Rotatable Cylinder Powder Sampler for Deep Bin Shear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder sampling devices are unreliable due to shear forces applied to powders when sampling from deep bins, leading to inconsistent results and potential ineffective or dangerous dosage forms in pharmaceutical and food preparations.
Innovation Solution
A sampler with a rotatable cylinder and cap design, where the cylinder chamber is oriented parallel to the sampler axis, allowing for sample acquisition without shear forces, ensuring uniformity and efficiency in sampling from deep bins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If powder samples are acquired through laterally open cavities perpendicular to the sampler axis, then sampling can be performed from deep bins, but shear forces are applied to the powder leading to unreliable samples
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional sampling approach by changing the cavity orientation from perpendicular to parallel with the sampler axis. This fundamental geometric inversion eliminates shear forces during powder entry while maintaining deep bin sampling capability, directly resolving the contradiction between sampling depth and sample reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If samples are taken from various areas in deep bins, then uniformity testing can be performed, but shear forces compromise the reliability of the samples
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the cavity orientation to be parallel with the sampler axis, the device maintains adaptability to sample from various deep bin locations while eliminating shear forces that compromise sample representativeness. The parallel orientation allows powder to enter smoothly along the axis without lateral cutting forces
3Device complexity
If a single chamber sampler is used, then the device complexity is low, but multiple insertions are required to obtain multiple samples
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device is segmented into multiple independent chambers that can be individually opened or closed. This segmentation allows multiple samples to be collected in a single insertion while maintaining relatively simple individual chamber structures, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and sampling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sampling chambers are merged into a single integrated sampler body, allowing simultaneous or sequential collection of multiple samples during one insertion operation. This combining approach increases productivity while keeping the overall device structure manageable through modular design
Data Source
AI summary
A sampler for acquiring a sample of blended powder from diverse locations within a bin is described. The sampler has a cylinder with a hollow chamber formed therein and is connected to a handle for rotation within a housing tube. Rotation causes the chamber to move into or out of alignment with an aperture in the housing tube. When the sampler is inserted axially into a batch of blended powder, the cylinder is rotated to align the chamber with the aperture in the housing cap, allowing powder to enter the chamber. The cylinder is rotated back to close the chamber, and the sampler is withdrawn from the powder batch. The cap is removed from the housing and the cylinder is removed from the housing to transfer the sample of powder for analysis.