Spindle Shaft Bearing Layout for Low-Wear Screw Capping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spindle shaft units in twist-closing container devices experience heavy wear and inaccurate sealing due to simultaneous lifting and rotating movements, leading to operational failures and high maintenance costs, especially in the food sector when cleaning with foams.
Innovation Solution
A spindle shaft unit design with a bearing unit that separates lifting and rotating movements, using a plain bearing for lifting and a rotary bearing for rotation, reducing wear and increasing service life, with the additional bearing protected from substances like cleaning foams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single plain bearing is used to support the spindle shaft for both lifting and rotating movements, then the device structure is simple, but heavy wear occurs leading to inaccurate sealing and operational failures
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing unit is segmented into two distinct bearing elements: a first bearing (plain bearing) that supports the lifting movement of the spindle shaft, and a second bearing (rotary bearing) that supports the rotating movement. This segmentation separates the two movement types, allowing each bearing to be optimized for its specific function and reducing wear on both components.
2Device complexity
If the spindle shaft performs simultaneous lifting and rotating movements in a single bearing, then the device structure is simple, but wear increases leading to high downtime and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing configuration is segmented into a first bearing for lifting movement and a second bearing for rotating movement. This allows the service life of each bearing to be extended by optimizing it for its specific movement type, thereby increasing the overall service life of the spindle shaft unit and reducing maintenance frequency.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing unit acts as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the lifting and rotating movements of the spindle shaft. By introducing this intermediate structure with two specialized bearings, the patent reduces wear on the spindle shaft itself while maintaining the necessary dual movement capability.
3Ease of operation
If cleaning foams contact the bearing bush during simultaneous lifting and rotating movements, then the device can be cleaned in place, but wear increases due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing unit serves as an intermediary protective structure that shields the critical bearing surfaces from cleaning foams. The first bearing is designed to be resistant to foam contamination, while the second bearing is positioned or protected to minimize exposure, allowing in-place cleaning without compromising bearing performance or service life.
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
This design significantly reduces wear and increases the accuracy and service life of the spindle shaft unit, minimizing downtime and maintenance costs by distributing the load and protecting the bearings from contaminants.
Implementation Method 1
a plain bearing (5, 5a, 5b) interacting with the spindle shaft (3), which is arranged in a longitudinally displaceable and non-rotatable manner on the plain bearing (5, 5a, 5b)
Implementation Method 2
a further bearing (6, 6a, 6b), which comprises a rotary bearing, arranged between the plain bearing and the housing component, wherein the further bearing (6, 6a, 6b) cooperates with the plain bearing (5, 5a, 5b)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a spindle shaft unit (1) for a device for the rotary closing of containers with a screw closure, having a housing component (2) and a spindle shaft (3) arranged to be able to be rotated and displaced on the housing component (2), wherein a bearing unit (4) is arranged between the housing component (2) and the spindle shaft (3). To provide a spindle shaft unit (1) for a device for the rotary closing of containers with a screw closure and to provide a corresponding device which enables particularly long operational life with a precise function and can be operated with particularly low wear, the invention proposes that the bearing unit (4) comprises a sliding bearing (5) that acts with the spindle shaft (3) and a further bearing (6) that acts with the sliding bearing (5), wherein the spindle shaft (3) is arranged on the sliding bearing (5) such that the spindle shaft (3) can be longitudinally displaced and is rotationally fixed, and the sliding bearing (5) can be rotated with respect to the housing component (2) and is fixed in a non-displaceable manner by means of the further bearing (6).