Filling machine and method hereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a filling machine for the filling of an amount of edible ice into a container. The machine includes: space for containing said edible ice, filling unit, which contains a piston and a volume with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, where these create connections respectively to the space and container for the filling unit, and at least one valve. The at least one valve is an integrated part of the filling unit. The invention also relates to a method for the filling of an amount of edible ice into a container with a filling machine, and the use hereof.

1 . Filling machine for filling of an amount of edible ice or an amount of mixture containing edible ice into a container such as an ice cone or a freezing pocket, where said machine comprises: 
 space for containing said edible ice,    filling unit which contains a piston and an associated volume with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, where these respectively form connections to said space and container in the filling unit, and    wherein    the piston is connected to drive means which can drive the piston to describe both linear and rotational movements hereby integrating a valve functionality in the filling machine by opening and closing passages between the volume and the inlet and the outlet, respectively.    
   
   
       2 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear and rotational movements of the piston are simultaneous, and each from a first position to a second position and vice versa.  
   
   
       3 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear and rotational movements of the piston are one after the other, and each from a first position to a second position and vice versa.  
   
   
       4 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the piston has a circular cross-section and at least one longitudinal narrowing-down in the shape of the piston, such as a notch or an undercut in relation to the circular cross-section.  
   
   
       5 . Filling machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the narrowing-down in the shape of the piston can be up to 90% of the cross-sectional area of the piston, such as up to half and e.g. between 20 and 40% of the cross-sectional area of the piston.  
   
   
       6 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the piston is provided with mixing means such as one or more projections placed on that part of the piston which is moved in said space.  
   
   
       7 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the openings for said least one inlet and at least one outlet in said volume are placed at the same or substantially the same level.  
   
   
       8 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the maximum size of said volume corresponds to the amount of edible ice which is desired to be transferred to the container.  
   
   
       9 . Filling machine according to  claim 4 , wherein said narrowing-down has a length which at least corresponds to the distance from the bottom of said volume to the openings for said least one inlet and/or said least one outlet.  
   
   
       10 . Filling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein apart from said inlet, said space is a space closed with e.g. a cover where pressure can be applied to this closed space with pressure-creating means.  
   
   
       11 . Method for the filling of an amount of edible ice or a mixture containing edible ice into a container with a filling machine according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       12 . Method according to  claim 11 , where a rotation of a piston in the filling machine respectively opens and closes for one passage selected between inlet and outlet for edible ice to or from the filling machine's volume, while a linear movement of the piston presses edible ice for the volume through the passage for outlet.  
   
   
       13 . Method according to  claim 12 , where a narrowing-down in the piston establishes said passage for inlet or outlet after the rotation of the piston from a first position to a second position.  
   
   
       14 . Method according to  claim 11 , where a linear movement for pressing edible ice out of said volume is followed by a shorter linear movement in the opposite direction before a rotation of the piston.  
   
   
       15 . Method for simultaneous feeding of a number of containers which are conveyed successively which comprises the step of utilizing several filling machines according to  claim 1  which are placed side by side.