Resin Vessel Sterilization Charge Neutralization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods fail to completely eliminate static charges within the interior of resin vessels, such as PET bottles, during electron beam sterilization, leading to undesirable attraction of dust and dirt.
Innovation Solution
A sterilization and filling system that incorporates an earth electrode inserted into the resin vessel during electron beam irradiation and a voltage-apply type ionizer to emit ions, ensuring neutralization of charges by generating ions of the same polarity as the remaining charges within the vessel, which are then neutralized by ions in the filling liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electron beam sterilization is applied to resin vessels, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but static charge accumulation occurs inside the vessel walls
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive member is introduced as an intermediary element that contacts the inner content of the vessel during filling. This conductive member serves as a mediator to drain static charges from the resin vessel walls through the conductive path it establishes, without interfering with the electron beam sterilization process or the filling operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical charge elimination methods (such as physical contact with grounded surfaces) with an electrical conduction-based approach. By utilizing the conductive properties of the filling liquid and the conductive member, static charges are eliminated through electrical conduction rather than mechanical means
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a conducting member is inserted into the vessel during filling to eliminate static charge, then static charge elimination is improved, but the complexity of the filling process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive member is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a filling nozzle for introducing inner content and a charge elimination tool. By combining these two functions into a single component, the patent avoids adding separate complex charge elimination equipment to the filling system
Solution Approach 2:
The filling liquid itself serves as the charge elimination medium. As the conductive member fills the vessel with conductive liquid, the liquid automatically provides a conductive path that drains static charges from the vessel walls, eliminating the need for separate charge elimination actions or additional systems
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
Effectively eliminates static charges within the resin vessel walls, preventing charge buildup and reducing dust and dirt attraction, while maintaining aseptic conditions during the sterilization and filling process.
Implementation Method 1
there has been widely known an electron beam sterilization apparatus for sterilizing a resin vessel such as PET bottle by being irradiated with electron beam
Implementation Method 2
a voltage-apply type ionizer to emit ions, ensuring neutralization of charges by generating ions of the same polarity as the remaining charges within the vessel
Implementation Method 3
charges having the same polarity as that of the charges inside the resin vessel are generated, and then the charges are neutralized by ions in the filling liquid
Data Source
AI summary
It is aimed to eliminate charges accumulated inside a wall structure of a resin vessel (2), which is sterilized by an electron beam irradiator (16), and an ionizer (134) disposed outside a filler (112) emits to the outer surface of the resin vessel (2) with negative ions having the same polarity as that of charges accumulated in the wall section of the resin vessel (2), while conveying the resin vessel (2) sterilized by the electron beam irradiator (16) to the filler (112), by which liquid fills the resin vessel (2). A filling nozzle (132) is connected to ground, and an ion flowing path is formed through a liquid column (La) filling the interior of the resin vessel (2) from the filling nozzle (132). The ions having the negative charges in a filling liquid (L) flow toward ground side of the ionizer (134), and on the other hand, ions having positive charges are attracted to the inner surface of the resin vessel (2) to thereby neutralize the charges remaining inside the wall structure of the resin vessel (2) with the ions having the positive charges.