Apparatus and method for filling bottles, flacons or the like container with a predetermined weight amount of a fluid

Claim 1

An apparatus for filling bottles, flacons or the like containers with a predeterminated weight amount of a fluid, comprising: a rotating carousel; a plurality of filling zones on said carousel for supporting each a respective container; a plurality of filling taps each associated to one respective filing zone for supplying fluid to said respective container; a plurality of filling tap control means each associated to one respective filling tap for opening and closing said one respective filling tap; memory means for storing a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid to be supplied and a control weight for controlling closure of said filling taps; a plurality of weighing means each associated to a respective filling zone for determining a first empty container weight of said respective container at a first instant of time, a second filling weight of said respective container at a second instant of time, later than said first instant of time, with said respective filling tap in opened condition, and a third final weight of said respective container at a third instant of time, later than said second instant of time with said respective filling tap in closed condition; means for determining a filling net weight and a final net weight from said second filling weight and said third final weight, respectively, and said first tare weight; weight comparing means for comparing said control weight and said net filling weight and for generating a closure command for said filling tap control means when said control weight and said filling net weight are equal; correction determining means including means for comparing said nominal weight amount and said final net weight and for determining a corrective factor; correction means for correcting said control weight according to said corrective factor.

Claim 2

An apparatus for filling bottles, flacons or the like containers with a predeterminated weight amount of a fluid, comprising: a rotating carousel; a plurality of filling zones on said carousel for supporting each a respective container; a plurality of filling taps each associated to one respective filing zone for supplying fluid to said respective container; a plurality of filling tap control means each associated to one respective filling tap for opening and closing said one respective filling tap; memory means for storing a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid to be supplied and a control weight for controlling closure of said filling taps; a plurality of weighing means each associated to a respective filling zone for determining a first empty container weight of said respective container at a first instant of time, a second filling weight of said respective container at a second instant of time, later than said first instant of time, with said respective filling tap in opened condition, and a third final weight of said respective container at a third instant of time, later than said second instant of time with said respective filling tap in closed condition; means for determining a filling net weight and a final net weight from said second filling weight and said third final weight, respectively, and said first tare weight; weight comparing means for comparing said control weight and said net filling weight and for generating a closure command for said filling tap control means when said control weight and said filling net weight are equal; correction determining means including means for comparing said nominal weight amount and said final net weight and for determining a corrective factor; correction means for correcting said control weight according to said corrective factor.

Claim 5

An apparatus for filling bottles, flacons or the like container with a predeterminated weight amount of a fluid, comprising: a rotating carousel; a plurality of filling zones on said carousel for supporting each a respective container; a plurality of filling taps each associated to one respective filling zone for supplying fluid to said respective container; a plurality of filling tap control means each associated to one respective filling tap for opening and closing said one respective filling tap; memory means for storing a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid to be supplied and a control weight for controlling closure of said filling taps; a plurality of weighing means each associated with a respective filling zone for determining a first empty container weight of said respective container at a first instant of time, a second filling weight of said respective container at a second instant of time, later than said first instant of time, with said respective filling tap in opened condition, and a third final weight of said respective container at a third instant of time, later than said second instant of time with said respective filling tap in closed condition; subtraction means for determining a filling net weight and a final net weight from said second filling weight and said third final weight, respectively, and said first tare weight; weight comparing means for comparing said control weight and said net filling weight and for generating a closure command for said filling tap control means when said control weight and said filling net weight are equal; correction determining means including further subtraction means for subtracting said final net weight from said nominal weight amount and determining a difference weight; multiplier means for multipling said difference weight for a fixed percentage factor and determining a correction factor; and third subtraction means for subtracting said correction factor from said control weight.

Claim 6

An apparatus for filling bottles, flacons or the like container with a predeterminated weight amount of a fluid, comprising: a rotating carousel; a plurality of filling zones on said carousel for supporting each a respective container; a plurality of filling taps each associated to one respective filling zone for supplying fluid to said respective container; a plurality of filling tap control means each associated to one respective filling tap for opening and closing said one respective filling tap; memory means for storing a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid to be supplied and a control weight for controlling closure of said filling taps; a plurality of weighing means each associated with a respective filling zone for determining a first empty container weight of said respective container at a first instant of time, a second filling weight of said respective container at a second instant of time, later than said first instant of time, with said respective filling tap in opened condition, and a third final weight of said respective container at a third instant of time, later than said second instant of time with said respective filling tap in closed condition; subtraction means for determining a filling net weight and a final net weight from said second filling weight and said third final weight, respectively, and said first tare weight; weight comparing means for comparing said control weight and said net filling weight and for generating a closure command for said filling tap control means when said control weight and said filling net weight are equal; correction determining means including further subtraction means for subtracting said final net weight from said nominal weight amount and determining a difference weight; multiplier means for multipling said difference weight for a fixed percentage factor and determining a correction factor; and third subtraction means for subtracting said correction factor from said control weight.

Claim 9

A method for filling bottles, flacons or the like containers with a predeterminated amount of a fluid on a rotating carousel having a plurality of filling zones, each filling zone being associated with a respective filling tap for filling a respective container with a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid, comprising for each filling zone and in cyclical sequence: storing a control weight; loading a container on a filling zone; detecting a first empty container weight for said loaded container; opening a filling tap associated with said filling zone; detecting a second filling weight for said loaded container; closing said filling tap when said second filling weight is equal to the sum of said control weight and said first empty container weight; detecting a third final gross weight for said loaded container; determining a final net weight from said third final gross weight and said first empty container weight; comparing said nominal weight amount and said final net weight and determinig a new control weight from said stored control weight and the difference between said nominal weight amount and said final net weight, thereby the instant of time at which said filling tap is closed depends each time on the difference between said predeterminated nominal weight amount and said final net weight for a previous filling cycle.

Claim 10

A method for filling bottles, flacons or the like containers with a predeterminated amount of a fluid on a rotating carousel having a plurality of filling zones, each filling zone being associated with a respective filling tap for filling a respective container with a predeterminated nominal weight amount of fluid, comprising for each filling zone and in cyclical sequence: storing a control weight; loading a container on a filling zone; detecting a first empty container weight for said loaded container; opening a filling tap associated with said filling zone; detecting a second filling weight for said loaded container; closing said filling tap when said second filling weight is equal to the sum of said control weight and said first empty container weight; detecting a third final gross weight for said loaded container; determining a final net weight from said third final gross weight and said first empty container weight; comparing said nominal weight amount and said final net weight and determinig a new control weight from said stored control weight and the difference between said nominal weight amount and said final net weight, thereby the instant of time at which said filling tap is closed depends each time on the difference between said predeterminated nominal weight amount and said final net weight for a previous filling cycle.