Rotary Filling Machine Stationary Cover Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling machines with rotating designs face challenges in simplifying structural design for high operational reliability and effective cleaning/sterilization, particularly in preventing contamination and ensuring aseptic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A filling machine design where only the product tank rotates with the rotor, while the cover remains stationary, eliminating the need for a rotary feedthrough and incorporating a sealed transition to allow inert gas pressurization and tangential cleaning/sterilization connections for enhanced cleaning and disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rotary feedthrough is used to supply liquid filling material to the rotor, then the filling machine can operate continuously, but the structural complexity and number of rotating seals increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the rotary feedthrough component from the system. Instead of supplying liquid filling material through a rotating connection, the system uses a stationary supply line that connects to the rotor via a seal at the rotor's outer periphery, removing the complex rotary feedthrough while maintaining continuous operation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible membrane seal at the rotor's outer periphery to connect the stationary supply line with the rotating rotor. This flexible seal allows relative rotation while maintaining a sealed connection, eliminating the need for a rotary feedthrough with its multiple rotating seals
2Ease of operation
If a rotary feedthrough with multiple rotating seals is used, then liquid filling material can be supplied to the rotor, but the risk of contamination and operational reliability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the rotary feedthrough and its multiple rotating seals from the system. A single seal at the rotor's outer periphery replaces the entire rotary feedthrough assembly, dramatically reducing the number of potential failure points and contamination risks while maintaining liquid supply capability
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible membrane seal is used at the rotor's periphery to provide a reliable, simple sealed connection between stationary and rotating components. This single flexible seal replaces multiple rigid rotating seals, improving reliability by reducing the number of sealing interfaces that could fail or leak
3Device complexity
If the cover rotates with the rotor, then the filling machine structure is simplified, but cleaning and sterilization become difficult due to rotating connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cover from the rotor, making the cover stationary while the rotor rotates independently. This segmentation allows the cover to be easily accessed for cleaning and sterilization without being connected to rotating parts, while the rotor continues to rotate to drive the filling operation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the cover rotate with the rotor to simplify structure, the patent inverts the approach by making the cover stationary and allowing the rotor to rotate independently. This inversion enables easy access to the cover for cleaning and sterilization while maintaining the rotational motion needed for filling operations
4Object-affected harmful factors
If inert gas pressurization is applied to the gas space above filling material, then contamination is prevented, but the risk of seal failure at rotating connections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the rotary feedthrough and its rotating seals from the system. The inert gas pressurization is applied to the gas space above the filling material in the stationary supply line, removing the risk of seal failure at rotating connections while maintaining contamination prevention through positive pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane seal at the rotor's periphery provides a simple, reliable sealing solution that can withstand inert gas pressurization without the complexity and failure risks of multiple rotating seals. The single flexible seal design maintains seal reliability under pressure while preventing contamination
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
This design simplifies the machine's structure, reduces contamination risks, and enables efficient aseptic filling and thorough cleaning/sterilization, minimizing risky areas and mechanical complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The transition between the lid and the filling material boiler is sealed by at least one seal against the ingress of substances, media and, in particular, germs from the outside into the interior of the filling material boiler
Implementation Method 2
apply a pressurized inert gas, for example sterile air, nitrogen or CO2 gas, to the gas space formed above the filling material level in the partially filled filling material tank, in order to prevent the ingress of germs or foreign objects with certainty
Implementation Method 3
the corresponding medium (also e.g. hot steam) is preferably fed in via a connection which opens tangentially into the interior of the filling vessel in relation to the vertical machine axis and is provided on the cover, so that inside of the product tank, a circular flow of the cleaning and/or disinfecting medium is formed around the machine axis, which leads to intensive cleaning and/or disinfection
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a filling machine for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid filling material, having a rotor (3) drivable to revolve about a vertical machine axis (MA) and rotatably mounted via a rotor bearing (5) on a machine frame (4), and having a plurality of filling elements (7) provided on the rotor which, together with a respective container carrier (8) retaining the containers during filling, form filling points (6), to which the containers to be filled are fed at a container infeed and the filled containers are removed at a container outfeed and at which containers, oriented with their container axis parallel or substantially parallel to the machine axis, are filled within the angular range of the rotational movement of the rotor between the container infeed and the container outfeed.