A multi-chambered, cross-contamination resistant, continuous material delivery device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of multi-chamber material mixing prevention continuous material conveying devices, belong to material mixing equipment technical field, including tank body, rotatably installed on the drum main body of tank body, the driving system of driving drum main body rotation, and the spiral rib of being set to the inner wall of drum main body, multiple annular partitions are arranged in the axial direction of drum main body inside, annular partition separates into multiple independent chambers of series connection in drum inner cavity, fan-shaped gap for material passing is set on each annular partition;Discharge center cone that is synchronously rotated with drum main body is provided at discharge port;The utility model is separated into independent chamber of series connection by the multiple annular partitions with gap being set inside, ensure that the residence time of all materials in equipment is highly consistent, simultaneously adopt the discharge center cone that is synchronously rotated with drum and its avoidance gap design, fundamentally solve the scratch, jam problem when rotating equipment discharges.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of mixing equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-chamber continuous material conveying device for preventing mixing. Background Technology

[0002] In the surface treatment industry, including electroplating, cleaning, and passivation, efficient and uniform processing of large batches of small parts (such as electronic connectors, precision screws, and stamped parts) is a core production requirement. Traditional drum processing equipment mostly adopts a batch operation mode, that is, a fixed quantity of workpieces are loaded at one time, and the whole batch is unloaded after processing.

[0003] To improve production continuity and efficiency, the industry has developed "continuous material flow" drum devices. These devices typically have spiral guide ribs on the inner wall of a rotating drum. Material is continuously fed in from one end, moves to the other end under the propulsion of the spiral ribs, and is eventually discharged continuously. Theoretically, this aims to achieve "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) of materials, meaning that the material that enters first is processed and discharged first, ensuring the consistency of processing time for all materials and thus achieving a uniform processing effect.

[0004] However, existing continuous flow rollers have revealed two major technical shortcomings in practical applications: Severe material mixing (backmixing) problem: To ensure sufficient material tumbling and contact and avoid jamming, the height of the spiral ribs is usually designed to be low, less than the material's buildup thickness, forming a so-called "short spiral." While this facilitates tumbling, it severely weakens the axial pushing capacity of the spiral ribs. In actual operation, the material inside the drum mainly relies on gravity sliding on the drum wall and random tumbling for movement, leading to significant axial diffusion and backmixing. This results in a wide and highly dispersed residence time distribution of the material within the equipment, ultimately causing severely uneven workpiece processing and a decrease in product yield. This problem is a bottleneck restricting the application of continuous flow drums in high-quality application scenarios.

[0005] Risk of material shearing damage at the discharge end: Traditional designs often use fixed hoppers or guide troughs at the discharge port to receive and transfer material discharged from the rotating drum. When wet or sticky material adheres to the edge of the rotating drum's outlet or internal components, the adhered material will rotate with the drum to a position where it mechanically interferes with the stationary hopper, thus being subjected to strong shearing forces. Shearing can cause scratches, deformation, or even jamming of precision workpieces, resulting in product scrap and equipment failure, greatly affecting the reliability of continuous production and product integrity. Utility Model Content

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device, which aims to fundamentally suppress the back mixing of materials inside the drum, realize a highly orderly "first-in, first-out" flow, and completely solve the problem of material shearing damage during the discharge process.

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the first aspect of this utility model proposes a multi-chamber continuous material conveying device for preventing material mixing, comprising a trough, a roller body rotatably mounted on the trough, a drive system for driving the roller body to rotate, and spiral ribs disposed on the inner wall of the roller body. The roller body has an inlet and an outlet at its two ends, respectively. The device is characterized in that… The drum body has multiple annular partitions spaced along its axial direction inside, which divide the drum cavity into multiple independent chambers connected in series. Each annular partition has a fan-shaped notch for material to pass through. The discharge port is provided with a discharge center cone that rotates synchronously with the main body of the roller, and the cone surface of the discharge center cone is provided with an avoidance notch.

[0008] Optionally, the spiral rib is a short spiral rib, the height of which is less than the thickness of a single layer of material stacked in the drum.

[0009] Optionally, the plurality of the annular partitions are evenly distributed along the axial direction of the drum body.

[0010] Optionally, the fan-shaped notch on each of the annular partitions is a 60-120 degree notch.

[0011] Optionally, the number of the annular partitions is three or more.

[0012] Optionally, the discharge center cone is welded and fixed inside the discharge end of the drum body.

[0013] Optionally, the size of the clearance notch on the discharge center cone is larger than the size of the material being conveyed.

[0014] Optionally, the drive system includes a drive unit and a roller gear meshing with the power output end of the drive unit, the roller gear being fixedly mounted on the roller body. Optionally, the tank is equipped with a dripping device for replenishing auxiliary materials into the drum, and a filtration device for filtering the process media inside the drum.

[0015] Optionally, a conveying mechanism is installed on one side of the trough and is located below the discharge port.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. This utility model relates to a multi-chamber continuous material conveying device for preventing material mixing. Through multiple internally designed notched annular baffles, the continuous drum is physically divided into interconnected independent chambers, forcing materials to pass through in segments and sequentially. This significantly suppresses axial back-mixing and ensures that all materials have a highly consistent residence time within the equipment. This lays the foundation for achieving extremely uniform electroplating layer thickness and cleaning effects, truly realizing a reliable "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) design. Simultaneously, the use of a discharge center cone that rotates synchronously with the drum and its avoidance notch design eliminates static friction points between the guide surface and the material. Even if adhesion occurs, the adhered material will safely detach when rotating to the notch position, completely avoiding shearing forces with external fixed components. This fundamentally solves the problems of scratches and jamming during material discharge from rotating equipment, significantly improving product yield and equipment operational continuity.

[0017] 2. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model sets up multiple partitions, which is equivalent to setting up multiple "checkpoints" on the material flow path. Even if individual materials accidentally retreat in a certain chamber, the probability of them reversing and returning to the previous chamber through all the "checkpoints" is extremely low, which greatly enhances the system's ability to resist disturbances. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the drum of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the drum body of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drum body of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the annular partition plate of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the discharge center cone of the multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device of this utility model.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Tank body; 2. Drum body; 3. Spiral ribs; 4. Discharge center cone; 6. Circular baffle; 7. Inlet; 8. Outlet; 9. Conveying mechanism; 10. Drum gear; 11. Drive device; 13. Drip device; 14. Filter device.

[0020] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0021] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] Reference Figures 1-8 This utility model provides an embodiment of a multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device, comprising a trough 1, a roller body 2 rotatably mounted on the trough 1, a drive system for driving the roller body 2 to rotate, and spiral ribs 3 disposed on the inner wall of the roller body 2. The roller body 2 has an inlet 7 and an outlet 8 at its two ends, respectively. The device is characterized in that... The drum body 2 has multiple annular partitions 6 spaced apart along its axial direction. The annular partitions 6 divide the inner cavity of the drum into multiple independent chambers connected in series. Each annular partition 6 has a fan-shaped notch for material to pass through. The discharge port 8 is provided with a discharge center cone 4 that rotates synchronously with the roller body 2, and the discharge center cone 4 has a clearance notch on its cone surface.

[0024] It should be noted that the drum body 2 is rotatably mounted above the trough 1 via bearing seats at both ends, and its axis is usually horizontal or slightly inclined. The left end of the drum body 2 has an inlet 7 for continuously receiving materials from the previous process; the right end has an outlet 8 for discharging processed materials. The drive system (shown in the figure as drive unit 11 and drum gear 10) is mounted on the trough 1 to provide power for the drum rotation. Spiral ribs 3 are fixedly installed on the inner wall of the drum body 2, extending parallel to the drum axis and in a spiral shape.

[0025] Inside the drum body 2, multiple annular partitions 6 are welded and fixed at intervals along its axial direction. These annular partitions 6 act like internal "walls," physically dividing the originally continuous drum cavity into multiple independent chambers connected end-to-end. Each annular partition 6 is not completely closed, but has a fan-shaped notch on its surface. This notch serves as the sole channel for material flow between adjacent chambers.

[0026] A discharge center cone 4 is fixedly installed inside the discharge port 8 of the drum body 2. The center cone 4 is rigidly connected to the drum body 2 by welding or other means to ensure that it can rotate synchronously with the drum. The large end of the cone surface of the center cone 4 faces the inside of the drum, and the small end faces the discharge port 8, forming a guide slope. In particular, an avoidance notch is provided on the cone surface.

[0027] The continuously flowing drum body 2 is divided into multiple independent chambers in series by the annular baffle 6, forcing the material to pass through each chamber sequentially and in batches. This greatly suppresses back-mixing and reflux of the material along the length of the drum, transforming the material flow pattern from the traditional "fully mixed flow" to a near-ideal "piston flow." The direct effect is to ensure a highly consistent residence time for all materials within the equipment, thus providing a fundamental guarantee for the uniformity of the electroplating layer thickness and the consistency of the cleaning effect, achieving true "first-in, first-out" (FIFO).

[0028] The design of the discharge center cone 4 rotating synchronously with the drum body 2 eliminates relative sliding friction between the discharge guide surface and the material. Combined with the clearance notch on the cone surface, even if a small amount of material temporarily adheres to the cone surface due to liquid film tension, the adhesion constraint immediately disappears when the adhesion point rotates with the drum to the notch position, and the material naturally falls off under gravity, significantly improving product yield and equipment operational reliability.

[0029] In some embodiments, the spiral rib 3 is a short spiral rib, the height of which is less than the thickness of a single layer of material stacked in the drum.

[0030] It should be noted that the main function of the spiral rib 3 is to provide a clear, macroscopic flow guide for the material from left to right (from the feed end to the discharge end), rather than to forcefully agitate it. Because its height is less than the material layer thickness, it does not forcibly turn over the bottom layer of material and throw it over the top of the material pile, thus greatly reducing violent tumbling and positional changes of the material within the chamber. This gentle flow guidance, combined with the rigid constraint of the annular baffle 6, ensures the overall forward movement of the material while maximizing the relative stability of the material sequence within each chamber, further reducing microscopic mixing.

[0031] In some embodiments, the plurality of the annular partitions 6 are evenly distributed along the axial direction of the roller body 2.

[0032] It should be noted that the uniformly distributed annular baffles 6 mean that the effective volume and length of each independent chamber are the same. When the drum body 2 runs at a constant speed, the average time required for the material to pass through each chamber of the same size is also basically equal. This makes the time distribution of the various process stages (such as the initial deposition, intermediate thickening, and final leveling of electroplating) experienced by the material throughout the entire process balanced and predictable, which is conducive to forming a stable and consistent processing environment along the entire length of the drum.

[0033] In some embodiments, the fan-shaped notch on each of the annular partitions 6 is a 60-120 degree notch.

[0034] It should be noted that the fan-shaped notch is preferably a 90-degree notch, while the annular partition 6 retains a complete annular portion of approximately 270 degrees to block materials, leaving an opening of approximately 90 degrees (one-quarter of the circumference) as a passage. This notch can be opened at the top, bottom, or other fixed phase positions of the partition. When the roller body 2 rotates, materials can only pass through in a limited manner when the notch is aligned downwards. This intermittent, controlled material transfer method, like multiple "gates," greatly enhances the ability to prevent backmixing.

[0035] In some embodiments, the number of the annular partitions 6 is three or more.

[0036] It should be noted that this application preferentially sets three annular baffles 6, which form multiple physical barriers. The material needs to pass through all these barriers sequentially from the inlet 7 to the outlet 8. Even if a very small amount of material moves backward in a certain chamber due to accidental factors, it is difficult for it to reverse through multiple baffles with gaps to return to the previous chamber, thus ensuring the overall orderly flow.

[0037] In some embodiments, the discharge center cone 4 is welded and fixed inside the discharge end of the roller body 2.

[0038] It should be noted that the discharge center cone 4 is firmly fixed to the inner wall of the discharge end of the drum body 2 by welding. Welding provides extremely high connection strength and reliability, ensuring that the discharge center cone 4 and the drum body 2 maintain absolutely synchronized rotation under any working conditions, and eliminating relative movement caused by loose connection or slippage.

[0039] In some embodiments, the size of the clearance notch on the discharge center cone 4 is larger than the size of the conveyed material. This provides an absolutely safe detachment space, completely eliminating the risk of jamming: the oversized clearance notch design ensures that even the largest materials or a few clumps of material adhering to the cone surface can provide a completely unobstructed detachment path when rotating to the notch area.

[0040] In some embodiments, the drive system includes a drive device 11 and a roller gear 10 meshing with the power output end of the drive device 11, the roller gear 10 being fixedly mounted on the roller body 2. It should be noted that the drive device 11 preferably includes a motor and a reducer, and may integrate a frequency converter. The drive device 11 is fixedly mounted to the side wall of the trough 1 via a base. Its power output shaft extends directly via a coupling, and a drive gear is mounted on it. This drive gear meshes with the roller gear 10, which is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the roller body 2, forming an external meshing gear pair. By starting the drive device 11, power is transmitted through the gear pair, thereby driving the roller body 2 to rotate smoothly around its axis on the trough 1. The frequency converter can be used to steplessly adjust the motor speed, thereby precisely controlling the rotational speed of the roller body 2 to adapt to the requirements of different materials and processing processes on tumbling frequency and forward speed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the tank 1 is equipped with a dripping device 13 for replenishing auxiliary materials into the drum, and the tank 1 is equipped with a filter device 14 for filtering the process media in the drum.

[0042] It should be noted that the dripping device 13 includes a storage tank, a metering pump, and a dripping pipeline. The storage tank is used to store the process additives to be replenished (such as electroplating brighteners, pH adjusters, etc.). The inlet of the metering pump is connected to the storage tank via a pipeline, and its outlet extends through the dripping pipeline to the dripping position inside the tank 1, below the liquid surface of the process liquid or above the roller. The metering pump can be configured with a timer or interlocked with a concentration sensor inside the tank 1 to set a fixed time interval or start in real time according to process requirements, thereby accurately and uniformly adding a quantitative amount of additives to the process medium.

[0043] The filtration device 14 includes a filter pump, a filter, and connecting pipelines. The inlet of the filter pump is connected to the outlet at the bottom or lower side of the tank 1 via a suction pipeline, and is used to draw the process liquid to be treated. The outlet of the filter pump is connected to the inlet of the filter (which can accommodate filter elements or filter bags of different precision). The filtered clean liquid flows out from the outlet of the filter and then returns to the tank 1 via a return pipeline, preferably returning to the area near the drum body 2, thereby forming a continuous filtration cycle.

[0044] The continuous replenishment of the dripping device 13 stabilizes the concentration of the main salt and the content of additives, ensuring that the chemical conditions for electroplating or cleaning are always within the optimal process window. The continuous operation of the filtration device 14 promptly removes solid particles, oil stains, and other impurities from the solution, maintaining the cleanliness of the process medium and preventing impurities from adhering to the material surface and affecting the processing quality.

[0045] In some embodiments, a conveying mechanism 9 is installed on one side of the tank 1 and is located below the discharge port 8.

[0046] It should be noted that the conveying mechanism 9 is a material receiving and transfer device fixedly installed on one side of the trough 1 and located directly below the discharge port 8. Its specific form may include, but is not limited to: an inclined chute that allows material to slide down by gravity; a belt conveyor with its bearing surface set horizontally or inclined to receive and horizontally transport material; or a vibrating conveyor disc / rail that uses vibration for directional conveying. The starting and stopping speeds of the conveying mechanism 9 should be coordinated with the discharge rhythm of the rollers to ensure that the discharged material is transferred to the next process in a timely and orderly manner, avoiding accumulation below the discharge port 8.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-chamber continuous material conveying device for preventing material mixing, comprising a trough (1), a roller body (2) rotatably mounted on the trough (1), a drive system for driving the roller body (2) to rotate, and spiral ribs (3) disposed on the inner wall of the roller body (2), wherein the roller body (2) is provided with an inlet (7) and an outlet (8) at both ends, characterized in that, The drum body (2) is provided with multiple annular partitions (6) spaced apart along its axial direction. The annular partitions (6) divide the inner cavity of the drum into multiple independent chambers connected in series. Each annular partition (6) has a fan-shaped notch for material to pass through. The discharge port (8) is provided with a discharge center cone (4) that rotates synchronously with the roller body (2), and the discharge center cone (4) has a clearance notch on its cone surface.

2. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral rib (3) is a short spiral rib, the height of which is less than the thickness of a single layer of material in the drum.

3. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple circular partitions (6) are evenly distributed along the axial direction of the roller body (2).

4. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fan-shaped notch on each of the circular partitions (6) is a 60-120 degree notch.

5. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the annular partitions (6) is three or more.

6. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge center cone (4) is welded and fixed inside the discharge end of the roller body (2).

7. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The size of the clearance notch on the discharge center cone (4) is larger than the size of the material being conveyed.

8. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive system includes a drive unit (11) and a roller gear (10) meshing with the power output end of the drive unit (11). The roller gear (10) is fixedly mounted on the roller body (2).

9. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank (1) is equipped with a dripping device (13) for adding auxiliary materials into the drum, and a filter device (14) for filtering the process media in the drum is also installed on the tank (1).

10. The multi-chamber anti-mixing continuous material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A conveying mechanism (9) is installed on one side of the trough (1) and is located below the discharge port (8).

Images