Separate Filling Lines for Precise Liquid-Solid Container Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for filling containers with a mixture of liquid and solid phases, such as fruit juices, face challenges in precise volume or quantity control due to mixing and measurement errors caused by opposite flow directions, especially when handling components with high solid concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A device with separate filling lines for liquid and solid phases, using a flow meter in the liquid line and a metering vessel with a displacement element in the solid line, ensures precise dosing by avoiding component mixing and utilizing a control unit for accurate quantity measurement and controlled addition of solids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single liquid path with one flow meter is used to measure both liquid and solid components, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to mixing and opposite flow directions
Solution Approach 1:
The filling device is divided into separate filling lines: a first filling line for the liquid component with a flow meter, and a second filling line for the solid component with a metering vessel. This segmentation allows each component to be measured and controlled independently, eliminating measurement errors caused by mixing and opposite flow directions while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
2Productivity
If the second component is introduced into the first liquid channel for indirect measurement, then quantity control of both components is achieved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to component mixing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of introducing the solid component into the liquid channel, the invention uses separate filling lines where the liquid component flows through the first filling line with a flow meter and the solid component flows through the second filling line with a metering vessel. This segmentation ensures components remain separate throughout the filling process, maintaining precise component ratios while achieving high productivity through parallel operation of both filling lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering vessel with displacement element acts as an intermediary device for the solid component, enabling precise quantity control without requiring the solid component to mix with the liquid in the measurement channel. The displacement element accurately meters the solid component's volume, ensuring precise component ratios while maintaining filling speed.
3Device complexity
If a flow meter is used for both liquid and solid phases in the same channel, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to measurement errors from opposite flow directions
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is segmented into two independent measurement channels: the first filling line with a flow meter dedicated to the liquid component, and the second filling line with a metering vessel dedicated to the solid component. This segmentation eliminates measurement signal errors caused by opposite flow directions and ensures high reliability for each component's quantity measurement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for filling containers with a filling product comprising at least one liquid phase and at least one solid and/or concentrate phase, wherein the device (1) for filling the containers comprises at least one filling element (2) with a filling valve (3), wherein the at least one filling element (2) is connected via a first filling line (10) to a first storage container (11) of the device (1) providing the liquid phase, wherein a flow measuring device (12) is arranged in the first filling line (10), and wherein the at least one filling element (2) is connected via a second filling line (20) to a second storage container (21) of the device (1) providing the solid and/or concentrate phase.and wherein a metering vessel (40) with a displacement element (41) is arranged in the second filling line (20) for the controlled and/or regulated metering of the solid and/or concentrate phase.