Pneumatic Plant Matter Separation Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating cannabis leaves from flowers, such as hand trimming and automated machines, are either time-consuming and labor-intensive or damaging to the flowers, necessitating a more efficient and gentle separation technique.
Innovation Solution
A chamber with a smooth inner surface and a system of nozzles using compressed air to separate plant matter, where the air flow directs cannabis leaves away from flowers, utilizing a HEPA filter and collection device to gather unwanted material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hand trimming is used to remove cannabis leaves from flowers, then the cannabis flowers are not damaged, but the process is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compressed air delivered through multiple nozzles positioned at the bottom of a spherical chamber to create upward airflow that separates cannabis leaves from flowers. The pneumatic system replaces manual hand trimming, achieving high-speed separation while the controlled airflow pattern prevents damage to the flowers by gently lifting and sorting the plant material rather than mechanically cutting or tearing it.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical cutting action of hand trimming shears with a pneumatic separation system. Instead of using blades to physically cut the plant material, the system uses controlled air flow to lift and separate leaves from flowers based on their different densities and aerodynamic properties, eliminating the need for mechanical contact that could damage the flowers.
2Productivity
If automated trimming machines are used to remove cannabis leaves from flowers, then the trimming process is faster, but the cannabis flowers are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a spherical chamber with nozzles positioned at the bottom that deliver compressed air upward through the plant material. This pneumatic approach enables automated high-speed processing while the upward airflow pattern gently lifts and separates leaves from flowers without the mechanical contact that causes damage in traditional automated trimmers.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical chamber geometry creates optimal airflow patterns that circulate air uniformly through the plant material from bottom to top. The curved surfaces of the sphere promote gentle tumbling and separation of the cannabis material, preventing concentrated stress points that could damage flowers while maintaining high processing throughput.
3Productivity
If compressed air is used to separate plant matter, then the separation process is fast and automated, but the apparatus complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical chamber is divided into multiple sections with nozzles positioned at the bottom that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the compressed air system to be broken into manageable components, with each nozzle or group of nozzles handling a specific portion of the plant material, simplifying the overall control system while maintaining high separation speed.
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 method efficiently separates cannabis leaves from flowers without damaging them, reducing manual labor and equipment-related issues, while maintaining the purity and potency of the cannabis flowers.
Implementation Method 1
compressed air forces the plant matter into a circular pattern, wherein the plant matter glides along the smooth inner surface of the chamber and passes over compressed air flow directed from the outlets of the plurality of nozzles separating the plant matter
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a chamber having a smooth inner surface, the chamber including a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, wherein the first hemisphere is removably attached to the second hemisphere; a plurality of apertures located on a bottom center surface of the second hemisphere; a plurality of nozzles, each of the plurality of nozzles having an inlet and an outlet, wherein each of the outlets penetrate the plurality of apertures without intersecting the smooth inner surface; an air compressor; a compressed air regulator; an air hose connected to each of the inlets of the plurality of nozzles and the air compressor.