Integrated Reservoir Isolator for Beverage Disinfection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In beverage filling systems, the use of separate reservoirs for disinfectant and rinse water, connected via pipes, leads to delays in temperature and concentration control of treatment media, resulting in inadequate disinfectant concentration and increased risk of odor pollution and safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

Integrating the reservoir for treatment fluid directly into the isolator space, allowing for direct application and collection of treatment fluid, reducing the need for extensive piping and additional safety devices, and enabling precise temperature and concentration control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the reservoir is placed outside the isolator chamber and connected via pipelines, then the reservoir can be sealed separately with safety switches, but this introduces delay in temperature and concentration control and increases the risk of insufficient disinfectant concentration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisinfectant concentration controlVSAvoidcontrol delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The reservoir is integrated directly into the isolator chamber, merging the storage function with the treatment environment. This eliminates the pipeline connection between separate reservoir and isolator, thereby removing the delay in temperature and concentration control while ensuring immediate and reliable disinfectant application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the reservoir is sealed hermetically with a locked lid and safety switch, then harmful gases are prevented from escaping, but the entire bottling plant shuts down if the safety switch malfunctions or breaks down

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisinfectant vapor escapeVSAvoidplant operation continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By integrating the reservoir into the isolator chamber, the hermetic seal function is combined with the isolator's existing seal. The isolator chamber itself acts as the containment barrier, eliminating the need for a separate reservoir lid and its associated safety switch, thus preventing plant shutdowns due to safety switch failures while maintaining protection against disinfectant vapor escape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The isolator chamber serves multiple functions: it provides the controlled treatment environment and simultaneously acts as the hermetic seal for the reservoir. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate safety mechanisms specific to the reservoir, reducing failure points while maintaining protection against harmful gas escape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If separate reservoirs are used for disinfectant and rinse water, then the treatment media can be stored separately, but extensive piping is required which increases complexity and control delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment media storageVSAvoidpiping system
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reservoir is integrated directly into the isolator chamber, merging the storage function with the treatment environment. This eliminates the pipeline connection between separate reservoir and isolator, thereby removing the delay in temperature and concentration control while ensuring immediate and reliable disinfectant application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2839846B1Device for treatment of containers in a beverage bottling system
Publication Date: 2020.05.13 KRONES AG
  • EP2839846B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a device (1) for treating containers in a beverage filling plant, preferably for disinfecting containers in a beverage filling plant, comprising an isolator room (2) shielded from the environment, in which container treatment can be carried out, and a reservoir (3) for receiving a treatment fluid for treating the containers, wherein the reservoir (3) is integrated into the isolator room (2).