Movable Hygienic Can Filling Chamber for Rapid Lid Sealing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machines for filling and sealing containers, particularly cans, face inefficiencies in time and hygiene, with prior methods requiring extensive sterile environment preparation and not ensuring high sterilization during the filling process, leading to reduced shelf life of the filling material.

Innovation Solution

A machine with a hygienic compartment, lid-applying device, and airlock compartment that allows for rapid filling and sealing of cans under stringent hygiene conditions, utilizing a lid-transporting device, holding-down arrangement, and seaming device, along with cleaning and alignment mechanisms to ensure high hygiene standards and efficient operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If containers are introduced into a housing forming a sterile space for filling and sealing, then hygiene conditions are improved, but the time required and cost to convert the space into a sterile environment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehygiene conditionsVSAvoidtime for sterile environment preparation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is pre-converted into a sterile space before the filling and sealing operations begin. This preliminary conversion of the entire housing into a sterile environment eliminates the need for repeated sterilization during the process, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining high hygiene standards throughout production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filling device and sealing device are merged into a single integrated system within the sterile housing. This combination allows both operations to occur simultaneously in the same sterile environment, eliminating the need for separate sterile space conversions and reducing overall time requirements while maintaining hygiene.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If containers are filled and sealed in separate steps with transfer between devices, then hygiene conditions are maintained, but the time required for the process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehygiene conditionsVSAvoidfilling and sealing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The filling device and sealing device are combined into a single integrated system within the sterile housing. The container is filled and then immediately sealed in the same sterile environment without transfer to another device, maintaining hygiene conditions while significantly reducing process time and increasing productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The filling and sealing operations are performed in continuous sequence within the same sterile housing without interruption or transfer. The container remains in the sterile environment throughout both operations, ensuring continuous useful action is maintained while preserving hygiene conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Device complexity

If only the sealing process takes place under sterile conditions, then device complexity is reduced, but the shelf life of the filling material is not extended sufficiently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterilization scopeVSAvoidshelf life extension

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Both the filling operation and sealing operation are performed within the same sterile housing environment. This merging of sterile conditions across both operations ensures that the filling material remains protected from contamination throughout the entire process, thereby extending shelf life more effectively than if only sealing were performed under sterile conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If the transport belt is stopped for the duration of handling under sterile conditions, then hygiene conditions are improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehygiene conditionsVSAvoidhandling throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The filling device and sealing device are merged into a single integrated system within the sterile housing. This allows the container to be filled and sealed in continuous sequence without stopping the transport belt, maintaining hygiene conditions while preserving productivity through uninterrupted handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12559355B2Plant for filling and closing cans under hygienic conditions

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 HYGENTILE AG

AI summary

A plant (1) for filling and closing cans (2) under hygienic conditions which comprises a hygienic compartment (3), a lid applying device (7) and an inlet (30) for a filling material. The lid applying device (7) is arranged in the hygienic compartment (3) and the inlet (30) is formed on the hygienic compartment (3). When used as intended, one or more cans (2) can be assigned to the hygienic compartment (3) and the hygienic compartment (3) can be moved together with the can(s) (2) in the system (1).