the speed
of rotation of the rotation means, the axial speed of the relative
movement means, and the injection rate of the injector means.
8. A filler device according to claim 7, wherein the movement means
are controllable in axial speed to keep the nozzle at the level of
the top surface of the fluid in the reservoir while it is being
filled.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and to a device
for filling a reservoir with a fluid. For this purpose, it is
general practice to use devices comprising fluid injector means, a
filler nozzle connected to the injector means, support means for
receiving the reservoir to be filled, and relative movement means
for causing the nozzle to move towards and away from the support
means along a determined axis. Filler devices of this kind are used
in particular in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics, or indeed
pharmacy.
[0002] It has already been known for a long time to use injector
means associated with a filler nozzle to fill reservoirs with
fluid. The nozzle is inserted into the reservoir through its
opening and the injector means are put into operation to feed the
fluid through the filler nozzle. During filling, the filler nozzle
can remain static relative to the reservoir. In a variant, it is
also possible to move the filler nozzle inside the reservoir as the
filler fills with fluid. Either way, it frequently happens the
fluid traps bubbles of air inside the reservoir, particularly when
the fluid presents viscosity greater than 30,000 centipoises. This
is not wanted, and becomes completely unacceptable when the fluid
is particularly fragile. Under such circumstances, it is preferable
to perform the filling operation under a vacuum, e.g. placing the
reservoir inside an evacuated enclosure fitted with a filler head.
Thus, prior to injecting the fluid into the reservoir, the air is
evacuated from the enclosure. The fluid can then be filled without
any risk of trapping bubbles of air. Once the filling operation has
terminated, the reservoir can be returned to atmospheric pressure,
or in a variant the enclosure may be provided with a station for
mounting a pump or a valve thereon. That vacuum filling technique
is particularly effective and gives very good results.
Nevertheless, it requires equipment that is expensive and that
needs thorough maintenance. That considerably increases the cost of
the filling operation, and as a result increases the cost of the
fluid dispenser.
[0003] Another drawback associated with the vacuum filling
technique is the length of time needed to evacuate the enclosure
and to restore it to atmospheric pressure. As a result, assembly
lines that use such vacuum filler devices are particularly slow,
thereby further increasing the cost of the filling operation.
[0004] Documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,955, DE 19 534 329, and U.S.
Pat. No. 4,966,205 describe reservoir filler devices in which the
injection rate of the fluid, the speed of rotation of the
reservoir, and/or the axial travel speed of the nozzle can be
modified. The flow rate and speed values are nevertheless constant
during filling. As a result filling is not optimized, particularly
at the beginning and at the end of filling.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to remedy the
above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a filler
device that is less expensive and faster.
[0006] To solve this problem, the present invention proposes a
method of filling a reservoir with a fluid, the reservoir having a
bottom and an opening, and the method comprising the following
successive steps: [0007] placing the reservoir on a rotary support;
[0008] inserting an injection nozzle into the reservoir down to the
level of its bottom; and [0009] simultaneously injecting the fluid
into the reservoir via the nozzle, causing the rotary support
rotate with the reservoir placed thereon, and raising the nozzle
inside the reservoir, with the speed of rotation, the injection
rate, and/or the upward speed varying during filling of the
reservoir. Thus, the three main parameters of the filling
operation, namely the axial speed of movement of the nozzle, the
speed of rotation of the reservoir, and the injection rate, can be
modified in correlated manner to achieve optimized filling
performance. Each parameter can thus be selected or modified during
filling as a function of various criteria, in particular the
viscosity of the fluid. To achieve the correlation, the filler
device also includes adjustment and control means for adjusting and
controlling at least one parameter selected from the speed of
rotation of the rotation means, the axial speed of the relative
movement means, and the injection rate of the injector means. These
adjustment and control means may for example be in the form of
suitable software that enables optimum values to be determined for
the speeds and the flow rates. For example, the software may
automatically calculate two parameters as a function of a parameter
that is imposed. The three parameters may also be determined
automatically as a function of the viscosity of the fluid. Other
criteria may also be taken into consideration for determining the
values of the parameters, such as, for example, the diameter of the
reservoir and/or its height, and more generally its shape.
[0010] Advantageously, the nozzle has an outlet that remains
substantially static relative to the top surface of the fluid in
the reservoir while it is being filled. In another aspect, the
speed of rotation of the reservoir varies during the filling of the
reservoir. As a variant or in addition, the injection rate varies
during the filling of the reservoir. The filling method of the
invention may also include adjusting in correlated manner the speed
of rotation, the upward speed of the nozzle, and/or the injection
rate during filling of the reservoir. Under such circumstances, the
speed of rotation and the upward speed are greater at the beginning
of filling than at the end of filling.
[0011] In an advantageous implementation, the filling comprising at
least three stages, namely an initial stage of filling the bottom
region I of the reservoir, an intermediate stage of filling the
drum region II of the reservoir, and a final stage of filling the
neck region III of the reservoir, the speed of rotation
advantageously being greater in the initial stage than in the final
stage, and lower in the initial stage than in the intermediate
stage. This implementation is particularly effective with
variable-volume reservoirs making use of a follower piston that
slides in leaktight manner in a cylindrical drum formed by the body
of the reservoir. Such a follower-piston reservoir defines zones
that are particularly difficult to fill with a fluid that is
viscous. In this implementation, it is guaranteed that these zones
are filled completely.
[0012] The invention also defines a filler device for filling
reservoirs with a fluid, the device comprising fluid injector
means, a filler nozzle connected to the injector means, support
means for receiving a reservoir, and relative movement means for
causing the nozzle to move towards and away from the support means
along an axis, the support means being coupled to rotation means
for driving the support means in rotation and thus causing the
reservoir to revolve about the axis, the device being characterized
in that it further comprises adjustment and control means for
acting during filling of the reservoir to adjust and control at
least one parameter selected from the speed of rotation of the
rotation means, the axial speed of the relative movement means, and
the injection rate of the injector means.
[0013] This eliminates nay risk of trapping bubbles of air in the
fluid stored in the reservoir. Advantageously, the movement means
are controllable in axial speed to keep the nozzle level with the
top surface of the fluid in the reservoir while it is being filled.
By causing the reservoir to rotate, the top surface of the fluid
inside the reservoir takes up the form of a meniscus that deepens
with increasing speed of rotation. Because the reservoir is
revolving about the axis X and because the nozzle is movable in
axial translation along the axis X, the nozzle is positioned at the
center of the meniscus at its lowest point. By practically
maintaining contact between the bottom end of the nozzle and the
top surface of the fluid, it is guaranteed that the fluid is fed
directly into the bulk of fluid that has already been injected into
the reservoir. This eliminates any risk of splashing or
projections, and the fluid meniscus can thus rise inside the
reservoir in a manner that is substantially constant and regular.
This serves reliably to avoid forming bubbles of air inside the
reservoir.
[0014] One of the principles of the invention thus resides in
combining raising the nozzle with rotating the reservoir. Another
principle resides in causing the upward speed of the nozzle, the
speed of rotation of the reservoir, and/or the injection flow rate
of the fluid to vary while the reservoir is being filled. Another
principle is to cause these three parameters to vary together in
correlated manner during filling. It is also possible to cause only
two of the three parameters to vary in correlated manner.
Nevertheless, a basic principle lies in causing the reservoir to
revolve while it is being filled, regardless of whether the nozzle
is stationary or movable relative to the reservoir.
[0015] The invention is described below in greater detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings showing an embodiment of the
invention by way of non-limiting examples.
[0016] In the figures:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic overall view of a filler device of
the invention;
[0018] FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5 show successive filling steps performed
in a method of the invention; and
[0019] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section view through a
conventional reservoir with a follower piston for the purpose of
explaining the various filling stages of the invention.
[0020] Reference is made initially to FIG. 1 to explain in detail
the various elements of a filler device of the invention. The
filler device comprises injector means 2, an injection nozzle 3,
axial movement means 4, rotary support means 5, rotation means 6,
and adjustment and control means 7. Naturally, the device may have
further elements in order to enable it to operate properly or to
perform additional functions.
[0021] The filler nozzle 3 comprises a filler spout 31 connected to
a head 32. The filler spout 31 is terminated by a delivery outlet
33.
[0022] The nozzle 3 is associated with the axial movement means 4
that enable the nozzle to move axially along an axis X. In other
words, the nozzle 3 can move down and up.
[0023] Furthermore, the nozzle 3 is connected in fluid flow manner
to the injector means 2 that enable the fluid to be taken to the
nozzle 3 and delivered through its outlet 33.
[0024] Furthermore, the support means 5 are coupled to the rotary
drive means 6 that serve to make the support means revolve about
the axis X.
[0025] Consequently, the filler nozzle 3 and the support means 5
both lie on the axis X, the nozzle moving axially along the axis X
and the support means revolving about the same axis X. The support
means 5 are axially stationary, such that axial movement of the
filler nozzle 3 has the effect of moving the nozzle 3 towards or
away from the support means 5. In a variant, it is equally possible
to imagine the filler nozzle 3 being axially stationary and the
support means 5, already driven in rotation about the axis X, also
moving axially along said axis away from or towards the nozzle 3.
The important characteristic is that there is relative movement
between the nozzle and the support means, and it matters little
whether one or the other of them moves axially.
[0026] The adjustment and control means 7 act simultaneously on the
injector means 2, the movement means 4, and the rotation means 6.
Nevertheless, it can be imagined that the adjustment and control
means act on only one or two of those elements. The adjustment and
control means 7 control actuation of the movement means 4 so as to
move the filler nozzle 3 axially. In addition, the adjustment and
control means act on the movement means to adjust or vary the axial
travel speed of the filler nozzle 3. Naturally, the adjustment and
control means can thus act to adjust the movement rate of the
nozzle 3, i.e. its travel speed and its travel stroke between a top
dead center and a bottom dead center.
[0027] The adjustment and control means 7 also act on the injector
means 2, not only to put the injector means 2 into operation, but
also to adjust or vary the rate at which the fluid is injected.
Depending on the travel speed of the nozzle 3, it is necessary to
adapt or correlate the fluid injection rate generated by the
injector means 2. If the axial travel speed of the nozzle 3 is
slow, then it is necessary to reduce the fluid injection rate.
Conversely, if the travel speed of the nozzle is high, then the
injection rate must be increased. Similarly, if the speed of the
nozzle 3 varies during a movement of the nozzle, e.g. an upward
movement, then it is also necessary to vary the injection rate as
the nozzle moves upwards. The adjustment and control means 7 also
act on the rotation means 6 not only to cause the rotation means to
be put into operation, but also to adjust or vary their speed of
rotation. For example, it is possible to imagine that the speed of
rotation is higher at the beginning of a filling operation than it
is towards the end of the filling operation.
[0028] Thus, so to speak, the adjustment and control means 7
constitute, the brain of the filler device serving to adjust and
control all of the parameters of the device, namely the speed of
rotation, the axial travel speed, and the fluid flow rate. The
adjustment and control means 7 serve to correlate all of these
parameters for the purpose of obtaining optimum filling
performance. By way of example, two or three of these parameters
may be determined in correlated manner as a function of determined
criteria, e.g. such as the viscosity of the fluid to be injected,
the diameter of the reservoir, and its height, and more generally
the shape of the reservoir. Account may also be taken of variations
in viscosity as a function of temperature or of the fluid being set
into motion. It is also possible to determine two parameters as a
function of an imposed parameter. By way of example, the adjustment
and control means 7 may be in the form of appropriate software run
on a computer.
[0029] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5 for explaining
in detail one complete operating cycle of the filler device of the
invention used in the filling method of the invention.
[0030] Initially, the reservoir 1 has a bottom 11 and an opening 12
formed by a neck 13. The reservoir 1 is placed on the support means
5 so as to be axially centered on the axis X. The spout 31 is
placed axially above the opening 12, shown in FIG. 1. The first
step of the filling method consists in moving the nozzle towards
the support means 5 so as to cause the spout 31 to penetrate inside
the reservoir through its opening 12. The spout 31 is preferably
inserted until the delivery outlet 33 is situated close to or in
contact with the bottom 11 of the reservoir 1.
[0031] It is then possible to actuate the injector means 2 to as to
feed the fluid into the reservoir. Simultaneously, or shortly after
or before, the rotation means 6 are actuated to drive the reservoir
1 so that it revolves about the axis X. Simultaneously or very
shortly after or before, the movement means 4 are actuated so as to
cause the nozzle to move up inside the reservoir. According to an
advantageous characteristic of the invention, it is advantageous
for the outlet 33 of the spout to track the top surface S of the
fluid inside the reservoir. In other words, it is advantageous for
the spout 31 to remain in contact with the fluid inside the
reservoir. Because the reservoir 1 is rotating, the top surface S
of the fluid takes up the shape of a meniscus that is increasingly
depressed with increasing speed of rotation of the reservoir. The
spout 31 is situated at the center of the meniscus at its lowest
point. The outlet 33 can thus be maintained immediately above the
lowest point of the meniscus and can track this lowest point as the
reservoir is filled progressively.
[0032] The filling operation continues as shown in FIG. 3. The
reservoir fills and the outlet 33 of the spout tracks the top
surface S of the fluid. The filling operation terminates when the
spout 31 has no more than its outlet 33 inserted in the opening 12.
This is shown in FIG. 4. The nozzle can then be raised finally,
rotation 5 can be stopped, and naturally injection is stopped. The
reservoir 1 is then filled well and completely with the fluid P,
without including the least bubble of air. This can be explained by
the fact that the filling operation combined or correlated movement
of the nozzle 3, and injection rate, and rotation of the reservoir
1. In order to obtain good filling, it is necessary to vary certain
parameters during the filling operation. For example, it is
possible to reduce the speed of rotation at the end of filling. It
is also possible to reduce the injection rate at the end of
filling. This naturally causes the rate at which the nozzle is
raised to slow down at the end of filling. It can then readily be
understood that it is important and advantageous to correlate all
of the parameters by causing them to vary appropriately in order to
achieve the intended object, namely good filling without any
inclusion of air.
[0033] Reference is now made to FIG. 6 to explain in detail an
advantageous implementation of the invention for filling a
reservoir of variable volume that makes use of a follower piston.
The reservoir 1 comprises a cylindrical slide drum 10, a neck 13
defining an opening 12, and a bottom that is shown in the form of a
follower piston 11 slidably engaged in leaktight manner inside the
slide drum 10. For this purpose, the follower piston 11 comprises a
plate 111 defining a central cavity 114 that serves, at the end of
the stroke of the follower piston when it comes into the vicinity
of the neck, to receive the body of the pump that is fastened in
the neck 13. Furthermore, the plate 111 has its outer periphery
extended by two annular lips 112 and 113 that are in leaktight
sliding contact with the inside of the drum 10. In the initial
position prior to filling, the follower piston 11 is in the
configuration shown in FIG. 6. The reservoir then defines its
maximum working volume. Each time the pump (not shown) is actuated,
fluid is extracted from the reservoir, thereby having the effect of
sucking up the follower piston 11 that then moves inside the drum
10 in the appropriate direction for reducing the volume of the
reservoir. That configuration is entirely conventional for a
follower piston reservoir.
[0034] All reservoirs are difficult to fill, but a reservoir of
this follower-piston type is even more difficult to fill because of
the non-level shape of its bottom constituted by the follower
piston 11. It is extremely difficult to fill firstly a zone Z1
defined by the cavity 114 and secondly a zone Z2 that extends
around the upper lip 113 at the outer periphery of the plate 111.
These zones Z1 and Z2, shown in FIG. 6, are specific to follower
piston reservoirs. In addition to these zones, the reservoir, like
any other reservoir, also defines two other zones Z3 and Z4 that
are likewise difficult to fill. The zone Z3 is defined at the top
end of the drum at the transition between the drum and the neck 13.
The zone Z4 corresponds to the inside of the neck 13.
[0035] The filler device and filling method of the invention can be
used most effectively for filling such a follower piston reservoir.
For this purpose, the reservoir is artificially subdivided into
three regions I, II, and III, corresponding respectively to the
bottom region of the reservoir, to the drum region of the
reservoir, and to the neck region of the reservoir. To achieve good
filling of the zones z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4, the speed of rotation of
the reservoir, the upward speed of the nozzle, and/or the injection
flow rate are caused to vary in appropriate manner from one region
to another. Thus, filling comprises at least three stages
corresponding to the three regions I, II, and III. For example, the
reservoir can be caused to revolve at 1500 revolutions per minute
(rpm) in the region I, at 2000 rpm in the region II, and at 500 rpm
to 1000 rpm in the region III. The injection flow rate may be kept
constant, or on the contrary it may be modulated in a manner that
is correlated with the variation in the speed of rotation. The
upward travel speed of the nozzle needs to be modified
appropriately so as to keep its outlet 33 substantially static
relative to the bottom of the meniscus formed by the top surface of
the fluid inside the reservoir. Each of these parameters of the
device can be determined empirically and/or by successive
approximations until optimum filling of the reservoir is obtained.
It then suffices to retain the values for the various parameters in
a memory incorporated in the adjustment and control means 7. In the
above implementation, the parameters may be kept constant within
each of the regions I, II, and III. Nevertheless, it is also
possible to cause the values of the parameters to vary within any
one region, such as for example in the region I or in the region
III so as to optimize filling of the zones Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4.
[0036] By means of the invention, it is possible to fill reservoirs
with the same quality as can be obtained with a vacuum filler
device, merely by combining certain parameters in correlated
manner.
* * * * *