Filling Arrangement Stem Cuts Particles to Prevent Entrapment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling mechanisms for liquid food products with particles face challenges in adequately closing the filling pipe, leading to increased spillage and particle entrapment in sealing areas, which compromises package sealing and product safety.
Innovation Solution
A filling arrangement with a pipe and a stem mechanism featuring a disc-shaped member that cuts and pushes away particles during closure, combined with a control unit for precise motor-driven movements, ensuring a snug fit and controlled filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional filling mechanism is used, then the filling process is simple, but particles are trapped in the valve mechanism causing inadequate closing and increased spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The filling mechanism is segmented into distinct functional zones: a cutting section with a rotating blade that separates particles from the flow, and a closing section with the valve mechanism. This segmentation allows particles to be removed before they can interfere with the closing action, ensuring adequate sealing while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
A rotating cutting blade is introduced as an intermediary element between the product flow and the valve mechanism. This blade actively cuts and redirects particles away from the closing path, preventing particle entrapment without requiring complex modifications to the core valve system
2Reliability
If the pipe opening is reduced to prevent particle passage, then particle entrapment is reduced, but filling efficiency decreases due to increased wear and spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade performs preliminary action by actively cutting and redirecting particles away from the opening before the closing operation begins. This preliminary particle management allows the opening to maintain an optimal size for efficient filling while ensuring particles are positioned away from the sealing area during closure
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting blade rotates dynamically to continuously interact with the particle flow, adapting its position to match the filling cycle. This dynamic action efficiently manages particles throughout the filling process, maintaining sealing integrity without requiring a reduced opening size that would compromise filling efficiency
3Productivity
If particles are allowed to pass through the opening, then filling is efficient, but particles end up in the sealing area causing inadequate sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating cutting blade serves as an intermediary that selectively interacts with particles during the filling process. It allows efficient particle flow through the opening while simultaneously redirecting particles away from the sealing area, enabling both high filling speed and reliable sealing quality
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the opening and cutting blade are designed with specific local qualities: the opening maintains dimensions optimized for filling efficiency, while the cutting blade edges are configured to effectively cut and redirect particles. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of high productivity and sealing reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
A filling arrangement (100) for filling a liquid food product (FP) comprising particles into a package (200). The arrangement comprises a pipe (102) having a lower section (104) arranged to be fed into a main body (202) of the package (200) during a filling procedure, and an upper section (106) arranged to be placed above the main body (202) during the filling procedure, wherein the lower section (104) has an inner width (W-I), wherein a lower end (108) of the lower section (106) is provided with an opening (110) having an opening width (W-O), wherein the opening width (W-O) is smaller than the inner width (W-I), a stem (112) arranged to be movable along a center axis (C-A) of the pipe (102), said stem (112) being provided in a lower end (114) with a disc-shaped member (116), wherein a width (W-D) of the disc-shaped member (116) is smaller than the inner width (W-I) of the lower section (108) of the pipe (102) and larger than the opening width (W-O), wherein the arrangement (110) is configured, in a closed state (CLOSE), to have the disc-shaped member (116) of the stem (112) pushed towards the opening (110) of the pipe (102) such that the product (FP) is hindered from passing the opening (110), and in an open state (OPEN), to have the disc-shaped member (116) placed at a distance (D-OS) from the opening (110) such that the product (FP) is released via the opening (110), wherein edges (118) of the opening (110) are arranged such that the particles of the product (FP) are cut and/or pushed away when the disc-shaped member (116) is pushed towards the opening (110) as the filling arrangement (100) is transferred from the open state (OPEN) to the closed state (CLOSE).