Packaging Filling Machine Pressure Flange Float Buffer

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Solution Overview

Problem

In packaging and filling machines, maintaining positive pressure within filled liquid containers is challenging, especially when external pressures or material defects lead to potential leaks and contamination risks.

Innovation Solution

A packaging and filling machine incorporates a pressure flange around the filling pipe to maintain positive pressure within the container, using a float with a varying cross-sectional area to absorb pressure fluctuations and prevent negative pressure, ensuring the liquid food remains sealed and hygienic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the packaging material is formed with forming flaps under positive liquid pressure, then the packaging material can be formed well and hygiene is maintained, but the liquid pressure may drop to negative pressure causing outside atmosphere substances to invade the tube

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehygiene maintenanceVSAvoidatmosphere substance invasion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cushioning chamber filled with liquid that acts as a pressure buffer. When the liquid pressure in the filling tube drops, the cushioning liquid flows into the tube to compensate and prevent negative pressure. This beforehand cushioning mechanism ensures that the pressure remains positive throughout the forming process, preventing atmosphere substance invasion while maintaining hygiene.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The cushioning chamber acts as an intermediary between the filling pipe and the forming flaps. It provides a buffer zone that mediates pressure fluctuations, allowing the system to maintain stable positive pressure during the forming operation without direct pressure variations affecting the liquid food in the tube.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the liquid pressure fluctuates during filling and forming operations, then the filling process can be completed, but the pressure may drop to negative pressure causing contamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling completionVSAvoidpressure stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cushioning chamber is pre-filled with liquid to create a pressure buffer before the forming operation begins. This beforehand preparation ensures that when pressure fluctuations occur during filling and forming, the cushioning liquid is already in position to compensate, maintaining pressure stability and preventing contamination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state of the liquid in the cushioning chamber from a static reservoir to a dynamic pressure buffer. The liquid level and volume in the cushioning chamber are adjusted to provide the appropriate pressure compensation, transforming the parameter of pressure stability while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If forming flaps are applied during transversal sealing, then the container can be preformed, but the liquid pressure may become negative allowing outside substances to invade

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreforming capabilityVSAvoidsubstance invasion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cushioning chamber serves as an intermediary pressure buffer between the forming flaps and the liquid food. When forming flaps are applied during transversal sealing, the cushioning liquid compensates for pressure drops caused by the forming action, ensuring that negative pressure does not develop and outside substances cannot invade the tube.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cushioning chamber is prepared in advance with sufficient liquid volume to handle the pressure demands of the forming operation. This beforehand cushioning ensures that when forming flaps are applied, there is already liquid available to maintain positive pressure, preventing substance invasion while enabling preforming capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 maintains positive pressure within the container, preventing leaks and contamination, allowing for continuous filling without stopping and ensuring the quality and hygiene of the packaged liquid food.

Implementation Method 1

a float floating in the liquid food filled in the tube is arranged, a cross sectional area of the float increasing upward continuously or in a stepwise

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentEP2388560B1Packaging and filling machine
Publication Date: 2013.07.24 TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE SA
  • EP2388560B1 patent drawingFigure 1(A)~1(B)
  • EP2388560B1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(C)
  • EP2388560B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A packing material filling device which maintains the pressure of a filling fluid food in a tube at a positive pressure, easily pre-shapes by using a molding flap, can prevent the dropping to a negative pressure even if the pressure of the liquefied food pressure is lowered by fluctuations in the liquefied food pressure, and prevent the seeping in of materials in the external environment into the tube. A positive pressure holding means lessens the fluctuations in the pressure of the liquefied food in the tube below the pressure flange (36), prevents the lowering of the liquefied food pressure to a negative pressure, and maintains the liquefied food pressure at a positive pressure.