Sterile Chamber Heating for Plastic Preforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing sterile plastic containers are costly due to separate and expensive sterilization processes for both the containers and heating of plastic preforms, which can lead to contamination and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that integrates a transport system with a heating device, allowing plastic preforms to be sterilized and heated within a sterile environment, using movable and stationary walls to maintain sterility, and incorporating microwave or infrared heating, with optional sterilization and cleaning devices to ensure contamination-free processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If plastic preforms are heated in a separate heating device outside the sterile room, then the heating process is simpler and faster, but the plastic preforms may become contaminated and additional sterilization steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating device and sterile room into a single integrated system. The heating device is positioned inside the sterile room, allowing plastic preforms to be heated while maintaining sterile conditions. This eliminates the need for separate sterilization steps and prevents contamination while achieving efficient heating.
2Reliability
If a large stationary sterile room surrounds the entire heating device, then sterility is maintained throughout the process, but the device complexity and space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sterile space into a localized area around only the critical heating zone rather than enclosing the entire heating device. A movable wall creates a compact sterile chamber that follows the transport path of plastic preforms through the heating device, reducing the overall sterile space required while maintaining sterility where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a movable wall that can adjust its position to follow the transport path of plastic preforms. This dynamic structure creates a compact sterile space that adapts to the movement of preforms through the heating device, reducing the overall space requirements compared to a large stationary sterile room.
3Reliability
If separate sterilization processes are applied to containers before filling, then sterile conditions are achieved, but the production cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies sterilization to plastic preforms before they enter the heating device, ensuring they are already sterile when heating begins. This preliminary sterilization action prevents contamination during heating and eliminates the need for additional sterilization steps before container filling, saving time and maintaining sterile conditions throughout the process.
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 approach simplifies the production of sterile containers by allowing simultaneous sterilization and heating of plastic preforms within a controlled sterile space, reducing contamination risks and costs while maintaining efficient processing.
Implementation Method 1
The heating device has at least one microwave generating device
Implementation Method 2
the heating device can also be an infrared oven
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
A device (1) for heating plastic preforms (10), comprising a transport device (2) which transports the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path (P), and at least one heating device (4) which heats the plastic preforms during their transport. According to the invention, the transport path (P) of the plastic preforms runs at least sectionally through a sterile chamber (12), wherein this sterile chamber (12) is delimited from the environment (U) by a plurality of walls (22, 24, 27).