Rotary Bottle Filling Machine for Valve Closure and Fill-Level Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling machines suffer from uncontrolled product flow when a defective bottle is at an open filling valve, particularly for high-quality beverages, and lack optimal final filling level correction without significant equipment effort.
Innovation Solution
A filling machine with individually controllable lowering units that can be activated independently of the machine angle position, allowing for flexible fill level correction and immediate closure of open filling valves, even when the machine is stopped, using a combination of mechanical cam control and programmable electronic control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If bottles are lowered exclusively by mechanical cam control, then the structure is simple, but open filling valves cannot be closed individually when the filling machine is at a standstill, causing product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The lowering control system is segmented into two independent parts: mechanical cam control for general operation and individually controllable lowering units for specific bottle control. Each lowering unit can be activated independently to close specific filling valves, while the mechanical cam control handles the overall lowering process. This segmentation allows targeted intervention to prevent product loss without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing mechanical cam control infrastructure to provide the primary lowering function, and adds minimal electronic control components that only activate when needed. The mechanical cam control continues to operate autonomously for normal filling cycles, while the electronic lowering units serve as a self-activating safety mechanism that detects open valves and automatically lowers bottles to close them, preventing product loss without constant external monitoring.
2Reliability
If lifting cylinders are permanently pre-tensioned from a common compressed air channel, then the lifting mechanism is simple, but bottles cannot be lowered individually, allowing uncontrolled product flow from defective bottles
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for potential product loss by having lowering units that can be individually activated for each filling valve. These units are pre-positioned and ready to act, allowing immediate response when a defective bottle is detected or when a valve fails to close properly. The preliminary arrangement of individual lowering control capability ensures rapid intervention without requiring complex real-time decision systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If mechanical cam control is used for lowering, then the system is mechanically simple, but final filling level correction cannot be optimized without significant equipment effort
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static mechanical cam control to a dynamic control system where lowering units can be individually activated at different times and positions. This dynamic capability allows the filling level correction to be optimized by programming when and how much each bottle should be lowered, adapting to different product types and filling requirements without physical reconfiguration of the mechanical cam system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables optimization of filling level correction by changing the operational parameters of individual lowering units through programming. Parameters such as activation timing, lowering distance, and activation sequence can be adjusted digitally to optimize fill levels for different products and bottle types, replacing the need for physical cam reconfiguration with flexible software-controlled parameter changes.
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
Prevents product loss from open valves and enables precise, flexible fill level correction without additional installation, adapting to various production conditions and product types.
Implementation Method 1
pneumatically preloaded lifting cylinders for lifting the supports and bottles
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical cam control counteracting the lifting cylinders for limiting the upward stroke and for lowering the supports and bottles
Implementation Method 3
rotating lowering units, which can be individually mechanically connected to the lifting units in order to counteract the lifting cylinders and thereby lower the associated bottles
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A filling machine (1) and a method for filling a liquid product into bottles (2) are described. The filling machine (1) comprises filling valves (4) rotating on a rotor, which can be opened by raising the bottles (2) into a vertical filling position (5) and closed again by lowering them, as well as rotating lifting units (6) with carriers (7) for the bottles (2) and pneumatically pre-tensioned lifting cylinders (8) for raising the carriers (7) and bottles (2). Furthermore, a mechanical cam control (9) is provided, which counteracts the lifting cylinders (8) to limit the upward stroke and to lower the carriers (7) and bottles (2).Because the filling machine (1) also includes rotating lowering units (13) that can be individually engaged with the lifting units (6) to counteract the lifting cylinders (8) and thereby lower the associated bottles (2) relative to the filling position (5), when the filling machine (1) is stopped, open filling valves (4) can be closed and/or vertical correction positions for fill level adjustment can be flexibly set. This prevents product loss and/or improves the filling quality.