Packaging Machine Sterilization via Controlled Tube Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging machines for pourable products, such as those used for liquid or pourable food products, require improvements in sterilization methods to maintain hygienic conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A packaging machine with a controlled environment and gas pressure system, utilizing sterile gas to create high and low-pressure zones within the tube, combined with a method of sterilization using ionizing radiation or chemical sterilization, to ensure thorough sterilization and cleaning of the machine components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sterilization operations are executed to guarantee hygienic conditions, then product safety and quality are improved, but production time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary sterilization of the isolation chamber and gas delivery circuits before production begins, and maintains sterile conditions throughout operation. This preliminary action ensures that sterilization is completed in advance, allowing production to proceed without repeated sterilization interruptions, thus improving product safety while minimizing production time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous sterile gas flow through the tube and filling circuit throughout the filling operation, ensuring uninterrupted sterilization protection. This continuous action eliminates the need to stop production for periodic sterilization, maintaining hygienic conditions while ensuring continuous production flow.
2Productivity
If gas pressure is increased to improve tube forming, then filling efficiency is improved, but risk of contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sterile gas (such as nitrogen or filtered air) to create a pressurized inert atmosphere within the tube during filling. This sterile gas pressure improves tube forming and filling efficiency while simultaneously preventing contamination by excluding external contaminants. The inert atmosphere acts as a protective barrier that allows high-pressure filling without increasing contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile gas acts as an intermediary substance between the external environment and the product inside the tube. It transmits pressure to improve filling efficiency while blocking contaminants from entering the product, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of high pressure and contamination prevention.
3Reliability
If sterilization apparatus is added to the packaging machine, then hygienic conditions are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation chamber serves multiple functions: it contains the sterile environment, houses the tube forming and sealing device, and acts as the sterilization chamber. The gas delivery system simultaneously provides forming gas pressure and delivers sterile gas for continuous sterilization. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sterilization apparatus, improving hygienic conditions while limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the sterilization function with the existing isolation chamber and gas delivery system. Instead of adding a separate sterilization apparatus, the patent combines sterilization operations with the ambient gas atmosphere already present in the isolation chamber, and integrates sterilization gas delivery with the existing gas feeding device used for tube forming. This merging approach provides sterilization capability while avoiding significant complexity increase.
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 hygienic conditions by ensuring thorough sterilization and cleaning of the packaging machine, reducing the risk of contamination and enhancing the quality of the packaged products.
Implementation Method 1
method of sterilization using ionizing radiation or chemical sterilization
Implementation Method 2
method of sterilization using ionizing radiation or chemical sterilization
Implementation Method 3
gas feeding device (14) configured to direct, in use, a flow of sterile gas into the tube for obtaining a gas pressure within the tube
Data Source
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AI summary
There is described a packaging machine (1) comprising a conveying device (5), an isolation chamber (7) separating an inner environment (8), a tube forming and sealing device (10) configured to form a tube (3), a gas feeding device (14) configured to direct, in use, a flow of gas into the tube (3), a filling device (13) and a control unit (11) configured to set the packaging machine (1) into a production configuration and a sterilization configuration. The gas feeding device (14) comprises a gas delivery circuit (25) and the filling device (13) comprises a product circuit (39) . When the packaging machine (1) is controlled into the sterilization configuration, the control unit (11) is configured to modulate operation of the aspiration device (31) so as to control a flow of a fluid within the gas delivery circuit (25) and the product circuit (39).