Packaging System Visual Indicators for Stopper Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated bottling systems often fail to ensure proper closure of container necks due to quality defects, interference, or poor placement of stoppers, leading to potential leakage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of visual indicators on both the container neck and stopper, which are designed to align or maintain specific angular and axial positions when the system is closed, allowing for quick verification of proper stopper placement and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If automated bottling machines apply preset tightening torque to screw stoppers on container necks, then the stopper reaches a predetermined final position, but the stopper may fail to reach the expected position due to quality defects, interference, or poor placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing visual indicators (angular and axial) that show the expected final position of the stopper before the bottling process completes. This allows operators to verify whether the stopper will reach the correct position, enabling early detection of potential positioning failures due to quality defects, interference, or poor placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by incorporating visual indicators that provide immediate information about stopper positioning status. The indicators give real-time feedback on whether the stopper has reached the predetermined final position, allowing for quick identification and correction of positioning issues without waiting for the complete bottling cycle to finish.
2Manufacturing precision
If the stopper placement is verified by detailed inspection methods, then positioning accuracy can be confirmed, but the inspection process becomes time-consuming and incompatible with high bottling rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual indicators that provide immediate feedback on stopper positioning status, allowing for rapid verification without time-consuming detailed inspections. The indicators enable operators to quickly assess whether the stopper has reached the correct position, maintaining high bottling rates while ensuring positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual indicators that can be observed at a glance, potentially using color or positional changes to indicate proper stopper positioning. This allows for rapid visual inspection that does not slow down the bottling process, maintaining high productivity while ensuring manufacturing precision.
3Productivity
If visual indicators are added to the packaging system to enable quick verification, then inspection speed increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the verification function into two separate visual indicators: one for angular position and one for axial position. This segmentation allows each indicator to focus on a specific positioning aspect, making the indicators simpler to implement and interpret, while together they provide comprehensive verification of stopper positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by placing specific visual indicators at particular locations on the packaging system - one indicator for angular position and another for axial position. Each indicator is positioned and designed to provide specific information about a particular aspect of stopper positioning, enabling targeted verification without requiring complex overall system changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
The packaging system according to the invention comprises a container (1), which includes a neck (2) defining an axis (X-X), and a stopper (10) for closing the neck, which includes a skirt (12) adapted to be fastened removably around the neck. In order to quickly and easily check that the stopper is positioned correctly on the neck when the container is closed, the invention provides means for visually checking that the system is in a closed configuration, predetermined afterwards by applying a preset stress for having the skirt cooperate with the neck, said means comprise both: - first indicators (20, 22) of the angular position around the axis between the neck and the skirt, said first indicators being respectively borne by the neck and the skirt and being designed to be arranged with an angular spacing between them which is substantially equal to a first predetermined value when the packaging system is in the closed configuration, and - second indicators (21, 23) of the position along the axis between the skirt and the neck, said second indicators being separate from the first indicators, borne respectively by the neck and by the skirt, and designed to be arranged parallel to each other with an axial spacing (Delta) between them which is below a second predetermined value when the packaging system is in the closed configuration.