Diagonal Stirring Chute for Powder Feeding Bridge Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional powder/granular material feeding devices fail to fully prevent bridges and ratholes, stabilize filling rates, and minimize material deposition, often requiring consumable items like flexible chutes or experiencing fluctuations in weight measurement.
Innovation Solution
A powder/granular material feeding device with a hopper, outlet portion, and a chute featuring a stirring member that rotates diagonally upward from the chute's lower part, agitating material in various directions and stabilizing filling rates, while eliminating the need for consumable items and reducing weight fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertical agitator is provided in the hopper to prevent bridges, then bridges and ratholes are effectively avoided, but the hopper requires additional lifting space and weight for cleaning, reducing workability
Solution Approach 1:
The stirring function is extracted from the hopper and relocated to the chute. The stirring device is now positioned in the chute rather than the hopper, allowing the hopper to be cleaned without lifting heavy agitators while still preventing bridges through material agitation in the chute.
Solution Approach 2:
The stirring action is changed from vertical agitation in the hopper to diagonal/circumferential agitation in the chute. The stirring member rotates to agitate material diagonally upward and circumferentially, providing effective bridge prevention through a different agitation dimension.
2Ease of manufacture
If a horizontal agitator is used to stir material in the chute, then material is agitated vertically, but bridges are not fully prevented and material deposition occurs in specific areas
Solution Approach 1:
The stirring member is designed with an asymmetric configuration where the shaft is positioned diagonally rather than horizontally or vertically. This asymmetric positioning allows the stirring blades to reach different areas of the chute including corners and the inclined plane, preventing material deposition in specific areas while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute includes an inclined plane with a curved surface, and the stirring member is positioned to agitate material along this curved surface. The diagonal rotation creates circumferential agitation that follows the curvature, effectively preventing material deposition on the inclined plane and in corners.
3Reliability
If the chute is made of flexible resin to move material from outside, then bridges are prevented through deformation, but the chute becomes a consumable item requiring replacement, increasing maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid chute with diagonal stirring member creates self-cleaning action through the agitation mechanism. Material is continuously stirred and moved, preventing deposition and bridge formation without requiring the chute itself to be flexible or consumable. The structure serves itself by using the stirring action to prevent material accumulation.
4Length of stationary object
If the hopper cross-section decreases toward the bottom to reduce height, then the hopper is compact, but bridges and ratholes occur due to the curved wall surface
Solution Approach 1:
The hopper is segmented into two functional zones: the upper portion maintains a compact curved shape for space efficiency, while the lower portion transitions to a substantially constant cross-section to prevent bridges. The diagonal stirring member further divides the agitation function, with the shaft positioned to agitate material in both the upper and lower zones.
5Manufacturing precision
If weight measurement is performed during discharge to control feeding accuracy, then feeding precision is improved, but fluctuations in weight measurement occur due to material movement and agitation
Solution Approach 1:
Material is agitated and stabilized in the chute before reaching the discharge point and weight measurement location. The diagonal stirring member ensures uniform material distribution and flow stability prior to discharge, reducing fluctuations in weight measurement and improving measurement precision.
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 effectively prevents bridges and ratholes, stabilizes filling rates, and enhances feeding accuracy, reducing maintenance costs and manufacturing expenses by eliminating the need for consumable items and simplifying the design.
Implementation Method 1
a stirring part that rotates a stirring member about a shaft protruding so as to tilt diagonally upward from the lower part of the interior of the chute
Implementation Method 2
agitating powder/granular material in various directions and stabilizing filling rates
Data Source
AI summary
A provided powder/granular material feeding device fully satisfies the function of sufficiently preventing bridges and ratholes and the function of favorably stabilizing the filling rate of an outlet portion. Moreover, the powder/granular material feeding device does not require consumable items such as a flexible chute or leave a large amount of powder/granular material in a specific region inside a chute. The powder/granular material feeding device includes: a hopper 1 that receives powder/granular material; an outlet portion 2 that discharges powder/granular material; a chute 3 that guides, into the outlet portion 2, powder/granular material dropped from the hopper 1; and a stirring part 4 that rotates stirring members 4b about a shaft 4a protruding so as to tilt diagonally upward from the lower part of the interior of the chute 3.