Shredder Rotor with Kinked Intermediate Elements for Load Distribution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shredding machines, particularly those used for garbage, plastic, or wood, face issues with durability under high loads, leading to breakage of connecting elements, and require a design that allows for detachable attachment while maintaining structural integrity.

Innovation Solution

The rotor design features intermediate elements as kinked plates that extend beyond knife holders, with connecting elements arranged in kinked areas both in front of and behind the knife holders, allowing for full contact with the rotor shaft's surface, distributing pressure loads over a larger area and reducing leverage and shearing forces on connecting elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If connecting elements are arranged in the area of the knife holder for detachable attachment, then ease of assembly and maintenance is improved, but the connecting elements break under high loads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assembly and maintenanceVSAvoidstrength of connecting elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting elements are moved from the knife holder area to the kinked areas of the intermediate elements, which are positioned in front of and behind the knife holders. This spatial relocation changes the dimensional arrangement of the connection system, allowing the connecting elements to engage with the rotor shaft at positions that provide superior mechanical strength while preserving detachability for maintenance purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediate elements serve as mediators between the rotor shaft and the knife holders. By positioning connecting elements in the kinked areas of the intermediate elements rather than directly in the knife holder area, the design allows the intermediate elements to absorb and distribute loads, protecting the connecting elements from direct exposure to high shear forces while maintaining the detachable connection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If intermediate elements are designed as straight plates, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but pressure loads cannot be distributed over large areas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidpressure load distribution
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate elements are designed with kinked areas instead of straight plates. These kinked areas create curved or bent geometries that extend beyond the knife holders, allowing the intermediate elements to conform to the rotor shaft surface and distribute pressure loads over larger contact areas. The curvature in the kinked regions enables better load distribution while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Strength

If knife holders are welded to the rotor, then strength under high loads is improved, but adaptability and ease of maintenance are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrength under high loadsVSAvoidadaptability and ease of maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor design is segmented into multiple components: the rotor shaft, intermediate elements with kinked areas, connecting elements, and knife holders. This segmentation allows the knife holders to be detachably connected via the intermediate elements rather than permanently welded, enabling easy maintenance and replacement while distributing loads across multiple connection points in the kinked areas, thereby maintaining strength under high loads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3290120B1Rotor of a grinding machine with releasable blade holders
Publication Date: 2018.12.12 CUTMETALL KOMPONENTEN
  • EP3290120B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3290120B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3290120B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A rotor of a shredding machine, in particular a waste, plastic, or wood shredder, has a rotor shaft (2') that can rotate in one direction about an axis of rotation (4). Intermediate elements (8) are detachably attached to a surface of the rotor shaft (2') by means of connecting elements (9). A number of knife holders (6) for rotor knives (7) are attached to each of the intermediate elements (8). The intermediate elements (8) abut each other tangentially around the axis of rotation (4) at butt surfaces, so that the intermediate elements (8) as a whole completely cover the surface of the rotor shaft (2') when viewed tangentially around the axis of rotation (4). The knife holders (6) form rows of knife holders spaced apart from each other when viewed around the axis of rotation (4).The intermediate elements (8) are designed as plates which, viewed tangentially around the axis of rotation (4), extend beyond the knife holders (6) and have a bent section (8b, 8c) both in front of and behind the knife holders (6). The connecting elements (9) are arranged both in the bent section (8b) in front of the knife holders (6) and in the bent section (8c) behind the knife holders (6). The outer surface has flat surfaces against which the intermediate elements (8), including their bent sections (8b, 8c), rest.