Fill system including a flexible nozzle for reducing the mixing of

Abstract

A filling system of a packaging machine is set forth that reduces the mixing of product and air during the filling of a container with a product. The filling system is designed to fill a container having a cross section defined by a plurality of sidewalls, an interior bottom engaging the sidewalls, and an open top. The system includes a fill pump for pumping a liquid product and a fill pipe, the fill pipe having an inlet receiving liquid under pressure from the fill pump and an outlet overlying the container. A nozzle is disposed over the outlet end of the fill pipe. The nozzle comprises a collar for connecting the nozzle to the outlet end of the fill pipe and a plurality of flaps formed from a flexible material extending from the collar. The plurality of flaps are preferably biased to a closed position, such as under their own resilience. The nozzle seals the outlet end of the fill pipe when in this closed position. A mechanism for relatively moving the container and nozzle toward one another to a first position in which the nozzle is disposed in the interior bottom of the container and a second position in which the nozzle is disposed distal from the interior bottom of the container is also utilized. In operation, the fill pump pumps the liquid product through the fill pipe under pressure when the container and nozzle are disposed in their relative first position to thereby urge the flaps of the nozzle from the closed position to an open position, for example, by influence of the liquid product pressure. The flaps of the nozzle are dimensioned to substantially conform and engage with the sidewalls of the container when the flaps are urged to the open position to thereby inhibit mixing of air and product as the liquid product is dispensed into the container through the nozzle and as the moving mechanism is operated to relatively move the container and nozzle from the first position to the second position.