Ceramic Ball with Through Holes for Automated Detergent Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing ceramic balls with detergent function are inefficient and costly due to manual groove formation, which reduces production efficiency and increases manufacturing costs, and water contact efficiency is limited by non-easy discharge from grooves.

Innovation Solution

A method involving pulverizing and mixing raw materials to form feedstock powder, shaping balls with a ball shaping device, forming through holes using a through hole forming device to increase water contact area, and burning the balls to create ceramic balls with improved water contact efficiency and automated production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a groove making machine is used to form grooves in ceramic balls manually, then the surface area of the ceramic ball gets wider, but production efficiency is reduced and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface area of ceramic ballVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The groove formation process is segmented into multiple stages: initial groove formation during ball shaping, intermediate groove deepening after first drying, and final groove completion after second drying. This segmentation allows each shaping operation to be performed automatically by different devices in sequence, improving production efficiency while achieving the required surface area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ball shaping device performs preliminary groove formation during the ball shaping process itself, before the drying and burning stages. This preliminary action eliminates the need for separate manual groove making operations, thereby improving production efficiency while still achieving sufficient surface area expansion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Area of stationary object

If grooves are formed in ceramic balls to widen surface area, then contact area with water increases, but water discharge from grooves becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface area of ceramic ballVSAvoidwater discharge efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from two-dimensional groove surfaces to three-dimensional through-holes that penetrate the ceramic ball. This dimensional change allows water to pass through the ball internally and discharge from the opposite side, dramatically improving water discharge efficiency while maintaining expanded contact area through the hole surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The ceramic ball is designed with through-holes creating a porous structure that allows water permeation. This porous configuration enables water to enter through one side, travel through the ball interior, and discharge from the other side, solving the water discharge problem while maintaining high contact area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Ease of operation

If through holes are formed in ceramic balls, then water contact efficiency improves, but additional manufacturing steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater contact efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The through-hole formation is merged with the existing ball shaping and drying processes. The ball shaping device creates initial holes, the first drying device prepares the ball structure, and the second drying device completes the through-hole formation. By merging these operations into the existing manufacturing flow, additional complexity is minimized while achieving improved water contact efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enhances washing capacity and production efficiency while reducing costs by enabling continuous, automatic manufacturing of ceramic balls with wider water contact area through holes, improving contact efficiency and washing performance.

Implementation Method 1

pulverizing and mixing raw materials to form feedstock powder

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPulverization: Abrasion

Implementation Method 2

forming through holes using a through hole forming device to increase water contact area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical drilling/perforation:

Implementation Method 3

burning the balls to create ceramic balls with improved water contact efficiency

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Data Source

PatentEP4180196B1Manufacturing of a ceramic ball having detergent function
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 DAEEUN GLOBAL SOLUTION
  • EP4180196B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4180196B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4180196B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a ceramic ball (20) having a detergent function and a method for manufacturing a ceramic ball (20), which can improve washing capacity since the ceramic ball (20) is molded such that the surface area coming into contact with water gets wider, and can improve production efficiency and reduce the manufacturing cost since it is possible to manufacture ceramic balls (20) continuously and automatically. The method for manufacturing a ceramic ball (20) includes: a first step (S10) of pulverizing and mixing raw materials in a fixed size to form feedstock powder; a second step (S20) of putting the feedstock powder formed through the first step (S10) into a ball shaping device (10) and spraying water and a bonding agent to shape a ball; a third step (S30) of first drying the ball in order to form a through hole (21,22) in the shaped ball; a fourth step (S40) of forming the through hole (21,22) in the first dried ball by a through hole forming device (200); a fifth step (S50) of second drying the ball in order to perfectly remove moisture when forming the through hole (21,22) in the ball is completed; and a sixth step (S60) of burning the dried ball to manufacture a ceramic ball (20).