Particulate Funnel With Trapping Unit for Flexible Cone Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing funnel devices struggle to fill flexible containers like smoking cones without spilling particulate matter, as the narrow end restricts filling and causes contamination.
Innovation Solution
A funnel with a trapping unit at its smaller end, surrounded by apertures, that holds a flexible container and allows excess particulate matter to fall into a receptacle for recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard funnel with a narrow end is used to fill flexible containers, then the funnel can direct substance toward a single aperture, but the narrow end restricts or prohibits proper filling of the flexible container causing substance to fall out and be contaminated or lost
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel is divided into multiple functional zones: a wide upper portion for receiving particulate matter, a narrow central column for directing flow, and a trapping unit at the base with apertures. This segmentation allows the funnel to handle both the guiding function and the containment function simultaneously, preventing material loss while maintaining ease of filling.
Solution Approach 2:
The trapping unit with its surrounding apertures acts as an intermediary structure between the narrow funnel column and the flexible container. It captures excess particulate matter that would otherwise fall outside the container, mediating the flow to ensure proper filling while preventing contamination and loss.
2Productivity
If the narrow end of the funnel is inserted into the flexible container, then the funnel can direct substance, but the narrow end restricts proper filling without allowing the user to withdraw the funnel end
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel structure transitions from a simple one-dimensional narrow column to a three-dimensional configuration with a wide upper portion, narrow central column, and base trapping unit. This dimensional expansion allows the funnel to maintain a narrow insertion point while providing sufficient space for efficient filling and easy withdrawal.
Solution Approach 2:
The trapping unit is nested at the base of the funnel, with apertures surrounding the narrow column. This nested structure allows the funnel to be inserted into the flexible container with the narrow end, while the trapped material is contained within the nested trapping unit, enabling efficient filling without requiring funnel withdrawal.
3Device complexity
If a funnel without a trapping unit is used, then the structure is simple, but particulate matter falling outside the flexible container cannot be recovered
Solution Approach 1:
The trapping unit is designed to capture and hold excess particulate matter that falls outside the flexible container during filling. The apertures surrounding the narrow column allow material to be directed into the trapping unit, enabling recovery of what would otherwise be lost, while maintaining relatively simple construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The trapping unit extracts excess particulate matter from the flow path at the base of the funnel. By separating the captured material from the main flow, the system prevents loss while adding minimal complexity to the overall funnel structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A cone-filling device comprising an outer funnel removably connected to a trapping unit, further comprising an outer ring, an inner ring and a plurality of connecting members extending radially inward connect with said inner ring substantially concentrically. In some embodiments the inner and/or outer rings can be selectively replaceable such that the device can be user configurable.