Plastic Bottle Capping Centering Recess Anti-Rotation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for closing plastic bottles are inflexible and prone to malfunctions due to complex moving parts, often causing rotation and misalignment issues during the capping process.

Innovation Solution

A device featuring a centering recess with spikes that matches the diameter of the bottle's carrying ring, ensuring correct positioning and preventing rotation, along with a guide for secure insertion and a lifting ramp for easy transfer, combined with a multi-component design for easy replacement of worn parts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complex moving and controllable elements are used to hold and prevent rotation of the bottle, then the anti-rotation effect is improved, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-rotation effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of moving parts
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the anti-rotation function from complex moving elements and implements it through a simple geometric feature: a non-circular recess in the support plate that matches the non-circular anti-rotation flange on the bottle collar. This eliminates the need for movable parts while maintaining effective rotation prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The bottle's own non-circular anti-rotation flange serves as the anti-rotation element. The support plate's recess is designed to match this existing feature, allowing the bottle to prevent its own rotation through the geometric constraint alone, without requiring additional active anti-rotation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Manufacturing precision

If the device is adapted to specific bottle geometries with corresponding indentations, then the positioning precision is improved, but the adaptability to different bottle types decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebottle positioning accuracyVSAvoidflexibility to bottle geometry changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is designed with a universal non-circular recess that can accommodate different non-circular anti-rotation flanges on various bottle types. The recess geometry can be adjusted to match different bottle configurations, allowing one support plate design to serve multiple bottle types while maintaining precise positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention allows changing the geometric parameters of the recess in the support plate to match different bottle geometries. By adjusting the shape and dimensions of the recess, the same basic design can adapt to different anti-rotation flange configurations, maintaining precision without requiring completely different support plates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If small indentations are used on the container to prevent rotation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the bottle stability decreases due to tilting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of structureVSAvoidbottle stability during insertion
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses asymmetric, non-circular recesses in the support plate that provide stable geometric constraints for the bottle's non-circular flange. The asymmetric shape prevents tilting during insertion by ensuring proper alignment through the matching non-circular geometries, while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

4Ease of operation

If multiple moving parts are used for bottle handling and anti-rotation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the susceptibility to malfunctions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomated bottle handlingVSAvoidresistance to malfunctions
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes all moving parts from the anti-rotation mechanism, replacing them with a fixed geometric constraint. The non-circular recess in the support plate provides automated bottle handling and rotation prevention through its shape alone, eliminating the reliability issues associated with moving components while maintaining ease of automated operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2657179B1Device for closing plastic bottles
Publication Date: 2018.04.25 KRONES AG
  • EP2657179B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2657179B1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP2657179B1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

The device has a sealer which closes a plastic bottle (105) with a screw cap, where a holder (110) is provided for holding the plastic bottle during closing and has spikes, on which a support ring of the plastic bottle rests during closing. The holder has a centering cavity, whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the support ring of the plastic bottle. The spikes are arranged in the centering cavity. A fixed guide (130,140,150) is provided to guide the plastic bottle in the centering cavity. An independent claim is included for a method for closing a plastic bottle.