Device and Method for Filling Liquid or Pasty Products

Abstract

A device and a method for filling liquid or pasty products having lumpy fractions and free flowing, pourable lumpy products comprising a storage container, means for opening or closing the outlet of the storage container and a gravity tube arranged underneath the storage container. The gravity tube has at least one flexible side wall. A device for mechanically pressing-in the at least one side wall of the gravity tube is also provided. In order to reliably exclude an accumulation of product in the gravity tube during filling and to increase the filling accuracy, the device for mechanically pressing-in the side wall of the gravity tube has rotatable elements for deforming the cross-section of the gravity tube. In this case, the side wall of the gravity tube is temporarily inwardly deformed by the device for mechanically pressing-in according to a specified scheme.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . A device for filling liquid or pasty products having lumpy fractions and free flowing, pourable lumpy products, comprising a storage container; means for opening or closing an outlet of the storage container; a gravity tube arranged underneath the storage container including at least one flexible side wall; and means for mechanically pressing-in the at least one flexible side wall of the gravity tube, wherein the means for mechanically pressing-in the side wall of the gravity tube includes rotatable elements for deforming a cross-section of the gravity tube and, further wherein the rotatable elements are driven rotatably about an axis of rotation running substantially parallel to the gravity tube. 
   
   
       13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the gravity tube includes a polygonal cross-section, each flexible side wall is deformable, and separate means for mechanical pressing-in are provided for each side wall. 
   
   
       14 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the gravity tube has a substantially round cross-section and the means for mechanically pressing-in the at least one flexible side wall of the gravity tube are distributed uniformly over a circumference of the gravity tube. 
   
   
       15 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the means for mechanically pressing-in the at least one flexible side wall of the gravity tube are arranged rotatably about an axis of the gravity tube. 
   
   
       16 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the means for mechanically pressing-in the at least one flexible side wall of the gravity tube are arranged in a manner adapted to be displaced in the axial direction. 
   
   
       17 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the rotatable elements are constructed as rollers. 
   
   
       18 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the rotatable elements are constructed as cams. 
   
   
       19 . A method for filling liquid or pasty products having lumpy fractions and free flowing, pourable lumpy products by means of the device according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 pressing-in the side wall of the gravity tube with the means for mechanically pressing-in to intermittently deform the flexible side wall of the gravity tube inwards.   
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the deformation of the side wall of the gravity tube takes place simultaneously. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the deformation of the side wall of the gravity tube takes place staggered in time. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the means for mechanically pressing-in the side wall of the gravity tube acts uniformly over an entire circumference on the side wall of the gravity tube.