Dry Bulk Hopper System with Interlocking Base and Bottle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry bulk hopper systems lack stability, structural integrity, and efficient securing/removing mechanisms, leading to increased manufacturing costs and operational challenges.
Innovation Solution
A thermoplastic, rotationally molded hopper system with a bottle that interlocks with a base featuring integral locking tabs, arcuate transitions, and support beams, along with a base that includes notches and engagement ledges for secure bottle attachment and forklift pockets for load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rotationally molded dry bulk hopper systems are used with a base and bottle configuration, then the system can store dry materials, but the stability and structural integrity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate bottle and base components that can be independently manufactured and assembled. The bottle contains the material while the base provides structural support and stability, with each component optimized for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle and base are combined through an interlocking mechanism featuring locking tabs that engage with corresponding slots in the base, creating a unified structure that improves both stability and structural integrity while maintaining the benefits of separate component manufacturing.
2Reliability
If traditional securing mechanisms are used for attaching the bottle to the base, then the bottle can be held in place, but the mechanism for securing and removing the bottle becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism uses a simple rotational motion to transition between locked and unlocked states. The locking tabs engage with slots in the base when the bottle is properly positioned, and can be easily disengaged by rotating the bottle, providing a dynamic yet simple securing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle's own weight and positioning automatically engage the locking tabs with the slots in the base, securing the bottle without requiring additional fastening operations. The system self-secures when the bottle is correctly placed on the base.
3Productivity
If the bottle is designed with a frustoconical lower wall and circular discharge opening, then material discharge is improved, but the transition from rectangular upper wall to circular opening creates structural challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The lower portion of the bottle features a frustoconical wall that transitions from the rectangular upper wall to a circular discharge opening. This curved transition geometry facilitates material flow toward the discharge opening while the rotational molding process manufactures the complex shape in a single operation, avoiding precision assembly challenges.
4Reliability
If the base includes notches and engagement ledges for bottle securing, then the bottle can be securely attached, but the manufacturing complexity of the base increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notches and engagement ledges are integrated directly into the base structure as single-piece features formed during rotational molding. The locking tabs on the bottle engage with these pre-formed slots and ledges, providing secure attachment without requiring separate manufacturing steps or assembly operations for the base components.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a dry bulk hopper system that includes a generally frustoconical bottle and a base having a tapered wall that defines a cradle for holding the bottle. The bottle has locking tabs disposed at bottom end thereof that cooperate with engagement ledges to secure the bottle to the base when the bottle has been received into the base in a first orientation, but not in a second orientation. Extruded support columns are disposed inside an interior of the base to distribute loads created by material in the bottle when the system is raised by a forklift.