Vertical Axis Shredder With Expanding Trajectory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current shredders require additional processing steps and maintenance challenges, such as precision shredding operations and cumbersome maintenance procedures, and are prone to damage from coarser elements, limiting efficiency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A shredder with a vertical axis featuring a tubular casing, rotating shaft, and hinged shredding elements with circular trajectories that increase from top to bottom, allowing for four processing stages: crushing, disaggregation, compaction, and micronization, eliminating the need for a screening grille and enabling easy maintenance by allowing coarser elements to be expelled first, reducing wear and maintenance complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a screening grille is placed on the bottom of the shredder to obtain shreds of chosen size, then shred size control is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the screening grille from the shredder system, extracting the harmful element that caused maintenance difficulties. Instead of using a grille to control shred size, the invention relies on the natural trajectory and energy dissipation of the shredding elements to achieve size separation without additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shredding process is divided into multiple stages (crushing, disaggregation, compaction, micronization) handled by different sets of shredding elements at different positions. This segmentation allows each stage to perform a specific function without requiring a screening grille, achieving precise size control through staged processing.
2Manufacturing precision
If precision shredding operations are performed to separate metal from plastic in millimeter-sized articles, then material separation precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary separation actions during the main shredding process itself. By designing the shredding elements and trajectories to differentiate between metal and plastic materials from the outset, the system achieves material separation without requiring subsequent precision shredding operations or additional separation equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the single shredding process: size reduction, material separation, and density differentiation. By merging these functions into one integrated process rather than sequential operations, the system achieves precise material separation while maintaining high productivity.
3Productivity
If coarser and more massive elements are processed through the shredder, then productivity is improved, but reliability decreases due to damage to blades and complementary blades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates protective measures beforehand by designing the shredding elements with sufficient length and positioning them to engage coarser elements before they can cause damage. The trajectory design ensures that larger elements are processed in a controlled manner, cushioning against the harmful effects of massive elements on the blade system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic positioning of shredding elements where the length and position of blades can be adjusted or are designed to move dynamically during operation. This allows the system to adapt to varying element sizes, maintaining reliability while processing mixed cargoes including coarser and more massive elements.
4Device complexity
If the shredder is designed with a vertical axis and traditional cover removal mechanism, then structural simplicity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to awkward inspection and maintenance procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the maintenance difficulty by designing the shredding elements and supporting structure to be accessible without removing the cover. The elements are positioned and configured to allow inspection and maintenance operations from the exterior or through accessible openings, eliminating the need for complex disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the shredder to be self-servicing for maintenance purposes by designing the internal components to be accessible and serviceable without requiring removal of the cover or disassembly of the shaft. This allows operators to inspect, clean, and maintain the shredding elements directly, reducing maintenance time and complexity.
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 shredder achieves efficient material separation without precision shredding operations, reduces maintenance complexity, and extends equipment life by preventing damage from coarser elements, while ensuring easier inspection, cleaning, and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
multiple supporting elements being keyed on said shaft, each supporting a plurality of shredding elements... a first crushing stage, a second disaggregation stage, a third compaction stage, a fourth micronization stage
Implementation Method 2
a rotating shaft, which is internal and coaxial to said casing, multiple supporting elements being keyed on said shaft
Implementation Method 3
said shredding elements have circular trajectories with a circumference that at least partially increases from the upper part toward the lower part of the shredder
Implementation Method 4
said shredding elements have circular trajectories with a circumference that at least partially increases from the upper part toward the lower part of the shredder
Data Source
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AI summary
A shredder (10), of the type with a vertical axis, comprising: - a substantially tubular casing (11), which is closed upward by a cover (12) and downward by a base (22), - a rotating shaft (13), which is internal and coaxial to the casing (11), multiple supporting elements (14) being keyed on the shaft (13), each supporting a plurality of shredding elements (15). The shredding elements (15) have circular trajectories with a circumference that at least partially increases from the upper part toward the lower part of the shredder (10).