Pivotable Door Unload Tee With Extendable Link

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional unload tees are difficult to operate at certain angles or in specific situations, leading to haphazard securing and potential damage during material delivery, necessitating a secure, safe, and easily operable solution.

Innovation Solution

The unload tee features an extendable link pivotally connected to the tee body and handle, allowing for compact storage and ensuring the door is out of the material path when open, with a pivotally connected door that can be easily opened and closed using a single motion from the handle, and secured using a fastener system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the door is positioned to cover the opening from top to bottom, then material flow is enabled, but the door obstructs the path of falling material when the tee is in the open position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial flowVSAvoiddoor obstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The door is made dynamically positionable through pivotal connection to the handle, allowing it to transition between covering the opening for material flow and moving out of the path when opened. The extendable link provides dynamic adjustment capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The door assembly is segmented into the door itself and the handle mechanism, allowing independent movement of the door relative to the handle. This segmentation enables the door to be positioned separately from the handle location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If conventional unload tees are used, then simplicity is maintained, but they are difficult to operate at certain angles or in specific situations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidoperability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The linkage system with extendable link provides dynamic adaptability to different angles and situations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The pivotal connections allow movement through various positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The extendable link can change its effective length or position, allowing the mechanism to adapt to different operational parameters such as angles and distances, improving ease of operation in various situations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the linkage is designed with full span for open position, then door can be completely out of path, but storage space is excessive when closed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor positioningVSAvoidlinkage storage space

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The extendable link provides dynamic length adjustment, allowing the linkage to extend to full span when needed for door positioning and contract to compact size when closed, optimizing both operational capability and storage efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The extendable link can be retracted or nested within itself or against the tee body when not in use, minimizing the storage volume of the linkage system while maintaining full operational span when required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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 design enables secure and efficient operation, allowing for safe and damage-free delivery of materials by ensuring the door does not obstruct material flow and can be easily opened and closed with minimal external force, enhancing operational ease and safety.

Implementation Method 1

an extendable link pivotally connected at one end to the tee body and at the other end to the handle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPivoting: Hinge

Implementation Method 2

The door is pivotally connected to the 'rear' of the tee body and at the 'front' side it is pivotally connected to the handle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPivoting: Hinge

Implementation Method 3

This extendable link allows for the compact storage of the linkage while in the 'closed' position and also allows the linkage to have the necessary span to allow the door to be completely out of the path of the falling material when the tee is in the 'open' position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExtension:

Data Source

PatentUS10428989B2Material handling unload tee with one action pivotable door

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 BRAY INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

An unload tee has a tee body with a front side and a rear side. The tee body includes an extendable link pivotally connected to the front side of the tee body wherein the extendable link is slidable from a first position wherein the extendable link is shortened to a second position wherein the extendable link is lengthened. An arm is pivotally connected at an opposite end of the extendable link and a door is pivotally connected to an end of the arm unconnected to the shaft. The door is configured to cover an opening of the tee body, wherein an end of the door unconnected to the arm is pivotally connected proximate the rear side of the tee body.