Capper With Magnetic Drive And Integrated Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cappers face challenges in cleaning the capping head and power transmission areas, which are difficult to access and prone to dirt and germ accumulation, leading to time-consuming and costly cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and capper design where a magnetic field from a stator outside a clean room drives a rotor inside, allowing for a compact power transmission system and direct infusion of a cleaning medium through a media passage, reducing the surface area for dirt and germs and enabling efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a magnetic coupling is used to transmit power into the clean room, then the drive can be arranged outside the clean room reducing contamination risk, but the contact surfaces for dirt and germs become particularly large
Solution Approach 1:
The stator of the electric motor is extracted and positioned outside the clean room, while only the rotor (with minimal surface area) remains inside. This separates the bulk of the drive mechanism from the clean room environment, reducing the surface area exposed to potential contamination sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor is nested within the stator assembly, with the clean room partition positioned between them. The magnetic field penetrates through the partition, allowing power transmission while maintaining physical separation. This nested arrangement minimizes the exposed surface area of moving parts inside the clean room.
2Force
If the capping head and power transmission areas are designed with traditional structures, then they can transmit sufficient power, but they are difficult to access for cleaning and dirt accumulates
Solution Approach 1:
The capping head is segmented into separable components including the cap holder, ejector rod, and cleaning medium distribution system. This segmentation allows each component to be accessed and cleaned independently, solving the problem of difficult-to-reach areas where dirt would accumulate.
Solution Approach 2:
A cleaning medium distribution system using pneumatic or hydraulic principles is integrated into the capping head. Cleaning medium is supplied through media passages and distributed via media outlet openings to thoroughly clean internal surfaces, making the system easy to maintain despite its complexity.
3Power
If the magnetic coupling is dimensioned large to transmit necessary forces, then sufficient power transmission is achieved, but the contact surfaces for dirt and germs are particularly large
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic coupling is designed with local quality optimization where the rotor inside the clean room has high magnetic field density but minimal surface area. The stator outside has the bulk of the magnetic material providing the necessary power transmission capacity. This distribution allows sufficient power transmission while minimizing the contamination-prone surface area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compact design and direct cleaning medium infusion facilitate easier and cheaper cleaning of the capping head and power transmission areas, reducing germ and dirt accumulation and maintaining a cleaner environment.
Implementation Method 1
a stator of an electric motor generates a magnetic field that acts through a clean room partition to move a rotor that is inside of a clean room
Implementation Method 2
a cleaning medium is guided through at least one media passage in the clean room partition from a surrounding side into the clean room and is distributed there through at least one media outlet opening
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The capper (1) comprises a capping head (4) and an ejector bar (8) for ejection of container closures in the capping head. The ejector bar comprises a medium channel (8a) for a cleaning medium, which is formed as portion of a cleaning cycle for supplying the cleaning medium in the capping head. The ejector bar comprises a medium outlet (8b), particularly a cleaning nozzle for distributing the cleaning medium in the capper. An independent claim is included for a method for cleaning a capper for containers, particularly bottles.