Directional Air Knife With Angled Baffles For Scrap Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air knives mounted perpendicular to conveyor belts struggle to effectively blow scrap off sheets of material due to limited space for angled mounting, often blowing scrap backward onto upstream sheets.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating baffles within the air knife nozzle to direct air exiting at an angle relative to the sheet travel direction, allowing the air knife to remain perpendicular to the conveyor while directing scrap laterally, with optional baffle angle adjustment for customizable airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the air knife is mounted perpendicular to the conveyor, then the device complexity is reduced and installation is simplified, but the air flow direction cannot be adjusted to blow scrap off the sheets effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The air knife is segmented into a housing and a removable nozzle assembly. The nozzle can be detached and replaced to change the air flow direction without replacing the entire air knife unit, thus maintaining simple installation while enabling effective scrap removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle is made movable and adjustable, allowing the air flow direction to be dynamically changed by rotating or repositioning the nozzle to different angles (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°) to blow scrap off the sheets effectively while keeping the main housing fixed and simple.
2Ease of operation
If the air knife is mounted at an angle to the sheet travel direction, then scrap can be blown off the sheets effectively, but there is no room to mount the air knife in many conveyors
Solution Approach 1:
The air knife is divided into a fixed housing and a detachable nozzle. The nozzle can be removed and stored when not in use, reducing the mounting space requirement while maintaining the ability to achieve angled air flow for effective scrap removal when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle is designed to be rotatable or adjustable to multiple positions. When space is constrained, the nozzle can be positioned at smaller angles or removed entirely, allowing the air knife to adapt to limited mounting space while still providing effective scrap removal when positioned at optimal angles.
3Device complexity
If the air knife blows scrap toward the entrance to the conveyor, then the mounting is simple, but the scrap is not blown off the sheets due to small spacing between sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle direction is made adjustable to change the air flow angle dynamically. This allows the operator to optimize the air flow direction to blow scrap laterally off the sheets rather than backward, significantly improving scrap removal efficiency while keeping the mounting itself simple and fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow direction parameter is changed by adjusting the nozzle orientation. By changing the angle of the nozzle, the air flow is redirected to blow scrap off the sheets in the lateral direction, improving productivity without complicating the mounting structure.
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
Effectively dislodges scrap from sheets without damaging them, allowing for efficient removal of debris without the need for angled air knife mounting, which is often impractical in constrained conveyor spaces.
Implementation Method 1
aperture configured to be connected to a source of pressurized air to increase a pressure of air inside the tubular housing
Implementation Method 2
pressurized air is fed into the tube from a blower or source of compressed air so that the air exits the opening in a sheet at high speed
Implementation Method 3
A plurality of baffles are located in the nozzle interior, each of the baffles having a first end at the nozzle inlet and a second end at the nozzle outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An air knife includes a housing having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end in a longitudinal direction, a side wall extending from the first end to the second end, an interior, an entrance aperture configured to be connected to a source of pressurized air to increase a pressure of air inside the housing and an exit aperture. A nozzle is located at the exit aperture and has a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with the exit aperture and also has a nozzle outlet. A plurality of baffles are located in the interior of the nozzle, and each of the baffles is angled relative to the longitudinal direction. Also an assembly of a plurality of the air knives.