Powder Filling Apparatus with Intermediate Compaction Chamber
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for filling open containers, particularly bags with powdery products, face challenges in achieving high productivity and compact packaging due to air intake and volume expansion, leading to inefficient use of packaging material and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a net scale, intermediate chamber, and compaction device that allows for initial weighing and subsequent compaction of powdery products, preventing overfilling and air intake, using a tube or hopper arrangement to transfer product into an open-topped container while compacting and adjusting the flow to ensure optimal filling without excess volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If powdery product is transported and filled without compaction, then filling speed is maintained, but product volume increases significantly due to air intake
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary compaction before the final filling stage. The product is pre-compacted in an intermediate chamber or pre-compaction device before being transferred to the filling container, thereby reducing air intake and volume expansion during transport and filling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate chamber or pre-compaction device as an intermediary between the weighing scale and the filling container. This intermediary component allows the product to be temporarily held and compacted before final discharge, separating the weighing/filling operation from the compaction process.
2Volume of moving object
If compaction is performed during weighing phase, then product volume is reduced, but weight accuracy is compromised due to manipulation impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the filling process into distinct phases: weighing phase (where weight accuracy is maintained), intermediate compaction phase (where volume is reduced), and final filling phase. By separating compaction from the weighing operation and performing it in an intermediate chamber, the system maintains measurement precision while achieving volume reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate chamber serves as a mediator between the weighing scale and the filling container. It receives the weighed product, performs compaction without affecting the scale measurement, and then transfers the compacted product to the container, thereby decoupling the compaction process from the weighing operation.
3Productivity
If bags are filled with excess volume to accommodate air-expanded product, then filling capacity is maximized, but packaging material is wasted and stacking becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary compaction before final filling, ensuring that the product is compacted to its minimum volume before being placed in the bag. This eliminates the need to overfill bags to accommodate air-expanded product, thereby reducing packaging material waste and improving stacking efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate chamber acts as a mediator that compact s the product before it enters the filling container. This ensures that only the necessary volume of packaging material is used, as the product is already compacted to its optimal density, preventing both overfilling and underfilling issues.
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 enhances productivity, ensures compact bag dimensions, maintains high cleanliness and safety, and prevents contamination by controlling the fill level and air displacement, allowing for efficient and accurate filling without overfilling or product loss.
Implementation Method 1
a compaction device for compacting the product filled into the container
Implementation Method 2
a net scale above a tube arrangement and/or hopper arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for filling a container (7), particularly an open bag, with a powdery product has the following features” a net scale (1) situated above a tube arrangement and/or hopper arrangement (2), which terminates in a filler neck (6) above the container (7) to be filled while preferably projecting into this container. An intermediate chamber (3) is arranged downstream of the net scale and upstream of the container (7) to temporarily hold at least a portion of the product released by the net scale, and a compacting device (8, 9) is provided for compacting the product placed inside the container (7).