Grinding Container Roller Support and Maintenance Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing grinding devices, such as sieve ball mills, lack accessibility for maintenance and monitoring, leading to issues with wear, blockages, and inefficient comminution processes due to the inability to visually inspect or easily remove residues and damaged grinding media.

Innovation Solution

The grinding container is supported by rotatably mounted rollers, allowing for a maintenance opening on at least one end face, enabling visual inspection and easy removal of residues, with end faces designed as end disks that delimit cavities for material discharge and conveying, and a bearing system that eliminates the need for space-consuming pivot bearings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the grinding container is sealed without maintenance openings, then the structural integrity and operational continuity are maintained, but accessibility for maintenance and monitoring is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The grinding container is segmented into a main sealed body and a removable end disk section. The end disk can be detached to provide maintenance access to the grinding chamber, while the main body remains structurally intact. This allows maintenance personnel to access grinding media and monitor the grinding process without compromising the overall structural integrity of the container.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The end disk is extracted as a separate removable component from the grinding container. This extracted section serves as a maintenance access point, allowing personnel to reach into the grinding chamber to remove residues, replace grinding media, or inspect the grinding process. The extraction of this specific component resolves the contradiction by providing access without requiring openings in the main pressure-bearing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If pivot bearings are used to support the grinding container, then rotational support is provided, but space-consuming components reduce accessibility and increase device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidbearing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The traditional pivot bearing mechanical system is replaced with a roller support system. Rollers provide the necessary rotational support for the grinding container but with a more compact design. This substitution reduces the space required for bearing components and simplifies the overall structure, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining the rotational function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If the grinding container rotates continuously, then the comminution process is maintained, but wear on the container and inability to monitor progress increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomminution efficiencyVSAvoidcontainer durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The removable end disk design enables preliminary maintenance actions to be performed before wear becomes critical. Personnel can regularly access the grinding chamber to inspect the container condition, replace grinding media, and remove residues that could cause blockages. This preliminary maintenance approach prevents catastrophic failures and extends container durability while maintaining continuous productivity during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3398685B1Device for comminuting material
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 MAIREC EDELMETALLGESELLSCHAFT MBH
  • EP3398685B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

A device (19) for grinding material, comprising: - a grinding container (2) having axially opposing end faces (20, 21) between which at least one sieve shell (6, 7, 8) extends, which together with another sieve shell (6, 7, 8) or an outer wall (38) also extending between the end faces (20, 21) defines at least one annular space (27, 28, 29), wherein the innermost sieve shell (6) delimits a grinding chamber (17) in which grinding elements (18) are arranged; - a bearing (12) for rotatably holding the grinding container (2) on a foundation (14); and - drive means (15) for rotating the grinding container (2) about a horizontal axis (3) in a grinding direction, wherein the bearing (12) has rotatably mounted rollers (34) and the grinding container (2) rests on the rollers (34), wherein at least a maintenance opening (25) is formed on one end face (21, 22) which allows a view into the grinding container (2).