Sequential Hopper Layout for Faster Combination Weigher Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combination weighing apparatuses face poor workability due to the time-consuming process of attaching and detaching hoppers, which is necessary for cleaning, especially when dealing with entangled articles like bean sprouts.
Innovation Solution
A combination weighing apparatus design that allows hoppers to be removed and attached in a sequential order around the apparatus periphery, utilizing a specific arrangement of outer walls and a link mechanism to facilitate easy detachment and attachment, enabling hoppers to be removed and attached in a single round.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fences are detachably attached to hoppers to prevent articles from falling, then article containment is improved, but hopper removal time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hopper is divided into separable components: the main hopper body and the detachable fence. This allows the fence to be independently attached for article containment while the hopper body can be quickly removed for cleaning, resolving the contradiction between containment reliability and removal speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The fence is designed with detachable attachment mechanisms that allow it to be dynamically attached during operation for article containment, and quickly detached during cleaning operations. This dynamic configuration enables the system to switch between containment mode and cleaning mode efficiently.
2Area of stationary object
If hoppers are arranged in a circular pattern around radiation troughs, then space utilization is improved, but cleaning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circular arrangement of hoppers is segmented into modular units with standardized interfaces. Each hopper can be independently removed from the circular arrangement through standardized detachment points, allowing maintenance personnel to access and clean hoppers sequentially without dismantling the entire circular structure, thus reducing cleaning complexity while maintaining space efficiency.
3Productivity
If multiple hoppers are arranged radially, then processing capacity is improved, but workability during maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hoppers are pre-equipped with quick-release attachment mechanisms and standardized interfaces before being installed in the radial arrangement. This preliminary preparation allows for rapid detachment and reattachment during maintenance operations, significantly improving workability while maintaining the high processing capacity enabled by the radial configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
In the present invention, three hoppers having different shapes are prepared, and an outer wall of each of the hoppers is raised to form a hopper in which a conventional fence and the hopper are integrated. Both ends of a first hopper in a left-right direction along an outer wall thereof are located inside outer walls of hoppers located on both sides, respectively, and out of both ends of an outer wall of a second hopper, a right end is located inside an outer wall of a hopper adjacent on a right side, and a left end is located outside an outer wall of a hopper adjacent on a left side. Furthermore, an outer wall of a third hopper is located outside outer walls of hoppers located on both sides. This makes it possible to remove the hoppers in order while one round of an outer periphery of the hoppers is made.