Capsule Sensor Device for Simultaneous X-ray Weight Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor devices for packaging machines are limited in their ability to simultaneously examine multiple containers, leading to inaccurate weight measurements due to partial irradiation and reliance on container geometry, and cannot determine the weight or properties of capsules effectively.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device with multiple conveying elements arranged parallel to a common X-ray radiation source and detector, utilizing an image-evaluating detector for digital data evaluation, and a reference object with varying absorption properties to ensure accurate measurements, along with a weighing device for secondary verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single radiation source and detector are used to examine containers, then the device structure remains simple, but only one container can be examined at a time, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the examination system into multiple parallel conveying elements (at least two), each capable of transporting containers through the radiation field simultaneously. This segmentation allows multiple containers to be examined in parallel without requiring multiple complete radiation source-detector pairs, thus improving productivity while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A single radiation source and detector system is designed to serve multiple conveying elements simultaneously. The radiation source emits radiation that can penetrate through multiple containers arranged in parallel, and the detector captures information from all containers at once, making the system multi-functional and enabling examination of multiple containers without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If containers are irradiated in the longitudinal direction through stepped receiving bores, then the device structure is simple, but the measurement is falsified due to partial cross-section coverage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of irradiating containers through the receiving bores from the side (longitudinal direction), the patent inverts the approach by arranging the radiation source and detector to irradiate containers perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. This allows the entire container cross-section to be examined without interference from the receiving bore geometry, eliminating measurement falsification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the irradiation dimension from longitudinal (through the receiving bore) to transverse (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis). By examining containers in another dimension, the entire cross-section can be captured by the detector without being obscured by the receiving bore structure, thereby achieving accurate weight measurement.
3Measurement precision
If containers are spaced apart on a conveyor for perpendicular irradiation, then accurate measurement is possible, but the conveying system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple conveying elements into a single integrated system that transports multiple containers simultaneously through the radiation field. By merging the conveying functions and using a common radiation source-detector pair, the system achieves accurate measurement of multiple containers without requiring separate complex conveyor systems for each container.
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
Enables simultaneous examination and accurate measurement of multiple containers, reducing measurement errors and ensuring reliable detection of filling weight, level, and damage, while allowing for precise weight determination of capsules.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor device has an X-ray radiation source, which irradiates containers filled with a filling material
Implementation Method 2
A detector is arranged on the side of the container opposite the X-ray radiation source, which measures the X-ray radiation after it has passed through the container
Implementation Method 3
scattered radiation is detected by means of a detector, with the detector being arranged at right angles to the beam path
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a sensor device (30; 30a; 30b; 30c) for a packaging machine (100) designed as a capsule filling and sealing machine or for a capsule control device (100a), said device having a positioning element (35; 35a) for positioning a container (c) having a longitudinal axis (15) and filled with a filling material in the region of the sensor device (30; 30a; 30b; 30c) and at least one radiation source (31; 31 a; 3 b) and at least one detector (40; 40a; 40b) for detecting the radiation after said radiation radiates through the container (c). According to the invention, the at least one radiation source (31; 31a; 31b) radiates through the container (c) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (15) thereof and the positioning element is designed as a tubular or shaft-shaped conveying element (35; 35a) which can be penetrated by the radiation in a radiation cone (38) of the radiation source (31; 31a; 31b).