Sampling Cup Blow-Off for Damage-Free Pellet Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sampling apparatuses damage sample material during collection, leading to inaccurate analysis and reduced production yield, particularly when dealing with pelletized materials.
Innovation Solution
A sampling apparatus with a movable sampling cup and a blow system using pressurized gaseous medium to remove excess material from the filling opening, preventing damage and ensuring accurate sample representation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a scraper or flexible nose/rear edge is used to remove excess material, then the sampling cup can be retracted, but the sample material is damaged (crushed or cut)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraper or flexible nose system with a pneumatic blow system using pressurized gas. The gas flow removes excess material through aerodynamic forces rather than mechanical contact, eliminating the crushing and cutting damage caused by previous mechanical methods while still enabling successful retraction of the sampling cup.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a blow system that uses pressurized gaseous medium (pneumatics) to remove excess sample material. This pneumatic approach substitutes the harmful mechanical action with a non-contact gas flow that achieves the same operational goal (clearing the filling opening) without damaging the pelletized or granular sample material.
2Productivity
If sample material is damaged during collection, then the sampling process can be completed, but analysis accuracy decreases and production yield is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing the mechanical scraper system with a pneumatic blow system, the invention preserves the integrity of pelletized and granular sample materials during the sampling process. This substitution maintains measurement precision and analysis accuracy while still enabling complete sampling operations, thereby improving both productivity and measurement quality simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If a scraper is used to level the sample, then excess material can be removed, but the excess material and sampled material are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraping action with a pneumatic blow system that uses pressurized gas to remove excess material. This substitution achieves the leveling function without the mechanical contact that causes damage, preserving both the excess material (which can be returned to the product flow) and the sampled material for accurate analysis.
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 apparatus preserves sample integrity, allowing for reliable analysis and subsequent reuse of the sample, increasing production yield and reducing unnecessary adjustments in production parameters.
Implementation Method 1
a blow system including one or more nozzle(s) arranged to direct pressurized gaseous medium across the filling opening so as to remove excess sample material extending above the filling opening
Data Source
AI summary
A sampling apparatus for sampling from a product flow, wherein the sampling apparatus includes at least one sampling cup having a filling opening, wherein the sampling cup is movably arranged between extracted position and retracted position by an actuator system, wherein the extracted position includes a position for allowing the sampling cup to intersect the product flow. The sampling apparatus further includes a blow system including one or more nozzles arranged to direct a pressurized gaseous medium across the filling opening so as to remove excess sample material extending above the filling opening, while the sampling cup is located in one or more extracted position.