Hopper and screeding device

Abstract

The application discloses a hopper and a paving equipment, the hopper comprises a hopper body, a slurry storage chamber and a slurry homogenizing chamber are arranged from top to bottom in the hopper body, a slurry outlet is arranged in the lower part of the hopper body and is communicated with the slurry homogenizing chamber, and a feeding port is arranged in the bottom of the slurry storage chamber and is communicated with the slurry homogenizing chamber, wherein the opening of the feeding port is arranged in a direction opposite to the direction of the slurry outlet.The technical scheme of the application improves the efficiency and quality of the slurry paving equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of construction equipment technology, and in particular to a hopper and a slurry spreading device using the hopper. Background Technology

[0002] When laying floor tiles, a layer of tile adhesive needs to be applied to the surface to ensure effective bonding between the tiles and the surface. Currently, this is done manually by spreading the tile adhesive on the surface and then using a notched trowel to smooth the adhesive into a flat, toothed surface. This manual method of spreading tile adhesive evenly requires highly skilled workers and is physically demanding. Furthermore, because the adhesive is applied manually, factors such as uneven surface levels and the fluidity of the adhesive making it difficult to control its consistency can lead to uneven thickness of the adhesive throughout the floor. This can result in gaps or depressions in the adhesive layer in certain areas, causing hollow spots or other quality issues after the tiles are installed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a hopper designed to improve the efficiency and quality of grouting construction.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a hopper comprising a hopper body, wherein a slurry storage chamber and a homogenizing chamber are formed in the hopper body arranged from top to bottom, and a slurry outlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber is constructed at the lower part of the hopper body, and a feed inlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber is provided at the bottom of the slurry storage chamber, wherein the opening of the feed inlet is oriented away from the slurry outlet.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention, by setting the opening of the inlet at the bottom of the slurry storage chamber to face away from the slurry outlet in the hopper structure, makes the inlet as far away from the outlet as possible. The tile adhesive flowing from the storage chamber into the homogenizing chamber tumbles and changes its flow direction in the homogenizing chamber. During this process, the impact force from the storage chamber is released and the pressure of the tile adhesive is balanced throughout. When flowing out of the outlet, the pressure of the tile adhesive at each point of the outlet is equal, which can avoid the impact force brought by the slurry flowing from the storage chamber into the homogenizing chamber at the outlet. In this way, the tile adhesive can be evenly laid on the working surface, minimizing the possibility of defects such as depressions, uneven thickness, and hollow areas in the laid tile adhesive surface, thus improving the laying quality.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, both the feed inlet and the slurry outlet are elongated openings, wherein the width of the feed inlet in the vertical direction increases from the middle to both ends.

[0007] In this embodiment, by increasing the width of the feed inlet in the vertical direction from the middle to both ends, the slurry can be evenly spread from the storage chamber to the homogenizing chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the laying direction, the distance between the feed inlet and the front sidewall of the homogenizing chamber is greater than the distance between the feed inlet and the slurry outlet.

[0009] In this embodiment, this allows the tile adhesive entering the homogenizing chamber to have a longer flow path, thereby fully releasing pressure and achieving equalization.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slurry storage chamber is formed with at least one pressurization chamber, the cross-sectional area of ​​which decreases from top to bottom.

[0011] In this embodiment, the pressurization chamber increases the flow rate and pressure of the tile adhesive, which is beneficial to the efficiency and quality of the laying process.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slurry storage chamber includes a slurry storage bottom wall and a slurry storage front side wall and a slurry storage rear side wall that are spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the hopper is laid.

[0013] The bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage is lower than the bottom of the rear sidewall of the slurry storage and extends into the homogenization chamber. One side of the bottom wall of the slurry storage is connected to the rear sidewall of the slurry storage, and the other side extends obliquely toward the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage and connects to the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage. The bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage and the bottom wall of the storage chamber cooperate to form the feed inlet, and the two define the pressurization chamber.

[0014] In this embodiment, the inclined bottom wall of the slurry storage can be used to gradually guide the tile adhesive and increase its pressure, while also expelling air from the tile adhesive during the process.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom wall of the slurry storage includes a first straight section connected to the rear side wall of the slurry storage, a second straight section connected to the front side wall of the slurry storage, and a first inclined section connected between the first straight section and the second straight section, wherein the feed inlet is formed between the bottom of the second straight section and the front side wall of the slurry storage.

[0016] In this embodiment, the bottom wall of the slurry storage is designed in three sections: a first straight section, a first inclined section, and a second straight section, which has a good effect on the diversion and pressurization of tile adhesive.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of spaced-apart dividing ribs are connected between the second straight section and the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage, and the plurality of dividing ribs divide the feed inlet into a plurality of sub-feed inlets. In the arrangement direction from the middle of the feed inlet to both ends, the upper and lower opening widths of the sub-feed inlets are increased.

[0018] In this embodiment, the partition ribs enhance the structural strength at the feed inlet.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the front sidewall and the rear sidewall of the slurry storage extend vertically and are arranged in parallel.

[0020] In this embodiment, both the front and rear sidewalls of the slurry storage extend vertically and are arranged in parallel, allowing the tile adhesive to fall freely and effectively accelerating the flow rate of the tile adhesive.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, a slurry dividing chamber is further formed within the hopper body, the slurry dividing chamber being located above the slurry storage chamber, and an inlet communicating with the slurry dividing chamber is constructed on the upper part of the hopper body. A plurality of spaced slurry dividing holes are arranged at the bottom of the slurry dividing chamber, wherein the bottom of the slurry dividing chamber is sequentially divided into a first section to an nth section from the drop point corresponding to the drop point in the direction away from the drop point, and the number of slurry dividing holes gradually increases from the first section to the nth section.

[0022] In this embodiment, the number of distribution holes increases from the central region to the direction away, so as to achieve uniform material distribution from the distribution chamber to the storage chamber.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slurry distribution chamber is an elongated cavity, and the partitions at both ends of the bottom of the slurry distribution chamber are formed as slurry distribution openings communicating with the slurry storage chamber.

[0024] In this embodiment, by setting the slurry distribution opening, the flow efficiency at both ends of the slurry distribution chamber can be accelerated, thereby improving the uniformity of the slurry entering the storage chamber from the slurry distribution chamber.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, a scraper is also included, which is installed outside the hopper body. The scraper is located on one side of the slurry outlet and forms an angle of 60 to 80 degrees with the working surface to be laid.

[0026] In this embodiment, the trowel forms an angle of 60 to 80 degrees with the surface to be paved, which can apply pressure to the tile adhesive and make the tile adhesive adhere more firmly to the surface to be paved.

[0027] The present invention also proposes a slurry spreading device, comprising:

[0028] The hopper includes a hopper body, in which a slurry storage chamber and a homogenizing chamber are formed from top to bottom. The lower part of the hopper body is configured with a slurry outlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber. The bottom of the slurry storage chamber is provided with a feed inlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber. The feed inlet is oriented in a direction opposite to the slurry outlet.

[0029] A pumping mechanism is used to supply the slurry required for laying to the hopper; and

[0030] The traveling mechanism is used to support the hopper and the pumping mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of an embodiment of the hopper of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the structure in the diagram;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main structure of the structure in the diagram;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view at point AA;

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view at BB in the middle;

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point C in the image;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point D in the image;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the homogenizing chamber in another embodiment of the hopper of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the slurry distributor in the hopper of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Another structural diagram of the separator in the process;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slurry spreading equipment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Rear structural view of the slurry spreading equipment;

[0044] Figure 13 for Figure 11 Side view of the slurry spreading equipment;

[0045] Figure 14 for Figure 11 A top view of the slurry spreading equipment.

[0046] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0047] 600. Slurry spreading equipment; 500. Control module; 400. Liquid level sensor; 300. Walking mechanism; 200. Pumping mechanism; 210. Screw pump; 220. Hopper; 230. Conveying pipe; 100. Hopper; 110. Hopper body; 120. Slurry distribution chamber; 120a. Slurry distributor; 121. Slurry distribution cover plate; 122. Slurry distribution side plate; 123. Slurry distribution bottom plate; 124. Slurry inlet; 125. Slurry distribution hole; 126. Slurry distribution opening; 130. Slurry storage chamber; 131. Front wall of slurry storage chamber; 132. Slurry storage chamber. 133. Rear side wall; 134. Slurry storage bottom wall; 135. First straight section; 136. First inclined section; 137. Second straight section; 138. Feed inlet; 137a. Sub-feed inlet; 137b. Separating rib; 139. Pressurization chamber; 140. Homogenization chamber; 141. Front side wall of homogenization chamber; 142. Top wall of homogenization chamber; 143. Horizontal section; 144. Second inclined section; 145. Compression chamber; 146. Slurry outlet; 147. Expansion chamber; 150. Elastic buckle structure; 160. Slurry scraper; 170. Window structure.

[0048] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0051] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0052] This invention proposes a hopper 100.

[0053] The hopper 100 is used in the grout spreading equipment 600, which uses the hopper 100 to evenly spread grout onto the working surface. The grout can be a fluid with good flowability, such as mortar or tile adhesive, and this application does not limit this. When grout is spread using the hopper 100 of this application, for example during tile adhesive laying, it can significantly improve the unevenness, hollow areas, and depressions that occur when laying tile adhesive manually.

[0054] To achieve the above goals, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 4 In one embodiment, the hopper 100 includes a hopper body 110 and a scraper 160 mounted on the hopper body 110. The hopper body 110 has a slurry distribution chamber 120, a slurry storage chamber 130, and a homogenizing chamber 140 arranged from top to bottom. The slurry storage chamber 130 connects to the slurry distribution chamber 120 and the homogenizing chamber 140. An inlet 124 communicating with the slurry distribution chamber 120 is constructed at the upper part of the hopper body 110. Multiple spacers are arranged at the bottom of the slurry distribution chamber 120. The slurry distribution hole 125 is provided, and the slurry distribution chamber 120 is connected to the slurry storage chamber 130 through the slurry distribution hole 125. The lower part of the hopper body 110 is constructed with a slurry outlet 146 that connects to the homogenizing chamber 140. The scraper 160 is installed on the outside of the hopper body 110 on one side of the slurry outlet 146. The bottom of the slurry storage chamber 130 is provided with a feed inlet 137 that connects to the homogenizing chamber 140. The opening of the feed inlet 137 is set to face away from the slurry outlet 146.

[0055] The hopper body 110 of this application can be made of metal, such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, or other metal alloys. Metal sheet metal parts are fixed together and welded to form the box-like structure of the hopper body 110. The hopper body 110 is internally divided into the aforementioned slurry distribution chamber 120, slurry storage chamber 130, and homogenizing chamber 140. This method results in lower manufacturing costs and a more stable structure. Alternatively, the box-like parts of the slurry distribution chamber 120, slurry storage chamber 130, and homogenizing chamber 140 can be separately formed by die casting, and then welded or connected in other ways to form the final product. This method achieves higher production efficiency. When the hopper body 110 is made of metal, it features a stable structure and is easy to clean during use. It is understood that the hopper body 110 can also be made of plastic or other high-strength materials, and this application does not limit this. In order to achieve the best laying efficiency with the smallest structure, the hopper body 110 is generally elongated and extends in the width or length direction of the tile being laid. The slurry distribution chamber 120, the slurry storage chamber 130 and the slurry homogenization chamber 140 are also constructed as elongated cavities and extend in the length direction of the hopper body 110. At the same time, the feed inlet 137 and the slurry outlet 146 are both elongated openings and extend in the length direction of the hopper body 110. Thus, during the movement of the slurry laying equipment 600, the laying of multiple tile adhesive surfaces can be completed successively by moving in one direction. Understandably, if the shape of the hopper body 110 is cylindrical or other irregularly shaped due to the installation environment or other factors in actual application, the long axis of the hopper body 110 should match the width or length of the tile to be laid. At the same time, the shape and extension direction of the slurry storage chamber 130, the homogenizing chamber 140, the inlet 137, and the outlet 146 mentioned above should be adapted to the long axis of the hopper body 110 for optimal results.

[0056] The hopper body 110, as the end device in the grouting equipment 600, receives tile adhesive provided by the upstream mechanism of the grouting equipment 600. Under certain pressure, the tile adhesive flows out through the inlet 137 at the bottom of the grouting chamber 120 and the storage chamber 130 to the homogenizing chamber 140, and finally is laid on the working surface through the outlet 146. In one embodiment, the scraper 160 is a scraper structure. In some configurations, the scraper can have a toothed structure on the side facing the working surface, so that the tile adhesive is more firmly adhered when the scraper is pressed. While adhering to the working surface, it can also form a grooved structure, which makes it easier for the tile to be attached to have a larger bonding area with the tile adhesive. This makes the bonding structure more solid. In order to improve the laying quality, in this embodiment, the scraper 160 forms an angle of 60 to 80 degrees with the working surface to be laid. With this setting, the scraper 160 further squeezes the tile adhesive flowing out of the grout outlet 146, thereby making the tile adhesive adhere more firmly to the working surface and minimizing the occurrence of hollow spots in the laid adhesive surface.

[0057] Please refer to the reference. Figures 9 to 10 In this embodiment, to facilitate the formation of the slurry distribution chamber 120, the hopper body 110 also includes a slurry distributor 120a. The hopper body 110 has an upper opening on the upper part of the cavity wall of the slurry storage chamber 130, and the slurry distributor 120a covers this upper opening. In some configurations, the slurry distributor 120a is detachably connected to the upper opening. Specifically, the slurry distributor 120a can be detachably connected to the cavity wall of the slurry storage chamber 130. The detachable connection can be achieved through snap-fit ​​connections, screw connections, etc. For example, in the exemplary embodiment... Figures 1 to 4 In this device, elastic buckle structures 150 are provided on the outside of the slurry distributor 120a and the outer wall of the slurry storage chamber 130, respectively. This arrangement facilitates the disassembly of the slurry distributor 120a and also makes it easier to clean the inside of the hopper 100 during use.

[0058] The bottom of the slurry distribution chamber 120 is divided into sections 1 to n from the material drop point corresponding to the slurry inlet 124 in the direction away from the material drop point. The number of slurry distribution holes 125 gradually increases from section 1 to section n, where n is an integer greater than 1. Specifically, referring to 10, this application does not limit the number of sections on the bottom of the slurry distribution chamber 120. Optionally, the bottom of the slurry distribution chamber 120 is divided into sections 1 (R1), 2 (R2), and 3 (R3) from its middle to either end in the left or right direction. The number of slurry distribution holes 125 in sections 1, 2, and 3 are 0, 2, and 3, respectively. Thus, by rationally arranging the number of slurry distribution holes 125 on the bottom of the entire slurry distribution chamber 120, the purpose of uniform slurry discharge from the slurry distribution chamber 120 is achieved.

[0059] In a specific configuration, the slurry separator 120a includes a slurry separator cover plate 121 that can cover the upper opening, slurry separator side plates 122 that are respectively connected to opposite sides of the slurry separator cover plate 121, and a slurry separator bottom plate 123 that connects the two slurry separator side plates 122. Thus, the slurry separator cover plate 121, the slurry separator side plates 122, and the slurry separator bottom plate 123 enclose the aforementioned slurry separator chamber 120. The slurry separator cover plate 121 has a slurry inlet 124 that connects to the slurry separator chamber 120, while the slurry separator bottom plate 123 has a slurry separator hole 125. The slurry inlet 124 can be located in the middle of the slurry separator cover plate 121, or its position can be adjusted. To achieve uniform material feeding into the grout storage chamber 130, this application preferably places the grout inlet 124 in the middle of the grout distribution cover plate 121. Thus, in the case of free fall, the drop point on the grout distribution base plate 123 is also in the middle of the grout distribution base plate 123. The grout distribution base plate 123 is divided into sections of considerable length from the middle to both ends. Since the number of grout distribution holes 125 gradually increases from the first section to the nth section, and the number of grout distribution holes 125 is relatively small in the area near the drop point, the tile adhesive is blocked by the grout distribution base plate 123 and flows towards both ends of the grout distribution base plate 123. During this process, the flow rate slows down. However, because the number of grout distribution holes 125 increases, the flow rate of tile adhesive flowing out of each area of ​​the grout distribution base plate 123 is relatively uniform, thereby improving the uniformity of the laid grout surface.

[0060] To further improve the uniformity of tile adhesive entering the storage chamber 130, the bottom of the distribution chamber 120 in this application is divided into two sections at both ends, forming distribution openings 126 that connect to the storage chamber 130. In this embodiment, in the structure of the distributor 120a, the length of the distribution base plate 123 is shorter than the length of the distribution cover plate 121. Thus, the distributor 120a forms distribution openings 126 at both ends of the distribution base plate 12. Since the flow rate of tile adhesive flowing from the landing point on the distribution base plate 12 to the end of the distribution base plate 12 is already at a relatively low level, the flow resistance at this point is minimized by setting the distribution openings 126, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of tile adhesive at this point is approximately the same as that in other areas, further improving the uniformity of the tile adhesive flowing into the storage chamber 130.

[0061] This application sets the opening of the inlet 137 to face away from the direction of the outlet 146. This can be understood as the outlet 146 facing the rear of the laying direction, meaning it is located on the bottom rear side wall of the hopper body 110 in the laying direction, while the inlet 137 faces the front, thus opposing the outlet 146. Therefore, as the tile adhesive flows from the outlet 146 through the mixing chamber 140, it will swirl and change direction within the mixing chamber 140 before finally flowing out from the outlet 146. For details, please refer to... Figure 4The diagram shown illustrates the direction of tile adhesive flow, indicated by the arrows.

[0062] In other words, the technical solution of this application sets the opening of the inlet 137 at the bottom of the slurry storage chamber 130 to face away from the outlet 146 in the structure of the hopper 100. This makes the inlet 137 as far away from the outlet 146 as possible. The tile adhesive flowing from the slurry storage chamber 130 into the homogenizing chamber 140 is turned over in the homogenizing chamber 140, and the flow direction changes. During this process, the impact force from the slurry storage chamber 130 is released, and the pressure of the tile adhesive is balanced everywhere. When it flows out of the outlet 146, the pressure of the tile adhesive at each point of the outlet 146 is equal, which can avoid the impact force brought by the flow of the tile adhesive from the slurry storage chamber 130 into the homogenizing chamber 140 at the outlet 146. In this way, the tile adhesive can be evenly laid on the working surface, minimizing the possibility of defects such as depressions, uneven thickness, and hollow areas in the laid tile adhesive surface, thus improving the laying quality.

[0063] To further avoid the impact of the grout outlet 146 on the grout storage chamber 130 mentioned above, the distance between the inlet 137 and the front wall of the homogenizing chamber 140 is greater than the distance between the inlet 137 and the rear wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. In this way, the homogenizing chamber 140 provides sufficient space for the tile adhesive flowing from the grout storage chamber 130 to circulate and tumble, balancing the impact force from the grout storage chamber 130. This ensures that when the tile adhesive flows out of the grout outlet 146, the pressure of the tile adhesive at each point of the grout outlet 146 is relatively uniform, resulting in a uniform adhesive surface. Preferably, the distance between the inlet 137 and the front wall of the homogenizing chamber 140 can be at least twice the distance between the inlet 137 and the rear wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. This allows the tile adhesive entering the homogenizing chamber 140 from the grout storage chamber 130 to fully release the impact force and achieve pressure equalization.

[0064] Please refer to the reference. Figures 5 to 7To further improve the uniformity of the tile adhesive surface, the width of the inlet 137 in the vertical direction increases from the middle to both ends. Here, the width of the inlet 137 increasing from the middle to both ends can be a gradual increase, a gradual increase followed by a jump, or a gradual increase in some parts of the inlet 137 while other parts increase abruptly. Based on the characteristics of fluids, we know that during the descent of a fluid in a container, especially when it is viscous like tile adhesive, the fluid in the middle section descends more rapidly. That is, the fluid in the middle section has stronger flowability than other sections. Therefore, this application sets the inlet 137 so that its width increases from the middle to both ends in the vertical direction. Because the tile adhesive in the middle of the inlet 137 has strong flowability, but the width of the inlet 137 is relatively small, the tile adhesive that cannot flow out in time will be blocked by the inner wall of the inlet 137 and flow to both sides, fully flowing out from the relatively wider inlet 137 on both sides. This makes the flow rate of the fluid flowing out of the entire inlet 137 relatively uniform, allowing the slurry in the storage chamber 130 to be spread relatively evenly into the homogenizing chamber 140. This also ensures that the amount of adhesive discharged from the homogenizing chamber 140 through the outlet 146 is relatively uniform, resulting in a relatively uniform thickness of the laid tile adhesive.

[0065] It should be noted that the opening of the grout outlet 146 in this application is horizontal and faces the rear of the hopper body 110 as it moves. The grout outlet 146 discharges material horizontally, which is different from the process of the tile adhesive in the inlet 137 falling into the homogenizing chamber 140. Therefore, if the grout outlet 146 is elongated, it can be rectangular. If it is necessary to lay tile adhesive of a special shape and height, the opening of the grout outlet 146 can be adjusted accordingly.

[0066] As described above, the slurry storage chamber 130 and the homogenizing chamber 140 are positioned vertically. This allows the tile adhesive in the slurry storage chamber 130 to flow downwards to some extent due to gravitational potential energy, thereby accelerating its flow efficiency. It also provides the flowing tile adhesive with a certain pressure, resulting in better contact and adhesion to the work surface. This creates a more compact tile adhesive layer, leading to a superior laying effect. To further enhance this process, please refer to the following reference... Figure 4 and Figure 6In one embodiment, the grout storage chamber 130 is provided with at least one pressurizing chamber 138. The cross-sectional area of ​​the pressurizing chamber 138 decreases from top to bottom. The pressurizing chamber 138 causes the tile adhesive in the grout storage chamber 130 to be squeezed during the descent, thereby increasing the pressure of the tile adhesive. This allows the tile adhesive discharged from the grout outlet 146 to effectively bond with the working surface, reducing the amount of air trapped between the tile adhesive and the working surface. This makes it less likely for the tiles to become hollow after installation. At the same time, the pressurizing chamber 138 also increases the flow rate of the tile adhesive, which can improve the laying efficiency.

[0067] Please refer to the reference again. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The slurry storage chamber 130 includes a slurry storage bottom wall 133, a slurry storage front side wall 131 and a slurry storage rear side wall 132 arranged at intervals relative to each other in the laying direction of the hopper 100, and two slurry storage surrounding plates respectively sealing and connecting the same side edge of the slurry storage front side wall 131, the slurry storage rear side wall 132 and the slurry storage bottom wall 133. In this embodiment, the bottom of the slurry storage front side wall 131 is set lower than the bottom of the slurry storage rear side wall 132 and extends into the homogenizing chamber 140. One side of the slurry storage bottom wall 133 is connected to the slurry storage rear side wall 132, and the other side extends obliquely toward the bottom of the slurry storage front side wall 131 and connects to the bottom of the slurry storage front side wall 131. The bottom of the slurry storage front side wall 131 and the bottom wall of the storage chamber cooperate to form an inlet 137, and the part of the slurry storage front side wall 131 extending into the homogenizing chamber 140, the slurry storage bottom wall 133 and the two slurry storage surrounding plates cooperate to define the above-mentioned pressurization chamber 138. Therefore, by extending a portion of the front sidewall 131 of the slurry storage chamber into the homogenizing chamber 140, with the bottom of the front sidewall 131 being lower than the rear sidewall 132, and the bottom wall 133 also being inclined, the distance between the front sidewall 131 and the bottom wall 133 gradually decreases, thereby compressing the tile adhesive entering the chamber and achieving the purpose of pressurization. The opening of the feed inlet 137 is slightly lower than the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140, allowing the tile adhesive entering the homogenizing chamber 140 from the feed inlet 137 to be sprayed almost along the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140, thus facilitating the filling of the entire homogenizing chamber 140 with tile adhesive.

[0068] Furthermore, the bottom wall 133 of the slurry storage includes a first straight section 134 connected to the rear side wall 132 of the slurry storage, a second straight section 136 connected to the front side wall 131 of the slurry storage, and a first inclined section 135 connected between the first straight section 134 and the second straight section 136. The feed inlet 137 is formed between the bottom of the second straight section 136 and the front side wall 131 of the slurry storage. The first straight section 134 and the second straight section 136 are both arranged parallel to or approximately parallel to the horizontal plane. Preferably, the first straight section 134 and the second straight section 136 are both smoothly connected to the first inclined section 135. In this embodiment, both the front sidewall 131 and the rear sidewall 132 of the slurry storage chamber extend vertically and are arranged parallel to each other. Therefore, when the tile adhesive enters the slurry storage chamber 130, it falls freely between the front sidewall 131 and the rear sidewall 132. During this process, the potential energy and pressure of the tile adhesive gradually increase. When it enters the pressurization chamber 138 between the front sidewall 131 and the bottom wall 133, it first contacts the first straight section 134. Under the guidance of the first straight section 134, the tile adhesive changes direction for the first time and is guided to the first inclined section 135. During its continued descent, the tile adhesive... The flow direction is further changed, and when it flows to the second straight section 136, the tile adhesive can be poured into the homogenizing chamber 140 in an approximately horizontal or slightly inclined downward direction. During this process, through the gradual guidance of the first straight section 134, the first inclined section 135 and the second straight section 136, the impact of the tile adhesive on the entire slurry chamber 130 can be reduced as the direction of the tile adhesive is gradually changed. In addition, the tile adhesive is gradually compressed during this process, which can effectively expel the air bubbles in it, thereby improving the compactness of the tile adhesive, increasing the pressure, and thus benefiting the quality of the tile adhesive surface laid subsequently.

[0069] Because the tile adhesive impacts the structure of inlet 137 as it flows out, long-term use may affect the stability of this structure. Therefore, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 5 and Figure 7This application further improves upon the following: Multiple spaced-apart partition ribs 137b are connected between the bottom of the second straight section 136 and the front sidewall 131 of the slurry storage tank. These partition ribs 137b divide the feed inlet 137 into multiple sub-feed inlets 137a. The upper and lower opening widths of the sub-feed inlets 137a are increased in the direction from the middle to both ends of the feed inlet 137. Here, the two ends of the partition ribs 137b are respectively connected to the ends of the second straight section 136 and the bottom of the front sidewall 131 of the slurry storage tank, effectively fixing them together. This prevents the pressure of the pressurized tile adhesive from causing the wall of the feed inlet 137 to expand and deform, thus disrupting the structure of the hopper 100 where materials can be evenly laid. It should be noted that the increased width of the upper and lower openings of the sub-inlet 137a can be, for a single sub-inlet 137a, an increased width of the upper and lower openings in the direction extending towards both ends of the inlet 137, or, for two adjacent sub-inlet 137a, a larger width of the upper and lower openings of the sub-inlet 137a near the edge of the inlet 137 than that of the sub-inlet 137a near the center. In this embodiment, the number of sub-inlet 137a shown in the figure is four. This arrangement results in a relatively moderate number of partition ribs 137b, which will not generate significant resistance to the tile adhesive during its flow and can meet the structural strength requirements. It is understood that, while meeting these two requirements, the number of sub-inlet 137a and partition ribs 137b can also be other values, and this application does not limit this.

[0070] In summary, this application sets the inlet 137 of the slurry storage chamber 130, which connects to the homogenizing chamber 140, to face away from the outlet 146. This allows the tile adhesive flowing from the storage chamber 130 into the homogenizing chamber 140 to have a longer flow path. As the tile adhesive swirls and flips within the homogenizing chamber 140, the impact force originally from the storage chamber 130 is balanced, improving the uniformity of the laying process. Furthermore, to further improve the slurry discharge effect, this application also makes the following improvements:

[0071] Please refer to the reference again. Figure 1 middle Figure 5The hopper body 110 is also connected to at least two window structures 170 that communicate with the homogenizing chamber 140. The upper opening of the window structure 170 is set higher than the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. In this embodiment, two connecting ports to the outside are also opened on the wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. The window structure 170 is cylindrical, and its cross-sectional shape can be circular, square, or other shapes, without limitation. The window structure 170 is open at both ends, with one end connected to the connecting port and the other end facing upward and set higher than the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. The cylindrical window structure 170 can be fixed to the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140 by welding, or it can be integrally formed with the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. Furthermore, in the direction of paving, the window structure 170 and the outlet 146 are located on the front and rear sides of the homogenizing chamber 140, respectively, while the feed inlet 137 is located between the window structure 170 and the outlet 146. Thus, in conjunction with the above, during the paving construction process, the tile adhesive that sprays into the homogenizing chamber 140 from the feed inlet 137 of the storage chamber 130 and sprays towards the side with the window structure 170, due to the principle of communicating vessels formed by the setting of at least two window structures 170, the surface of the tile adhesive sprayed into the homogenizing chamber 140 quickly maintains the same height and reaches a balanced state. After that, the tile adhesive flows to the outlet 146 and is discharged from the outlet 146, thereby enabling a smooth adhesive surface to be laid from the outlet 146. In the above-described structural design of this application, there is no need to design a drive structure such as a worm pump in the homogenizing chamber 140 to evenly push the tile adhesive in the homogenizing chamber 140 to the outlet 146. This makes the entire hopper 100 compact and lightweight, and also reduces the overall cost. On the other hand, the design of the window structure 170 also makes it easier to clean the hopper 100 and to observe the liquid level in the homogenizing chamber 140 during use.

[0072] The window structure 170 of this application is disposed on the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. By disposing of the window structure 170 on the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140, assembly of the window structure 170 during manufacturing is more convenient. It is understood that the connection point of the window structure 170 can also be located simultaneously on both the side wall and the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140, or directly connected to the side wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. In this embodiment, the window structures 170 are respectively disposed at both ends of the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140. The two window structures 170 shown in the figure are respectively located at both ends of the homogenizing chamber 140. With this arrangement, the liquid surface portion of the homogenizing chamber 140 between the two window structures 170 can be efficiently balanced using the principle of communicating vessels.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 8In one embodiment, a compression chamber 145 is further formed within the homogenizing chamber 140. In the laying direction, the compression chamber 145 is located in front of the outlet 146, and its vertical cross-sectional area decreases in the direction towards the outlet 146. In this embodiment, by setting up the compression chamber 145, the tile adhesive is squeezed before flowing out of the outlet 146. This further pressurizes and shapes the tile adhesive within the homogenizing chamber 140, ensuring that the pressure of the tile adhesive is uniform throughout before flowing out of the outlet 146, resulting in better laying. Furthermore, the increased pressure of the tile adhesive helps it adhere firmly to the working surface, leading to a more secure connection. It should be noted that, since the opening of the slurry outlet 146 is horizontal and faces the rear of the laying direction, the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the compression chamber 145 is reduced in the direction towards the slurry outlet 146. This can be understood as the slurry chamber 140 being located in the compression chamber 145, and the distance between the top and bottom walls of the slurry chamber 140 tending to decrease in the direction towards the slurry outlet 146. This distance can decrease gradually or abruptly, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0074] Specifically, the top wall of the homogenizing chamber 140 includes a horizontal section 143 and a second inclined section 144. In the laying direction, the horizontal section 143 is located in front of the second inclined section 144. The second inclined section 144 extends towards the slurry outlet 146 and slopes downward. The area defined by the second inclined section 144 in the homogenizing chamber 140 forms a compression chamber 145. Through the setting of the second inclined section 144, the tile adhesive in the homogenizing chamber 140 can be sequentially compressed, and the pressurization process is smooth. Furthermore, the setting of the second inclined section 144 further reduces the overall volume of the hopper 100, which is beneficial to its structural simplification. In this embodiment, the angle between the second inclined section 144 and the horizontal plane is 5 degrees to 15 degrees. The included angle can be selected from values ​​such as 5 degrees, 6 degrees, 7 degrees, 8 degrees, 9 degrees, 10 degrees, 11 degrees, 12 degrees, 13 degrees, 14 degrees, and 15 degrees. When the included angle is less than 5 degrees, the pressure applied to the tile adhesive in the homogenizing chamber 140 is not very noticeable and the effect is limited. When the included angle is too large, exceeding 15 degrees, on the one hand, it leads to excessive resistance during the grouting process, and on the other hand, excessive pressure causes the grout flowing from the grout outlet 146 to have a tendency to spray, which is not conducive to ensuring the quality of the laying. In this embodiment, the angle is selected between 5 degrees and 15 degrees, which takes into account both the good pressure adjustment effect and the efficiency of the flow of grout in the homogenizing chamber 140.

[0075] In actual installation, the work surface may not remain perfectly flat, and some bumps may occur during installation. Therefore, this application includes an expansion chamber 147 within the homogenizing chamber 140, connecting the compression chamber 145 and the outlet 146. The vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the expansion chamber 147 is increased in the flow direction from the compression chamber 145 to the outlet 146. This increased vertical cross-section of the expansion chamber 147 serves two purposes: firstly, it creates a material reservoir in front of the outlet 146, ensuring sufficient adhesive allowance and preventing insufficient adhesive dispensing due to uneven ground during installation; secondly, the increased space in the expansion chamber 147 releases tile adhesive pressure, further ensuring constant pressure of the tile adhesive at the trowel, thereby improving installation quality.

[0076] In this embodiment, the top wall of the expansion cavity 147 is at least 15 mm higher than the slurry outlet 146. Specifically, as mentioned above, the bottom wall 133 of the slurry storage chamber 130 includes a first straight section 134 connected to the rear side wall 132 of the slurry storage chamber, a second straight section 136 connected to the front side wall 131 of the slurry storage chamber, and a first inclined section 135 connected between the first straight section 134 and the second straight section 136. The area covered by the first straight section 134 and the first inclined section 135 is the expansion cavity 147, and the first straight section 134 forms the top wall of the expansion cavity 147. In this embodiment, the top wall of the expansion cavity 147 is at least 15 mm higher than the slurry outlet 146, which can ensure sufficient slurry discharge margin and avoid slurry shortage. In order to ensure effective pressure release of the tile adhesive before it flows out of the outlet 146, in one embodiment, the top wall of the expansion cavity 147 is at a height higher than the horizontal section 143, and the height difference is 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0077] Please refer to the reference. Figures 11 to 14 The present invention also proposes a slurry spreading device 600, which includes a hopper 100, a pumping mechanism 200, and a traveling mechanism 300. The pumping mechanism 200 is used to provide the slurry required for spreading to the hopper 100, and the traveling mechanism 300 is used to support the hopper 100 and the pumping mechanism 200. The specific structure of the hopper 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the slurry spreading device 600 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. In one embodiment, the pumping mechanism 200 includes a hopper 220 and a screw pump 210 installed at the bottom of the hopper 220. The outlet of the screw pump 210 is connected to the slurry inlet 124 on the hopper 100 through a conveying pipe 230. The slurry spreading device 600 also includes a control module 500, which is electrically connected to the traveling mechanism 300 and the pumping mechanism 200 to control the operation of the whole machine and realize automatic construction.

[0078] Furthermore, the slurry spreading device 600 proposed in this application also includes a liquid level sensor 400, which is electrically connected to the control module 500 and is used to send a detection signal from the window structure 170 to the homogenizing chamber 140. The liquid level sensor 400 can be, for example, a photoelectric sensor or an acoustic sensor, and this application does not limit this. The number of liquid level sensors 400 corresponds to the number of window structures 170, that is, one liquid level sensor 400 is set for each window structure 170. In actual work, the flow rate of tile adhesive required for laying different working surfaces is different. Therefore, this application can effectively detect the liquid level height in the homogenizing chamber 140 through the liquid level sensor 400. The liquid level sensor 400 sends the detected liquid level signal to the control module 500. The control module 500 sends control signals to the pumping mechanism 200 and the walking mechanism 300 according to the liquid level signal, so as to adjust the pumping speed of the pumping mechanism 200 and the walking speed of the walking mechanism 300 according to different working surfaces, thereby obtaining a matching adhesive flow rate and realizing efficient automatic laying.

[0079] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hopper, characterized in that, The hopper body includes a slurry storage chamber and a slurry homogenizing chamber arranged from top to bottom. The lower part of the hopper body has a slurry outlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber. The bottom of the slurry storage chamber has a feed inlet communicating with the homogenizing chamber. The feed inlet is located close to the top wall of the homogenizing chamber in the height direction. The opening of the feed inlet faces away from the slurry outlet, and the opening of the slurry outlet faces the rear of the direction of travel during the laying process. The homogenizing chamber also contains a compression chamber and an expansion chamber. The expansion chamber connects the compression chamber and the slurry outlet. In the flow direction from the compression chamber to the slurry outlet, the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the expansion chamber increases. In the laying direction, the compression chamber is located in front of the slurry outlet, and the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the compression chamber decreases in the direction toward the slurry outlet.

2. The hopper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the feed inlet and the slurry outlet are elongated openings, wherein the width of the feed inlet in the vertical direction increases from the middle to both ends.

3. The hopper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the laying direction, the distance between the feed inlet and the front side wall of the homogenizing chamber is greater than the distance between the feed inlet and the slurry outlet.

4. The hopper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The slurry storage chamber has at least one pressurization chamber, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pressurization chamber decreases from top to bottom.

5. The hopper as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The slurry storage chamber includes a bottom wall for slurry storage and a front side wall and a rear side wall for slurry storage that are spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the hopper is laid. The bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage is lower than the bottom of the rear sidewall of the slurry storage and extends into the homogenization chamber. One side of the bottom wall of the slurry storage is connected to the rear sidewall of the slurry storage, and the other side extends obliquely toward the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage and connects to the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage. The bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage and the bottom wall of the slurry storage cooperate to form the feed inlet.

6. The hopper as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the slurry storage includes a first straight section connected to the rear side wall of the slurry storage, a second straight section connected to the front side wall of the slurry storage, and a first inclined section connected between the first straight section and the second straight section. The feed inlet is formed between the bottom of the second straight section and the front side wall of the slurry storage.

7. The hopper as described in claim 6, characterized in that, A plurality of spaced-apart dividing ribs are connected between the second straight section and the bottom of the front sidewall of the slurry storage. The plurality of dividing ribs divide the feed inlet into a plurality of sub-feed inlets. In the arrangement direction from the middle of the feed inlet to both ends, the upper and lower opening widths of the sub-feed inlets are increased.

8. The hopper as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Both the front and rear sidewalls of the slurry storage extend vertically and are arranged in parallel.

9. The hopper as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The hopper body also has a slurry distribution chamber, which is located above the slurry storage chamber. The upper part of the hopper body has a slurry inlet that communicates with the slurry distribution chamber. The bottom of the slurry distribution chamber is provided with a plurality of spaced slurry distribution holes. The bottom of the slurry distribution chamber is divided into the first section to the nth section in sequence from the drop point corresponding to the drop point of the slurry inlet in the direction away from the drop point. The number of slurry distribution holes gradually increases from the first section to the nth section.

10. The hopper as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The slurry distribution chamber is an elongated cavity, and the partitions at both ends of the bottom of the slurry distribution chamber form slurry distribution openings that connect to the slurry storage chamber.

11. The hopper as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a scraper installed on the outside of the hopper body, the scraper being located on one side of the slurry outlet, and the scraper forming an angle of 60 to 80 degrees with the working surface to be laid.

12. A slurry spreading device, characterized in that, include: The hopper as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; A pumping mechanism is used to supply the slurry required for laying to the hopper; as well as The traveling mechanism is used to support the hopper and the pumping mechanism.

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