Decanting Device Pivotable Closure for Stable Bulk Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling devices for flexible bulk material containers, such as big bags, suffer from instability and damage due to uneven footing and excessive stress when handling bulk materials, particularly with fine materials like sand or salt, leading to deformation and leakage issues.
Innovation Solution
The filling device features pivotable handles that fold upwards to prevent damage from excessive moment, a common base surface formed by structured upper and lower plates with locking projections for stable closure, and a cylindrical design with barbs and openings for efficient material flow, ensuring a stable footprint and reliable closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lower plate is mounted on a threaded bolt to enable pivoting closure, then the closure can be opened and closed manually, but the protruding bolt prevents the filling device from standing flush with the ground and causes instability
Solution Approach 1:
The base is segmented into an upper plate and a lower plate that are pivotally connected. The lower plate can be pivoted relative to the upper plate to enable closure opening and closing operations, while the segmented structure allows the protruding bolt to be accommodated without preventing the device from standing level.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure mechanism transitions from a planar mounting to a three-dimensional pivotal connection. The lower plate is attached to the upper plate in such a way that it can pivot along a horizontal axis, adding a rotational degree of freedom that enables manual operation while maintaining stable ground contact.
2Device complexity
If the lower plate is held only by a threaded bolt when closed, then the structure remains simple, but excessive moment from bulk material weight causes significant stress or deformation of the lower plate
Solution Approach 1:
The lower plate is reinforced locally at critical stress points while maintaining overall structural simplicity. The reinforcement is applied specifically where moments from bulk material weight create maximum stress, allowing the plate to withstand heavy loads without requiring a completely complex reinforcement structure throughout.
3Productivity
If the filling device is placed on the ground with the lower plate, then it can be used for filling operations, but the protruding bolt prevents it from standing level and causes handles to break under excessive moment
Solution Approach 1:
The lower plate is designed to pivot dynamically relative to the upper plate along a horizontal axis. This dynamic capability allows the closure to open and close manually while the pivotal connection absorbs excessive moments that would otherwise be transmitted to the handles, preventing breakage during filling operations.
4Ease of repair
If the lower plate is pushed downwards away from the upper plate during lifting, then the device can be removed, but bulk material can escape unintentionally and excessive moments can damage the bolt and lower plate
Solution Approach 1:
The closure mechanism uses a pivotal connection system that replaces traditional rigid mechanical fastening. The lower plate pivots on the upper plate along a horizontal axis, allowing controlled separation and reattachment during lifting operations while maintaining reliable sealing through the pivot geometry and associated sealing elements.
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 solution provides a stable and damage-resistant filling device that maintains a level stance, prevents material leakage, and ensures efficient filling and emptying of bulk materials without breaking or deforming under stress, even when handling heavy or fine materials.
Implementation Method 1
The lower plate is pivotally attached to the upper plate in such a way that the lower plate can be pivoted relative to the upper plate along a horizontal axis
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a decanting device for decanting material from a flexible bulk material container, wherein the decanting device has a hollow body (2) that has an upper opening face and a lower opening face, wherein the upper end of the hollow body (2) projects into the interior of the flexible bulk material container so that material from the flexible bulk material container can enter the hollow body (2) via the upper opening face of the latter, wherein at the lower end of the hollow body (2) there is a closure that has an upper plate (4) and a lower plate (5), wherein the lower plate (5) can be pivoted about the axis of a bolt (8), from a first position in which it completely closes the opening of the upper plate (4) to a second position in which the opening of the upper plate (4) is at least slightly open, wherein the lower plate (5) has a structure (12) that forms at least part of the standing face of the decanting device, wherein the bolt (8) does not extend downward past the standing face.