Container filling apparatus and method

摘要

Apparatus and methods are provided for controlling flow of a flowable material. The flowable material passes from a product supply through one or more valves which are coupled to a controller. The controller is also coupled to one or more sensors operable to generate a signal indicating whether flowable product is present or not present at a specific level within a container. The controller is programmed to operate the valves based on signals received from the sensors. The sensors may be associated with the feed container and used to control metering of flowable product out of the feed container, or they may be associated with a container and used to control filling of the container with flowable product.

主权项

1. A method for filling to a predetermined fill level a product container of a particular configuration with a flowable product using a product filling machine, comprising the steps of:
(a) causing, during a filling operation at a filling station of the filling machine, a flowable product to flow through a fill valve assembly and through a mouth of and into the product container of the particular configuration located at the filling station, (b) using a sensor mounted at the filling station and positioned over a shoulder of the product container but below the mouth of the product container during flow of the product into the product container, generating a signal in response to the first sensing of the flowable product within the container; and (c) using a controller operably coupled to the sensor and configured to operate the fill valve assembly at the filling station, stopping flow of the flowable product into the container at the filling station upon receiving the generated signal from the sensor at the filling station; (d) wherein the method further comprises a preliminary step of positioning the sensor at the filling station so that the threshold of the sensor's range for first sensing the flowable product through a wall of such a container when the sensor is positioned over the shoulder of the product container but below the mouth of the product container corresponds to the predetermined fill level.