Multi-position accurate feeder and feeding method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of material conveying equipment, in particular to a multi-position accurate feeder and a feeding method. Comprising a cylinder body, a base and an impeller assembly, the base is arranged at the bottom of the cylinder body and fixedly connected with the cylinder body, no less than one precise feeding groove is formed in the base in the circumferential direction, the impeller assembly comprises a distribution impeller and a multi-position precise feeding impeller, the distribution impeller is arranged at the inner bottom of the cylinder body, and the multi-position precise feeding impeller is arranged at the outer bottom of the cylinder body. The multi-position precise feeding impeller is arranged at the inner bottom of each precise feeding groove, a discharging opening is formed in the bottom of each precise feeding groove in a penetrating mode, and a multi-position powder output pipe extending outwards is arranged at the bottom of each discharging opening; the limitation of single-point output of a traditional feeder is broken through, multi-position synchronous output feeding is achieved, synchronism of multi-position feeding and metering accuracy are ensured, accurate feeding is achieved, and the conveying efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of material conveying equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-position precision feeder and feeding method. Background Technology

[0002] Rotary feeders are key equipment for conveying powder and granular materials, commonly used in industrial processes such as chemical, food, pharmaceutical, and lithium battery materials. They continuously convey materials through the rotation of working parts around a fixed axis. Continuous quantitative feeding of powders is a crucial link connecting storage, mixing, reaction, and packaging processes, directly affecting production efficiency and product quality stability. Based on the different working parts, rotary feeders are mainly divided into screw type, drum type, impeller type, disc type, and vibrating type. Among them, impeller feeders are widely used due to their simple and compact structure, low operating cost, and good sealing performance. They employ a rotor with multiple rigid or elastic blades rotating within a closed housing, forming a sealed cavity between the blades and the housing. Material falls from the upper hopper into these cavities and is discharged from the lower outlet as the rotor rotates.

[0003] As modern industrial production processes evolve towards refinement, automation, and efficiency, traditional impeller feeders are gradually revealing their inherent technical limitations. Firstly, their inherent "single-in, single-out" structure fundamentally restricts overall conveying and distribution efficiency. Traditional feeders have only one outlet, corresponding to a single downstream process. When the production site needs to distribute powder from the same silo to multiple parallel production lines or processing units, an additional distribution device must be installed downstream of the feeder. This not only increases equipment investment and installation space but also leads to uneven material distribution across branches due to material loss and retention during the distribution process, making it difficult to ensure consistency and synchronization of flow rates at each outlet. Secondly, their feeding accuracy relies on volumetric metering, which is easily affected by factors such as humidity, particle size distribution, and bulk density, resulting in significant fluctuations in the actual feeding rate. Commonly used open-loop or simple frequency conversion control strategies cannot effectively compensate for these fluctuations, making it difficult to achieve truly stable and reliable high-precision quantitative control.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a multi-position precision feeder and feeding method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the background art and provide a multi-position precision feeder and feeding method.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A multi-position precision feeder includes a cylinder, a base, and an impeller assembly. The base is located at the bottom of the cylinder and is fixedly connected to the cylinder. At least one precision feeding trough is formed on the base along the circumferential direction. The impeller assembly includes a distribution impeller and a multi-position precision feeding impeller. The distribution impeller is located at the inner bottom of the cylinder. The multi-position precision feeding impeller is located at the inner bottom of each precision feeding trough. A discharge port is provided through the bottom of each precision feeding trough. A multi-position powder output pipe extending outward is provided at the bottom of the discharge port.

[0007] Preferably, both the distribution impeller and the multi-position precision feeding impeller include an impeller shaft, an impeller disk, and impeller teeth. A drive mechanism is provided at the bottom of each impeller shaft, and a metering cavity is formed between two adjacent impeller teeth. The distribution impeller distributes raw materials to each metering cavity by rotating. Under the control of each independent drive mechanism, the multi-position precision feeding impeller transports the material in the metering cavity to the discharge port at a specific rotational speed. To ensure precise rotational speed, the drive mechanism includes a power source and an electronic control system that controls the power source in a closed loop. The rotational speed and power source are regulated by PID electrical control. The metering cavity serves as a standard volumetric unit to ensure the synchronization of multi-position feeding and the accuracy of metering.

[0008] Preferably, the impeller teeth are thin plate-shaped structures; the impeller teeth are thin plate-shaped structures evenly arranged around the impeller disk, and their plate surfaces are vertically arranged along the radial direction of the impeller disk, forming several fixed-volume quantitative cavities with the outer circumferential surface of the impeller disk and the inner wall of the cylinder, ensuring the consistency of each feeding amount. The vertical thin plates minimize the resistance and shear force on the material, avoiding material accumulation and sticking, while also preventing the material from being damaged by squeezing and grinding.

[0009] Preferably, the cylinder is equipped with an arch-breaking and dust-prevention mechanism, which includes a dust cover and an arch-breaking paddle. The dust cover is fitted over the impeller shaft of the distribution impeller, surrounding the impeller shaft, and the arch-breaking paddle is located on top of the dust cover. The dust cover effectively isolates dust from intruding into the impeller shaft, avoiding wear and jamming caused by dust accumulation, and improving the reliability and lifespan of the equipment in dusty environments. The arch-breaking paddle rotates with the distribution impeller, continuously shearing the material falling from the hopper, preventing the formation of central material arches, and forcibly feeding the material into the impeller teeth of the distribution impeller, ensuring the smoothness and continuity of the material entering the distribution impeller.

[0010] Preferably, the outer peripheral wall of the dust cover is a tapered surface that gradually expands from the top to the bottom. A vibrating cleaning element is provided on the inner side wall of the dust cover. The vibrating cleaning element is at least one miniature eccentric vibrating motor evenly arranged along the circumference of the dust cover. After the material passes through the arch-breaking impeller, there is still a risk of annular material accumulation on the dust cover and the impeller disk of the distribution impeller. By setting the tapered surface, the attached powder can naturally slide to the bottom due to gravity. The vibrating cleaning element is located on the inner side wall of the dust cover near the bottom. It directly breaks up the annular material arch formed at the bottom through vibration, and completely solves the problem of poor flow caused by powder accumulation in the annular area.

[0011] Preferably, the top of the arch-breaking paddle is provided with an arch-breaking cone, which is a hollow cone. The arch-breaking cone is provided with a vibration power supply for driving the vibrating cleaning element and a micro controller for controlling its working cycle. This not only ensures that the material does not accumulate on the top of the arch-breaking paddle, but also integrates the power supply and control system of the vibrating cleaning element in its hollow cavity, solving the problem of difficulty in powering the vibrating motor under high-speed rotation conditions, and can control the vibration cycle of the vibrating motor to avoid energy loss caused by continuous vibration.

[0012] Preferably, the cylinder is provided with inlets that match the number and position of the discharge ports, and a multi-position fluid input pipe extending outward is provided at the top of the inlets. To address the tendency of viscous materials to adhere and bridge within the metering cavity, the multi-position fluid input pipe allows external fluid to be introduced. This fluid, through its own kinetic energy, directly breaks up material blocks and promotes material discharge, thus achieving a flow-aiding function. Furthermore, by selecting fluids with different properties, such as surfactants and modified gases, surface coating and chemical modification are simultaneously completed during material conveying. This not only solves the problem of blockage caused by high-viscosity materials but also enables online surface treatment and modification of the materials, greatly improving the efficiency of the entire material conveying system.

[0013] Preferably, a sealing mechanism is provided at the connection between the distribution impeller and the multi-position precision feeding impeller and the drive mechanism; the sealing mechanism is provided to prevent bearing wear and drive jamming caused by powder intrusion into the transmission system, and to improve the operational reliability of the equipment in dusty environments.

[0014] A feeding method for a multi-position precision feeder includes the following steps: S1. Connecting hopper: Directly connected to the raw material hopper via the flange at the top of the cylinder, with the pressure inside the hopper controlled between 0 and 0.098 MPa; S2, Feeding and Arch Breaking: After the drive mechanism is activated, the raw material falls out of the raw material bin and is first broken up by the arch breaking paddle before entering the impeller teeth of the distribution impeller; S3. Distributing raw materials: The rotating distribution impeller distributes the raw materials into the metering cavity of each of the precision feeding troughs; S4. Quantitative feeding: By precisely adjusting the rotation speed of the drive mechanism that drives the multi-position precise feeding impeller, a quantitative amount of raw material is discharged from the multi-position powder output pipe through the discharge port. S5. Flow-assisted conveying: For materials with high viscosity, fluid is introduced from the multi-position fluid input pipe, so that it acts directly on the accumulated material in the metering cavity for conveying, which performs surface treatment and online modification of the raw materials and plays a flow-assisted role.

[0015] Preferably, in step S3, the vibrating cleaning element inside the dust cover is periodically activated to break up the annular material accumulation on the distribution impeller. When the distribution impeller rotates, an annular material arch is easily formed on the impeller disk and the bottom of the dust cover that rotates with it. By periodically activating the vibrating cleaning element, the material arch structure is effectively destroyed, while avoiding excessive disturbance to the material that causes dust and particle size separation, and significantly reducing energy loss and improving distribution efficiency.

[0016] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The present invention distributes raw materials evenly to each of the multi-position precision feeding impellers through the distribution impeller. Each feeding impeller is responsible for one of the discharge ports, breaking through the limitation of single-point output of traditional feeders, realizing multi-position synchronous output feeding, so that a single device can meet the feeding needs of multiple positions, greatly improving the conveying efficiency and reducing the number of devices and the floor space. 2. Each impeller of the present invention is driven by an independent power source and a closed-loop control system is constructed with a high-precision controller to achieve precise control of the impeller speed. Based on the fixed volume of the quantitative cavity, the control system transforms the control of the feed amount into the adjustment of the impeller rotation angle. By adjusting the output speed of the power source in real time, the filling and emptying process of each quantitative cavity is precisely managed, fundamentally eliminating the feeding error caused by dynamic fluctuations. 3. By setting up the multi-position fluid input pipe, the present invention can access fluid from the outside, which not only directly improves the efficiency of material discharge, but also enables online surface treatment and modification of materials during the feeding process by selecting fluids with different properties. The modification process is integrated into the feeding process, which improves the material conveying efficiency while greatly simplifying the process flow and reducing equipment investment and energy consumption. 4. By setting up an integrated anti-bridging and dust prevention mechanism, the present invention breaks up the central and annular accumulation of material, ensuring that the conveying efficiency is not affected by material accumulation and bridging from the source, maintaining the stable downward flow of material, and effectively isolating the diffusion of powder into the transmission system, thus ensuring the long-term reliability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the main structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the main structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the impeller assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main structure of the present invention; In the figure, 1-cylinder, 2-base, 3-impeller assembly, 31-distribution impeller, 32-multi-position precision feeding impeller, 33-impeller shaft, 34-impeller disk, 35-impeller teeth, 36-quantitative cavity, 37-drive mechanism, 4-precision feeding trough, 5-multi-position powder output pipe, 51-discharge port, 6-arch breaking and dust prevention mechanism, 61-dust cover, 62-arch breaking impeller, 63-vibrating cleaning element, 64-arch breaking cone, 7-multi-position fluid input pipe, 71-inlet, 8-sealing mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Example

[0020] according to Figure 1 As shown, a multi-position precision feeder includes a cylinder 1, a base 2, and an impeller assembly 3. The base 2 is located at the bottom of the cylinder 1 and is fixedly connected to the cylinder 1. At least one precision feeding trough 4 is opened on the base 2 along the circumferential direction. The impeller assembly 3 includes a distribution impeller 31 and a multi-position precision feeding impeller 32. The distribution impeller 31 is located at the inner bottom of the cylinder 1, and the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32 is located at the inner bottom of each precision feeding trough 4. A discharge port 51 is provided through the bottom of each precision feeding trough 4, and a multi-position powder output pipe 5 extending outward is provided at the bottom of the discharge port 51.

[0021] according to Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown, both the distribution impeller 31 and the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32 include an impeller shaft 33, an impeller disk 34, and impeller teeth 35. Each impeller shaft 33 has a drive mechanism 37 at its bottom, and a quantitative cavity 36 is formed between two adjacent impeller teeth 35. The power source of the drive mechanism 37 includes, but is not limited to, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or a pneumatic motor. The electronic control system acquires the output speed of the power source in real time and compares it with the pre-set target speed. Based on the speed deviation, a control signal is generated to adjust each power source so that its output speed approaches the target speed, thereby achieving multi-position precision feeding.

[0022] according to Figure 4As shown, the impeller tooth 35 has a thin plate structure; the flat and smooth vertical thin plate minimizes the flow resistance and shear force of the material, eliminates the conditions for powder accumulation and adhesion, and maintains the original characteristics of the material.

[0023] according to Figure 1 , Figure 5 As shown, the cylinder 1 is equipped with an arch-breaking and dust-prevention mechanism 6, which includes a dust cover 61 and an arch-breaking blade 62. The dust cover 61 is fitted around the impeller shaft 33 of the distribution impeller 31, and the arch-breaking blade 62 is located on the top of the dust cover 61. The arch-breaking blade 62 is composed of multiple long strip blades evenly arranged around the top of the dust cover 61. Each blade extends outward from the axis to form a highly efficient dynamic arch-breaking structure.

[0024] according to Figure 5 As shown, the outer peripheral wall of the dust cover 61 is a tapered surface that gradually expands from the top to the bottom. A vibrating cleaning element 63 is provided on the inner side wall of the dust cover 61. The vibrating cleaning element 63 is at least one miniature eccentric vibrating motor evenly arranged around the circumference of the dust cover 61. There is a cavity between the dust cover 61 and the impeller shaft 33. The vibrating cleaning element 63 is arranged in this cavity. An annular reinforcing rib is provided on the inner side wall of the dust cover 61 near the bottom. A small flange base is installed on the reinforcing rib. An anti-slip and wear-resistant gasket is installed between the motor base and the flange base to reinforce the installation structure and ensure that the miniature eccentric vibrating motor remains stable under the action of centrifugal force when the dust cover 61 rotates together with the distribution impeller 31. The miniature eccentric vibrating motor is evenly arranged around the circumference of the dust cover 61 to prevent the dust cover 61 from rotating unbalanced due to unilateral force.

[0025] according to Figure 5 As shown, the top of the arch-breaking paddle 62 is provided with an arch-breaking cone 64, which is a hollow cone. A cable through hole is provided through the top of the dust cover 61 and the arch-breaking paddle 62. The cable is connected through the through hole to the vibration power supply and micro controller inside the hollow arch-breaking cone 64 and the micro eccentric vibration motor located on the inner side wall of the dust cover 61. The vibration power supply is a rechargeable battery pack or a supercapacitor. The micro controller is configured to control the vibration motor to start periodically in an intermittent pulse mode.

[0026] according to Figure 5 As shown, the cylinder 1 is provided with inlet ports 71 that match the number and position of the outlet ports 51. The top of the inlet ports 71 is provided with a multi-position fluid input pipe 7 extending outward. The fluids connected to the multi-position fluid input pipe 7 include, but are not limited to, liquid phase, gas phase, and gas-solid two-phase fluids.

[0027] according to Figure 5As shown, sealing mechanisms 8 are provided at the connection points between the distribution impeller 31 and the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32 and the drive mechanism 37; the sealing mechanism 8 can be a lip seal ring, a spring mechanical seal ring, a labyrinth seal sleeve, a magnetohydrodynamic seal assembly, etc.

[0028] according to Figures 1-5 As shown, a feeding method for a multi-position precision feeder includes the following steps: S1. Connecting hopper: Directly connected to the raw material hopper via the flange at the top of cylinder 1, with the pressure inside the hopper controlled at 0~0.098Mpa; S2, Feeding and Arch Breaking: Start the drive mechanism 37. After the raw material falls out of the raw material bin, it is first broken by the arch breaking paddle 62 and enters the impeller teeth 35 of the distribution impeller 31. S3. Distribute raw materials: The distribution impeller 31 rotates to distribute the raw materials into the metering cavity 36 of each precision feeding trough 4; S4. Quantitative feeding: By precisely adjusting the rotation speed of the drive mechanism 37 that drives the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32, a quantitative amount of raw material is discharged from the multi-position powder output pipe 5 through the discharge port 51. S5, Injection-assisted conveying: For materials with high viscosity, fluid is introduced from the multi-position fluid input pipe 7, so that it directly acts on the accumulated material in the metering cavity 36 for conveying, to perform surface treatment and online modification of the raw materials and to play a flow-assisted role.

[0029] according to Figure 5 As shown, in step S3, the vibrating cleaning element 63 inside the dust cover 61 is periodically activated to break up the annular material accumulation on the distribution impeller 31; this prevents the material from forming an arch during the distribution stage, which would cause the material to become stuck. The periodic activation ensures the arch-breaking effect while improving energy efficiency and reducing consumption.

[0030] Working principle: According to Figures 1-5 As shown, after the raw material falls from the hopper into the cylinder 1, it first comes into contact with the arch-breaking cone 64 and the arch-breaking paddle 62 and is broken up by their rotational action, falling into the metering cavity 36 of the distribution impeller 31. During the rotation of the distribution impeller 31, the raw material is evenly distributed to each precision feeding trough 4 and enters the metering cavity 36 of the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32. The dust cover 61 vibrates periodically to break up the annular material arches on the bottom and impeller disk 34. The drive mechanism 37 drives the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32 at a specific speed according to the required feed amount, and discharges the metered raw material from the multi-position powder output pipe 5. For materials with high viscosity, the flow aid medium is connected from the multi-position fluid input pipe 7 and acts directly on the metering cavity 36 of the multi-position precision feeding impeller 32. An atomizing modifier can be selected to evenly coat the material particles, improve flowability and reduce adhesion.

[0031] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-position precision feeder, comprising a cylinder (1), a base (2) and an impeller assembly (3), wherein the base (2) is disposed at the bottom of the cylinder (1) and fixedly connected to the cylinder (1), and at least one precision feeding groove (4) is opened on the base (2) along the circumferential direction; the impeller assembly (3) comprises a distribution impeller (31) and a multi-position precision feeding impeller (32), wherein the distribution impeller (31) is disposed at the inner bottom of the cylinder (1), and the multi-position precision feeding impeller (32) is disposed at the inner bottom of each of the precision feeding grooves (4), and a discharge port (51) is provided through the bottom of each of the precision feeding grooves (4), and a multi-position powder output pipe (5) extending outward is provided at the bottom of the discharge port (51).

2. The multi-position precision feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distribution impeller (31) and the multi-position precision feeding impeller (32) both include an impeller shaft (33), an impeller disk (34) and impeller teeth (35). Each impeller shaft (33) has a drive mechanism (37) at its bottom, and a quantitative cavity (36) is formed between two adjacent impeller teeth (35).

3. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The impeller teeth (35) have a thin plate-like structure.

4. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder (1) is provided with an arch-breaking and dust-prevention mechanism (6), which includes a dust cover (61) and an arch-breaking paddle (62). The dust cover (61) is sleeved on the outside of the impeller shaft (33) of the distribution impeller (31) and surrounds the impeller shaft (33). The arch-breaking paddle (62) is located on the top of the dust cover (61).

5. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer peripheral wall of the dust cover (61) is a tapered surface that gradually expands from the top to the bottom. A vibrating cleaning element (63) is provided on the inner side wall of the dust cover (61). The vibrating cleaning element (63) is at least one miniature eccentric vibrating motor that is evenly arranged along the circumference of the dust cover (61).

6. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the arch-breaking paddle (62) is provided with an arch-breaking cone (64), which is a hollow cone.

7. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder (1) is provided with inlet ports (71) that match the number and position of the outlet ports (51), and the top of the inlet ports (71) is provided with a multi-position fluid input pipe (7) extending outward.

8. A multi-position precision feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distribution impeller (31) and the multi-position precision feeding impeller (32) are both provided with sealing mechanisms (8) at the connection points with the drive mechanism (37).

9. A feeding method for a multi-position precision feeder, comprising the following steps: S1, Connecting the silo: It is directly connected to the raw material silo through the flange at the top of the cylinder (1), and the pressure inside the silo is controlled at 0~0.098Mpa; S2, Feeding and Arch Breaking: Start the drive mechanism (37), after the raw material falls out of the raw material bin, it is first broken by the arch breaking paddle (62) and enters the impeller teeth (35) of the distribution impeller (31); S3, Distributing raw materials: The distribution impeller (31) rotates to distribute the raw materials into the metering cavity (36) of each of the precision feeding troughs (4); S4. Quantitative feeding: By precisely adjusting the rotation speed of the drive mechanism (37) that drives the multi-position precise feeding impeller (32), a quantitative amount of raw material is discharged from the multi-position powder output pipe (5) through the discharge port (51). S5, Injection-assisted conveying: For materials with high viscosity, fluid is introduced from the multi-position fluid input pipe (7) so that it acts directly on the accumulated material in the metering cavity (36) for conveying, to perform surface treatment and online modification of the raw material and to play a flow-assisted role.

10. The feeding method of a multi-position precision feeder according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step S3, the vibrating cleaning element (63) inside the dust cover (61) is periodically activated to break up the annular material accumulation on the distribution impeller (31).

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