Container Sealing System for Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic container forming processes face challenges with contamination and fluid leakage due to the use of filling material as a pressure medium, especially when containers are handled on rotating work wheels, leading to quality defects and hygiene issues.
Innovation Solution
A closure system with a screw cap featuring sharp-edged threads as cutting means, designed to cut thread grooves into a thread-free area upon unscrewing, allowing for secure sealing and reduced resistance during pressing, which is integrated into the forming and filling station to close containers immediately after filling, preventing material loss and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If containers are formed and filled using filling material as hydraulic pressure medium, then only one machine is required for forming and filling, but contamination and fluid leakage occur due to massive foam formation during unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful foam formation and contamination risk are extracted from the forming process by separating the forming operation from the filling operation. The container is formed first using air or inert gas as pressure medium, then filled separately, eliminating the contamination source while maintaining process integration benefits
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary substance (air or inert gas) is used as the hydraulic pressure medium during forming instead of the filling material itself. This mediator prevents direct contact between the filling material and forming equipment, eliminating contamination while still enabling hydraulic forming
2Loss of time
If containers are formed and filled at the same time using filling material as pressure medium, then processing time is reduced, but filling material loss occurs due to foam formation during pressure relief
Solution Approach 1:
The filling material is extracted from the forming process and used only for the filling operation. The forming process uses a different pressure medium, preventing filling material loss during pressure relief while maintaining simultaneous or near-simultaneous forming and filling operations
Solution Approach 2:
A disposable or expendable pressure medium (air or inert gas) is used for forming that can be easily vented without loss. This allows rapid pressure relief during forming without wasting the valuable filling material, enabling fast cycle times
3Productivity
If containers are handled on rotating work wheels at high production rates, then productivity increases, but leakage and contamination occur due to variable accelerations during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The container is sealed with a closure cap before being removed from the forming station on the rotating work wheel. This preliminary closing action prevents leakage during the high-acceleration removal and transport phases, enabling high productivity without contamination risks
4Device complexity
If separate blow molding machine and filling machine are used, then process complexity is reduced, but production time increases due to sequential operations
Solution Approach 1:
The blow molding machine and filling machine are merged into an interlocked blow-filling device where forming and filling operations occur sequentially in the same machine block. This combines equipment functions while maintaining process simplicity, reducing production time without excessive complexity
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 closure system effectively prevents contamination and leakage by ensuring secure closure of containers within the forming and filling station, maintaining product quality and hygiene, even during high production rates on rotating work wheels.
Implementation Method 1
the other connection partner, however, has a thread in this connection area with sharp-edged threads designed as cutting means. If the closure cap is designed as described later and is preferably pressed onto the container, then the thread-free design of one of the connection areas involved proves to be advantageous
Implementation Method 2
Only the bottle has threads in the neck area and the cap should have longitudinal ribs that project radially inwards. The cap is pressed onto the bottle mouth from above. The longitudinal ribs are made of a soft material that adapt to the threads in the neck area of the bottle.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device for producing containers (11) filled with a liquid fill material (21, 21.1) from preforms (2) made of a thermoplastic material, wherein the preform (2) is thermally conditioned before its forming and is subsequently formed into the container (11) during a forming and filling phase in a mold (37) of a forming and filling station (10) with the fill material (21, 21.1) as the pressure medium, wherein the fill material (21, 21.1) is introduced into the preform by a forming and filling head (28), wherein the forming and filling head (28) is moved from a rest position, which allows a preform to be fed and inserted into the mold (37) of the forming and filling station (10), into a sealing position with respect to the preform (2), wherein the preform (2) is preferably at least temporarily guided by a horizontal bar (17) and stretched in the axial direction,wherein the container (11) is sealed with a cap (15) after completion of the forming and filling phase, before the container (11) is removed from the forming and filling station (10), wherein the cap (15) is fed into the area of the forming and filling station (10) by a cap feeding device (50), and is characterized in that the forming and filling head (28) is moved from the sealing position to a position spaced apart from the container (11) after completion of the forming and filling phase, then the cap (15) is fed into the area between the container (11) and the forming and filling head (28), and then the cap (15) is pressed onto the container (11) by the forming and filling head (28) in a longitudinal direction (32) of the container.