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US 10,643,875 B2Granted
System and method for simultaneously filling containers with different fluent compositions
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsRyan Andrew Burkhard, Nathan E Moore, Elizabeth Marie Fikes, Daniel Richard Royce
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Abstract
A system and method for simultaneously filling containers with different fluent products are disclosed. The system includes a plurality of vehicles that are independently routable along a track system to deliver containers to at least one unit operation station for dispensing fluent materials into the containers. The containers receive one or more fluent materials that differ from another in ingredients and/or weight percentage of at least one ingredient.
Claims16
A system for simultaneously dispensing different fluent materials into different containers, said system comprising:
- at least one first container and at least one second container for holding fluent material;
- a track system;
- at least one unit operation station for dispensing fluent material disposed along the track system;
- a plurality of vehicles propellable along the track system, wherein:
- a first container and a second container are disposed on the same or different vehicles;
- each vehicle is independently routable along the track system to deliver the first container and the second container to the at least one unit operation station;
- a control system comprising one or more controller units, wherein the one or more controller units receive demand for finished products to be made and determine a route for a vehicle, wherein the route is determined based on a status of one or more unit operation stations;
- and
- wherein the first container and the second container receive one or more fluent materials dispensed by one or more filling unit operation stations for dispensing fluent material, wherein the filling unit operation stations are configured to dispense fluent material so that a first fluent composition and a second fluent composition in the first container and the second container differ from one another in one or more of the following ways:
- there is a difference in the presence or type of at least one ingredient in the fluent composition in the first container and the fluent composition in the second container, and/or
- the fluent compositions in the first container and the second container have at least one common ingredient, and at least one of the following relationships is present:
- (a) the difference in weight percentage of the same ingredient in the two fluent compositions is greater than or equal to about 1.1 as determined by dividing the weight percent of the ingredient that is present in the greater amount in the two fluent compositions by the weight percent of the same ingredient that is present in the lesser amount in the two fluent compositions;
- and
- (b) when the weight percentage of at least one of the ingredients common to both the first and second containers is present in the two fluent compositions in an amount of at least 2%, and the difference of the weight percent of the same ingredient in the two fluent compositions is greater than or equal to 2%,
- wherein the first containers have a volume and a shape, and the second container has one or more of a volume, appearance, and a shape that is different from one or more of a volume, appearance, and a shape, respectively, of the first container.
12 more elements
A method for simultaneously dispensing different fluent materials into different containers, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a track system comprising a track on which container-loaded vehicles are propellable, wherein a plurality of unit operations stations are disposed along the track system, wherein said unit operation stations comprise at least one filling unit operation station:
- (b) providing a plurality of empty containers, said containers comprising:
- a plurality of first containers, each having a shape, an opening and a volume for holding a fluent material;
- and
- a plurality of second containers, each having a shape, an appearance, an opening and a volume for holding a fluent material, wherein one or more of the shape, appearance, and the volume of each of the second containers is different from one or more of the shape, appearance, and the volume, respectively, of each of the first containers;
- (c) providing a plurality of vehicles propellable along said track system;
- (d) a first container and a second container are loaded onto the same or different vehicles;
- (e) providing a control system comprising one or more controller units, wherein the one or more controller units receive demand for finished products to be made and determine a route for a vehicle, wherein the route is determined based on a status of one or more unit operation stations;
- (f) sending said first container-loaded vehicle to a filling unit operation station configured to dispense a first fluent material into a container;
- (g) sending said second container-loaded vehicle to a filling unit operation station configured to dispense a second fluent material into a container, wherein said first and second fluent materials differ;
- and
- (h) simultaneously dispensing said first fluent material into said first container and said second fluent material into said second container.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.