Plasticizing Material Feeder with Rotating Through-Holes for Clog Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection molding apparatuses face issues with material clogging at the depositing port of the hopper, leading to inefficient feeding of material to the plasticizing device, particularly when large amounts of material are deposited.
Innovation Solution
A material feeding mechanism with a rotating member having through-holes along its circumference, which intermittently feeds material from a housing to the plasticizing mechanism, preventing clogging and ensuring continuous feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If material is stored in a hopper and fed continuously to the plasticizing device, then productivity is improved, but the depositing port becomes clogged with material leading to feeding failure
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating member is divided into multiple through-holes arranged at intervals along its circumference, creating discrete material transfer points. This segmentation allows material to be fed intermittently through individual holes rather than as a continuous mass, preventing clogging at the depositing port while maintaining overall feeding efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating member performs periodic rotation to bring different through-holes into alignment with the depositing port at different time intervals. This periodic action creates an intermittent feeding pattern where material is transferred in discrete amounts rather than continuously, eliminating the clogging issue while preserving productivity
2Reliability
If a rotating member with through-holes is used to feed material intermittently, then clogging is prevented and feeding reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a material carrier, a distribution mechanism through its multiple through-holes, and a timing device through its rotation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable intermittent feeding
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 effectively prevents clogging at the depositing port, ensures continuous material feeding, and maintains efficient operation even with large material deposits, reducing the likelihood of idling and improving overall process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating member housed in the housing and capable of rotating along an inner edge of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A plasticizing device includes a plasticizing mechanism including a feeding port for receiving a material and configured to plasticize the material to generate a melted material and a material feeding mechanism configured to feed the material to the plasticizing mechanism. The material feeding mechanism includes a housing including a depositing port communicating with the feeding port, the housing storing the material, and a rotating member housed in the housing and capable of rotating along an inner edge of the housing. A plurality of through-holes are provided in the rotating member at intervals along an outer circumference of the rotating member. When the rotating member rotates and any one of the plurality of through-holes and the depositing port communicate, the material stored in the housing is fed from the feeding port to the plasticizing mechanism through the depositing port.