Linear Slide Dosing Head for Contamination-Free Powder Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dosing devices are not suitable for precise and contamination-free delivery of powders or pastes due to structural issues that lead to inaccurate dosing and potential contamination, especially with toxic substances, and have complex and costly designs that are not compact.

Innovation Solution

A dosing head with a base body and a slide guided by a linear actuator, where the slide is displaced linearly by rotating the actuator, allowing for adjustable flow rates and a compact design, and the use of conductive materials to prevent electrostatic charging, along with a pivoting receiving device for easy insertion and storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rotary slide or long sliding tongue is used to cover the outlet opening, then the outlet can be sealed, but housing parts below the slide are required to guide the dosing material, which causes material accumulation and contamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidmaterial accumulation and contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful housing parts that caused material accumulation are completely removed from the design. Instead of using a rotary slide with guiding housing parts, the patent employs a linearly guided slide that moves in a straight line, eliminating the need for complex guiding structures below the slide and thus removing the source of material accumulation and contamination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of rotating the slide to open/close the outlet (which requires guiding housing parts), the invention inverts the motion type to linear movement. The slide is displaced linearly along the central longitudinal axis, reversing the conventional rotary mechanism and eliminating the harmful guiding structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the outlet opening is located on a side surface with a long sliding tongue, then the outlet can be covered, but the structure becomes complicated and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutlet sealingVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention inverts the conventional approach by locating the outlet opening on the end face rather than the side surface, and uses linear motion instead of rotary motion. This simplifies the overall structure, eliminates the need for long sliding tongues, and reduces manufacturing complexity and costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The dosing head is segmented into distinct functional components: the base body with outlet opening, the linearly moving slide, and the actuator. This modular segmentation allows for simpler manufacturing and assembly compared to integrated complex rotary mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the slide is arranged in a slot within the base body, then the outlet can be covered, but metering material accumulates in the slot

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutlet sealingVSAvoidmaterial accumulation in slot
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful slot structure is completely extracted from the design. Instead of placing the slide within a slot in the base body, the slide is given independent linear movement space, eliminating the slot that would trap and accumulate dosing material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If the actuator is arranged to the side of the outlet opening, then the slide can be actuated, but the dosing device becomes bulky

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslide actuationVSAvoiddosing device size
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The actuator is merged with the base body structure, with its axis of rotation aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the dosing head. This integration allows the actuator to be compact and eliminates the need for side-mounted actuators that would increase the overall device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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, contamination-free delivery of dosing materials into target vessels with a compact and cost-effective design, reducing the risk of material adherence and environmental contamination.

Implementation Method 1

a slide (80) which is guided on the base body (71) parallel to the central longitudinal axis by means of a linear guide (88)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLinear motion guidance:

Implementation Method 2

the use of conductive materials to prevent electrostatic charging

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic discharge: Electrostatic Discharge

Data Source

PatentEP2369311B1Metering unit for flowable substances
Publication Date: 2015.04.15 METTLER TOLEDO GMBH
  • EP2369311B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2369311B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2369311B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A dispensing head comprises a base body with an end face and a connection point for a dispensing container or a cap. An outlet opening connected to the connection point is located in the end face of the base body. The dispensing head also includes a slide, which is guided on the base body parallel to the end face by means of a linear guide. To actuate the slide, the dispensing head has an actuator that is rotatably mounted on the base body about an axis of rotation orthogonal to the end face and includes an opening. In every position of the actuator relative to the base body, the outlet opening is located within the area of ​​the opening. The slide includes a through-hole and is positioned between the base body and the actuator.By rotating the actuator relative to the base body, the slide can be moved linearly relative to the base body, whereby by moving the through-hole relative to the outlet opening the through-cross-section of the dosing head can be varied and the flow rate of free-flowing dosing material through the through-hole can be regulated.