Automated Batch Making Assembly for Viscous Liquid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Efficiency and productivity are hindered in agricultural and commercial applications due to the time-consuming process of emptying viscous liquid from containers, often resulting in waste, as existing methods either leave contents behind or require additional processes to drain, and there is a lack of accurate accounting of used materials.
Innovation Solution
An automated batch making assembly with a dispensing system that uses pressurized gas to eliminate vacuum forces when inverting containers, combined with a controller for precise weight measurement and reconciliation, ensures complete emptying and accurate accounting of liquid contents, utilizing RFID readers for data tracking and a rinsate system for residual removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a container is inverted to drain liquid contents, then the liquid can be emptied from the container, but a vacuum force forms that slows down and incomplete emptying occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A gas inlet conduit is introduced as an intermediary element into the container system. This conduit allows external gas to enter the container during inversion, acting as a mediator that prevents vacuum formation and enables complete liquid evacuation without requiring the liquid to pull air through it.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes pneumatic principles by introducing pressurized gas through a conduit into the inverted container. The gas flow counteracts the vacuum pressure created during draining, using pressure differential control to achieve complete emptying. The system employs a valve to regulate gas flow and maintain appropriate pressure differentials.
2Productivity
If manual emptying methods are used, then simple operation is maintained, but time-consuming process and inaccurate accounting occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates weight sensors that continuously monitor the container weight during the emptying process. This feedback mechanism provides real-time data on liquid removal progress, enabling automated control of the emptying operation and providing accurate measurement of the exact amount of liquid transferred, thereby improving both speed and accounting precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual mechanical emptying operations with an automated system controlled by electronic sensors and valves. Weight sensors, gas pressure control, and automated valve operation substitute for manual pouring and monitoring, enabling precise measurement and faster processing while improving accounting accuracy.
3Loss of substance
If containers are removed before adequate draining, then complete emptying is avoided, but additional loading processes are required creating waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous useful action by keeping the container inverted and draining throughout the process. The gas inlet conduit ensures continuous gas flow to prevent vacuum formation, allowing the liquid to continue draining completely without interruption. This eliminates the need to remove and reposition containers, maintaining continuous productive operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas inlet conduit is pre-configured and activated before the emptying process begins. This preliminary setup ensures that gas flow is ready to counteract vacuum formation from the start of drainage, preventing incomplete emptying before it can occur and eliminating the need for subsequent corrective operations.
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
The system significantly speeds up the emptying process, reduces waste, and provides accurate accounting of materials, enhancing efficiency and productivity by ensuring complete evacuation and reconciliation of container contents.
Implementation Method 1
The nozzle or valve is opened to dispense the pressurized gas into the liquid-containing container thereby eliminating/reducing the vacuum force otherwise formed when a container of fluid is inverted.
Implementation Method 2
The nozzle or valve is opened to dispense the pressurized gas into the liquid-containing container thereby eliminating/reducing the vacuum force otherwise formed
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to automated batch making assemblies where various component materials, at least, some in liquid form, are combined. Specifically, the invention provides a dispensing assembly that adds efficiency by increasing dramatically the speed with which a liquid is dispensed from a container and by providing means and methods to automate the addition of and account for the amount of each component.