Fluid Filling Nozzle, Apparatus, and Method of Filling a Container with a Fluid

Abstract

A fluid filling apparatus for filling containers with a fluid is provided. An ultrasonic frequency is used to vibrate a filling nozzle between successive container filling cycles. The vibrations break a liquid string filament formed at a discharge end of the filling nozzle at the end of each filling cycle. Methods and a fluid filling nozzle for filling containers with a fluid are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid filling nozzle for filling a container, the fluid filling nozzle having a longitudinal centerline and comprising:
 a body having a discharge end and an orifice at the discharge end,   wherein the fluid filling nozzle is constructed to (i) receive a flow of a fluid for filling a container, (ii) eject the fluid from the orifice in the form of a stream into the container when the flow of the fluid is received, and (iii) vibrate at a reference ultrasonic frequency and at a vibration amplitude when the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle is stopped, wherein the vibration amplitude is configured to break a fluid string of the fluid extending from the orifice at the discharge end of the fluid filling nozzle.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is constructed to vibrate in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference ultrasonic frequency. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is constructed to vibrate in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference ultrasonic frequency. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is an ultrasonic nozzle. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ultrasonic frequency is between about 20 kHz and about 200 kHz. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ultrasonic frequency is between about 20 kHz and about 100 kHz. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ultrasonic frequency is about 40 kHz. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is constructed to vibrate at a reference ultrasonic frequency and at a first vibration amplitude when the flow of fluid is received; wherein the vibration amplitude configured to break fluid a string of the fluid extending from the orifice at the discharge end of the fluid filling nozzle when the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle is stopped comprises a second vibration amplitude, wherein the second vibration amplitude is between about 1.05 times and about 20 times higher than the first vibration amplitude. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 8 , wherein the second vibration amplitude is between about 2 times and about 4 times higher than the first vibration amplitude. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 8 , wherein the first vibration amplitude is between about 0.5 microns and about 20 microns. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 8 , wherein the first amplitude vibration is between about 1 micron and about 10 microns. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 8 , wherein the second vibration amplitude is between about 2 microns and about 80 microns. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 8 , wherein the second amplitude vibration is between about 4 microns and about 40 microns. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle is reversed. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the container is selected from a group consisting of bottles, soluble unit dose pods, pouches, sachets, capsules, bags, boxes, cups, cans, and vials. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a surface active material. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 16 , wherein the surface active material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of sodium lauryl sulfate, polysorbate 80, non-ionic surfactant and monoglyceride, and lecithin. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid filling nozzle of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a flavorant. 
     
     
         19 . A method for filling a container, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a fluid filling nozzle, a flow of a fluid for filling a container, wherein the fluid filling nozzle has a longitudinal centerline and a body that includes a discharge end and an orifice at the discharge end;   ejecting, by the fluid filling nozzle, the fluid from the orifice in the form of a stream into the container when the flow of the fluid is received by the fluid filling nozzle; and   vibrating the fluid filling nozzle at a reference ultrasonic frequency and at a vibration amplitude when the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle is stopped, wherein the vibration amplitude is configured to break a fluid string of the fluid extending from the orifice at the discharge end of the fluid filling nozzle.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein vibrating the fluid filling nozzle comprises vibrating the fluid filling nozzle at the vibration amplitude in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference ultrasonic frequency. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein vibrating the fluid filling nozzle comprises vibrating the fluid filling nozzle at the vibration amplitude in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference ultrasonic frequency. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is an ultrasonic nozzle. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the reference ultrasonic frequency is between about 20 kHz and about 200 kHz. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising vibrating the fluid filling nozzle at the reference ultrasonic frequency, and at a first vibration amplitude when the flow of fluid is received by the fluid filling nozzle; wherein the vibration amplitude configured to break a string of fluid extending from the orifice at the discharge end of the fluid filling nozzle when the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle is stopped comprises a second vibration amplitude, wherein the second vibration amplitude is between about 1.05 times and about 20 times higher than the first vibration amplitude. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first vibration amplitude is between about 0.5 micron and about 20 microns. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second vibration amplitude is between about 2 microns and about 80 microns. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising reversing the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle. 
     
     
         28 . A fluid filling apparatus for filling a container, the fluid filling apparatus comprising:
 a fluid flow control mechanism constructed to selectably control a flow of a fluid;   a fluid filling nozzle in fluid communication with the fluid flow control mechanism, the fluid filling nozzle having a longitudinal centerline and a body, the body having a discharge end and an orifice at the discharge end, wherein the fluid ejects from the orifice in the form of a stream into a container when the fluid flow control mechanism allows the fluid to flow to the fluid filling nozzle, and wherein a portion of the fluid forms a fluid string extending from the orifice at the discharge end when the fluid flow control mechanism prevents the fluid from flowing to the fluid filling nozzle;   a control unit constructed to selectively generate a control signal configured to cause a power signal at a reference frequency when the fluid flow control mechanism prevents the fluid from flowing to the fluid filling nozzle; and   an ultrasonic transducer in communication with the filling nozzle, the ultrasonic transducer is constructed to vibrate the fluid filling nozzle at the reference frequency, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is further constructed to vibrate the fluid filling nozzle at a vibration amplitude as a function of the power signal, wherein the vibration amplitude is configured to break the fluid string extending from the orifice at the discharge end of the fluid filling nozzle.   
     
     
         29 . The fluid filling apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is constructed to one of vibrate the fluid filling nozzle in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference frequency or vibrate the fluid filling nozzle in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal centerline of the fluid filling nozzle at the reference frequency. 
     
     
         30 . The fluid filling apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid filling nozzle is an ultrasonic nozzle. 
     
     
         31 . The fluid filling apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid flow control mechanism is constructed to reverse the flow of the fluid to the fluid filling nozzle. 
     
     
         32 . The fluid filling apparatus of  claim 28 , where the fluid flow control mechanism is selected from a group consisting of a fluid shutoff valve assembly, a poppet valve, and a gear pump. 
     
     
         33 . The fluid filling apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the transducer is selected from a group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer and a magnetostrictive transducer.