Pharmaceutical Filling Unit Degasification Station
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling units for pharmaceutical containers, such as cartridges, often introduce air bubbles into the liquid product during closure, complicating subsequent use and operate at suboptimal speeds.
Innovation Solution
A filling unit with a degasification station that uses a sucking device to evacuate air from the container before closure, employing a depression sufficient to remove air without touching the liquid, and an optimized conveyor system for increased efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional filling unit is used to fill containers with liquid product, then the filling operation can be completed, but air bubbles are introduced into the liquid product during closure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing degasification before the closure operation. The sucking device removes air bubbles from the liquid product in advance, so that when the container is subsequently closed, the liquid is already free of air bubbles. This prevents the harmful effect of air bubbles being trapped in the sealed container.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful air bubbles from the liquid product using a sucking device that applies depression (vacuum). The sucking device selectively removes gas phase (air bubbles) while leaving the liquid phase intact, thereby separating the harmful component from the useful substance.
2Productivity
If the filling unit operates at higher speed, then productivity increases, but air bubbles are more likely to be trapped in the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
By performing degasification before closure at high speed, the system maintains product quality even during rapid operation. The preliminary removal of air bubbles ensures that the subsequent fast closure does not trap air, thus resolving the conflict between speed and quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The sucking device operates continuously during the filling process to maintain degasification throughout the high-speed operation, ensuring that air bubbles are constantly removed as they form, thereby maintaining liquid quality regardless of operating speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If a sucking device is added to remove air bubbles, then liquid quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sucking device is integrated into the existing filling unit structure, allowing it to perform multiple functions: degasification of liquid, sealing of container, and preparation for injection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated equipment, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the degasification function with the closure operation by using the same mechanical structure for both purposes. The sucking device is combined with the closure mechanism, so that one integrated component performs both air removal and sealing, reducing overall system 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 filling unit eliminates air bubbles within the liquid, enhancing the operational speed of filling without compromising the quality of the filled containers, using commercially available components to maintain simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
employing a depression sufficient to remove air without touching the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A filling unit to fill a container, in particular a cartridge, with a liquid product of the pharmaceutical industry having: a dosing head, which is arranged in a filling station and is designed to feed a quantity of product into the container through an open upper end of the container; a capping device, which is arranged in a capping station and is designed to insert a closing element into the container and through the open upper end of the container; and a sucking device which is arranged in a degasification station located between the filling station and the capping station, is designed to engage the open upper end of the container in a sealing manner, and is designed to generate a depression inside the container in an upper volume, which is not occupied by the product.