Fluid Injection Collector Sealing for Moving Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for injecting fluids into moving containers, such as those used for sterilizing bottle blanks, require large size and expensive high-temperature bearings to ensure precise rotation and sealing, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A device with a collector that forms a supply box extending over the conveyor length, featuring a seal and pushing means to ensure sealed contact between the box and the supply track, eliminating the need for bearings and reducing device size, while using a pneumatic cylinder to maintain a seal and integral manifold and fluid supply components for efficient fluid distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bearings are used to ensure precise rotation between the conveyor and the manifold, then sealing is improved, but the device size increases and cost increases due to high-temperature bearing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bearings from the system entirely, extracting the problematic rotating support mechanism. Instead of using bearings to maintain rotation precision, the invention uses a linear reciprocating movement of the collector along the supply track, eliminating the need for high-temperature bearings and reducing device size while maintaining sealing through a different mechanical approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the rotational mechanical system with bearings with a linear reciprocating mechanical system. The collector moves back and forth linearly along the supply track rather than rotating, substituting the bearing-based rotational support with a slide-based linear movement that requires no high-temperature bearings.
2Reliability
If bearings are used to ensure precise rotation between the conveyor and the manifold, then sealing is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase due to high-temperature bearing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bearings from the system entirely, extracting the problematic rotating support mechanism. Instead of using bearings to maintain rotation precision, the invention uses a linear reciprocating movement of the collector along the supply track, eliminating the need for high-temperature bearings and reducing device size while maintaining sealing through a different mechanical approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the rotational mechanical system with bearings with a linear reciprocating mechanical system. The collector moves back and forth linearly along the supply track rather than rotating, substituting the bearing-based rotational support with a slide-based linear movement that requires no high-temperature bearings.
3Productivity
If the collector covers multiple inlets during relative displacement, then fluid distribution efficiency is improved, but the sealing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a seal that automatically compensates for wear through the reciprocating motion. As the collector moves back and forth along the supply track, the seal continuously contacts the track surface, allowing wear to be self-compensated during normal operation without requiring adjustment or replacement, thus maintaining sealing effectiveness while enabling multi-inlet coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a dynamic reciprocating movement of the collector along the supply track instead of a static or purely rotational configuration. This dynamic linear motion allows the collector to sequentially cover multiple inlets while maintaining continuous seal contact with the track, resolving the conflict between fluid distribution efficiency and sealing difficulty.
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 configuration reduces the device's size, eliminates the need for high-temperature bearings, and maintains efficient sealing and fluid distribution, lowering energy consumption and maintenance complexity while ensuring uniform sterilization of containers.
Implementation Method 1
a seal being provided to ensure sealed contact between the box and the supply track
Implementation Method 2
the distributor comprises means for pushing the box against the supply track of the conveyor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The device comprises a mobile conveyor (12) carrying a plurality of container supports (28), a plurality of fluid injection nozzles (30) for the containers, a fluid supply track (32) for the nozzles (30), and a plurality of fluid supply lines (34) for the nozzles (30), each having an inlet (36) formed in the supply track (32). It also comprises a fluid distributor (14) fixed along the conveyor (12), for successively introducing fluid into the inlets (36), this distributor (14) having a manifold (44) positioned opposite the supply track (32).The collector (44) defines a feed box (46) which extends over a length of the conveyor corresponding to the number N of inputs (36) selected, a sealing gasket (50) being provided to ensure a tight contact between the box (46) and the feed track (32), and the distributor (44) includes means (52) for pushing the box (46) against the feed track (32) of the conveyor (12).