Interchangeable Filling Device End Portions for Contact and Contactless Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing filling devices struggle to quickly switch between contact and contactless filling configurations without compromising the hygiene of the filled pourable product, particularly when filling carbonated and still products.
Innovation Solution
A filling device with a common body and interchangeable end portions, where one end portion is specifically designed for contact filling and another for contactless filling, utilizing a connecting element to selectively attach and detach these end portions from the common body, allowing for seamless switching between filling modalities while maintaining hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the filling device uses a single configuration for contact filling, then carbonated products can be filled effectively, but the device cannot quickly switch to contactless filling for still products without compromising hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The device comprises a common body and interchangeable end portions, where each end portion is specifically designed for a particular filling modality. The sealing element in the contact filling end portion can be detached and replaced with a contactless filling end portion, enabling rapid switching between filling types while maintaining hygiene standards through dedicated, non-cross-contaminating components
Solution Approach 2:
The common body is designed with universal features including a standardized mounting interface for different end portions, a flexible product flow path that adapts to different filling configurations, and a shuttling mechanism that works with both contact and contactless modes. This multi-functional design enables one base unit to handle various filling requirements through interchangeable end portions
2Reliability
If the filling device is designed for contact filling with sealing element pressed onto article mouth, then carbonated products are filled properly, but lightweight bottles may be deformed due to concentrated pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is configured to engage and press only on the rim of the article mouth to create an effective seal, while the filling mouth is positioned separately in the end portion. This separation ensures that the pressing force is concentrated on the rim for sealing effectiveness without applying excessive pressure to the bottle body, thereby preventing deformation of lightweight bottles
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a filling device (14) for selectively contact or contactless filling an article (2) with a pourable product, comprising: - a common body (17), which defines a fluidic line (16) which is adapted to be flown by pourable product; - an end portion (19a, 19b), which defines a filling mouth (18); characterized in that a specific end portion (19a, 19b) is selectively fittable to common body (17) depending of contact or contactless filling to be carried out; filling mouth (18) being fluidly connected with fluidic line (16), when specific end portion (19a, 19b) is fitted to common body (17); filling device (16) further comprising a connecting element (20) which can be selectively arranged, in use,: - either in a first configuration, in which it blocks specific end portion (19a, 19b) and common body (17) with respect to one another; or - in a second configuration, in which it leaves free from one another end portion (19a, 19b) from common body (17).