Collapsible Sluice Box Sawtooth Interlock Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible sluice box structures for placer mining are prone to leakage at hinged and fastened folds, leading to water and particulate losses due to imprecise threaded fastener processes, which hinder effective water conservation and recirculation.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible sluice box with conformingly nested U-sectioned sheet metal segments hinged at overlapped corners, featuring a sawtooth interlock mechanism that aligns and locks the segments for minimal leakage, allowing for continuous water recovery and recirculation, and includes conforming mats to further seal the edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If collapsible sluice box structures use hinged and fastened folds for portability, then ease of transport is improved, but water leakage and particulate losses occur due to imprecise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The sluice box is divided into multiple nested U-shaped segments that can be folded together for transport and unfolded for operation. Each segment maintains a precise fit with adjacent segments through the interlock mechanism, preventing water leakage while enabling portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The segments are designed to nest within each other when folded, with each U-shaped segment containing the next smaller segment. This nesting arrangement minimizes transport volume while maintaining structural integrity and alignment precision through the interlock mechanism.
2Ease of manufacture
If threaded fasteners are used to secure folded segments, then ease of assembly is improved, but imprecise alignment causes leakage losses
Solution Approach 1:
An interlock mechanism with protrusions and recesses serves as an intermediary between adjacent segments. This interlock ensures precise alignment and tight fitting of segments, eliminating leakage caused by imprecise threaded fastener alignment while maintaining ease of assembly.
3Productivity
If robust vehicle-borne mining assemblies are used for remote sites, then productivity is improved, but transport cost and burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sluice box segments nest within each other in a compact configuration for transport, dramatically reducing the volume and weight burden for transport to remote sites. When deployed, the segments unfold to form a functional mining assembly capable of effective gold recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The sluice box transitions from a compact folded state for transport to an expanded operational state for mining. This dynamic transformation allows the device to be lightweight and portable during transport while maintaining full functionality during operation, eliminating the need for robust vehicle-borne assemblies.
Data Source
AI summary
A folding sluice box assembly includes a plurality of generally U-sectioned trough segments having their end portions nested in size progression and hinged to each other to form an overlap of the received portion and the receiving portion. A deformation in the bottom surface of a received portion is aligned on full pivotal extension for mating receipt in a conforming bottom surface opening in the receiving portion, thus interlocking of the assembly into its working configuration. When thus extended the edge of a resilient mat positioned on the bottom surface of the receiving segment abuts the edge of the received segment to effect a substantial seal therewith.