Sealing Capsule Orientation for Wire Cage Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bottling systems for high-quality productions, such as sparkling wines, require complex preliminary operations to ensure the locking tab of the metal wirehood protrudes from the capsule, significantly slowing down the production process and reducing yield by up to 30%, and also cause production line stoppages due to maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a carousel system that orients and aligns sealing capsules with the locking tab of the wirehood, allowing the locking tab to protrude without the need for pre-orientation, enabling simultaneous processing of high-quality and standard productions without yield reduction and allowing for maintenance without halting production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If preliminary operations are performed to ensure the locking tab protrudes from the capsule, then the quality of the bottle closure is improved, but the production speed is reduced by up to 30%
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus performs preliminary orientation of the capsule relative to the locking tab position before the capsule is applied to the bottle. The orientation means detects the locking tab position and pre-orientes the capsule accordingly, so that when the capsule is applied, the protrusion is automatically achieved without requiring slow post-application adjustments or repositioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual or mechanical pre-positioning operations with an automated detection and orientation system. The detection means identifies the locking tab position, and the orientation means automatically adjusts the capsule orientation based on this information, eliminating the need for slow manual intervention or complex mechanical pre-positioning mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex preliminary operations are implemented for high-quality production, then the capsule alignment with locking tab is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus integrates multiple functions into a single streamlined system: the detection means identifies the locking tab position, the orientation means pre-orientes the capsule, and the application means applies the capsule. This multi-functional integration eliminates the need for separate complex preliminary operations and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining high alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the detection, orientation, and application operations into a single integrated process that occurs before capsule application. By merging these functions into one coordinated sequence, the system achieves precise capsule alignment without requiring multiple separate complex mechanisms or stations.
3Manufacturing precision
If preliminary operations are performed before capsule application, then the locking tab protrusion is ensured, but the production line must stop for maintenance in these stations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the critical orientation function from the main production line into a dedicated detection and orientation system that operates in parallel. The detection means and orientation means are integrated into the capsule application station itself, allowing the critical protrusion function to be performed without adding separate preliminary stations that would require independent maintenance and could cause production stoppages.
Data Source
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AI summary
The bottles are fed to a capsule dispenser (16) which is adapted to place a capsule (20) having a slot (22) on its lateral wall upon each of the bottle necks (N). The capsuled bottles are fed to a carousel (28) provided with a plurality of peripheral stations (30), each of which is adapted to receive a respective bottle (B) and to perform the following operations upon it: raising the capsule (20) from the neck (N) by a pick-up device (38); opening outwards the tab (L) of the cage (C), at least partially, by an opening device; aligning the tab (L) to the slot (22) by axially rotating at least one of the bottle (B) and the capsule (20); re-laying the capsule (20) on the bottle neck. The tab (L) will insert into the slot (22) and protrude outside the capsule.