Integrated Injection Head for PET Preform Beverage Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional PET bottle manufacturing processes require multiple human interventions for maintenance and operational adjustments, and the high pressures used lead to frequent interruptions, with filling and sealing steps being largely manual and prone to contamination.
Innovation Solution
A compact device integrates beverage injection and stopper fixing into the mould, eliminating the need for separate filling and sealing steps, using an integrated injection head and pressurizing means, and includes a system for degassing and cleaning to reduce contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate filling and sealing steps are used, then the beverage can be delivered and sealed, but the process requires multiple human interventions and frequent interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the filling step and sealing step into a single integrated operation. The injection head is positioned within the mould and performs both beverage injection into the preform and subsequent stopper fixation without removing the preform from the mould, thereby merging two separate process steps into one continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection head serves multiple functions: it acts as both the beverage delivery device and the stopper fixation device. By integrating these functions into a single component that remains within the mould, the system eliminates the need for separate filling and sealing equipment, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining productivity.
2Power
If high pressures are used for beverage injection, then the beverage can be delivered effectively, but the device must be regularly interrupted for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is fixed onto the preform neck while the preform is still in the mould, before the high-pressure beverage injection takes place. This preliminary sealing action prevents beverage leakage during the subsequent high-pressure filling operation, thereby maintaining operational continuity and reducing maintenance interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
By fixing the stopper in advance before beverage injection, the system prepares the container to withstand the upcoming high-pressure filling. This beforehand cushioning prevents damage and leakage during the high-pressure phase, ensuring reliable continuous operation.
3Ease of operation
If manual filling and sealing operations are used, then the process is flexible, but contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs both filling and sealing automatically within the mould without requiring manual intervention. The injection head automatically delivers the beverage and fixes the stopper in a controlled, closed environment, eliminating human contact with the beverage and container opening, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining operational efficiency.
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 allows for efficient, automated delivery and sealing of beverages with reduced maintenance needs, minimizing contamination risks and increasing production efficiency by integrating manufacturing, filling, and sealing into a single step.
Implementation Method 1
injecting at least one beverage component into the recess of the preform so as to promote expansion of the preform inside the mold
Implementation Method 2
the device further includes a means for pressurizing a volume of beverage to be injected
Implementation Method 3
the preforms are slipped onto the cylindrical mounts of a continuous conveyor belt, which thus transports the preforms through an oven, essentially formed by a straight section bordered on each side by radiative heating means, so as to temperature-condition the plastic
Implementation Method 4
the device further includes a system for degassing the beverage
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for delivering a beverage Fig. 2 130 into a thermoplastic container formed from a heated preform (110), the preform being approximately cylindrical and positioned in a mould, characterized in that it includes injection means for injecting at least one beverage into a recess in the preform so as to promote expansion of the preform inside the mould, the mould defining the shape of the container, said injection means comprising an injection head (18) designed to inject at least one beverage through a mouth of the recess, said injection head being integrated into the mould.