Powder Dosing Disc Structure for Moisture-Isolated Beverage Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder metering devices fail to maintain powder quality over time and do not efficiently empty the container without complex devices like stirring blades or racks, leading to issues with hygroscopic powders and incomplete discharge when the container is almost empty.
Innovation Solution
A dosing device with a fixed body and two rotary discs, where the rotary top and bottom discs are connected by a shaft, ensuring the metered aperture remains closed to the atmosphere, and a slit provides an air current for drying the discharging aperture, allowing for complete rotation and efficient powder flow without trapping powder between dosing actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the metered passage is rotated to and fro between charging and discharging positions, then powder can be transferred from container to discharge, but powder quality degrades over time due to atmospheric exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the powder handling path into separate charging and discharging operations. The metered passage is charged with powder, then rotated to a discharging position separate from the charging position, allowing the charged powder to be isolated from atmospheric exposure during the rotation and discharge process.
Solution Approach 2:
The metered passage is pre-charged with powder in a controlled environment before rotation. This preliminary charging action ensures that the powder is sealed within the passage before any atmospheric exposure occurs during subsequent rotation and discharge operations.
2Device complexity
If a fixed plate aperture is used for powder entry, then simple structure is achieved, but powder remains trapped on the plate when container is empty
Solution Approach 1:
The device replaces the fixed plate aperture with a rotatable metered passage that dynamically opens and closes the powder entry path. When the container is empty, the metered passage can be rotated to a closed position, preventing powder from being trapped on stationary surfaces and enabling complete discharge.
3Productivity
If multiple metered passages are used for continuous dosing, then dosing continuity is improved, but powder isolation from atmosphere between doses is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The metered passage is pre-charged with powder in a controlled environment before rotation to the discharging position. This preliminary charging ensures that the powder is sealed within the passage before any atmospheric exposure occurs during subsequent rotation and discharge operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The device maintains continuous dosing capability through rotation of the metered passage between charging and discharging positions, while the sealed nature of the rotation mechanism ensures powder isolation from atmosphere throughout the continuous operation cycle.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention concerns a dosing device for dosing a metered amount of a powdered product comprising : - a fixed body (2) made of at least a disc presenting a single pierced aperture (5), - a rotary top disk (1) disposed on the top of the fixed body (2) and presenting a taking out pierced aperture (4), - a rotary bottom disk (3) disposed on the bottom of the fixed body and presenting a discharging pierced aperture (6), - a rotary shaft (7) connecting the bottom disk (1) and the top disk (3), wherein in the stand-by position of the device the metered pierced aperture (5) is empty and closed to the atmosphere. The invention also concerns a beverage preparation apparatus implementing such a dosing device