Piston Arrangement Cleaning Chamber Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current piston assemblies for liquid pumping in bottling plants face challenges in cleaning and disinfection, particularly with sealed pistons, where contamination between the piston and cylinder is difficult to remove without dismantling, violating hygiene regulations.
Innovation Solution
The piston assembly features a cylindrical section with an enlarged diameter beyond reversal points for a cleaning chamber, allowing the piston to be moved into this area without disassembly, where a non-contact seal or peripheral seal can be applied with cleaning media, eliminating the sealing effect and enabling thorough cleaning and disinfection without external intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is provided on the piston against the cylinder bore to prevent liquid leakage, then the sealing effect is improved, but the cleaning and disinfection capability deteriorates because contaminants between the piston and cylinder cannot be adequately removed without disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder is divided into two functional sections: a working section with normal diameter where the piston seals against the cylinder bore during liquid pumping, and a cleaning section with enlarged diameter where the piston can be moved to eliminate the sealing effect and allow cleaning media to access all surfaces. This segmentation allows the same components to serve both sealing and cleaning functions in different operational modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between two operational states: during normal operation, the piston operates in the working section with sealing engagement; during cleaning, the piston is moved to the cleaning section where the enlarged diameter creates a non-contact condition, eliminating the sealing effect and enabling thorough cleaning without disassembly.
2Ease of operation
If the piston is disassembled to remove contaminants between the piston and cylinder, then the cleaning capability is improved, but the device complexity and risk of contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder is divided into a working section and a cleaning section. The cleaning section has an enlarged diameter that creates a non-contact condition between the piston and cylinder wall, allowing cleaning media to access all surfaces including the seal area without requiring disassembly of the piston or cylinder.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-cleaning by moving the piston into the cleaning section where cleaning media can be introduced to thoroughly clean all surfaces. This eliminates the need for external intervention or disassembly, allowing the system to clean itself during scheduled maintenance periods.
3Ease of operation
If the piston is moved into the cleaning chamber with enlarged diameter, then the cleaning access is improved, but the working volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder is segmented into a working section with normal diameter for liquid pumping and a cleaning section with enlarged diameter for cleaning operations. The cleaning section is positioned beyond the reversal points of the piston's working stroke, so it does not interfere with the volume available for liquid displacement during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is achieved by extending the cylinder in the axial direction beyond the reversal points, creating a separate cleaning section. This dimensional extension allows the piston to access a cleaning zone without reducing the radial dimensions or working volume of the main pumping section.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a piston arrangement for pumping a liquid, in particular in a bottling system. The aim of the invention is to provide a piston arrangement for pumping a liquid and which can be cleaned and/or disinfected from the outside without disassembling the piston or carrying out other operations in the arrangement. Said aim is achieved by means of a piston assembly for pumping a liquid, comprising a piston (1) operating in a cylinder (2), said piston have a working path (A) between a first and a second inversion point (U1, U2), said piston (1) closing in a sealed manner, in the region of the working path (A), with respect to the cylinder (2). The arrangement is characterized in that, on the other side of one of the two inversing points (U1, U2) outside of the working path (A), the diameter of the cylinder (2) in one section (8) is enlarged such that the sealing connection is removed and the piston (1) can be moved in said section for the cleaning and/or disinfection process.