Capsule Manufacturing Hermetic Seal via Heat Welding
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a method and apparatus to manufacture capsules that can hold non-toxic gases in hermetic isolation, particularly for substances like Omega-3 oil which is susceptible to oxidation by oxygen and requires a liquid-tight chamber to prevent degradation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using two flexible capsule portions, one longer and one shorter, which are aligned and bonded together with heat and pressure to create a gas-tight chamber, with the option of a partial vacuum to reduce oxygen exposure and ensure a controlled environment, and can be made from digestible materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single capsule portion is used, then the structure is simple, but the capsule cannot achieve hermetic sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule is divided into two separate capsule portions (first capsule portion and second capsule portion) that are joined together. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured independently and then assembled with hermetic sealing at the joined interface, achieving reliable sealing while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Two separate capsule portions are merged by bonding their open ends together through application of heat and pressure. This merging creates a sealed chamber that maintains hermetic isolation, transforming two simple components into a reliable sealed structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the capsule is filled and sealed immediately, then the manufacturing process is simple, but oxidation may occur during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule chamber is evacuated of atmospheric air before sealing, creating a vacuum or reduced oxygen environment. This preliminary action removes the harmful oxygen that would cause oxidation, and the subsequent hermetic sealing preserves this oxygen-depleted environment throughout storage and use.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule interior is filled with an inert or oxygen-depleted atmosphere through vacuum evacuation. This creates a protective environment that prevents oxidation of the contained substance, and the hermetic seal maintains this inert atmosphere throughout the capsule's lifecycle.
3Reliability
If heat and pressure are applied to bond capsule portions, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but the capsule material may deform
Solution Approach 1:
Capsule portions are inserted into supporting formations before bonding. This preliminary positioning action ensures proper alignment and provides mechanical support during the heat and pressure bonding process, preventing deformation while achieving reliable hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
Supporting formations act as intermediaries between the bonding apparatus and the capsule portions. These formations provide precise positioning and mechanical support during bonding, mediating the interaction between heat/pressure and the capsule material to prevent deformation while ensuring proper sealing.
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
This approach effectively seals the substance within a hermetic capsule, preventing oxidation and ensuring the capsule remains sealed even in hot environments, maintaining the integrity of the contents.
Implementation Method 1
bonding the substantially flush aligned open ends of the first capsule portion and the second capsule portion to one another by applying heat and pressure to the open ends of the first and second capsule portions, so as to fuse the open ends of the capsule portions to one another
Implementation Method 2
applying a partial vacuum to the chamber thereby to reduce gas pressure within the chamber to a sub-atmospheric pressure when inserting the closed end of the second capsule portion into the open end of the first capsule portion
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a capsule 12 for holding a substance 14 including providing a capsule body 2 having a closed end 5, an opposed open end 6 and a predetermined length defined between the ends 5, 6; providing a diaphragm 4 having a closed end 7, an opposed open end 8 and a predetermined length defined between the ends 7, 8; partially filling the body 2 with substance 14; inserting the closed end 7 of the diaphragm 4 into the open end 6 of the body 2 such that regions of the body 2 and the diaphragm 4 overlap one another with the open ends of the capsule body 2 and the diaphragm 4 being flush, thereby closing off the open end 6 of the body 2 and defining a chamber 104 within which the substance 14 is held; and heat welding the flush ends of the body 2 and the diaphragm 4 to one another to hermetically seal the chamber 104.