Spring-Elastic Splinter Guard for Pressurized Container Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure filling devices for containers, particularly rotary filling machines, face challenges in safely managing glass splinters that break during the filling process due to high pressure, leading to contamination risks and inefficient splinter protection systems that become damaged and difficult to clean.
Innovation Solution
A splinter guard with resiliently deflectable sections made of spring steel, which absorb the kinetic energy of flying glass splinters, reducing further splintering and bouncing, and are easily detachable for cleaning and replacement, integrated into a stationary clamping zone cover and separating plates around the filling stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If plastic absorption elements are used to reduce kinetic energy of glass splinters, then the kinetic energy absorption is improved, but the absorption elements become clogged with glass shards and lose their absorbing properties over time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from plastic to spring-elastic material, which fundamentally alters how kinetic energy is absorbed. Instead of permanent deformation that traps glass shards, the spring-elastic material uses reversible elastic deformation to absorb energy while maintaining a clean surface that doesn't accumulate shards.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-elastic absorption elements are designed to be easily replaceable. When they become damaged or lose their elastic properties over time, they can be quickly removed and replaced without complex disassembly, maintaining continuous protection while reducing maintenance complexity.
2Loss of energy
If plastic absorption elements are used to absorb kinetic energy, then the kinetic energy absorption is improved, but the elements develop sharp edges that pose injury risks and are difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
Changing from plastic to spring-elastic material fundamentally changes the surface characteristics. The spring-elastic material maintains a smooth, flexible surface that doesn't develop sharp edges even after repeated impacts, eliminating the injury risk and making cleaning trivial.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-elastic absorption elements are designed to be self-cleaning to a large extent. Their flexible, smooth surface naturally resists glass shard adhesion, and any remaining debris can be easily removed by simple wiping or rinsing without specialized cleaning equipment or procedures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rigid sheet metal cladding is used to limit flying glass fragments, then the containment of glass fragments is improved, but the scattering of subsequent fragments cannot be influenced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite protection system combining rigid sheet metal cladding for initial containment with spring-elastic absorption elements for kinetic energy reduction. This composite approach allows the rigid structure to limit the spread of initial fragments while the spring-elastic elements absorb impact energy and prevent subsequent shattering and scattering.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-elastic absorption elements are positioned to provide cushioning before glass fragments can cause further damage. By absorbing the kinetic energy of incoming fragments, they prevent the fragments from impacting other surfaces and shattering into additional smaller pieces that would scatter.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of glass splinter contamination and extends the service life of the splinter protection system by efficiently absorbing kinetic energy and preventing further splintering, while being easy to maintain and clean.
Implementation Method 1
the spring-elastic deflectable section to reduce the kinetic energy of the flying glass fragments
Implementation Method 2
absorb the kinetic energy of flying glass splinters, reducing further splintering and bouncing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) for the pressurized filling of containers, comprising a plurality of filling stations (14) having filling elements (16), which comprise sealing elements for the pressure-tight contact of the filling element against a container opening. The device (10) has, at least in the loading region (β), a fragment protection means (19), which faces the filling station (14) and which has at least one absorption element (36a-d) facing the filling station (14). According to the invention, the absorption element (36a-d, 21, 40a-e) has portions (38, 41) that can be resiliently deflected.