Modular Inerting Stopper for Controlled Atmosphere and Air-Tight Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inerting systems for small to medium-sized containers, particularly in cosmetics and fine chemicals, face challenges in maintaining a controlled atmosphere without continuous connection to a gas source and adapting to various container neck diameters, while also ensuring air-tight product transfer during sampling.
Innovation Solution
A modular inerting system with a conical or notched stopper and a drill press-inspired station that allows for adjustable gas injection and overpressure evacuation, enabling adaptation to different container sizes and facilitating product sampling with gas pressurization to prevent air intake during transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent connection to a gas source is used for inerting, then the controlled atmosphere is maintained reliably, but the system complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the gas source connection from a permanent fixed installation and relocates it to a portable inerting device that can be moved to containers as needed. The device contains its own gas source or connects temporarily, eliminating the need for permanent infrastructure while maintaining inerting reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable inerting device acts as an intermediary between the gas source and the container. It provides a mobile interface that can be positioned at the container location, delivering the inerting function without requiring direct permanent connection between the gas source and container.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple inerting systems are used for different container sizes, then adaptability to various neck diameters is achieved, but the device complexity and number of systems increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inerting device is designed with a universal adaptation mechanism that can handle multiple container neck diameters. The device incorporates adjustable or interchangeable components (such as rings or adapters) that allow a single system to serve multiple container sizes, eliminating the need for multiple specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing the operator to modify the device configuration to match different container neck diameters. This may include adjustable rings, telescopic components, or movable parts that adapt the device geometry to fit various container sizes.
3Ease of operation
If manual handling and manipulation by operators is used for product transfer, then flexibility is maintained, but the time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables self-service product transfer through automated or semi-automated mechanisms. The system can perform product withdrawal and transfer with minimal operator intervention, using integrated pumping, pressurization, or gravity-assisted flow mechanisms that reduce manual handling time and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device prepares the product transfer in advance by pre-positioning components, pre-pressurizing systems, or pre-configuring flow paths. This preliminary preparation reduces the time required during actual product transfer operations and simplifies the manual steps needed.
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 effectively maintains a controlled atmosphere in small to medium-sized containers, adapts to various neck diameters, and ensures air-tight product transfer, reducing the need for multiple inerting systems and minimizing operator handling and manipulation.
Implementation Method 1
an inerting gas such as nitrogen, CO 2 , or even argon is injected into the gas headspace of the container
Implementation Method 2
the excess gas is evacuated through a bleed orifice of the container
Implementation Method 3
thanks to a gas pressurization action making it possible to transfer the product from the storage container to another receiving container
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention proposes a device for creating a controlled atmosphere at the level of the gaseous headspace of a product storage container (2), comprising a stopper (1), for example of substantially conical shape, which can be inserted inside the opening neck of the container, the stopper being equipped with a descending injection tube (3), intended to be connected to a gas source, and also being equipped with a means (4) for evacuating overpressures, characterized in that: - the device comprises a removable element (11), attached to a fixed column (10), the element being vertically removable by means of action on a lever (12) for lowering/raising said element, from a "high - not filling" position to a "low - filling" position, the lower position being where the system is inserted into the container to be filled;and in that - the device is adapted, in addition to injecting an adequate atmosphere into the gaseous headspace of the container, also to carry out the sampling of the product stored in the container, thanks to a gas pressurization action allowing the product to be transferred from the storage container to another receiving container, by the presence of means for closing the evacuation route when the device is in sampling phase.;