Non-Circular Rotating Bars for Container Agitation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agitation devices for containers, such as those using eccentric masses or reciprocating mechanisms, face issues like structural damage, high costs, and inability to produce slow oscillations, and often fail to efficiently mix or settle contents within containers during packaging.
Innovation Solution
The agitation machine employs non-circular or eccentric rotating bars that oscillate beneath containers, allowing for adjustable speed and phase synchronization to produce alternating lifting and lowering actions, enabling efficient compaction and mixing of contents without mass imbalance, using stepper or servo motors and adjustable conveyor systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an eccentric mass mechanism is used to produce vibration, then the container can be shaken to settle contents, but the eccentric loads cause structural damage or require heavier and more costly machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs non-circular bars (triangular, rectangular, or other polygonal cross-sections) that rotate about their centers to produce oscillation. This asymmetric shape design eliminates the need for eccentric masses while generating the required shaking motion, thereby avoiding the structural loads and weight penalties associated with traditional eccentric mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the problematic eccentric mass component from the vibration generation mechanism. By using centrally-rotated non-circular bars, the patent removes the source of harmful eccentric loads while maintaining the essential vibration function, resulting in a lighter and more reliable structure
2Speed
If an eccentric mass mechanism is used to produce vibration, then the container can be shaken, but the device cannot produce very slow oscillation due to low momentum of offset mass at low speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The non-circular bar cross-section (triangle, rectangle, or other polygons) creates variable radial distances from the rotation center to the bar perimeter. This geometric asymmetry ensures that even at low rotational speeds, the bars generate sufficient oscillation amplitude and momentum to effectively mix and settle container contents, overcoming the limitation of eccentric mass mechanisms
3Speed
If a reciprocating mechanism with eccentric wheel is used to produce slow movement, then the container can be oscillated slowly, but the mechanism becomes relatively complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the complex cyclical mechanism (eccentric wheels, linkages, or actuators) from the system and replaces it with a simple central rotation of non-circular bars. This extraction of unnecessary components dramatically simplifies the mechanism while maintaining the ability to produce controlled slow oscillations for effective content mixing
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
This solution provides effective agitation and mixing of container contents without structural damage, allowing for adjustable oscillation speed and amplitude, suitable for various packaging applications, including conveyor lines, and is cost-effective by avoiding mass imbalance and complex mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
rotation of the bars resulting in the shaking or oscillating of the containers and resulting settling and compaction of the contents of the containers
Implementation Method 2
The rotating oscillator bars may be adjusted so that their high edges are either in phase or out of phase with one another, respectively producing an alternating lifting and lowering action or a rocking action of the container resting thereon
Data Source
AI summary
The agitation machine is installed either independently or in a conveyor line to shake, vibrate, oscillate, and/or agitate a container or containers in order to compact and settle the contents thereof. The machine includes at least one (and preferably two) elongate rotating bar or rod of non-circular cross section, or of eccentric circular cross section. The bars extend beneath the containers in the direction of their travel across or through the machine, with rotation of the bars resulting in the shaking or oscillating of the containers and resulting settling and compaction of the contents of the containers. The rotating oscillator bars may be adjusted so that their high edges are either in phase or out of phase with one another, respectively producing an alternating lifting and lowering action or a rocking action of the container resting thereon. The rotational speed of the bars may be adjusted as desired, as well.