Continuous Grinding Device with Adjustable Chamber Inclination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing continuous grinding devices face challenges in controlling the transit time of material and achieving consistent particle size, leading to either oversized or excessively fine particles due to unpredictable residence time and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A continuous grinding device with a chamber that undergoes oscillatory translational movement and adjustable inclination, featuring a ring and counterweight with spacers to control particle size and residence time, allowing for precise calibration of crushing surfaces and efficient grinding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the chamber is driven by planetary movement with constant orientation, then continuous processing is enabled, but transit time control becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous processingVSAvoidtransit time control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The chamber orientation is made dynamically adjustable through tilting means that pivot the chamber assembly around an axis perpendicular to the chamber axis. This dynamic adjustment of the chamber inclination angle allows control of material transit time while maintaining continuous operation, resolving the contradiction between continuous processing and transit time control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If residence time is increased to reduce particle size, then finer particles are obtained, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle size controlVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The chamber inclination angle is used as a controllable parameter to optimize the balance between residence time and power consumption. By adjusting the inclination angle, the system achieves fine particle size control without requiring excessive residence time, thereby limiting power consumption while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If hammer mills are used for biological material grinding, then processing speed is high, but cell degradation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidcell degradation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The oscillatory translational movement of the chamber creates controlled mechanical vibration and motion of the balls, which grinds material through gentle tumbling action rather than violent impact. This vibration-based mechanism achieves effective grinding while preserving cell integrity, avoiding the harmful degradation caused by traditional hammer mills.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

4Manufacturing precision

If spacers are added to control particle size, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle size calibrationVSAvoidchamber structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The chamber interior is segmented into multiple zones by spacers positioned at different locations. These spacers create distinct grinding zones with controlled spacing, enabling precise particle size calibration. The segmentation approach achieves manufacturing precision while keeping individual spacer components simple and modular.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enables precise control over particle size and residence time, achieving fine granularity with moderate power consumption and improved separation quality, particularly suitable for biological materials.

Implementation Method 1

The oscillatory translation movement in the plane perpendicular to the axis of the chamber makes it possible to set the chamber and its contents in motion by inertia

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertia: Inertia

Implementation Method 2

The variation in inclination of the chamber axis makes it possible to influence the residence time of the material in the chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Implementation Method 3

The insertion in the cylinder of a ring combined with a counterweight makes it possible to increase the surfaces against which the material is crushed, namely between the wall of the chamber and the ring, and between the ring and the counterweight

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 4

The spacers make it possible to maintain a spacing between the respective surfaces of the chamber and of the ring. Thus, it is possible to calibrate the crushing of the material between said surfaces in order to favor a particle size corresponding to the spacing determined by the first spacers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical constraint:

Data Source

PatentEP3074136B1Continuous grinding device for divided solid materials
Publication Date: 2018.06.06 FCD
  • EP3074136B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3074136B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A continuous grinding device for divided solid material has a chamber (2) extending along a chamber (2) axis, the chamber (2) having an inlet orifice (24) for receiving the material to be processed and an outlet orifice (25) for extracting the processed material, and agitating means (3) for conferring on the chamber (2) an oscillatory translational movement in a plane perpendicular to the chamber axis (A) with respect to a base (1). The grinding device also has inclining means (4) for adjusting the orientation of the assembly formed by the agitating means (3) and the chamber (2) with respect to the base (1) by way of a pivoting movement about an axis at an angle or perpendicular to the chamber axis (A). In addition, the device has a ring (8) housed in the chamber (2) and a weight (9) passing through a housing (81) of the ring (8), an external surface of the ring (8) and the housing (81) having one and the same axis of revolution.