Apparatus and method for filling containers

Abstract

There is provided a method and apparatus for filling at least one but typically a plurality of containers simultaneously with a predetermined quantity of flowable particulate or powder material. The method and apparatus allow the movement of the flowable particulate or powder material from a hopper into a filling assembly including channels located intermediate the containers and the hopper such that the exit ends of the channels are aligned with a respective container. Movement means cause relative movement between the said channels and the containers from a first position to a second position in which a second, exit, opening in the channels is located in a respective container cavity and moving flowable material from the hopper into a first, entrance opening of the channels so as to allow the predetermined quantity of the flowable material to pass through the channel under the influence of gravity and into the container cavity and then moving the channels and containers apart once the predetermined amount of flowable material has been entered into the containers. The size and shape and/or relative movement of the channels can be defined in order to accurately determine the said predetermined quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material which enters each of the containers even when the weight of the flowable particulate or powder material is relative light.

1 . An apparatus for filling a predetermined amount of a flowable particulate or powder material into a cavity in at least one container via an opening in the at least one container, said apparatus comprising:
 a hopper that holds the flowable particulate or powder material;   a support means that supports the at least one container;   a filling assembly intermediate said hopper and the at least one container, said filling assembly comprising a channel through which the flowable particulate or powder material can flow into the at least one container, said channel having a first entrance opening located in connection with said hopper which is located above said channel so as to allow the flowable particulate or powder material to move from the hopper into said channel under gravity and a second, exit, opening located above the container so as to allow the flowable particulate or powder material to flow from said channel into the container cavity under gravity; and   a movement means that selectively moves the at least one container relative to said channel of said filling assembly along an axis which is substantially parallel with, or overlapping, a longitudinal axis of said channel to position said second, exit, opening of said channel can be selectively positioned least partially within the container cavity by selectively moving the at least one container relative to said channel when the flowable particulate or powder material enters said channel and wherein said channel is configured such that the flowable particulate or powder material flows from said hopper into the cavity in a direction substantially along said longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said movement means cause said channel to be located in the container such that the said second opening of said channel is located at the base of the cavity until a required quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material which is to be placed into the cavity is present in said channel. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means is adapted to position said channel in the container such that the said second opening of said channel is located intermediate the base of the cavity and the container opening. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means is configured to commence relative movement between said filling assembly and the container while the flowable particulate or powder material quantity is passing through said channel into the cavity so that the flowable particulate or powder material enters the container cavity to fill the same with a required quantity. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said filling assembly comprises a plurality of channels and a location means that positions the containers in a predetermined configuration that matches a configuration of the plurality of channels so that a plurality of containers can simultaneously filled with respective quantities of the flowable particulate or powder material. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein a size of said channel in terms of shape and/or length is selected and/or adapted to define a particular quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material which is to be placed into the container at a particular use of the apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the length of said channel is adjustable. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus further comprises a vibration means to impart vibration to the at least one container. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means is adapted to move said channel of said filling assembly from a first position to a second position at least partially in the container prior to the flowable particulate or powder material entering said channel. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means is adapted to move the at least one container towards said second, exit, end of said channel prior to flow of the flowable particulate or powder material through said channel, and wherein said movement means is adapted to move the at least one container away from the second, exit end of said channel as the flowable particulate or powder material flows from, or after the flowable material has flowed from, said second exit end of said channel into the at least one container cavity such that a required quantity of the flowable material is left in the container. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a stop that defines the extent of possible relative movement between said channel and the container and wherein a location of the stop is adjustable to reflect a required quantity of flowable material which is to be deposited in the container cavity and/or the size of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the said channels in a group of channels are of the same fixed size and wherein the apparatus further comprises a plurality of groups of channels of different sizes that can be individually selectively used with the apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the said first entrance opening of said at least one channel is substantially flush with a base surface of the said hopper. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising a wiper blade that is adapted to selectively move along the base surface of the said hopper to move the flowable particulate or powder material into the first, entrance opening of the said at least one channel. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flowable particulate or powder material is a plant material. 
     
     
         16 . A method of filling a plurality of containers with predetermined amounts of flowable particulate or powder material, the method comprising placing the flowable particulate or powder material in a hopper, placing a plurality of containers, each of which has a cavity in which a predetermined quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material is to be received, in a configuration matching the configuration of a plurality of filling assembly channels located intermediate the containers and the hopper such that the first, entrance openings into the channels are connected with the hopper and the containers are aligned with a respective second, exit, opening of the channels and wherein a movement means cause relative movement between the channels and the containers between a first position and a second position and in the second position the second, exit, openings of the respective channels are located in a respective container cavity and flowable particulate or powder material moves from the hopper into the first, entrance opening of the channels and, under the influence of gravity, the flowable particulate or powder material moves into the channels so as to allow a predetermined quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material defined as the quantity which is contained in the channel, to pass under the influence of gravity through the channels and into the container cavity and moving the channels and containers apart once the predetermined quantity of flowable particulate or powder material has entered into the respective containers. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein a range of groups of channels can be selectively used, the channels in each group having the same length. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the group of channels which is selected to be fitted to the filling assembly is that which hallows the predetermined quantity of the flowable particulate or powder material to be supplied to the containers. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the channels are telescopic and the length of the same alters during the filling of the containers. 
     
     
         20 . A sealed container including a predetermined amount of a flowable particulate or powder material therein which has been introduced into the container cavity using the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for moving of a quantity of a flowable particulate or powder material into one or more containers, the one or more containers each having a cavity into which the quantity of flowable material is to be moved, said apparatus comprising:
 a location means for the one or more containers;   a hopper adapted to hold the flowable particulate or powder material;   a filling means including a channel through which the flowable particulate or powder material moves from said hopper into the cavity under the influence of gravity, wherein said filling means channel is located, during the movement of the flowable material, at least partially within the cavity; and   a movement means that moves the container relative to said filling means once the flowable material quantity has been introduced into the cavity and during the dispensation of the said quantity of particulate or powder material.