Simultaneous Cooling and Sterilization of PET Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bottles exiting the blow-molding machine are still hot, requiring cooling before filling to ensure thermoplastic stability, while also needing sterilization or disinfection, which complicates the packaging process.
Innovation Solution
Simultaneously cooling and sterilizing or disinfecting empty PET bottles using a liquid coolant containing a disinfectant, such as chlorine dioxide, applied as a fine aerosol over the exterior and interior, allowing for a compact and efficient packaging process by integrating these steps into a single process with a single medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If bottles are cooled separately before filling, then the thermoplastic stability is improved, but the process complexity increases due to requiring separate cooling and sterilization steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling and sterilization steps into a single integrated process by circulating liquid coolant through channels in the bottle wall. This simultaneous treatment achieves both temperature reduction and microbial elimination without requiring separate process stages, thereby maintaining thermoplastic stability while reducing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coolant serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a cooling medium to reduce bottle temperature and as a sterilizing agent to eliminate microorganisms. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate cooling and sterilization systems, directly resolving the contradiction between process effectiveness and complexity.
2Reliability
If separate cooling and sterilization processes are used, then each function is performed effectively, but the production time increases due to multiple process steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous simultaneous cooling and sterilization by maintaining constant circulation of the liquid coolant through the bottle wall channels. Both functions occur continuously and concurrently during a single process pass, eliminating the sequential time loss associated with separate operations while maintaining the reliability of each function.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging cooling and sterilization into one concurrent process using the same liquid coolant medium, the patent eliminates the time required to transition between separate processes. The dual-function approach ensures both cooling effectiveness and sterilization reliability are achieved within a single continuous operation, significantly reducing total production time.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact packaging installation is designed, then the space requirement is reduced, but the integration of cooling and sterilization functions becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds cooling/sterilization channels directly within the bottle wall structure itself. The channels are integrated into the bottle geometry during molding, allowing the cooling and sterilization system to be nested within the product container. This eliminates the need for external separate systems, achieving compact installation space while the integrated design simplifies rather than complicates the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coolant system performs both cooling and sterilization functions through a single integrated mechanism. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would traditionally require separate equipment into one system, dramatically reducing installation space requirements while the unified design reduces integration complexity compared to coordinating multiple separate systems.
4Reliability
If high concentrations of disinfectant are used in the coolant, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but the risk of chemical contamination of the liquid product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the disinfectant concentration parameter to a specific range (0.5-3 ppm chlorine dioxide) that is sufficient for effective sterilization while remaining below contamination thresholds for the liquid product. This precise parameter control achieves reliable sterilization without introducing harmful chemical levels, resolving the contradiction between sterilization effectiveness and product safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The disinfectant is applied locally to the bottle exterior surfaces through the coolant circulation system, concentrating the sterilization action where it is most needed (on surfaces that contact the product during filling) while minimizing overall chemical exposure. This localized application maintains high sterilization effectiveness at the critical interfaces while reducing the total chemical load and contamination risk to the liquid product.
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
This method effectively cools and disinfects bottles in a single step, reducing the need for separate cooling and sterilization processes, enhancing the packaging efficiency and maintaining high performance by ensuring stable thermoplastic bottles for pressure-filled products.
Implementation Method 1
exposing an exterior of the container to a mixture that includes liquid coolant... effectively cools and disinfects bottles
Implementation Method 2
exposing an exterior of the container to a mixture that includes liquid coolant and either a sterilizing agent or a disinfectant... disinfects bottles
Implementation Method 3
Finely atomized liquid coolant is applied from below onto containers... the atomized coolant is an aerosol
Data Source
AI summary
A method for packaging liquid products under pressure in thermoplastic containers includes blow-molding a container from a sterilized preform, exposing an exterior of the container to a mixture that includes liquid coolant and either a sterilizing agent or a disinfectant, pressure-filling the container with liquid product, and sealing the filled container.