Floating Piston Filling Apparatus for Multi-Lane Ice Cream
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling systems for flowable products like ice cream face challenges in accurately and efficiently filling multiple lanes of containers due to the air content in high overrun products, which complicates product flow and balance between lanes.
Innovation Solution
A filling apparatus with multiple piston pumps that allow pistons to 'float' independently under pressure, enabling simultaneous operation to fill containers with the desired quantity of product, using a valve drive mechanism and sensors to ensure balanced flow across multiple lanes without the need for squeeze or pinch valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single lane filling arrangement is used with direct extrusion, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases when filling multiple lanes of containers
Solution Approach 1:
The filling system is segmented into multiple independent piston pumps, each capable of filling one lane of containers. Each pump operates autonomously with its own piston, chamber, and valve mechanism, allowing parallel filling operations across multiple lanes while maintaining individual control over each filling stream
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple piston pumps are merged into a single integrated filling apparatus that shares common structural elements, control systems, and product distribution pathways. The pumps are synchronized to operate together, filling multiple lanes simultaneously from a unified system architecture
2Manufacturing precision
If pistons are driven simultaneously to fill multiple lanes, then the manufacturing precision of product quantity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are installed on each piston to detect its position and operational status in real-time. This feedback information is fed back to the control system, which monitors and coordinates the operation of all pistons to ensure they reach their discharge positions simultaneously, maintaining consistent product quantity across all lanes
Solution Approach 2:
Each piston is equipped with sensors that automatically detect when the pump chamber is full and signal the control system. The pistons essentially self-regulate their filling process, requiring minimal external intervention while maintaining synchronization through automatic detection and reporting of their operational states
3Adaptability or versatility
If pistons are permitted to float independently under product pressure, then the adaptability to varying container sizes is improved, but the device complexity increases due to independent piston control
Solution Approach 1:
The pistons are designed to float independently under the pressure of the product flow, allowing each piston to dynamically adjust its position based on the actual product volume and pressure conditions. This dynamic behavior enables automatic adaptation to varying container sizes and product characteristics without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows parameters such as piston travel distance, product pressure, and flow rate to vary independently for each lane based on real-time conditions. By permitting these parameters to change dynamically rather than being fixed, the system adapts to different container sizes and product types while maintaining filling precision
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 solution allows for efficient and accurate filling of multiple lanes of containers with flowable products like ice cream, balancing product flow and accommodating varying container sizes, while facilitating cleaning-in-place operations and minimizing space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
flow of pressurized product into the plurality of pumps moves the pump pistons to a predetermined position
Data Source
AI summary
A filling apparatus for serially filling multiple lanes of containers includes a plurality of piston pumps which receive flowable product from an associated source. Each pump includes a reciprocably movable pump piston, which can “float” upwardly during a filling stroke, as each pump is filled with product delivered thereto under pressure. The pump pistons can move upwardly independently, until each reaches a predetermined position, corresponding to the quantity of product with which each container is to be filled. After all of the pistons reach their respective predetermined positions, valves of the pumps are simultaneously operated, and the pistons simultaneously stroked so that respective containers are filled with the flowable product. The multiple lanes of containers are thereafter indexed, and the filling cycle repeated.