Filling Device Sterile Air Cushion Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling devices, both mechanical and electronic, face challenges in preventing contamination of filled containers due to direct contact with potentially contaminated environments, with mechanical valves risking contamination transmission and electronic valves vulnerable to environmental particles entering the flow.
Innovation Solution
An electronically controlled filling device with a dispensing duct connected to both a liquid sanitization recirculation system and a gaseous sanitization fluid source, creating a sterile overpressure around the dispensing nozzle to prevent external contamination, using a CIP duct for both liquid sanitization and gaseous sanitization fluid introduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical valves are used for filling, then direct contact between valve and container is established to determine filling level and stop flow, but contamination from the container neck is transmitted to the valve and subsequent containers
Solution Approach 1:
A sterile air cushion is introduced as an intermediary barrier between the filling valve and the container neck. This cushion prevents direct contact while allowing the valve to maintain control over the filling process, thereby eliminating contamination transmission without sacrificing filling reliability
Solution Approach 2:
A controlled sterile atmosphere is created around the filling point using a barrier that maintains positive pressure. This inert environment prevents external contaminants from reaching the valve and subsequent containers while preserving the valve's ability to control filling levels
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electronic valves are used to eliminate direct contact with the bottle, then contamination transmission is eliminated, but the risk of embedding environmental corpuscles in the dispensed flow increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sterile air cushion acts as a mediator between the electronic valve and the container opening. This cushion prevents environmental corpuscles from being drawn into the dispensed flow while maintaining the non-contact advantage of electronic valves, thereby eliminating both contamination transmission and corpuscle embedding risks
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile atmosphere is maintained around the filling point using a positive pressure barrier. This environment prevents external contaminants and corpuscles from accessing the filling zone, protecting both the electronic valve and the dispensed flow from contamination while preserving the non-contact filling advantage
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a controlled atmosphere environment with sterile air overpressure is created to prevent external contamination, then container contamination is prevented, but the volume requiring control becomes considerable and operator access becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a large controlled atmosphere volume, a localized sterile air cushion is generated only at the critical filling point. This local approach maintains sterility where it matters most - at the interface between the valve and container - while avoiding the complexity of controlling a large atmospheric volume
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile air cushion serves as a localized intermediary barrier that prevents contamination without requiring extensive controlled atmosphere infrastructure. This mediator creates a small, manageable sterile zone that protects against contamination while minimizing the complexity of the overall system
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
Effectively prevents container contamination by maintaining a sterile environment around the filling fluid dispensing point, enhancing sanitization efficiency without modifying the valve structure, and ensuring effective sanitization during both operational and maintenance phases.
Implementation Method 1
creating a sterile overpressure around the dispensing nozzle to prevent external contamination
Implementation Method 2
maintaining a sterile environment around the filling fluid dispensing point
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a filling device for food product packaging plants in special containers. Particularly, the invention relates to a filling device of the electronic type, in which a contact between the valve and the container to be filled does not occur.