Container Filling Machine Sterile Atmosphere and Modular Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for filling and closing containers fail to maintain sterility and prevent contamination, especially when handling different substances, and are not easily installable or maintainable.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a variable conveyor system, sterilizing stations, and a structured filling and closing process that includes a main gas flow for sterility, nozzles for precise filling, capping organs for closure, and sensors for quality control, along with manipulator organs for sorting containers based on filling and closing parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional filling and closing machine is used, then the processing speed and productivity are maintained, but the container sterility cannot be guaranteed and contamination occurs during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a sterile atmosphere system that creates an inert environment throughout the filling and closing process. Sterile air is supplied through a plenum chamber and distributed via nozzles positioned above the conveyor, maintaining positive pressure to prevent contamination from external sources. The atmosphere is continuously filtered and renewed, ensuring container sterility is preserved from filling through closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sterile air as an intermediary substance that mediates between the external environment and the containers during processing. The sterile atmosphere acts as a protective barrier, preventing direct contact between potentially contaminating air and the open container contents during the filling and closing operations.
2Reliability
If the machine structure is made complex to ensure sterility and prevent contamination, then the reliability improves, but the ease of manufacture and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sterile atmosphere system into modular segments: a plenum chamber section, a nozzle array section, and a conveyor integration section. Each component can be independently manufactured, installed, and maintained. The nozzle system is arranged in modular rows that can be adjusted or replaced without dismantling the entire machine, facilitating easier manufacture and maintenance while maintaining sterility reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the conveyor system is designed with multiple branches and manipulator organs for quality control, then the manufacturing precision and quality detection improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quality control function into a separate, dedicated inspection system with sensors positioned alongside the conveyor rather than integrating complex manipulator organs directly into the filling and closing mechanisms. This allows precision detection of filling and closing parameters through non-contact sensing, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision through automated optical or electronic inspection.
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
Ensures maximum container sterility before filling, prevents contamination during the process, and facilitates easy installation and maintenance due to its versatile and functional design.
Implementation Method 1
a main gas flow, substantially vertically directed, of a sterile substance
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for filling and closing containers comprises: a conveyor, step-activated in an advancement direction, laterally provided with a plurality of gripping devices which grip containers at an active branch of the conveyor. A filling station has a plurality of nozzles for filling the containers, and weighing devices for detecting a correct filling of the containers. A closing station has capping devices for closing the filled containers with caps, and sensors to detect correct closure. A release station, located downstream of the closing station has manipulators which are either de-activated to allow transit of incorrectly filled and/or closed containers, which are released onto a reject conveyor downstream and in line with the active branch; or activated transversally to the advancement direction to collect correctly filled and closed containers and release them onto an outlet conveyor, adjacent and parallel to the reject conveyor.