Rotatable Apparatus Filling Containers Continuous Motion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container filling machines struggle to efficiently and accurately fill multiple containers with a precise quantity of material articles while maintaining continuous motion of the containers, leading to reduced throughput and increased complexity.

Innovation Solution

A rotatable apparatus with a drum and turret, featuring a circumferential pattern of funnels and arms, is used in conjunction with an ejection system to direct material articles into containers. The apparatus rotates to align funnels with containers moving along an arcuate path, ensuring a consistent quantity of material articles is directed into each container.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If multiple indexed lanes are used to fill containers with precise quantities of material articles, then filling accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing process complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The indexing mechanism is segmented into modular components: the indexing drum with container receptacles, the turret with dispensing heads, and the material article feed system. Each component independently handles a specific aspect of the filling process, allowing precise control of material article distribution while simplifying the overall system architecture compared to multiple interconnected lanes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs dynamic indexing where the drum and turret rotate to bring container receptacles and dispensing heads into alignment at precise moments during continuous operation. This dynamic positioning enables accurate filling without requiring static multiple lanes, reducing system complexity while maintaining filling precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If containers are indexed to a receiving position for filling, then filling precision is improved, but throughput speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling precisionVSAvoidthroughput speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The indexing drum rotates continuously while containers are filled at indexed positions during the rotation cycle. The turret also rotates to present different dispensing heads to the receiving position in sequence. This continuous rotational motion eliminates idle time between fills, maintaining high throughput while ensuring precise filling at each indexed moment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses periodic indexing cycles where the drum and turret complete precise rotational cycles to bring container receptacles and dispensing heads into alignment. This periodic motion pattern ensures accurate positioning for each fill operation while maintaining an overall continuous flow, balancing precision requirements with throughput speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If multiple indexed lanes are used for container filling, then filling accuracy is improved, but the number of components and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling accuracyVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The indexing drum serves multiple functions: it holds container receptacles, provides positioning references for indexing, and facilitates material article transfer. The turret similarly performs multiple roles including holding dispensing heads, providing rotational indexing, and enabling material distribution. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components that would be required in a multiple-lane system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the indexing mechanism, container positioning system, and material dispensing system into an integrated rotary assembly. The drum and turret work as a combined indexing-distributing unit, eliminating the need for separate indexing mechanisms and positioning systems that would be required in multiple independent lanes, thereby reducing total component count while maintaining filling accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250162750A1Rotatable apparatuses and methods of operating the same

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC

AI summary

A packaging machine includes a rotatable apparatus and an ejection system. The rotatable apparatus rotates a plurality of funnels around a first central rotation axis at a first rate of rotation while a plurality of containers move continuously along an arcuate path while remaining axially aligned with separate, respective bottom openings of the plurality of funnels. The ejection system ejects separate pluralities of material articles from a fixed ejection position at a fixed time interval, and the rotatable apparatus receives the separate pluralities of material articles at a fixed material receiving position. The rotatable apparatus directs a same quantity of material articles into each continuously moving container based on rotating around the first central rotation axis such that each separate funnel moves continuously through the material receiving position concurrently with the rotatable apparatus receiving at least one plurality of material articles at the fixed material receiving position.