Parallel Colorant Dispensing Actuation Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for dispensing fluid coloring products into base products are either complex and costly with simultaneous delivery or have low productivity with sequential delivery, and neither efficiently reduces overall delivery time without using a large number of electronic actuation circuits.
Innovation Solution
A machine and method that simultaneously activate two delivery circuits based on a programmed sequence, using only two electronic actuation circuits to deliver multiple colorants in parallel, optimizing overall delivery time by distributing colorants efficiently according to their quantities in the formula.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If simultaneous delivery of all colorants is used, then productivity is maximized and overall delivery time is minimized, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring a number of electronic actuation circuits equal to the number of delivery circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the simultaneous delivery system into two independent actuation circuits, each capable of controlling multiple delivery circuits. This segmentation reduces the number of actuation circuits from N (equal to number of delivery circuits) to 2, while maintaining simultaneous delivery capability by distributing colorant delivery across two parallel actuation channels.
Solution Approach 2:
Each of the two electronic actuation circuits is designed to be multi-functional, capable of simultaneously controlling multiple motorized pumping members. This universality allows a single actuation circuit to perform the function previously requiring multiple dedicated circuits, thereby reducing overall system complexity while preserving productivity.
2Device complexity
If sequential delivery of colorants is used, then device complexity is reduced to a single electronic actuation circuit, but productivity decreases and overall delivery time increases due to sum of individual delivery times
Solution Approach 1:
The colorant delivery process is segmented into two parallel streams, each managed by one of the two actuation circuits. This allows multiple colorants to be delivered simultaneously in parallel streams rather than sequentially, reducing overall delivery time from the sum of individual times to approximately the maximum of the two parallel streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous productive action by ensuring that while one actuation circuit is delivering colorants, the other circuit is also actively delivering colorants in parallel. This eliminates idle time between sequential deliveries and keeps the system continuously productive throughout the dispensing process.
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 achieves productivity comparable to simultaneous delivery machines while significantly reducing production costs and overall delivery time, being only 15% slower than fully simultaneous machines but much quicker than sequential machines, with an average delivery time of about 5.2 seconds for a 1-liter container.
Implementation Method 1
a motorized pumping member to selectively dose the coloring pigments in the desired quantity and to convey them toward the delivery nozzles
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Machine and method for dispensing fluid coloring products, each having a different color, to form a finished product having a desired color tone corresponding to a determinate formula, wherein an electronic control circuit (25) comprises a central process unit (26) and two electronic actuation circuits (A1, A2), each configured to be selectively associated to each motorized pumping member (P1 -P16) of the delivery circuits (G1-G16), so as to selectively cause the simultaneous drive of two motorized pumping members (P1 -P16). The central process unit (26) is programmed so as to reduce to a minimum the overall delivery time (Tce), by selectively coupling each of the two electronic actuation circuits (A1, A2) to one of the motorized pumping members (P1 -P16), as a function of the formula (F) corresponding to the desired color tone.