US 11,679,971 B2
Container filling system and valve for same
John A. Eaton, Valhalla, NY (US); David William Martin, Londonberry, NH (US); David Jay Warburton, Lexington, MA (US); Nathan John Coleman, Murrieta, CA (US); Samuel Frank Feller, Somerville, MA (US); Thomas John Evans, Brighton, MA (US); Jason Karl Sorge, Geneseo, NY (US); and Randy A. Straub, Palmyra, NY (US)
Assigned to PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY (US)
Filed by PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY (US)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/68,373.
Application 17/068,373 is a division of application No. 16/374,900, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, granted, now 10,836,624.
Application 16/374,900 is a division of application No. 14/778,720, granted, now 10,294,091, issued on May 21, 2019, previously published as PCT/US2014/031469, filed on Mar. 21, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/804,452, filed on Mar. 22, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0024339 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B67C 3/28 (2006.01); F16K 31/08 (2006.01); G01G 17/04 (2006.01); B67C 3/04 (2006.01); B67C 3/06 (2006.01); B67C 3/16 (2006.01); B67C 3/26 (2006.01); B65B 55/02 (2006.01); B67C 3/20 (2006.01); B65B 59/00 (2006.01)
CPC B67C 3/286 (2013.01) [B65B 55/027 (2013.01); B65B 59/00 (2013.01); B65B 59/001 (2019.05); B67C 3/045 (2013.01); B67C 3/06 (2013.01); B67C 3/16 (2013.01); B67C 3/202 (2013.01); B67C 3/2634 (2013.01); B67C 3/28 (2013.01); F16K 31/086 (2013.01); G01G 17/04 (2013.01); B65B 59/003 (2019.05); B65B 2220/14 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A filler unit comprising:
a container filling valve, the filling valve including a shuttle movable between an open position corresponding to a first flow rate through the filling valve, a closed position corresponding to no flow through the filling valve, and a low flow setpoint position corresponding to a non-zero second flow rate through the filling valve, wherein the second flow rate is less the first flow rate;
an actuator comprising a chamber and a barrier coupled to the shuttle, wherein the barrier is movable to alternately increase a volume of chamber or to decrease the volume of the chamber;
a flow path from the chamber, wherein the flow path connects the chamber to a fluid reservoir; and
a control valve positioned in the flow path and having a blocked position in which fluid flow is blocked and an unblocked position in which fluid flow is unblocked,
wherein the flow path includes a first branch comprising a flow restriction orifice and a second branch comprising a check valve configured to permit flow corresponding to increasing the volume of the chamber and to block flow corresponding to decreasing the volume of the chamber, and wherein the control valve is located in the first branch.