Slop-over prevention in form-filling machines

{
  "publication_number": "US10035294B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Slop-over prevention in form-filling machines",
  "abstract": "A form-filling machine for molding and filling a plastic preform with a liquid in a treatment station, including a slop-over protection device to prevent a liquid from slopping out of the container, including during the transition of the container filled with the liquid out of the treatment station of form-filling machine into a discharge unit, such as a discharge star wheel.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A form-filling machine to mold and fill a plastic container with a liquid in a treatment station, comprising: a container form-filling machine with at least one treatment station for the expanding reshaping of plastic preforms into plastic containers in a hollow mold and for filling a substantially liquid product or at least a liquid or solid component of the products into the formed plastic containers, and a slop-over protection device formed to prevent the filling liquid from slopping out of the container during the transition of the container filled with the filling liquid from the treatment station into a discharge unit; and the slop-over protection device comprises: a circular path for the containers in the treatment station, and the discharge path comprises a section that extends from a transfer point between the treatment station and the discharge unit with a gradual transition from the curvature of the circular path in the treatment station to an opposite curvature of the discharge path, wherein a part of the discharge path continues after the transfer point with a curvature direction that is the same as before the transfer point, the slop-over protection device comprises a closure unit to superimpose a closure onto an outlet of the container that is molded in the treatment station and filled with the liquid, the closure having at least one gas exchange aperture comprising one of a slot on one edge of the closure, a star-shaped or a cross-shaped slot in the closure, and a combination thereof.",
    "2. The form-filling machine according to claim 1, and the star-shaped or cross-shaped slot is in the center of the closure.",
    "3. A form-filling machine to mold and fill a plastic container with a liquid in a treatment station, comprising: a container form-filling machine with at least one treatment station for the expanding reshaping of plastic preforms into plastic containers in a hollow mold and for filling a substantially liquid product or at least a liquid or solid component of the products into the formed plastic containers, and a slop-over protection device formed to prevent the filling liquid from slopping out of the container, and the slop-over protection device comprises: a closure unit to superimpose a closure onto an outlet of the container that is molded in the treatment station and filled with the liquid, and the closure has at least one gas exchange aperture, and the gas exchange aperture comprises one of a slot on one edge of the closure, a star-shaped or a cross-shaped slot in the closure, and a combination thereof."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The disclosure relates to a form-filling machine to mold and fill a plastic container with a liquid in a treatment station.\n\nAs known, plastic containers can be manufactured out of preforms in a blow molding process.\n\nAs an alternative to inflating the containers with pressurized air, the EP 1529620 B1 describes a process for hydraulic reshaping of preforms into plastic bottles. For this purpose, the preforms are at first heated, brought into a hollow mold and stretched there in a longitudinal direction. Further, a fluid or the like is added in order to produce the final container shape. The fluid corresponds to the liquid remaining in the container and consequently remains in the container so that a subsequent separate bottling process can be omitted.\n\nThe US 2011/0031659 A1 further describes a process in which a heated preform is stretched by means of a stretching rod and subsequently dilated hydraulically into a container by means of an incompressible fluid, in particular water. Afterwards, the fluid is displaced by pressurized air and flows out of the container.\n\nA form-filling machine, according to its definition, comprises at least one treatment station for the expanding reshaping process of plastic preforms into plastic containers in a hollow mold and for filling a substantially liquid product or at least a liquid or solid component of the products into the plastic containers.",
  "cpc": [
    "B29C 49/46",
    "B29C 2049/4664",
    "B29C 49/42069",
    "B29C 49/421",
    "B29C 49/4273",
    "B29K 2105/258",
    "B29L 2031/7158",
    "B65B 3/022",
    "B65B 7/2821",
    "B65G 47/847",
    "B67B 3/00",
    "B67C 7/0046"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B29C 49/42",
    "B29C 49/46",
    "B29K 105/00",
    "B29L 31/00",
    "B65B 3/02",
    "B65G 47/84",
    "B65G 47/86",
    "B67B 3/00",
    "B67C 7/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Krones AG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Günter Frankenberger",
    "Harald Wels",
    "Thomas Albrecht"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-08-17",
  "publication_date": "2018-07-31",
  "grant_date": "2018-07-31",
  "priority_date": "2014-08-20",
  "application_number": "US-201514827899-A",
  "family_id": "51389981",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "WO1998055390A1",
    "EP1529620B1",
    "US20110031659A1",
    "JP2009269660A",
    "EP2179960A1",
    "WO2011007370A1",
    "US8776988B2",
    "US20120266567A1",
    "US20130026005A1",
    "US20120260955A1",
    "US20140157734A1",
    "DE102011115512A1",
    "WO2013053417A1",
    "US20140251766A1",
    "WO2013117492A1",
    "US20150021833A1",
    "US20160059469A1",
    "US20160250798A1"
  ]
}