Elastic Sealing Element for Sterile Container Closing Apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apparatuses for closing containers in sterile environments face challenges with large stroke movements and thermal loading, leading to contamination risks due to unsterile machine parts protruding into sterile areas.

Innovation Solution

A closing device with a movable head inside a sterile chamber, using an elastic sealing element and a carrier that moves through a wall, combined with a drive device outside the chamber, to maintain sterility and accommodate significant stroke movements while preventing germ entry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a water lock or vapour barrier is provided to separate sterile and unsterile areas, then sterility is maintained, but the large stroke and thermal loading make these sealing means difficult to implement or limited in use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoidsealing means implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible membrane that can be inflated to form a seal between the sterile chamber and the unsterile environment. This flexible sealing element can accommodate large stroke movements and thermal loading while maintaining sterility, resolving the contradiction between sterility maintenance and ease of implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state of the sealing element by using an inflatable membrane that transitions from a deflated to an inflated state to create the seal. This parameter change allows the sealing mechanism to accommodate large movements and thermal conditions while maintaining effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If drive elements are placed outside the sterile chamber to keep it sterile, then sterility is maintained, but the unsterile machine parts protrude into the sterile area or move into the sterile chamber during operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an inflatable membrane as an intermediary barrier between the sterile chamber and the unsterile drive elements. This mediator allows the drive elements to remain outside the sterile area while preventing contamination, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sterility and accommodating external drive mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a rigid seal is used to prevent germ entry, then sterility is maintained, but the large stroke movements cannot be accommodated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoidstroke movement accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible inflatable membrane instead of a rigid seal. This flexible sealing element can expand and contract to accommodate large stroke movements while maintaining the sterile barrier, resolving the contradiction between sterility maintenance and adaptability to movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 solution effectively seals the sterile area from unsterile components during large stroke movements, maintaining sterility and reducing contamination risks by using an elastic sealing element and a drive system that keeps unsterile parts outside the sterile environment.

Implementation Method 1

a first sealing element which is elastic in the longitudinal direction and which seals off from the sterile chamber a region of the outer periphery of the carrier

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS8720164B2Closing apparatus for containers

Publication Date: 2014.05.13 KRONES AG

AI summary

An apparatus for closing containers includes a movable closing head for applying closures to the containers and is arranged in the interior of a sterile chamber of the apparatus and arranged to move in a longitudinal direction (L) of the containers to be closed. At least one wall is provided which delimits the sterile chamber, wherein the closing device is arranged on a carrier which is arranged partially inside the sterile chamber and partially outside the sterile chamber, and extends through the wall and moves in the longitudinal direction (L) relative to the wall. Arranged in the interior of the sterile chamber is a first sealing element which is elastic in the longitudinal direction (L) and which seals off from the sterile chamber a region of the outer periphery of the carrier.