Mixer Shaft Inversion for Loss-Free Startup Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixers face issues with incomplete mixing and conditioning during startup, leading to increased back pressure and unnecessary disposal or recycling of product, as they struggle to ensure even distribution and processing of materials.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates paddles with specific angled working and back surfaces, allowing for controlled mixing and conveying directions, where the paddle's working surface is inclined at a greater angle than the back surface, enabling efficient mixing without initial conveyance during startup, and reversing direction for effective product handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mixer shaft is operated with the outlet closed during initial phase to increase back pressure, then mixing and conditioning is improved, but the mixer and material are subjected to undesirable pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention reverses the conventional approach by initially rotating the mixer shaft in reverse direction (opposite to normal operation) to mix and condition the material without building back pressure. After the initial mixing phase, the shaft direction is switched to normal rotation to convey the material through the mixer. This inversion eliminates the harmful back pressure while maintaining effective mixing and conditioning.
2Ease of operation
If the mixer is simply started without special procedures, then operation is simple, but the product is initially insufficiently mixed and/or conditioned
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements periodic action by automatically switching the mixer shaft rotation direction in two phases: first rotating in reverse direction for mixing and conditioning, then switching to normal direction for material conveyance. This periodic direction change ensures both thorough mixing and proper material flow, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex procedures while maintaining high mixing quality.
3Productivity
If conventional paddles convey material during startup rotation, then material moves through the mixer, but insufficient mixing and conditioning occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention reverses the paddle function during startup by rotating the shaft in reverse direction, causing paddles to mix and condition material in place rather than convey it forward. After adequate mixing and conditioning is achieved, the rotation direction is switched to normal, at which point the paddles then convey the material through the mixer. This temporal separation of mixing and conveying functions ensures both are performed effectively.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 1d~1j
Figure 1f~1g
AI summary
The invention relates to a paddle (30), a paddle rail (20), a mixer shaft (10) for a mixer (1), a mixer (1) and a method for mixing a product to be conditioned in a mixer (1) wherein, as the mixer (1) starts up, a product to be mixed is retained in a starting region of the mixer shaft (10), for instance, until the desired mixing or conditioning is achieved, so that loss-free start-up is made possible, that is to say disposal or recycling of the product when the mixer starts up becomes unnecessary.