Filling valve having a valve body and an essentially cylindrical displacement part

Abstract

A filling valve for the metered delivery of a flow of liquid medium containing particles includes a valve housing having a flow chamber with an inlet and an outlet opening, a valve body for opening and closing the outlet opening, and actuating means for displacing the valve body between an open and a closed position, in which the valve body bears in a sealing manner against seat in the valve housing. The valve body includes a substantially cylindrical displacement part at its bottom end, and the valve housing, at its bottom end, delimits a substantially cylindrical outflow duct, in which the displacement part accurately fits slideably into the outflow duct, in such a manner that the displacement part fills the outflow duct in the closed position for at least three quarters of its length. The ratio of the length to the diameter of the outflow duct is larger than 1.

1 . Filling valve for the metered delivery of a flow of liquid medium containing particles, comprising: 
 a valve housing having a flow chamber with an inlet and an outlet opening;    an actuable valve body accommodated in the flow chamber for opening and closing the outlet opening; and    actuating means for displacing the valve body between an open and a closed position;    in which a wall part of the valve body, in the closed position, bears against a seat provided in the valve housing in a sealing manner,    in which the valve body comprises a substantially cylindrical displacement part at its bottom end, and the valve housing, at its bottom end, is provided with a substantially cylindrical outflow duct adjoining the flow chamber, and    in which the displacement part accurately fits displaceably into the outflow duct, in such a manner that the displacement part fills the outflow duct in the closed position for at least three quarters of its length, and wherein the ratio of the length to the diameter of the outflow duct is greater than 1.    
   
   
       2 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the outflow duct has a minimum length of 6 mm.  
   
   
       3 . Filling valve according to  claim 2 , in which the outflow duct has a minimum length of 12 mm.  
   
   
       4 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the ratio of the length to the diameter of the outflow duct is greater than 1.5.  
   
   
       5 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the valve body bears against the seat provided in the valve housing in a sealing manner in the closed position.  
   
   
       6 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the actuating means are also designed to cause a rotary movement of the valve body in the closed position.  
   
   
       7 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the valve seat is provided in a bottom part of the outflow duct.  
   
   
       8 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the valve seat is provided at the top of the outflow duct.  
   
   
       9 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the outflow duct is at most 5 mm longer than the displacement part.  
   
   
       10 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the displacement part substantially fills the outflow duct completely in the closed position.  
   
   
       11 . Filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the flow chamber is in communication with a medium supply for pressurized supply of the medium to the flow chamber via the inlet opening.  
   
   
       12 . Filling valve according to  claim 11 , in which the medium supply is in open communication with the flow chamber both in the closed and in the open position of the valve body.  
   
   
       13 . Use of a filling valve according to  claim 1  for the metered delivery of a flow of liquid medium containing particles, in particular fruit juice containing fruit pulp particles and/or fruit chunks, to containers.  
   
   
       14 . Use according to  claim 13 , in which the flow chamber is in communication with a medium supply for pressurized supply of the medium to the flow chamber via the inlet opening.  
   
   
       15 . Use according to  claim 14 , in which the medium supply is in open flow communication with the flow chamber both in the closed and in the open position of the valve body.  
   
   
       16 . Use according to  claim 13 , in which the medium has a viscosity in the range of 1-100 mPas.  
   
   
       17 . Filling device for filling containers with a flow of liquid medium containing particles, which device comprises a filling valve according to  claim 1 , in which the flow chamber is in communication with a medium supply via the inlet opening for the pressurized supply of the medium to the flow chamber, which medium supply is in communication with a storage tank of the medium.  
   
   
       18 . Filling device according to  claim 17 , in which the medium supply is in open communication with the flow chamber, both in the closed and in the open position of the valve body.