Container Centering via Lifting Force in Beverage Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container centering methods in beverage bottling plants require complex actuator systems and are prone to contamination due to foaming and spills, necessitating a more efficient and reliable centering solution.
Innovation Solution
A device with a centering section and guide section that passively centers containers as they are lifted into a treatment area, using the lifting force to align the container within a treatment chamber, eliminating the need for actuators like cam control and minimizing the treatment angle and maintenance efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional centering ring with cam control actuator is used, then the container can be centered during lifting, but the device complexity increases and maintenance effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex cam control actuator system from the centering mechanism. Instead of using an active actuator to move the centering ring, the patent uses a passive centering section that is pushed upward by the container itself during the lifting stroke, thereby removing the need for separate actuation components and simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining centering precision
Solution Approach 2:
The centering section performs self-service by being automatically positioned through the force exerted by the container during lifting. The container's upward movement directly pushes the centering section into its operational position, eliminating the need for external actuators and reducing both device complexity and maintenance requirements while achieving precise centering
2Manufacturing precision
If a conventional centering ring is used, then the container can be centered, but contamination risk increases due to foaming and spills
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the centering function from the conventional centering ring that is exposed to the filling zone. By relocating the centering section to a position that is pushed up during lifting and is not in the path of foaming or spills, the contamination risk is eliminated while centering precision is maintained through the guide section's defined trajectory
Solution Approach 2:
The guide section acts as an intermediary that transfers the container's upward movement to the centering section while constraining it to a defined trajectory. This intermediary mechanism ensures precise centering without exposing the centering components to contamination from foaming or spills in the filling area
3Manufacturing precision
If a conventional centering ring with full stroke is used, then the container can be centered, but the treatment angle increases and the system becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The centering section performs its centering action preliminarily during the lifting stroke itself, before the container enters the treatment zone. By using the lifting movement to simultaneously position both the container and the centering section, the treatment angle is reduced and the system becomes more compact, improving overall productivity without sacrificing centering precision
Data Source
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AI summary
Device (1) and method for centering a container (100) during a stroke of the same into a treatment area, preferably for filling and/or closing the container (100) in a beverage filling plant, wherein the device (1) comprises: a centering section (10) with a receiving section (11) which is configured to receive the container (100) at at least one section thereof; and a guide section (15) which is configured to guide a translational movement of the centering section (10) along a defined trajectory between a receiving position for receiving the container (100) by the receiving section (11) and a treatment position for treating the container (100) in the treatment area.