A self-weight metering intermediate bin placed in a batching system

Abstract

The application relates to the field of injection molding color matching or material matching, in particular to a self-weight type metering intermediate bin arranged in a material matching system. The intermediate bin comprises a bearing frame for supporting and bearing, at least one weighing unit, a bin body unit connected with the weighing unit and suspendedly arranged in the frame, a feeding port with opening and closing control arranged at the top of the bearing frame, and a discharging port with opening and closing control arranged at the bottom of the bin body unit. The top end of the bin body unit is communicated with the feeding port, and the bottom of the bin body unit is provided with the discharging port with opening and closing control. The bottom of the frame is provided with an opening opposite to the discharging port. The intermediate bin integrates a direct and accurate weight metering function, fundamentally overcomes the matching error caused by material density change, and improves the production quality and automation level of enterprises which widely adopt the volume method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of injection molding color matching or material mixing, and in particular to a self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a material mixing system. Background Technology

[0002] In the multi-component material preparation process of plastic products, such as color matching before injection molding or mixing of raw materials and masterbatch, achieving precise proportions of each component is crucial to ensuring product quality. Currently, for small and medium-sized injection molding enterprises or production scenarios with high cost control requirements, a very common and economical material preparation method is the fixed-volume metering method. This method typically involves setting up a simple intermediate hopper above the feed inlet of the mixer or injection molding machine, with a time-controlled valve or a fixed-volume metering hopper (or metering hopper) at its bottom. During operation, material is temporarily stored in this intermediate hopper from the upstream storage hopper. Then, by controlling the valve opening time, the amount of material is estimated based on gravity flow, or a fixed-volume container is used to scoop out a "hopper" of material before feeding it into the mixer.

[0003] However, this metering method relying on the principle of constant volume has inherent and insurmountable accuracy defects. First, the time-controlled feeding rate is significantly affected by factors such as changes in material level within the silo, differences in particle shape, and variations in flowability due to environmental humidity. The actual weight of material flowing out within the same valve opening time fluctuates greatly, making precise quantitative proportioning impossible. Second, while using fixed-volume metering cups is an improvement over the time-controlled method, its accuracy heavily depends on the apparent density and filling stability of the material. In actual production, plastic granules may vary in density due to transportation vibrations, electrostatic adsorption, etc., causing deviations in the actual weight of material loaded into the metering cup each time. This error introduced by changes in material density is systematic and cannot be eliminated by simple mechanical adjustments, directly leading to inaccurate color matching or imbalanced formulation ratios, affecting batch-to-batch consistency.

[0004] The main shortcoming of existing volumetric metering technology is that it attempts to indirectly control weight by measuring volume, while ignoring the crucial variable of the uncertainty of the material's physical state. This indirect measurement method cannot sense or adapt to changes in the actual weight of the material, thus its accuracy has a ceiling and it is difficult to meet the increasingly stringent requirements for high-quality production with precise proportions. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome at least one deficiency of the prior art and provide a self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in the batching system. This intermediate silo integrates direct and accurate weight metering function, fundamentally overcoming the proportioning error caused by changes in material density, and improving the production quality and automation level of enterprises that widely adopt volumetric batching methods.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application discloses a self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system. The intermediate silo includes a support frame for support and load-bearing, a weighing module installed in the frame, and a silo unit connected to the weighing module and suspended in the frame. The top of the supporting frame is provided with a feed port with opening and closing control. The top of the silo unit is connected to the feed port. When the feed port is open, external materials can enter the silo unit from the feed port. The bottom of the silo unit is provided with a discharge port with opening and closing control, and correspondingly, the bottom of the frame is provided with an opening opposite to the discharge port, so that materials can be sent out.

[0007] Furthermore, there are two weighing units, which are symmetrically installed within the frame.

[0008] Furthermore, at least part of the inner wall of the silo unit narrows towards the discharge port, forming a silo wall with a tapered shape towards the discharge port. Under this structure, the inner wall of the silo unit forms a continuously converging guide slope towards the discharge port, allowing the material in the silo to flow towards the discharge port along the slope under the action of gravity.

[0009] Furthermore, the opening and closing of the discharge port is controlled by a discharge valve, preferably a cylinder-driven double gate valve.

[0010] Furthermore, the opening and closing of the feed inlet is controlled by a feed valve, which employs a linear stroke opening and closing mechanism, preferably a pneumatic gate valve. Specifically, the pneumatic gate valve includes a cylinder, a valve body, and a gate. The piston rod of the cylinder is horizontally positioned and connected to the gate. The linear extension and retraction of the piston rod drives the gate to move horizontally, thereby opening and closing the feed inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the weighing unit is an S-shaped weighing sensor.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By setting up a weighing module and connecting it directly to the silo components, direct weight measurement of materials inside the silo is achieved, fundamentally eliminating weighing errors caused by changes in material density or differences in flowability, and significantly improving the accuracy of batching.

[0013] 2. The weighing function is integrated into the intermediate chamber body, which has a compact structure and eliminates the need for complex additional weighing equipment. This simplifies the system structure, improves accuracy, and reduces manufacturing costs and installation space requirements.

[0014] 3. The pneumatically controlled feed and discharge valves, combined with the guide ramp design of the silo cavity, enable rapid, smooth and controlled material flow, effectively prevent material residue, and ensure batch-to-batch consistency.

[0015] Additional aspects and other advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0016] A better understanding of various aspects of this disclosure will be achieved by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the drawings, etc., do not always represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application from another perspective.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment disclosed in this application from another perspective.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment disclosed in this application with the load-bearing frame removed.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment disclosed in this application, taken from another perspective after the load-bearing frame has been removed. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

[0022] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of certain features may be modified in the drawings.

[0023] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of this specification.

[0024] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. The terms “between X and Y” and “between approximately X and Y” used in this specification should be interpreted as including both X and Y. The term “between approximately X and Y” used in this specification means “between approximately X and approximately Y,” and the term “from approximately X to Y” used in this specification means “from approximately X to approximately Y.”

[0025] In the specification, when an element is described as being "on," "attached," "connected," "coupled," or "in contact" with another element, the element can be directly located on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with the other element, or there may be intermediate elements present. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly" located on, directly attached to, directly connected to, directly coupled to, or directly in contact with another element, no intermediate elements are present. In the specification, the description of a feature being arranged "adjacent" to another feature can mean that a feature has a portion overlapping with the adjacent feature or a portion located above or below the adjacent feature.

[0026] In the specification, spatial relation terms such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," "back," "high," and "low" describe the relationship between one feature and another in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatial relation terms include not only the orientation shown in the drawings but also the different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, when the device in the drawings is inverted, a feature previously described as "below" other features can now be described as "above" other features. The device can also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), in which case the relative spatial relationships will be explained accordingly. Example

[0027] This specific embodiment relates to a self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the whole is composed of a support frame 1, two weighing modules 2 symmetrically installed inside the support frame 1, a bin unit 4 directly suspended from the two weighing modules 2 by a hanging lug 9 extending from the side, a feed valve 6 installed on the support frame 1 and located at the feed inlet 5 at the top of the bin unit 4, and a discharge valve 8 installed at the discharge outlet 7 at the bottom of the bin unit 4.

[0028] The load-bearing frame 1 provides rigid support for the entire device, and the weighing module 2 is used to detect the total weight of the material in the silo unit 4 in real time. Since the weight of the silo unit 4 is fixed, the weight of the material is obtained by subtracting the weight of the silo unit 4 itself from the total weight.

[0029] It should be understood that the aforementioned feed valve and discharge valve are controlled by an external control unit or equipment to achieve precise material input and output, thus forming a complete gravity-based metering unit.

[0030] Further, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The supporting frame 1 is a cubic structure welded from metal profiles. A horizontal mounting panel is provided on its top crossbeam, and a circular feed port 5 is opened in the center of the panel and fixed with a standard flange. The bottom of the supporting frame 1 is provided with an opening to form a discharge channel.

[0031] In the specific structure, the weighing module 2 can adopt an S-shaped strain gauge load cell, which is rigidly connected to the connecting seat 8 extending from the inner side of the bearing frame 1 by bolts through the mounting threaded hole at the lower end. The connecting plane is machined to ensure levelness.

[0032] Based on this, combined Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the silo unit 4 can be welded from stainless steel plate, with an open top to receive material fed in through the inlet 5. A pair of lugs 9 extend from the side of the silo unit 1, and these lugs 9 are directly fastened to the upper force-bearing end of the load cell 2 by a set of bolts, so that the entire weight of the silo unit 4 acts on the sensor as a pressure load. The inner cavity of the silo unit 1 has a tapered section at the top, with its sidewall forming a tapered angle with the horizontal plane. This angle ensures that the plastic granules can smoothly slide down the wall to the outlet 7 under gravity without stagnation. A discharge valve 8 is installed at the outlet 7 of the silo unit 1.

[0033] Then see Figure 3 and Figure 5 The discharge valve 8 adopts a parallel double gate structure. The drive cylinder is fixed on the bin unit 1. Its piston rod drives the two gates to perform relative opening actions around the axis through the connecting mechanism, so as to realize the symmetrical opening and closing of the discharge port 7.

[0034] Similarly, referring to the attached drawings, the feed valve 6 is a gate valve with a single gate structure. Its valve body is mounted on the top of the support frame 1 via a mounting plate 3 connected to the support frame 1 and is aligned with the feed port 5. In the specific structure, the axial movement of the cylinder piston rod of the feed valve 6 is directly converted into the lateral movement of the gate to control the feed flow. It is understood that the air source processing components and electromagnetic control valve required to drive the cylinder are well-known technologies in the field.

[0035] The signal output terminal of the weighing module 2 is connected to an external control unit or device via a shielded cable. This control unit or device presets a weight threshold and can output a switching signal. When the weight signal received by the control unit or device reaches the preset feeding value, it controls the feeding valve 6; when it receives a discharge command, it controls the discharge valve 8 to open. The external control unit or device can also be equipped with a human-machine interface for parameter setting and status monitoring. It is understood that programmable controllers and their basic peripheral circuits that perform logical judgments based on weight sensor signals are existing technologies.

[0036] During operation, both the feed valve 6 and the discharge valve 8 are initially closed, and the control unit zeroes the tare weight measured by the weighing module 2. Upon triggering the feed command, the feed valve 6 opens, and material falls into the hopper unit 4. The control unit or device monitors the weight change in real time and closes the feed valve 6 when a preset value is reached. Once the downstream equipment is ready, the control unit or device issues a discharge command to open the discharge valve 8, and the material in the hopper unit 4 is completely discharged under gravity and the guiding inclined plane. The entire process achieves precise measurement and control of materials through direct weighing, with a high degree of structural integration, effectively eliminating the inherent errors of volumetric weighing.

[0037] It should be specifically noted that the "control unit or control device" mentioned in this embodiment refers to a general-purpose industrial control device used to receive signals from the weighing module, perform logical judgments, and output valve control commands. It is understood that the specific implementation of such a control unit or control device, such as using a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microcontroller system, or an industrial computer, and its corresponding hardware configuration, selection and connection of input / output modules, and the program for implementing basic comparison and switching output functions, are all well-known technologies and conventional design methods for those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable control scheme from existing technologies and complete system integration and parameter debugging without creative effort, based on the accuracy, speed, and cost requirements of the actual application. Therefore, although the control unit or control device is crucial for realizing the automatic metering function, given that it falls within the scope of mature existing technology, this specification will not elaborate on its internal structure and basic control logic.

[0038] It should also be noted that, in the specific embodiments of this specification, content that is known or existing technology to those skilled in the art is not described in great detail. Examples include air source processing components (such as filters, pressure reducing valves, and lubricators) used with the pneumatic valves, electromagnetic control valves and their connecting pipelines, and the specific specifications of standard parts in the mechanical structure (such as the strength grade of bolts and the material of seals). It is understood that the parts not described in detail above are existing technologies that those skilled in the art can directly select or implement without creative effort based on specific application scenarios and conventional design requirements. Their omission will not affect the understanding and implementation of the core invention content of this application.

[0039] Furthermore, this specific embodiment is merely an exemplary description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, intended to clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Within the scope of the inventive concept defined in the claims of this application, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions, modifications, or combinations of specific implementations based on the disclosed content and in conjunction with existing technical knowledge, and all such modifications fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system, characterized in that, It includes a load-bearing frame for support and load-bearing, at least one weighing unit, and a hopper unit connected to and suspended within the frame; The top of the supporting frame is provided with a feed port with opening and closing control, and the top of the silo unit is connected to the feed port; The bottom of the silo unit is provided with a discharge port with opening and closing control, and correspondingly, the bottom of the frame is provided with an opening opposite to the discharge port.

2. The self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing unit consists of two units, which are symmetrically installed within the frame.

3. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the bin unit narrows towards the discharge port in at least part, forming a bin wall with a tapered shape towards the discharge port.

4. The self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening and closing of the discharge port is controlled by a discharge valve.

5. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The discharge valve is a cylinder-driven double gate valve.

6. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening and closing of the feed inlet is controlled by a feed valve.

7. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feed valve is a pneumatic gate valve.

8. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pneumatic gate valve includes a cylinder, a valve body, and a gate. The piston rod of the cylinder is horizontally arranged and connected to the gate. The gate moves horizontally by the linear extension and retraction of the piston rod.

9. A self-weight metering intermediate silo placed in a batching system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing unit is an S-shaped weighing sensor.

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