Kathryn M Hamilton

US Patent:

20040025475, Feb 12, 2004

Filed:

Aug 7, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/636089

Inventors:

Kathryn Hamilton - Raymond NH, US

International Classification:

B65B063/08
B65B057/12
B65B057/02

US Classification:

053/440000, 053/467000, 053/266100, 053/127000, 053/505000, 053/069000, 053/074000

Abstract:

An automated, fully programmable, and adaptable device fills straws or straw-like packages with any type of flowing, or flowable, liquid. A straw is dropped from a hopper down chutes into a capture area where it is held and filled with liquid, after which it is sealed. The straw dropping, capture, filling, and sealing actions are preferably automatically controlled by a preprogrammed electronic controller. The major elements of a typical embodiment of the invention include means for dropping a straw or other receptacle into a fixed mounting position consistently, optional means for heating fluids throughout the fill process, means for filling the receptacle, and means for sealing the receptacle. The straw hopper has a retractable slide plate at its base that slides back to allow only one straw at a time to fall through the chutes into the capture area. In the preferred embodiment, the slide plate at the bottom of the hopper moves back and forth in a predefined fully programmable sequence. In one embodiment, when the straw comes to rest in the capture area, it is pinched and sealed at the bottom in preparation for filling. A filling nozzle moves into a predefined position over the straw to be filled and the straw is filled with a preset amount of liquid. After filling, the top of the straw is pinched and then sealed, completing packaging of the liquid. Preferably, the sequence of actions may be easily adapted or changed by reprogramming the automatic controller. After sealing, the straw is dropped into the collection area. Preferably, steps are monitored by one or more sensor monitors, preferably with one sensor monitoring each of the three phases of operation.