Sterilizing Plastic Parisons With Displacement Gripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for sterilizing plastic parisons fail to ensure comprehensive disinfection of external surfaces, particularly around the mouth region, due to contact surfaces being concealed by gripping clamps, which limits the effectiveness of sterilizing media or radiation exposure.
Innovation Solution
A device with a displacement mechanism, such as a drive roller or friction rail, within the gripping system that rotates or shifts the plastic parison to expose previously concealed contact surfaces to the sterilizing medium or radiation, ensuring complete surface sterilization without interrupting the process or using additional mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gripping clamp is used to hold the plastic parison during sterilization, then the parison can be securely transported through the sterilization chamber, but the contact surfaces between the gripping clamp and parison are concealed from the sterilizing medium and radiation
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping clamp is designed to dynamically adjust its position during the sterilization process. The clamp can move along the parison axis, transitioning from a fixed gripping position to a displaced position that exposes previously shielded surfaces. This dynamic adjustment allows the same gripping system to both secure transport and enable complete sterilization without adding separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization process is divided into temporal segments: an initial gripping phase where the clamp holds the parison, followed by a displacement phase where the clamp moves to expose surfaces. This segmentation allows different portions of the parison surface to be sterilized at different times, ensuring complete coverage while using a single gripping system.
2Reliability
If the gripping clamp maintains constant contact with the plastic parison during sterilization, then stable transport is achieved, but sterilization of contact surfaces is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping clamp performs periodic displacement actions during the sterilization process. After an initial gripping phase, the clamp periodically moves to displace specific surfaces away from the radiation source, allowing periodic exposure and sterilization of previously shielded areas. This periodic action ensures all surfaces receive adequate sterilization exposure time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary sterilization of accessible surfaces while the clamp is in its initial gripping position. Then, the clamp displaces to expose previously shielded surfaces for additional sterilization. This preliminary action approach ensures that all surfaces, including those initially concealed, receive sufficient sterilization exposure.
3Reliability
If additional mechanisms are added to expose concealed surfaces during sterilization, then complete sterilization is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping clamp is designed with multi-functionality: it serves both as a transport mechanism to move the parison through the sterilization chamber and as a displacement mechanism to expose concealed surfaces during sterilization. By making the gripping system universal, the patent achieves complete sterilization without adding separate dedicated mechanisms, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the gripping function and the surface exposure function into a single integrated system. The gripping clamp combines the ability to hold the parison securely with the ability to displace surfaces for sterilization. This merging of functions eliminates the need for additional separate mechanisms, achieving complete sterilization while minimizing device complexity.
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 solution allows for comprehensive and complete sterilization of the external surface of plastic parisons, enhancing disinfection performance, especially for weakly acidic products, by ensuring all regions come into contact with the sterilizing medium or radiation for an adequate time.
Implementation Method 1
The displacement means is formed with at least one drive roller which is disposed rotatably within the gripping clamp and is in non-positive engagement with the plastic parison, and wherein by means of a rotation of the drive roller about its axis of rotation, relative to gripping arms of the gripping clamp, in one direction of rotation, a rotation of the plastic parison around its axis of rotation, relative to the gripping arms, can be effected
Implementation Method 2
The displacement means is formed with at least one friction rail, wherein the plastic parison is guidable along this friction rail within the sterilization chamber, wherein by means of a non-positive engagement between the plastic parison and the friction rail the plastic parison is rotatable about its axis of rotation within the gripping clamp
Implementation Method 3
the disinfection is achieved by gaseous or liquid sterilization media or by irradiation (UV radiation, electron beams)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (100) for sterilizing plastic parisons (1), with a sterilization chamber (3) and a transport device (2) disposed at least partially inside the sterilization chamber (3) for moving the plastic parisons (1) within the sterilization chamber (3), wherein the transport device (2) has at least one gripping system (4) for engaging round and supporting the plastic parisons (1) by means of a gripping clamp (41), wherein the gripping system (4) has a displacement means (5) for displacement during sterilization within the sterilization chamber of contact surfaces (1A) of the plastic parisons (1) which are shielded by the gripping system (4) from a sterilizing medium and/or sterilizing radiation.