Contamination-free apparatus for filling spouted bags with a fluid

Claim 1

An apparatus for filling bags with a fluid product to a prescribed weight in a contamination-free manner, each bag having a spout with a removable cap, the apparatus comprising: (a) means defining a germfree chamber; (b) means for sterilizing the germfree chamber; (c) a weighing platform under the germfree chamber for weighing the fluid product charged into a bag placed thereon; (d) a filling valve assembly fixedly mounted in the germfree chamber and having a filling head for charging the fluid product into the bag on the weighing platform, said filling valve assembly having first means for supplying therethrough at a first flowrate the fluid product of a weight less than a prescribed weight to be charged into the bag, and second means for supplying therethrough the fluid product at a second flowrate smaller than said first flowrate, said second means operating upon completion of the operation of said first means; (e) means for sterilizing the interior of the filling head; (f) a cap remover assembly mounted in a fixed position in the germfree chamber in side-by-side relation with the filling valve assembly; (g) a spout carrier movably supported on the weighing platform for engagement with the spout of the bag; (h) means mounted on said weighing platform for horizontally moving the spout carrier between a first position, where the cap is removed from and replaced on the spout of the bag by the cap remover assembly, and a second position where the spout is located substantially within the germfree chamber and from where the spout of the bag is upwardly movable into engagement with the filling head of the filling valve assembly for receiving the fluid product therefrom; (i) means mounted on said weighing platform for moving the spout carrier vertically between the first position and a position therebelow and between the second position and a position thereabove in which the spout of the bag is engaged with the filling head, said means for moving the spout carrier vertically having means to cause the spout carrier to move downwardly to the second position causing the engaged spout and filling head to become disengaged upon completion of the operation of the first means of the filling valve assembly, whereupon the bag freely rests on said weighing platform allowing accurate weighing of the fluid product being charged into the bag; and (j) means for introducing sterilized air under pressure into the germfree chamber during the filling operation to maintain the chamber at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure.

Claim 2

An apparatus for filling bags with a fluid product to a prescribed weight in a contamination-free manner, each bag having a spout with a removable cap, the apparatus comprising: (a) means defining a germfree chamber; (b) means for sterilizing the germfree chamber; (c) a weighing platform under the germfree chamber for weighing the fluid product charged into a bag placed thereon; (d) a filling valve assembly fixedly mounted in the germfree chamber and having a filling head for charging the fluid product into the bag on the weighing platform, said filling valve assembly having first means for supplying therethrough at a first flowrate the fluid product of a weight less than a prescribed weight to be charged into the bag, and second means for supplying therethrough the fluid product at a second flowrate smaller than said first flowrate, said second means operating upon completion of the operation of said first means; (e) means for sterilizing the interior of the filling head; (f) a cap remover assembly mounted in a fixed position in the germfree chamber in side-by-side relation with the filling valve assembly; (g) a spout carrier movably supported on the weighing platform for engagement with the spout of the bag; (h) means mounted on said weighing platform for horizontally moving the spout carrier between a first position, where the cap is removed from and replaced on the spout of the bag by the cap remover assembly, and a second position where the spout is located substantially within the germfree chamber and from where the spout of the bag is upwardly movable into engagement with the filling head of the filling valve assembly for receiving the fluid product therefrom; (i) means mounted on said weighing platform for moving the spout carrier vertically between the first position and a position therebelow and between the second position and a position thereabove in which the spout of the bag is engaged with the filling head, said means for moving the spout carrier vertically having means to cause the spout carrier to move downwardly to the second position causing the engaged spout and filling head to become disengaged upon completion of the operation of the first means of the filling valve assembly, whereupon the bag freely rests on said weighing platform allowing accurate weighing of the fluid product being charged into the bag; and (j) means for introducing sterilized air under pressure into the germfree chamber during the filling operation to maintain the chamber at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure.