Feeding system

Abstract

The application discloses a feeding system, which comprises a feeding assembly, a first material box, a second material box, a first dryer and a mixer. The feeding assembly comprises an air suction device, a vacuum main pipe and a plurality of valves; the first dryer is connected with the first valve and the first material box through a first pipeline and a second pipeline respectively; the mixer is connected with the second valve and the first dryer through a third pipeline and a fourth pipeline respectively, and the mixer is also connected with the third valve and the second material box through a fifth pipeline and a sixth pipeline respectively; wherein, when the first valve is opened, the material in the first material box is sucked into the first dryer; when the second valve is opened, the material in the first dryer is sucked into the mixer; and when the third valve is opened, the material in the second material box is sucked into the mixer. The feeding system can not only improve the conveying efficiency, but also reduce the equipment cost and the maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of material conveying technology, specifically to a material feeding system. Background Technology

[0002] In the plastics manufacturing industry, especially in injection molding, it is often necessary to mix multiple materials in specific proportions before feeding them into the injection molding machine. Traditional material feeding methods rely mainly on manual handling and metering, which suffers from high labor intensity, low efficiency, and difficulty in guaranteeing metering accuracy. With the development of automation technology, vacuum conveying systems have gradually been applied to material handling. These systems use a vacuum pump to create negative pressure, thereby drawing materials into the material-using equipment. However, current vacuum conveying systems are designed for single-material transport, meaning they can only transport one type of material at a time, failing to meet the need for precise mixing of multiple materials in specific proportions. When multiple materials need to be transported, multiple vacuum conveying systems are required, which not only increases equipment costs but also leads to complex piping and increased maintenance costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a feeding system that can not only improve conveying efficiency, but also reduce equipment and maintenance costs.

[0004] This application provides a feeding system, including:

[0005] The feeding assembly includes a vacuum pump, a vacuum main pipe, and multiple valves. The vacuum pump is used to provide vacuum power. The vacuum main pipe is connected to the vacuum pump. The valves are located on the vacuum main pipe. The multiple valves include a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve.

[0006] The first and second material boxes are used to store materials to be transported.

[0007] The first dryer is connected to the first valve and the first material box via the first pipeline and the second pipeline, respectively;

[0008] The mixer is connected to the second valve and the first dryer via the third and fourth pipes respectively. The mixer is also connected to the third valve and the second material box via the fifth and sixth pipes respectively.

[0009] When the first valve is opened, a negative pressure is created inside the first dryer to draw the material from the first material box into the first dryer.

[0010] When the second valve is opened, a negative pressure is created inside the mixer to draw the material from the first dryer into the mixer;

[0011] When the third valve is opened, a negative pressure is created inside the mixer to draw material from the second material box into the mixer.

[0012] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the feeding system provided in this application embodiment connects the air extraction device to the vacuum main pipe and sets multiple valves on the vacuum main pipe. By controlling the opening or closing of the valves, the material conveying channel can be controlled to open or close. That is, one air extraction device can convey materials through different conveying paths, thereby realizing the conveying of multiple materials. This not only improves the conveying efficiency, but also reduces the number of air extraction devices and simplifies the distribution of the vacuum main pipe and pipelines, thereby reducing equipment costs and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the material supply system in this application;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding component in this application.

[0016] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0017] 1. Feeding assembly; 11. Vacuum extraction device; 12. Vacuum main pipe; 13. Valves; 131. First valve; 132. Second valve; 133. Third valve; 134. Fourth valve; 135. Fifth valve; 14. Piping; 141. First piping; 142. Second piping; 143. Third piping; 144. Fourth piping; 145. Fifth piping; 146. Sixth piping; 147. Seventh piping; 148. Eighth piping; 149. Ninth piping; 1410. Tenth piping; 1420. Eleventh piping; 15. Clamping device; 2. First material bin; 3. Second material bin; 4. First dryer; 5. Second dryer; 6. Mixer; 61. First hopper; 62. Second hopper; 7. Crusher; 8. Control module. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of this application and are not intended to limit this application. In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" generally refer to up, down, left, and right in the actual use or working state of the device, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings.

[0019] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," "stacked," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] This application provides a feeding system, which will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the order of description of the following embodiments is not intended to limit the preferred order of the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis; parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0021] One embodiment of this application provides a feeding system that can be applied to fields such as chemical raw material processing and food ingredient mixing. In this application, the application of the feeding system in the injection molding process is used as an example for explanation.

[0022] Reference Figure 1 The feeding system includes: a feeding assembly 1, a first material bin 2, a second material bin 3, a first dryer 4, and a mixer 6. The feeding assembly 1 conveys the material from the first material bin 2 to the first dryer 4, where the first dryer 4 dries the material. The feeding assembly 1 then conveys the material from the first dryer 4 to the mixer 6. The feeding assembly 1 can also convey the material from the second material bin 3 to the mixer 6, where the mixer 6 mixes the materials. An injection molding machine (not shown) is located below the mixer 6. The discharge port of the mixer 6 is located above the inlet of the injection molding machine, and the material in the mixer 6 falls into the injection molding machine under gravity.

[0023] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The feeding assembly 1 may include a vacuum pump 11, a vacuum main pipe 12, and multiple valves 13. The vacuum pump 11, for example, is a vacuum pump, which provides vacuum power. The vacuum main pipe 12 is connected to the vacuum pump 11, and the vacuum pump 11 transmits the generated vacuum to various connection points through the vacuum main pipe 12. Multiple valves 13 are disposed on the vacuum main pipe 12, and these valves 13 can be spaced apart from each other, so that one vacuum pump 11 can be connected to multiple valves 13 through one vacuum main pipe 12. The valves 13 may be, for example, solenoid valves, pneumatic valves, or air valves. The opening or closing of the valves 13 controls the flow of the vacuum passage. The multiple valves 13 are independently configured to control the flow of different air passages, thereby achieving precise control of the material conveying path and timing. The multiple valves 13 may include a first valve 131, a second valve 132, and a third valve 133.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment, the vacuum main pipe 12 is made of stainless steel and is a one-piece molded structure. Stainless steel possesses excellent corrosion resistance and strength, enabling it to adapt to vacuum pressure requirements under different working environments. This prevents damage to the vacuum main pipe 12 during operation, extending its service life and consequently extending the lifespan of the feeding system and reducing maintenance costs. The one-piece molded structure of the vacuum main pipe 12 eliminates gaps caused by welding or splicing, reducing the risk of air leakage, improving the sealing and reliability of the feeding assembly 1, and ensuring the stability of the feeding assembly 1 during long-term operation.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 Valve 13 can be connected to the material-using equipment via pipe 14, and the material-using equipment can be connected to the material-storage equipment via pipe 14. Pipe 14 is, for example, a flexible hose, which facilitates the arrangement of pipes 14. When valve 13 is opened, the vacuum generated by the vacuum device 11 creates a negative pressure in the material-using equipment. Based on the principle that gas flows from high pressure to low pressure, the material in the storage equipment is drawn into the material-using equipment under the action of the pressure difference, thus realizing the material conveying. In this application, the material-storage equipment refers to the equipment at the beginning of the conveying path, and the material-using equipment refers to the equipment at the end of the conveying path. The same equipment can be switched back and forth between the material-storage equipment and the material-using equipment in different scenarios.

[0026] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The feeding assembly 1 may also include a clamping device 15, through which the valve 13 is fixed to the vacuum main pipe 12. As an example, the clamping device 15 can adopt a common clamp or gripping structure, using bolts or other connecting parts to tightly fix the valve 13 to a specific position on the vacuum main pipe 12. This ensures the stability of the valve 13 during system operation, prevents loosening due to vibration or pressure changes, ensures the sealing and stability of the connection between the valve 13 and the vacuum main pipe 12, and reduces the risk of leakage. During long-term operation, it can maintain stable vacuum performance, ensuring smooth material conveying.

[0027] Both the first material bin 2 and the second material bin 3 are used to store materials to be transported. The materials stored in the first material bin and the second material bin 3 can be of different types. The structure of the first material bin and the second material bin 3 can be a common sealed box with a certain capacity and strength to adapt to the storage requirements of different types of materials. There can be one or more first material bins 2 and second material bins 3. In this embodiment, there is one first material bin 2 and one second material bin 3. In some embodiments, when there are multiple first material bins 2, the multiple first material bins 2 can store the same type of materials or different types of materials. When there are multiple second material bins 3, the multiple second material bins 3 can store the same type of materials or different types of materials.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first dryer 4 is used to dry the material. The first dryer 4 is connected to the first valve 131 and the first material tank 2 via a first pipe 141 and a second pipe 142, respectively. That is, the first dryer 4 is connected to the first valve 131 via the first pipe 141 and to the first material tank 2 via the second pipe 142. At this time, the first material tank 2 supplies material to the first dryer 4; the first material tank 2 is a storage device, and the first dryer 4 is a material-using device.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The mixer 6 is connected to the second valve 132 and the first dryer 4 via the third pipe 143 and the fourth pipe 144, respectively. Specifically, the mixer 6 is connected to the second valve 132 via the third pipe 143 and to the first dryer 4 via the fourth pipe 144. The mixer 6 is also connected to the third valve 133 and the second material tank 3 via the fifth pipe 145 and the sixth pipe 146, respectively. In this configuration, since the first dryer 4 and the second material tank 3 supply materials to the mixer 6, the first dryer 4 and the second material tank 3 act as storage devices, while the mixer 6 acts as a material-consuming device.

[0030] When the first valve 131 is opened, the vacuum generated by the suction device 11 creates a negative pressure inside the first dryer 4. The air pressure inside the first dryer 4 is lower than the air pressure in the first material box 2. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the material in the first material box 2 is drawn into the first dryer 4. The first dryer 4 can then dry the material. After the material in the first dryer 4 has finished drying, the air pressure inside the first dryer 4 can be restored to normal.

[0031] When the second valve 132 is opened, the vacuum generated by the air extraction device 11 creates a negative pressure inside the mixer 6. The air pressure inside the mixer 6 is lower than the air pressure in the first dryer 4. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the material in the first dryer 4 is drawn into the mixer 6.

[0032] When the third valve 133 is opened, the vacuum generated by the air extraction device 11 creates a negative pressure inside the mixer 6. The air pressure inside the mixer 6 is lower than the air pressure in the second material box 3. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the material in the second material box 3 is sucked into the mixer 6, thereby achieving the mixing of different materials inside the mixer 6.

[0033] In this application, by connecting the vacuum pump 11 to the vacuum main pipe 12, and setting multiple valves 13 on the vacuum main pipe 12, the opening or closing of the material conveying channel is controlled by controlling the opening or closing of the valves 13. That is, one vacuum pump 11 can convey materials through different conveying paths, thereby realizing the conveying of multiple materials. This not only improves the conveying efficiency, but also reduces the number of vacuum pumps 11 and simplifies the distribution of the vacuum main pipe 12 and pipeline 14, thereby reducing equipment costs and maintenance costs.

[0034] In one specific implementation, refer to Figure 1The feeding system may also include a second dryer 5, which is used to dry the material. The multiple valves 13 also include a fourth valve 134. The second dryer 5 is connected to the fourth valve 134 and the first material tank 2 via a seventh pipe 147 and an eighth pipe 148, respectively. That is, the second dryer 5 is connected to the fourth valve 134 via the seventh pipe 147 and to the first material tank 2 via the eighth pipe 148. The mixer 6 is connected to the second dryer 5 via a ninth pipe 149. When the fourth valve 134 is opened, the vacuum generated by the suction device 11 creates a negative pressure inside the mixer 6. The air pressure inside the mixer 6 is lower than the air pressure in the second dryer 5. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the material in the second dryer 5 is drawn into the mixer 6. Depending on different production needs, one of the first dryer 4 and the second dryer 5 can be operated, or both can operate simultaneously. As an example, when the first dryer 4 and the second dryer 5 operate simultaneously, the drying speed of the material can be accelerated to meet production needs. One of the first dryer 4 and the second dryer 5 can be used as a backup device. When the production line needs to switch to different materials, the new material can be added to the backup device to meet the production rhythm and improve production efficiency.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 The feeding system may also include a crusher 7, which is used to crush large or substandard materials into granular materials that meet the requirements for conveying and processing. For example, the crusher 7 is used to crush waste generated by injection molding machines, realizing the recycling and reuse of waste materials. The multiple valves 13 may also include a fifth valve 135. The second material box 3 is connected to the fifth valve 135 and the crusher 7 via a tenth pipe 1410 and an eleventh pipe 1420, respectively. That is, the second material box 3 is connected to the fifth valve 135 via the tenth pipe 1410 and to the crusher 7 via the eleventh pipe 1420. When the fifth valve 135 is opened, the vacuum generated by the suction device 11 creates a negative pressure inside the second material box 3. The air pressure inside the second material box 3 is lower than the air pressure in the crusher 7. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the material in the crusher 7 is drawn into the second material box 3.

[0036] As a preferred method, refer to Figure 1The feeding system may also include a control module 8, which is communicatively connected to valve 13. The control module 8 controls the opening and closing of valve 13. The control module 8 can be a common programmable logic controller (PLC) or industrial computer. Through a pre-written program, it precisely controls the opening and closing of valve 13 according to the requirements of the production process, thereby achieving precise control of the material conveying path and quantity. For example, in plastic processing, based on the different proportions of plastic granules required for different products, the control module 8 can accurately control the timing and quantity of material conveyed from the first material bin 2 and the second material bin 3 to the mixer 6. In this application, the communication connection can be wireless or wired communication.

[0037] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 The mixer 6 has two independent first hoppers 61 and second hoppers 62, both of which are used to store materials.

[0038] The first hopper 61 is equipped with a first sensor (not shown), which is used to detect the weight of the material in the first hopper 61. The second hopper 62 is equipped with a second sensor (not shown), which is used to detect the weight of the material in the second hopper 62. Both the first and second sensors are communicatively connected to the control module 8. The first and second sensors can be weight sensors or level sensors, etc. When the first and second sensors are level sensors, they can detect the liquid level of the material in the first hopper 61 and the liquid level of the material in the second hopper 62, respectively, and the weight of the material in the first hopper 61 and the weight of the material in the second hopper 62 can be calculated.

[0039] The control module 8 controls the opening and closing of the second valve 132 and the third valve 133 based on the detection data from the first and second sensors. For example, when the weight of the material in the first hopper 61 is lower than a set value, the control module 8 controls the second valve 132 to open, replenishing material from the first dryer 4 into the first hopper 61. When the weight of the material in the first hopper 61 reaches the set value, the control module 8 controls the second valve 132 to close, stopping the feeding of material into the first hopper 61. When the weight of the material in the second hopper 62 is lower than a set value, the control module 8 controls the third valve 133 to open, replenishing material from the second material box 3 into the second hopper 62. When the weight of the material in the second hopper 62 reaches the set value, the control module 8 controls the third valve 133 to close, stopping the feeding of material into the second hopper 62. This achieves precise control of the material in the mixer 6, ensuring the accuracy of the mixing ratio.

[0040] The control module 8 is also communicatively connected to the vacuum pumping device 11, and is used to control the power of the vacuum pumping device 11. A pressure sensor (not shown) is installed on the vacuum main pipe 12, which is used to detect the air pressure inside the vacuum main pipe 12. The pressure sensor is communicatively connected to the control module 8, and the control module 8 controls the power of the vacuum pumping device 11 based on the detection data from the pressure sensor. When the vacuum level inside the vacuum main pipe 12 is lower than a set value, i.e., when the air pressure inside the vacuum main pipe 12 is higher than a set value, the control module 8 increases the power of the vacuum pumping device 11 to enhance the vacuum suction. When the vacuum level inside the vacuum main pipe 12 is higher than a set value, i.e., when the air pressure inside the vacuum main pipe 12 is lower than a set value, the control module 8 reduces the power of the vacuum pumping device 11 to save energy and ensure stable system operation.

[0041] The communication connections between control module 8 and various components, along with the application of sensors, enable intelligent control of the system. It can automatically adjust material conveying and mixing processes according to production requirements, reducing manual intervention, improving production efficiency, and mitigating the risks associated with human error. For example, in large-scale production, it can quickly and accurately adjust material supply based on different product formulas, improving production flexibility and responsiveness.

[0042] The above provides a detailed description of a feeding system provided by this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A feeding system, characterized in that, include: The feeding assembly (1) includes a vacuum pump (11), a vacuum main pipe (12), and a plurality of valves (13). The vacuum pump (11) is used to provide vacuum power. The vacuum main pipe (12) is connected to the vacuum pump (11). The valves (13) are disposed on the vacuum main pipe (12). The plurality of valves (13) include a first valve (131), a second valve (132), and a third valve (133). The first material box (2) and the second material box (3) are used to store materials to be transported; The first dryer (4) is connected to the first valve (131) and the first material box (2) through the first pipeline (141) and the second pipeline (142) respectively. The mixer (6) is connected to the second valve (132) and the first dryer (4) via the third pipeline (143) and the fourth pipeline (144) respectively. The mixer (6) is also connected to the third valve (133) and the second material box (3) via the fifth pipeline (145) and the sixth pipeline (146) respectively. When the first valve (131) is opened, a negative pressure is formed inside the first dryer (4) to draw the material in the first material box (2) into the first dryer (4); When the second valve (132) is opened, a negative pressure is formed inside the mixer (6) to draw the material in the first dryer (4) into the mixer (6); When the third valve (133) is opened, a negative pressure is formed inside the mixer (6) to draw the material in the second material box (3) into the mixer (6).

2. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding system also includes a second dryer (5), and the plurality of valves (13) also include a fourth valve (134). The second dryer (5) is connected to the fourth valve (134) and the first material box (2) respectively through a seventh pipe (147) and an eighth pipe (148). The mixer (6) is connected to the second dryer (5) through a ninth pipe (149). When the fourth valve (134) is opened, a negative pressure is formed in the mixer (6) to draw the material in the second dryer (5) into the mixer (6).

3. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding system also includes a crusher (7), and the multiple valves (13) also include a fifth valve (135). The second material box (3) is connected to the fifth valve (135) and the crusher (7) through the tenth pipeline (1410) and the eleventh pipeline (1420) respectively. When the fifth valve (135) is opened, a negative pressure is formed in the second material box (3) to draw the material in the crusher (7) into the second material box (3).

4. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly (1) also includes a clamping device (15), and the valve (13) is fixed to the vacuum main pipe (12) by the clamping device (15).

5. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum main tube (12) is a stainless steel vacuum main tube (12), and the vacuum main tube (12) is a one-piece molded structure.

6. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, An injection molding machine is located below the mixer (6). The discharge port of the mixer (6) is located above the inlet of the injection molding machine. The material in the mixer (6) falls into the injection molding machine under the action of gravity.

7. The feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding system also includes a control module (8), which is communicatively connected to the valve (13) and is used to control the valve (13) to open or close.

8. The feeding system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The mixer (6) has two independent first hoppers (61) and second hoppers (62), both of which are used to store materials; The first hopper (61) is equipped with a first sensor, which is used to detect the weight of the material in the first hopper (61). The second hopper (62) is equipped with a second sensor, which is used to detect the weight of the material in the second hopper (62). Both the first sensor and the second sensor are communicatively connected to the control module (8). The control module (8) controls the opening or closing of the second valve (132) and the third valve (133) based on the detection data of the first sensor and the second sensor.

9. The feeding system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control module (8) is also communicatively connected to the air extraction device (11), and the control module (8) is used to control the power of the air extraction device (11).

10. The feeding system according to claim 9, characterized in that, A pressure sensor is provided on the vacuum tube (12) to detect the air pressure inside the vacuum tube (12). The pressure sensor is communicatively connected to the control module (8), and the control module (8) controls the power of the pumping device (11) based on the detection data of the pressure sensor.

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