Movable Chute Bottom for Animal Feed Mixer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for mixing and distributing animal feed have a significant size and fail to adequately prevent or eliminate the accumulation of mixture on the bottom of the distribution chute, leading to spillage and incomplete closure of the hatch shutter during movement.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a movable chute bottom that retracts under the tank in the closed position, using a pivot joint and actuation mechanism to deploy during distribution, reducing the external retention surface and machine bulk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the bottom of the chute is made long with slight inclination to eject mixture far from the tank, then the distribution effectiveness is improved, but the mixture accumulates on the bottom forming an external retention surface that causes spillage and prevents complete hatch closure
Solution Approach 1:
The chute bottom is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to change position between distribution and transport modes. During distribution, the bottom is extended to eject mixture far from the tank; during transport, it retracts to eliminate the external retention surface, preventing mixture accumulation and spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute bottom is divided into a movable portion and a fixed portion, allowing the movable part to be repositioned independently. This segmentation enables the bottom to be extended when needed for distribution and retracted when not in use, resolving the contradiction between distribution effectiveness and spillage prevention.
2Productivity
If the bottom of the chute is extended to eject mixture sufficiently far from the tank, then the distribution range is improved, but the machine's bulk and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chute bottom is designed as a movable structure that can be extended during distribution operations to achieve sufficient ejection distance, then retracted during transport to minimize the machine's bulk and size, eliminating the need for a permanently large structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable bottom structure can be nested or retracted into the chute body when not in use, allowing the chute to occupy minimal space during transport while still providing extended ejection capability when deployed for distribution.
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
The solution effectively prevents mixture accumulation and spillage, ensures complete hatch closure, and reduces the machine's bulk and size, enhancing distribution efficiency and operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
The bottom of the chute is more or less inclined downwards from the lower edge of the opening, which has the effect of forming at the outlet of the opening a ramp for discharging the mixture which slides on the latter under the effect of gravity and the ejection force
Data Source
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AI summary
Machine for mixing one or more products and distributing the mixture of said product(s), more particularly one or more products used for animal feed, said machine comprising a tank (1) carried by a rolling chassis and having a floor (1a) and at least one side wall (1b) above said floor (1a) delimiting with the latter an internal receiving and mixing space (1c), a mixing device (3) mounted in said receiving space to carry out the mixing, at least one hatch (4) located in the side wall (1b) and comprising an opening (4a) and a flap (4b), at least one chute (5) associated with the hatch(es) (4) and comprising a bottom (5a) forming a ramp.The said machine further includes a displacement system (6, 7) and the bottom of the chute is made mobile by means of said system between a retracted position, in the closed state of the flap, preferably at least partly under the tank and more particularly under the floor of the latter, and a deployed distribution position, in the open state of the flap.