Carousel Dosing Head Using Rigid Tubes as Guides and Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dosing machines require a large number of pneumatic cylinders or complex guide structures, leading to bulky and heavy designs, especially when handling multiple dosing devices.
Innovation Solution
Utilize straight rigid tubes as both fluid conduits and guide elements for dosing devices, allowing them to move between rest and working positions, reducing the need for additional guide elements and simplifying the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single driving system moves each dosing device towards the centre using special guide structures, then the dosing device can be positioned accurately, but the dosing head becomes complex, bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the guide structure and fluid conduit into a single integrated component. The rigid tube serves dual purposes: guiding the dosing device radially during rotation and delivering fluid from the container to the dosing device, thereby eliminating separate guide structures and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid tube performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a guide element for radial movement, a structural support for the dosing device, and a fluid conduit for product delivery. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed in the dosing head
2Ease of operation
If pneumatic cylinders are used to move each dosing device to the centre, then positioning is achieved, but a large number of pneumatic cylinders are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dosing head into modular dosing devices that can be independently positioned. Each dosing device with its rigid tube assembly can be rotated into position and locked, allowing selective activation of only the required dosing device rather than requiring all devices to be simultaneously positioned by multiple pneumatic cylinders
3Ease of operation
If special guide structures are associated with each dosing device, then radial movement is guided, but the dosing head structure becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure and fluid conduit are merged into a single rigid tube component. This eliminates the need for separate guide rails or guide blocks that would add weight, while the rigid tube itself provides sufficient guidance for radial movement through its structural integrity
Data Source
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AI summary
A dosing machine is described, which comprises a plurality of containers each capable of containing a given fluid product, and a dosing head (10) comprising a support structure (12) on which a plurality of dosing devices (14) are mounted, each of which is connected via a supply conduit (20) to a respective container for delivering the fluid product contained in said container. The dosing devices (14) are arranged next to each other according to a carousel arrangement around a central opening (16) of the support structure (12) and are each movable in a radial direction between a rest position and a working position. The dosing head (10) further comprises, for each dosing device (14), a guide block (40) mounted on the support structure (12) and having a first through hole (36) and a second through hole (38) parallel to each other, as well as a first straight rigid tube (32) slidably mounted in the first through hole (36) and a second straight rigid tube (34) slidably mounted in the second through hole (38). The first tube (32) and the second tube (34) are each rigidly connected at a respective radially inner end thereof to the dosing device (34). Each first tube (32) is also connected at a radially outer end thereof to a respective supply conduit (20) so as to act not only as a guide element for guiding the movement of the respective dosing device (14) between the rest position and the working position, but also as a conduit for allowing the fluid product to flow from the supply conduit (20) to the dosing device (14).