Seal Pin Vortex Member for Bubble Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seal pin assemblies for forming and filling heads often result in non-conical flow, off-center gate formation, and excessive material bubbling during the simultaneous forming and filling of high-density polyethylene containers, leading to suboptimal container formation and filling.

Innovation Solution

A seal pin assembly with a vortex generating member that converts the product stream into a vortex as it flows through helical channels, ensuring a uniform, conical stream with centrifugal motion, reducing bubble adherence and improving shoulder formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a traditional seal pin assembly is used for injecting product into a thermoplastic preform, then the container can be formed and filled, but the product stream produces non-conical flow, off-center gate formation, and excessive material bubbling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegate formation precisionVSAvoidmaterial bubbling
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The vortex generating member introduces a curved flow path that transforms the linear product stream into a rotating vortex flow. This curvature creates centrifugal forces that push material outward uniformly, eliminating off-center gate formation and excessive bubbling while producing a conical flow pattern that improves manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes fluid dynamics principles by designing the vortex generating member to create a hydraulic vortex flow. The product stream is converted into a rotating fluid pattern that maintains conical shape and uniform distribution, resolving the bubbling and gate formation issues through controlled fluid motion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Object-generated harmful factors

If a vortex generating member is added to create a conical stream with centrifugal motion, then bubble presence is reduced and shoulder formation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebubble presenceVSAvoidseal pin assembly structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vortex generating member is integrated directly onto the seal pin assembly, merging the vortex generation function with the existing injection mechanism. This combination approach reduces overall device complexity by eliminating separate bubble removal systems while still achieving the benefit of reduced bubble presence through the vortex flow pattern

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The vortex generating member reduces bubble presence and improves container formation by creating a density gradient that causes bubbles to rise and disperse, resulting in fewer bubbles and better shoulder formation compared to traditional systems.

Implementation Method 1

A vortex generating member is mounted to the seal pin and configured to convert a stream of the product into a vortex as the product flows across the vortex generating member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVortex: Vortex Ring

Implementation Method 2

The vortex generating member reduces bubble presence and improves container formation by creating a density gradient that causes bubbles to rise and disperse

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 3

The vortex generating member reduces bubble presence and improves container formation by creating a density gradient that causes bubbles to rise and disperse

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDensity gradient: Density Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4126500B1Seal pin for container forming and filling head
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 LIQUIFORM GRP LLC
  • EP4126500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4126500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4126500B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A seal pin assembly for a forming and filling head configured to inject a product into a thermoplastic preform for simultaneously forming a container from the thermoplastic preform and filling the container with the product. The seal pin assembly includes a seal pin movable within the forming and filling head towards and away from a nozzle of the forming and filling head. The nozzle is configured to cooperate with the thermoplastic preform. A vortex generating member is mounted to the seal pin and configured to convert a stream of the product into a vortex as the product flows across the vortex generating member and out through the nozzle.