Pivoting Comminution Elements for Blasting Material Dosing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for dosing blasting materials, such as dry ice, face challenges in precise dosing and continuous conveyance due to clumping issues, especially under high humidity conditions, leading to blockages and uneven flow rates.

Innovation Solution

A device with pivoting comminution elements and a scraping element, integrated into a base plate system, ensures effective comminution and dosing by allowing the comminution elements to rotate within the container, breaking up clumps and ensuring uniform particle size, with adjustable passage openings to maintain consistent flow rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a simple suction hose is used to convey blasting material, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability fails when blasting material clumps due to humidity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of material conveyanceVSAvoidcomplexity of dosing device
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing device is segmented into multiple functional components: a comminuting device with rotatable comminuting elements for breaking up clumps, a base plate with adjustable passage openings for dosing control, and a scraping element for preventing material adhesion. This segmentation allows each component to address specific problems independently, ensuring reliable conveyance without requiring an overly complex integrated system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The comminuting elements perform preliminary action by breaking up clumped blasting material before it enters the suction hose. The scraping element also performs preliminary action by preventing material adhesion to the container walls before conveyance begins. These preliminary actions ensure that the material is properly prepared for suction, preventing blockages and ensuring reliable dosing from the start of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If blasting material is suctioned directly without comminution, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision of dosing is poor when material clumps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of blasting material dosingVSAvoidcomplexity of comminution mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The comminuting elements are designed to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the container, providing dynamic action that enhances the breaking up of clumped material. The passage openings in the base plate are adjustable, allowing dynamic adaptation to different dosing requirements. This dynamic design enables precise dosing control while keeping the comminution mechanism relatively simple through motion-based effectiveness rather than complex mechanical structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the comminution element is fixed, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity is reduced due to limited effective range

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveefficiency of material comminutionVSAvoidcomplexity of pivoting mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The comminuting element is designed to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the container, transforming it from a fixed to a dynamic component. This simple rotational motion allows the comminuting element to reach different areas within the container, significantly increasing its effective range and comminution productivity. The pivoting mechanism achieves this enhanced productivity through a single degree of freedom, avoiding the need for complex multi-axis mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If passage openings are fixed size, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability is poor for different flow rate requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability of passage openingsVSAvoidcomplexity of adjustment mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base plate with adjustable passage openings serves multiple functions: it controls the dosing rate by adjusting opening size, it can be positioned at different angles to control material flow direction, and it works in conjunction with the comminuting elements to ensure proper material preparation. This multi-functional design provides high adaptability for different flow rate requirements and operating conditions without requiring separate devices for each function, maintaining relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2832500B1Device for metering of sandblasting material and blasting machine for sandblasting material
Publication Date: 2015.06.10 DRY ICE ENERGY
  • EP2832500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2832500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2832500B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for metering blasting media with a) a comminution device (1) for blasting media, b) at least one passage opening (2) for blasting media, wherein the comminution device (1) for blasting media is associated with a base plate (4) which has at least one comminution element (8, 14) which is pivotable in a container (9) of a blasting device (10) for blasting media about a longitudinal axis (11) of the container (9).