A mechanism for dislodging material inside a conduit

Abstract

A Mechanism for Dislodging Material Inside a Conduit Embodiments relate to a mechanism (100) for dislodging material (300) inside a conduit (200). The mechanism (100) is positioned within the conduit (200) and comprises a reciprocating arm (20) configured to move reciprocally between a first position and a second position, a prong (30) configured to engage the material (300) wherein the prong (30) is pivotably connected to the reciprocal arm (20), and an actuating means (10) connected to the reciprocal arm (20), wherein the actuating means (10) causes the reciprocal arm (20) to move reciprocally between the first position and the second position inside the conduit (200).

Description

[0001] A Mechanism for Dislodging Material Inside a Conduit

[0002] Field of Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to vertically aligned conduits through which various objects are conveyed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanism dislodging material inside the conduit.

[0004] Background of Invention

[0005] In multistorey high-rise residential buildings, a large population of people is housed within a relatively small land area. As such, some of these buildings include conduits for conveyance of objects from one location to another.

[0006] By way of example, some buildings are constructed with conduits which allow material to be deposited from each level of the building connected to the conduit. All the material deposited into the conduit fall by gravity into a receptacle placed at the bottom of the conduit. As the conduit may include transitions in the vertical profile such as junctions and bends, material deposited into the conduit may become stuck at these locations especially if the material has an irregular shape and have been folded or compressed to fit inside the conduit. These materials may unfold or expand and become stuck inside conduit. This causes conduits to be blocked and thus preventing the material from flowing to the intended storage location.

[0007] To address this problem, blockages in the conduit have to be manually removed or unclogged. However, this may not be feasible in situations where the location of the clog or blockage is not easily accessible. Therefore, there is a need for a solution that addresses the highlighted problem.

[0008] Summary of Invention

[0009] The present invention relates to a mechanism for dislodging material inside a conduit. The mechanism is positioned within the conduit and comprises a reciprocating arm configured to move reciprocally between a first position and a second position, a prong configured to engage the material wherein the prong is pivotably connected to the reciprocal arm, and an actuating means connected to the reciprocal arm, wherein the actuating means causes the reciprocal arm to move reciprocally between the first position and the second position inside the conduit. In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a feedback device configured to generate an alert if the prong is prevented from moving by the material.

[0010] In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a stopper to prevent the prong from pivoting beyond an angle normal to the conduit.

[0011] In an embodiment, the actuating means is an actuated cylinder operated by hydraulic, pneumatic or motorised means.

[0012] In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a biasing means to bias the prong towards a wall of the conduit.

[0013] In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a biasing means to bias the prong to protrude into the conduit.

[0014] In an embodiment, the biasing means is a spring.

[0015] In an embodiment, the prong is pivotably connected to the mechanism via a pivot joint.

[0016] In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a pivot assembly to allow more than one prong to be pivotably connected to the mechanism.

[0017] In an embodiment, the pivot assembly enables engaging end of one prong so spread away from engaging end of another prong as the prongs pivot upwards.

[0018] In an embodiment, the mechanism further comprises a shroud positioned over the actuating means wherein the shroud allows material to slide over the mechanism.

[0019] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include an exemplary or preferred embodiment of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It should be understood, however, the disclosed preferred embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention. Therefore, the figures disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as the basis for the claims and for teaching one skilled in the art of the invention.

[0021] Figure 1a shows an exemplary embodiment of a mechanism to dislodge material inside a conduit.

[0022] Figure 1 b shows the exemplary mechanism of Figure 1a with a shroud covering upper portion of the mechanism. Figure 2 shows a movement of prong of the mechanism of Figure 1 .

[0023] Figure 3a and 3b show example situations of the mechanism of Figure 1 clearing out the blockage inside the conduit.

[0024] Figure 4a shows a front view of the exemplary mechanism shown in Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 4b shows a side view of the exemplary mechanism of Figure 1 having a biasing means to bias a prong in a direction towards the centre of a conduit.

[0026] Figures 5a and 5b show views of another exemplary mechanism to dislodge material inside a conduit.

[0027] Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0028] Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention is disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as the basis for the claim and for teaching one skilled in the art of the invention. The numerical data or ranges used in the specification are not to be construed as limiting.

[0029] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained with the aid of Figures 1a, 1b, 2, 3a, 3b, and 4a whereby the exemplary embodiment relates to a mechanism (100) to dislodge material (300) inside a conduit (200). The mechanism (100) comprises an actuating means (10), a reciprocating arm (20) and at least one prong (30) in pivotal connection with the reciprocating arm (20). The mechanism (100) is installed inside the conduit (200) to allow material (300) that has become lodged inside the conduit (200) to be dislodged.

[0030] As can be seen in Figure 1a, there may be instances where the conduit (200) has a tapered shape that slopes inwards as the cross-sectional area of the conduit (200) reduces. This location at the conduit (200) where the cross-sectional area of the conduit (200) reduces is especially prone to having material (300) becoming lodged in this location, creating a blockage or obstruction in the conduit (200).

[0031] In the exemplary embodiment, the actuating means (10) and the reciprocating arm (20) are installed on one or more sides of the conduit (200), whereby the reciprocating arm (20) is configured to travel in directions parallel or almost parallel to the side of the conduit (200) on which the reciprocating arm (20) is installed. In an exemplary embodiment, the prong (30) has a resting angle from 0° to 30° away from a wall of the conduit (200), being almost parallel to the wall of the conduit (200). This is to allow for any material (300) to fall down the conduit (200) without being obstructed by any part of the mechanism (100).

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism (100) is placed within a recess (400) formed on a wall of the conduit (200) so that the mechanism (100) is placed out of the way of any material (300) travelling down the conduit (200) and the prong (30) is oriented such that the prong (30) protrudes out of the recess (400) and into the conduit (200).

[0033] Alternatively, the mechanism (100) is configured to be slim and positioned close to a wall of the conduit (200) to allow material (300) to pass through so that the mechanism (100) does not impede or cause the material (300) to become lodged or trapped above the mechanism (100). In an exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1b, the mechanism (100) includes a shroud (150) to cover top portion of the mechanism (100) to provide a smooth surface for material (300) to slide over without getting caught by any part of the mechanism (100). Preferably, the shroud (150) is configured to have an aerodynamic shape such that air may pass over the shroud (150) smoothly and no turbulent zones are formed where the mechanism (100) is installed in pneumatic conduit systems.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment, the prong (30) is configured to engage the material (300) by moving towards centre of the conduit (200) when there is an obstruction to its downward movement. By engaging the material (300) the prong (30) urges the material (300) downwards or otherwise agitates or displaces the material (300) such that the material (300) becomes dislodged and falls down the conduit (200).

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment, the actuating means (10) causes the reciprocating arm (20) to travel reciprocally between a first position (A) and a second position (B), as illustrated in Figure 2. Should material (300) become lodged between the first position (A) and the second position (B) the prong (30) will engage the material (300) and urge the material (300) downwards or otherwise displace the material (300) to cause the material (300) to be dislodged.

[0036] In a non-limiting example, the actuating means (10) is a hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, the actuating means (10) is a pneumatic or motorised cylinder or may be any form of actuating means, device, or mechanism known to a person skilled in the art that is capable of moving the reciprocating arm (20) to and from the first position (A) and second position (B), continuously, at regular intervals or at predetermined times. Additionally, the actuating means (10) is further configured to provide a constant force to dislodge any material (300) that is lodged in the conduit (200). As the obstructing material (300) may be made of breakable or bendable material, the prong (30) may push and / or break the material (300) as the prong (30) engages the material (300). After the material (300) has been sufficiently dislodged, agitated, broken, bent, or otherwise deformed, the material (300) falls through the conduit (200) and is no longer lodged or stuck inside the conduit (200). In the event the material is unbreakable or unbendable with the pre-set maximum force of the actuator, a signal is sent to indicate an immovable obstruction has been detected in the conduit (200) and needs to be addressed.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment, the mechanism (100) includes a pivot joint (40) connecting the reciprocating arm (20) and the prong (30). The pivot joint (40) enables the prong (30) to pivot as the prong (30) engages the material (300), as demonstrated in Figure 3 (a). The prong (30) may pivot upwards when the prong (30) engages the material (300), and the material (300) provides sufficient resistance to cause the prong (30) to pivot upward. As the prong (30) pivots upwards, a lengthwise side of the prong (30) faces the material (300), and this improves the prong’s (30) ability to urge the material (300) down the conduit (200).

[0038] In an embodiment, the mechanism (100) further comprises a stopper (50) placed in direction of travel of the prong (30) to limit upward travel of the prong (30). As the prong (30) may pivot due to resistance encountered from the material (300), it is preferred that the prong (30) does not pivot beyond an angle that is normal to the conduit (200). This is to ensure that the prong (30) exerts an optimal amount of force to dislodge material (300). In some instances, it is possible for the prong (30) to dislodge or deform material (300) before the prong (30) has fully pivoted to an angle normal to the conduit (200).

[0039] In some instances, as illustrated in Figure 3 (b), the mechanism (100) may encounter material (300) that cannot be dislodged, and additional measures need to be taken to dislodge or remove the material (300) from the conduit (200). The mechanism (100) may further include a feedback device (not illustrated) configured to generate an alert if such a situation is encountered. Should the material (300) prevent the reciprocal arm (20) from moving, this would be detected by the feedback device and the feedback device may generate a feedback signal such as warning light or a warning sound to indicate that the material (300) could not be dislodged from the conduit (200) and is impeding movement of the reciprocal arm (20). This alert may be sent to building management or service personnel so that a prompt action could be taken to manually remove the material (300) before more material (300) becomes lodged in the conduit (200) and creating a more severe situation. Referring now to Figures 4a and 4b, variations of the mechanism (100) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be explained.

[0040] The mechanism (100) may include a single prong (30) as shown in Figure 4a. The single prong (30) engages material (shown as (300) in Figure 1) and urges the material down the conduit (shown as (200) in Figure 1).

[0041] In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4b, the mechanism (100) may include biasing means (60) configured to bias the prong (30) towards centre of the conduit (200). Preferably, the biasing means (60) is a spring or spring type mechanism that allows falling material (300) to push the prong (30) away from centre of the conduit (200) so that the mechanism (100) does not impede the downward motion of the falling material (300), whilst at the same time allowing the prong (30) to remain biased at an angle 0° to 30° away from wall of the conduit (200) so that the prong (30) may pivot more easily and further engage the obstructed material (300) to dislodge the material (300) and allow the material (300) to fall further down the conduit (200). By way of example, the biasing means (60) is positioned behind the prong (30) to the bias the prong (30) towards centre of the conduit (200), however, this example is not intended to be limiting and the biasing means (60) may be configured in various ways as may be contemplated by a person having ordinary skill in the art.

[0042] In an alternative embodiment, biasing means (60) is configured to bias the prong (30) towards a wall of the conduit (200). This will help ensure that the prong (30) remains vertical until the prong (30) engages material (300). The biasing means (60) may be a coil spring, leaf spring, soft rubber wedge or any other equivalent mechanism known to a person having ordinary skill in the art.

[0043] Figures 5a and 5b show a mechanism (100) having multiple prongs (30), being an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the mechanism (100) comprises a plurality of prongs (30) which are pivotably attached to a pivot assembly (42). The pivot assembly (42) is configured such that when the prongs (30) engage the material (300), engaging ends (32) of the prongs (30) spread apart from each other as the prongs (30) pivot upwards. When the prongs (30) pivot downwards towards a substantially vertical position, the engaging ends (32) are brought closer together. This increases the contact area of the mechanism (100) acting against the material (300) and further improves the ability of the mechanism (100) to urge the material (300) down the conduit (200). Also, when the engaging ends (32) are brought closer together, it is less likely for the prongs (30) to obstruct downward travel of material (300) travelling down the conduit (200). The pivot assembly (42) may be configured to limit upward travel of the prongs (30) so that the prongs (30) pivot from a substantially vertical orientation shown in Figure 5b to a substantially horizontal orientation as shown in Figure 5a.

[0044] The invention being thus described, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the embodiments as disclosed therein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

Claims

Claims1. A mechanism (100) for dislodging material (300) inside a conduit (200) wherein the mechanism (100) is positioned within the conduit (200), the mechanism (100) comprising: a reciprocating arm (20) configured to move reciprocally between a first position and a second position; a prong (30) configured to engage the material (300) wherein the prong (30) is pivotably connected to the reciprocal arm (20); and an actuating means (10) connected to the reciprocal arm (20), wherein the actuating means (10) causes the reciprocal arm (20) to move reciprocally between the first position and the second position inside the conduit (200).

2. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a feedback device configured to generate an alert if the prong (30) is prevented from moving by the material (300).

3. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a stopper (50) to prevent the prong (30) from pivoting beyond an angle normal to the conduit (200).

4. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the actuating means (10) is an actuated cylinder operated by hydraulic, pneumatic or motorised means.

5. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a biasing means (60) to bias the prong (30) towards a wall of the conduit (200).

6. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a biasing means (60) to bias the prong (30) to protrude into the conduit (200).

7. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the biasing means (60) is a spring.

8. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the prong (30) is pivotably connected to the mechanism (100) via a pivot joint (40).

9. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a pivot assembly (42) to allow more than one prong (30) to be pivotably connected to the mechanism (100).

10. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the pivot assembly (42) enables engaging end (32) of one prong (30) so spread away from engaging end (32) of another prong (30) as the prongs (30) pivot upwards.

11. The mechanism (100) as claimed in Claim 1 , further comprising a shroud (150) positioned over the actuating means (10) wherein the shroud (150) allows material (300) to slide over the mechanism (100).

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