Conical Weighing Container for Granulate Dust Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Weighing containers for plastics granulate experience accumulation of dust and 'angel hair' in dead spaces due to a vertical inlet pipe not contributing to weight measurement, leading to incomplete filling and potential defects in plastic products, requiring time-consuming manual cleaning, especially when changing granulate types.
Innovation Solution
A conical top closure wall is implemented in the weighing container, filling it up to the shutter level to eliminate dead spaces and prevent dust accumulation, ensuring accurate weight measurement without lateral support of granulate, with the cone angle between 20 and 70° depending on the granulate type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a vertical inlet pipe is used that is not rigidly connected to the weighing container, then the granulate can enter the weighing container without compromising weight measurement, but dead space is created at the top end where dust and angel hair accumulate
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful dead space is eliminated by removing the vertical inlet pipe structure and replacing it with a conical closure wall that extends directly to the shutter. This extraction of the problematic component eliminates the accumulation zone for dust and angel hair while maintaining the weight measurement function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a vertical pipe that creates dead space, the invention inverts the approach by using a conical closure wall that slopes downward toward the shutter. This inverted geometry eliminates dead space and prevents dust accumulation while still allowing granulate to enter the weighing container.
2Reliability
If the weighing container is filled only up to a level below the inlet pipe end, then dust accumulation is prevented in the inlet pipe, but the dead space cannot be utilized and cleaning is still required
Solution Approach 1:
The conical closure wall design creates a self-cleaning effect where granulate naturally fills the entire container volume including the conical region. The geometry ensures that material flows along the conical surface, preventing dust accumulation and eliminating the need for manual cleaning between material changes.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the weighing container is filled up to the shutter level with a conical top closure wall, then dead space is eliminated and dust accumulation is prevented, but the cone angle must be carefully selected to avoid lateral support of granulate
Solution Approach 1:
The cone angle is optimized within a specific range (20-70 degrees) to balance two requirements: steep enough to prevent dust accumulation and shallow enough to allow granulate to slide freely to the shutter. This parameter optimization ensures both dust prevention and accurate weight measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical closure wall integrates multiple functions: it serves as the container closure, creates the flow path for granulate, prevents dust accumulation, and maintains weight measurement accuracy. This composite structural element combines several functions that were previously separated.
Data Source
AI summary
The method of filling a weighing container (10) for plastics granulate (12), wherein the granulate is dropped from a supply tube (26) into the weighing container (10) via a shutter (22), wherein the weighing container (10) is closed-off on the top side by a wall having a conical part (16) that reaches directly up the shutter (22), and in that the weighing container is filled with granulate up to the level of the shutter (22).