Alternating Leaf Spring Clearing Arms for Bulk Material Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible leaf spring clearing arms used in bulk material discharge devices tend to deflect upwards when stretched, leading to inefficiencies and difficulties in emptying storage spaces, especially when longer arms are used, as they lose contact with the bulk material layer, causing uneven discharge and potential blockages.
Innovation Solution
Designing clearing arms with alternating lengths where shorter arms project downwards relative to longer arms, either axially offset or radially inclined, to maintain contact with the bulk material layer and prevent upward deflection, ensuring continuous discharge without sacrificing energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If longer clearing arms are used to increase the clearing surface area, then the ability to reach and discharge bulk material from outer storage areas is improved, but the arms tend to deflect upwards when stretched, causing loss of contact with the bulk material layer and discharge inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The clearing mechanism is divided into multiple clearing arms of different lengths rather than using a single uniform arm. This segmentation allows each arm to operate independently within its optimal range, preventing the deflection problems that would occur with a single long arm while collectively covering the entire storage area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the storage space are served by clearing arms with locally optimized properties. Shorter arms with lower risk of deflection serve areas where bulk material support is less reliable, while longer arms serve areas where sufficient support exists. This local optimization ensures reliable contact throughout the entire storage volume.
2Use of energy by moving object
If flexible leaf spring clearing arms are used to reduce energy consumption, then the energy requirement for discharging bulk material is limited, but the arms may deflect upwards and lose contact with the bulk material when stretched
Solution Approach 1:
The clearing arms are designed with flexible leaf spring construction that allows dynamic adaptation to varying bulk material conditions. As bulk material is discharged and the support layer thins, the arms naturally adjust their position and flexibility, maintaining contact without requiring excessive force or energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
By using multiple arms of different lengths rather than one long arm, each arm operates within a flexible range that prevents excessive stretching and upward deflection. This segmented approach maintains reliable contact while keeping the energy required for arm operation low.
3Productivity
If alternating clearing arms of different lengths are used to support priority clearing of inner storage room, then emptying efficiency is improved, but longer leaf springs tend to deviate upwards in the region of their outer ends
Solution Approach 1:
The clearing arm system employs an asymmetric configuration with arms of deliberately different lengths arranged in an alternating pattern. This asymmetric design optimizes the clearing sequence and efficiency while the shorter arms specifically prevent the upward deflection problem that plagues uniformly long arms.
Solution Approach 2:
Different arm lengths are strategically assigned to different radial positions to optimize clearing efficiency at each location. The shorter arms are positioned where they can effectively clear material without exceeding their structural limits, while longer arms serve outer regions where sufficient bulk material support prevents deflection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This arrangement allows for effective and efficient discharge of bulk material by maintaining contact with the bulk material layer, preventing upward deflection of longer arms and ensuring consistent feeding of the conveyor screw, even when the storage space is largely empty, thereby preventing circular conveyance and ensuring uniform charging.
Implementation Method 1
The forces exerted on the clearing arms by the driver resistance of the bulk material to be discharged cause the clearing arms to bend in a spiral-like manner counter to the direction of rotation of the rotor
Implementation Method 2
Since, according to the invention, the shorter clearing arms project downwards in relation to the clearing surface of the longer clearing arms and thus determine a lower clearing surface than the longer clearing arms, that layer of bulk material can be removed via the shorter clearing arms that provides support when the longer clearing arms approach the stretched position
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for discharging bulk material from a storage chamber (1) is described, comprising a rotor (2) arranged above the floor of the storage chamber (1), which has clearing arms (4, 5) extending over the floor area and formed from vertically oriented leaf springs of alternating lengths, and a discharge screw (6) extending radially to the rotor (2) and arranged in a trough-shaped housing (7) swept by the clearing arms (4, 5). To create advantageous discharge conditions, it is proposed that the shorter clearing arms (5) project downwards relative to the clearing area (10) defined by the lower longitudinal edges of the longer clearing arms (4).