Grinding device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knife mills face difficulties in cleaning the blade arrangement and grinding container, leading to cross-contamination and the need for multiple containers for continuous use, which complicates the cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
A knife mill design with a movable tool arrangement between rest and cleaning positions, a rotatable drive shaft, and a sealing lid that allows easy removal and cleaning of the blade arrangement, along with a dedicated cleaning chamber for automated cleaning, ensuring efficient and hygienic reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the blade assembly is fixed in the grinding container, then the grinding process is stable, but cleaning becomes difficult and requires disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The blade assembly is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be easily removed from the grinding container for cleaning. The blade assembly can be lifted out vertically while the grinding container remains in place, enabling quick cleaning without disassembly of the entire device.
2Reliability
If a separate grinding container is provided for each grinding process, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into easily separable components: the grinding container and the blade assembly. This allows the blade assembly to be removed and cleaned separately, enabling the same container to be reused for different materials without cross-contamination, eliminating the need for multiple containers.
3Ease of operation
If the blade assembly is disassembled for cleaning, then thorough cleaning is achieved, but the operation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade assembly is extracted as a separate, removable component from the grinding container. This allows the blade assembly to be taken out for cleaning while the container remains in place, enabling quick cleaning without complete disassembly and reducing the time required for maintenance.
4Reliability
If the connection between drive and blade assembly is sealed, then material leakage is prevented, but cleaning access is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the drive and blade assembly is designed to be dynamically separable. The blade assembly can be vertically lifted out of the grinding container while maintaining the sealed connection at the drive interface, allowing easy cleaning access without compromising the sealing effectiveness during operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Grinding device (10) for grinding organic materials, comprising a drive (12) and a drive shaft (21), a tool arrangement (20) driven by the drive (12), a receiving device (16) for sample containers (14) at the working position of the tool arrangement (20) and a frame (11) for holding the drive (12), the tool arrangement (20) and the receiving device (16), wherein the tool arrangement (20) is movable between a rest position and a working position and a cover (40) is arranged on the drive shaft (21) above the tool arrangement (20), which closes the sample container (14) during operation of the tool arrangement (20), wherein the drive shaft (21) is rotatable relative to the cover (40).