Adjustable Plunger Soil Sampler for Wet Sampling and Volume Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soil samplers struggle with collecting specific sample sizes in wet conditions and require multiple tools for different sample sizes, making them cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A soil sampler with a base and plunger configuration that allows for adjustable sample volumes by altering the plunger's position relative to the base, enabling collection of multiple sample sizes using a single tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a syringe-type soil sampler is used, then the soil sample can be collected, but it becomes difficult to use in wet conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The soil sampler is divided into separate functional components: a handle with wings for manual operation, a barrel for sample collection, and a plunger for volume control and sample ejection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall reliability in wet conditions while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive manual control of individual parts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple soil samplers are carried to collect different sample sizes, then different sample sizes can be collected, but it increases device complexity and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The soil sampler is designed as a universal tool where the plunger can be positioned at multiple locations along the barrel to define different sample volumes. This allows a single sampler to collect various sample sizes (e.g., 5g, 10g, 15g) by simply adjusting the plunger position, eliminating the need to carry multiple specialized samplers and reducing device complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the plunger is positioned to define a specific volume, then the sample size is controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger is designed as a dynamic component that can be manually positioned at multiple discrete locations along the barrel. Each position corresponds to a predetermined sample volume, allowing precise volume control through simple manual adjustment rather than complex mechanical mechanisms. The plunger's movability and the associated volume definitions provide manufacturing precision while keeping the overall device complexity low.
Data Source
AI summary
A soil sampler includes a base and a plunger insertable into the base. The depth in which the plunger is inserted into the base determines the size of the sample collected by the soil sampler. The depth in which the plunger is inserted into the base can switch between a first size and a second size, allowing the user to collect different sample sizes using a single soil sampler. The soil sample that is collected can then be ejected from the soil sampler by shifting the plunger to an eject position relative to the base in which the plunger can shift further into the base to eject the soil sample.