Rotatable Discharge Pipe for Stable Fiber Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber transport systems face challenges in adjusting the transport amount of fiber pieces efficiently, particularly due to the placement of the outlet on the bottom surface of the container, which makes it difficult to control the operation state and stabilize the supply of fiber pieces for sheet manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a discharge pipe with a spiral member and a rotator that rotates at a controlled speed and direction to manage the flow of fiber pieces, allowing for adjustable transport by altering the rotation speed and direction of the discharge pipe to regulate the amount of fiber pieces entering the pipe, ensuring stable supply and preventing lumps during transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the outlet is provided on the bottom surface of the container, then fiber pieces can be discharged from the container, but it becomes difficult to adjust the transport amount of fiber pieces and stabilize the supply
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge pipe is made rotatable about its axial direction, transforming a static discharge system into a dynamic one. By rotating the discharge pipe, the outlet position changes, enabling control over the transport amount of fiber pieces. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing operators to modify the discharge characteristics without changing the fundamental bottom-outlet configuration, thereby achieving both discharge functionality and adjustable transport control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fiber pieces are transported through a simple outlet structure, then the device complexity is low, but the transport amount cannot be adjusted and supply stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable discharge pipe provides a simple yet effective dynamic mechanism. Instead of complex adjustable gates or variable speed feeders, the invention uses rotational movement of the entire discharge pipe to control fiber transport. This maintains relatively low device complexity while achieving adaptability in transport amount through the rotational degree of freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds rotational movement in a new dimension (angular/rotational dimension) to the linear discharge path. By rotating the discharge pipe about its axial direction, the outlet sweeps through different angular positions, creating a dimensional change that enables transport control without adding complex linear adjustment mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the outlet is on the bottom surface, then fiber pieces can be discharged, but the operation state of the scraping rod does not affect discharge, making control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable discharge pipe creates a dynamic coupling between the scraping rod operation and fiber discharge. When the discharge pipe rotates, the outlet position changes, which affects how fiber pieces are drawn from the container. This enables the discharge operation to respond adaptively to the scraping rod's operation state, improving both controllability and adaptability.
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 configuration enables efficient and stable transport of fiber pieces by controlling the rotation speed and direction of the discharge pipe, ensuring consistent supply and preventing fiber pieces from becoming lumps, thus stabilizing the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a rotator that rotates the discharge pipe about an axial direction of the discharge pipe
Implementation Method 2
a spiral member provided inside the discharge pipe
Data Source
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AI summary
A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a case that accommodates raw material pieces including fibers, a rotator that rotates inside the case to stir the raw material pieces, a stirring motor that rotates the rotator, a transport apparatus that transports the raw material pieces through a transport path coupled to a side wall of the case, and a control apparatus that controls rotation states of the rotator and the transport apparatus, in which the transport apparatus includes a discharge pipe that rotates on a central axis along the transport path, and a transport motor that rotates the discharge pipe.