Gasing Rail Laminar and Accelerated Flow for Food Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging systems for food items, particularly tall containers, struggle to achieve low oxygen levels efficiently due to high-speed accelerated flows that draw in surrounding air, leading to reduced efficiency and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A gassing rail apparatus is introduced, featuring a rail top with laminar and accelerated flow ports, and a gassing element with stainless-steel mesh layers. This system provides a combination of laminar and accelerated gas flows, where the accelerated flow draws in laminar gas rather than air, effectively reducing oxygen levels within containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-speed accelerated flow is used to purge containers, then purging speed is improved, but air from surrounding area is drawn into the container reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines laminar flow and accelerated flow gas sources into a single gassing rail apparatus. The laminar flow gas (from first gas source) and accelerated flow gas (from second gas source) are delivered through separate channels but exit through aligned ports to work together on the same container. This merging allows the laminar flow to compensate for the air-drawing effect of accelerated flow, maintaining purging efficiency while preserving the speed benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas delivery system is segmented into two distinct flow paths: a laminar flow channel and an accelerated flow channel. Each channel handles a different type of gas flow with specific characteristics - laminar flow provides stable, controlled gas delivery while accelerated flow provides high-speed purging. The segmentation allows each flow type to perform its specialized function without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between speed and efficiency.
2Loss of time
If high-speed accelerated flow is used to achieve low oxygen levels, then purging time is reduced, but surrounding air is drawn in increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gas sources and flow types into a single integrated gassing rail apparatus. Instead of requiring separate systems for laminar flow and accelerated flow, both are combined in one device with shared structural components like the rail top, rail base, and aligned port system. This reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the time-saving benefits of accelerated flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The gassing rail apparatus is designed as a multi-functional device that can deliver both laminar flow and accelerated flow through a single structure. The rail top and rail base accommodate multiple channels and ports that serve different functions (laminar flow delivery, accelerated flow delivery, alignment references) within one universal component set, reducing the need for multiple separate devices and simplifying the overall system.
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 system achieves low oxygen percentages inside containers in a shorter time with reduced complexity and parts, improving efficiency by utilizing both laminar and accelerated flows to displace undesirable gases.
Implementation Method 1
the flow of laminar gas blocked by the rail bottom forces the laminar gas flow laterally within the layer of gas resistant media of the gassing element
Implementation Method 2
the accelerated gas tends to draw in laminar gas and not undesirable air
Data Source
AI summary
A gassing rail apparatus is provided to be used in a food packaging conveyor system. The gassing rail apparatus includes a rail top, a first and second gas port, an insert assembly located below the rail top, a gassing element located below the insert assembly, a rail bottom located below the gassing element, wherein the gas flowing through a slit in the insert assembly produces a high speed accelerated flow, and a flow of laminar gas is blocked by the rail bottom and forces the laminar gas flow laterally within the layer of gas resistant media of the gassing element with the effect of surrounding the accelerated gas exiting the gas distribution slot, wherein the accelerated gas tends to draw in laminar gas and not undesirable air, and the first gas source provides about 15-25% of the gas provided to the gassing rail apparatus and the second gas source provides about 75-85% of the gas provided to the gassing rail apparatus. In another embodiment, a single gas port is provided.