Conical Helical Feeder for Dripper Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dripper feeding devices for dripping pipe production lines become unstable and inaccurate at higher feeding speeds due to the leading tip of the helix pushing drippers forward while simultaneously pushing subsequent drippers backward, leading to feeding instability and malfunctions.

Innovation Solution

A feeding device with a rotating body featuring a conical helical transport structure and a protrusion that temporarily engages with drippers to create a gap between them, allowing the helix to catch between consecutive drippers without contact, ensuring smooth and accurate feeding by increasing the feeding speed and using compressed air for precise positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a cylindrical helical transport structure is used to feed drippers at higher speeds, then productivity increases, but feeding stability deteriorates due to the leading tip pushing subsequent drippers backward

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding speedVSAvoidfeeding stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusion is positioned ahead of the helical transport structure to perform preliminary action by creating a gap between consecutive drippers before the helix engages them. This preliminary gap creation prevents the leading tip from pushing subsequent drippers backward, maintaining feeding stability at higher speeds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If the leading tip of the helix enters between two consecutive drippers to push them forward, then feeding speed increases, but feeding precision deteriorates due to contact with subsequent drippers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding speedVSAvoidfeeding accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The feeding device is segmented into two distinct functional parts: a protrusion for gap creation and a helical transport structure for dripper conveyance. This segmentation allows the protrusion to create space ahead of the helix, enabling the helix to engage and move drippers without contacting subsequent ones, thus maintaining precision at higher speeds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3453513B1Production line for a drip irrigation tube
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 ADVANCED AUTOMATION SYSTEMS LTD(SG)
  • EP3453513B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3453513B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A feeding device is shown which can be used in a dripping pipe (15) production line for feeding drippers. The feeding device has a rotating body (1) with a helical transport structure (4) at its circumferential surface and the helical transport structure (4) is designed for feeding individual drippers in a transport direction to a subsequent processing machine such as an extruder die head (14). The helical transport structure (4) has an outer diameter which defines a conical form of the rotating body (1) with an aperture angle. The rotating body (1) is arranged such that its rotational axis (3) is inclined with respect to the transport direction by half its aperture angle.