Spreading Device Agitator for Grit Bridging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winter service spreading devices face challenges with different flow behaviors and aggregate states of grit materials like sand, salt, and their mixtures, leading to issues such as bridging, wear, and corrosion, requiring multiple agitators and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The scattering device incorporates an oval-shaped rolling body on the stirring rod that rolls on a stop ring, transferring knocking forces to the container walls to prevent bridging and wear, combined with radially extending agitator fingers at different heights to manage various spreading materials effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional agitators are used for different grit materials, then the spreading device can handle various materials, but the agitators suffer from high wear and corrosion requiring multiple agitators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single agitator system that can handle multiple grit materials (sand, salt, grit-salt mixtures, ash) through adjustable parameters. The agitator's knocking force and rotation speed can be modified to adapt to different material properties, eliminating the need for multiple specialized agitators while maintaining versatility across material types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing modification of the agitator's operational characteristics - specifically the knocking force intensity and rotation speed - to match different grit material requirements. This enables a single agitator structure to adapt to varying material properties (abrasiveness, corrosiveness, flow behavior) without physical replacement, reducing wear through optimized operational parameters.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple agitators are used to handle different materials, then material-specific requirements are met, but device complexity and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces device complexity by implementing a universal agitator system that can perform material-specific agitation functions through parameter adjustment rather than through multiple physical agitators. The single agitator design with adjustable knocking force and rotation speed replaces what would otherwise require multiple specialized agitators, simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the agitator's operational parameters adjustable and variable rather than fixed. The ability to change rotation speed and knocking force intensity allows one agitator to dynamically adapt to different material requirements, replacing the need for multiple static agitators designed for specific materials.
3Productivity
If aggressive grit materials like fine-grained grit are spread, then efficient dosing is achieved, but severe wear and corrosion of container parts occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using the agitator to pre-loosen and prepare the grit material in the container before it reaches the dosing opening. This preliminary agitation prevents bridging and ensures smooth flow of abrasive materials, reducing the impact wear on dosing components by preparing the material flow in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes mechanical vibration through the agitator's knocking action on the container walls and material bed. This vibration helps maintain material flowability, prevents compaction of abrasive grit, and reduces adhesion to container surfaces, thereby minimizing wear and corrosion while maintaining dosing efficiency.
4Productivity
If the agitator rotates at high speed to prevent bridging, then material flow improves, but wear on agitator parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by allowing optimization of rotation speed based on material properties. For highly abrasive materials, the rotation speed can be reduced while compensating with increased knocking force, maintaining material flow without excessive speed-related wear. This parameter flexibility enables balancing productivity and agitator longevity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses mechanical vibration from the agitator's knocking action as an alternative mechanism to high-speed rotation for preventing bridging. The vibration and intermittent knocking can effectively loosen material at lower rotation speeds, reducing centrifugal forces and wear on agitator parts while maintaining material flow.
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
This design reduces the need for multiple agitators, minimizes wear and tear on hopper parts, prevents bridging and clogging, and ensures efficient distribution of spreading materials without causing container wall damage.
Implementation Method 1
a scattering disc rotating below the bottom and driven by a shaft, which centrifugally accelerates the grit and places it on the surface to be sprinkled Evenly distributed over the surface
Implementation Method 2
an oval-shaped rolling body on the stirring rod that rolls on a stop ring, transferring knocking forces to the container walls to prevent bridging and wear
Implementation Method 3
the agitators that loosen the grit or the grit mixture must be adapted to these different requirements
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The device has a dosing valve (7) controlling free cross section of a dosing opening (6). A sprinkling valve is driven by a shaft, and rotates below a base (3). An external body (15) is guided at an external side of a pipe-like lower part (10) of a socket (9) with an axial play in a torque-proof manner. The external body has two radially extending agitating tappets, which rotate with a small distance over the base of a sprinkling goods container (1) and the dosing opening. The external body is made of a wear resistant, rustproof and elastic plastic.