Capsule Packaging Machine Offset Film Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for packaging beverage capsules face high material waste and bulkiness due to parallel and non-offset cutting of closing elements from film, leading to increased production costs and inefficient use of space.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a carousel that transports capsules in a circular direction, using a film cutting mechanism to create offset parallel rows of closing elements, optimizing material usage and reducing waste by ensuring the cutting imprints occupy less space than their individual dimensions, allowing for a compact and efficient design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If closing elements are cut from film in parallel rows that are not offset, then the arrangement corresponds to the capsule arrangement, but material waste increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by offsetting the parallel rows of closing elements relative to the capsule arrangement. Instead of aligning cutting rows directly with capsule rows (symmetric arrangement), the cutting rows are shifted laterally by a distance between 0.5-2mm. This asymmetric offset allows nested arrangement of imprints where the space occupied by adjacent imprints from different rows is less than or equal to the sum of their individual dimensions, significantly reducing film waste while maintaining proper capsule closure.
2Loss of substance
If the film sliding direction is tilted with respect to capsule transportation direction, then material waste is reduced, but the machine becomes very bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent solves the bulkiness problem by transitioning from a tilted 2D arrangement to a nested offset arrangement. Instead of tilting the entire film sliding direction (which requires large machine volume), the patent maintains parallel rows but offsets them laterally by 0.5-2mm, creating a nested pattern where imprints from different rows interlock. This dimensional change from tilt to offset nesting achieves material waste reduction without increasing machine footprint.
3Volume of stationary object
If a carousel is used to transport capsules during packaging, then the machine remains compact, but the arrangement of closing elements must be optimized to reduce material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines carousel compactness with offset asymmetric row arrangement. The carousel maintains compact machine volume, while the offset parallel rows (shifted 0.5-2mm laterally) reduce film waste through nested imprint arrangement. The asymmetric offset allows imprints to interlock efficiently, achieving both compactness and material optimization simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine (1) for simultaneously packaging a plurality of capsules (C) for producing beverages, for example espresso, is provided, comprising a carousel (2) adapted for transporting capsules (C) along a circular direction during packaging, wherein the capsules are housed on the carousel (2) in suitable seats (8),a transportation device (3) for transporting a film (4) along a linear sliding direction (X), cutting means (11) adapted for cutting closing elements (5), for closing the capsules (C), from the film (4) and closing means (21) configured to apply the closing elements (5) to the capsules (C) when the capsules (C) are housed on the carousel (2). The sliding direction (X) lies on a plane (P) parallel to the carousel (2). The imprints (6) of the cutting of the closing elements (5) on the film (4) are arranged along two or more rows (7) that are mutually parallel and offset. Moreover, a method for simultaneously packaging a plurality of capsules is provided.