Intermittent Spoon Tapping for Particulate Weighing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing particulate material weighing apparatuses struggle to reliably drop particulate material scooped into a spoon while avoiding agglomeration, especially when using continuous vibration methods.
Innovation Solution
A spoon tapping device is introduced, comprising a spoon, a tapping tool, and driving equipment. The tapping tool includes a knocking part and a movable arm that intermittently taps the spoon to drop the particulate material little by little, preventing agglomeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous vibration is applied to the spoon to drop particulate material, then the material can be dropped, but agglomeration of the material occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using a tapping tool that intermittently taps the spoon instead of continuous vibration. The tapping tool is raised and lowered periodically, delivering discrete taps to the spoon at regular intervals. This periodic tapping mechanism allows the particulate material to drop in controlled batches while preventing agglomeration that occurs with continuous vibration, thus resolving the contradiction between dropping speed and material stability.
2Productivity
If the spoon is tilted to create a descending slope, then material can be dropped, but precise control of dropping amount is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the tapping tool - that mediates between the spoon and the particulate material. Instead of relying solely on gravity and spoon tilting, the tapping tool delivers controlled impacts to the spoon, which in turn controls the material discharge. This intermediary approach provides precise control over the dropping amount while maintaining efficient material transfer, resolving the contradiction between dropping capability and precision control.
3Ease of operation
If a vibrator is driven for a predetermined time period, then material is shaken off, but reliable control of dropping process is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by integrating a weighing unit that continuously monitors the weight of the particulate material in the container. The control unit receives weight information from the weighing unit and adjusts the tapping operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically control the tapping duration and intensity based on actual material discharge, ensuring reliable control of the dropping process while maintaining ease of automatic operation.
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 spoon tapping device ensures more reliable and efficient dropping of particulate material, preventing agglomeration and improving the accuracy of weighing by allowing fine-adjustment tapping operations.
Implementation Method 1
a vibrator formed of a vibrating device is driven for a predetermined time period to apply a vibration to the shovel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
Provided is a spoon tapping device and the like capable of more reliably dropping little by little a particulate material scooped into a spoon while agglomeration of the particulate material is avoided, as compared to a case in which a particulate material is dropped by continuously vibrating the spoon for a predetermined time period. A spoon tapping device (1) includes: a spoon (3) configured to scoop a particulate material; a tapping tool (4) configured to tap a part (3a) of the spoon from above; and driving equipment (5) configured to intermittently drive the tapping tool. The tapping tool (4) includes a knocking part (41) to be knocked against the part of the spoon, and a movable arm (42) configured to move, with the knocking part mounted thereon, so that the knocking part is brought into contact with the part of the spoon. The driving equipment (5) is configured to move, when the particulate material scooped into the spoon is to be dropped little by little, the movable arm so that the knocking part intermittently knocks the part of the spoon.