Combination Weigher with Annular Recycling Table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional combination weighers face challenges in efficiently discharging products from weighing hoppers not selected for the discharge combination without manual intervention, leading to reduced productive capacity, especially when products tend to stick together or exceed target weights, making it difficult to determine suitable discharge combinations.
Innovation Solution
A combination weigher configuration with circularly arranged weighing hoppers, a collecting chute, a recycle conveyor, and control means to selectively discharge products either inwardly to the collecting chute or outwardly to the recycle conveyor, allowing for automatic recycling of excess products without manual intervention and maintaining productive capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If products are discharged from weighing hoppers not selected for discharge combination without manual intervention, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for additional discharge paths and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge system is segmented into multiple independent discharge paths: an inward discharge path to the collecting chute for selected hoppers, and an outward discharge path to the recycle conveyor for non-selected hoppers. Each weighing hopper is equipped with separate discharge gates (inner gate and outer gate) that can operate independently, allowing parallel processing of different product streams without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control means acts as an intermediary that automatically determines the discharge destination based on combination calculation results. It receives weight data from weighing hoppers, performs combination calculations to identify selected and non-selected hoppers, and automatically directs products to appropriate discharge paths without requiring manual judgment or intervention.
2Loss of time
If weighing hoppers are arranged in circular shape with selective discharge, then discharge time is reduced and high-speed operation is achieved, but difficulty in discharging excess products increases without manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge system is made dynamic with weighing hoppers capable of switching discharge directions in real-time based on combination calculation results. The inner and outer gates can be opened or closed dynamically, and the recycle conveyor can be activated or deactivated, allowing the system to adapt its discharge pattern according to operational needs without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control means continuously receives weight data from weighing hoppers, performs combination calculations, and uses this feedback to automatically determine which hoppers should discharge inward to the collecting chute and which should discharge outward to the recycle conveyor. This closed-loop control eliminates the need for manual judgment in discharging excess products.
3Manufacturing precision
If products exceeding target weight or tending to stick together are automatically recycled, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional conveyor and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary combination calculations before discharge to identify which weighing hoppers contain products that should be recycled. The control means determines in advance which hoppers will discharge to the recycle conveyor based on weight data, allowing products exceeding target weight or likely to cause sticking issues to be automatically routed for recycling before they can affect packaging quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A combination weigher of the present invention comprises a plurality of weighing hoppers which are arranged in a circular shape and are each configured to discharge the products selectively in one of two directions, a collecting chute which is configured to gather the products which have been discharged from the weighing hopper in the inward direction and to discharge the products, a recycle conveyor configured to convey the products which have been discharged from the weighing hoppers in the outward direction and have been loaded onto the recycle conveyor, a discharge means which is configured to discharge the products from the recycle conveyor; a combination calculation means which is configured to determine a discharge combination, a recycle hopper determination means configured to determine a weighing hopper whose products should be recycled, and a control means configured to cause the weighing hoppers selected to form the discharge combination to discharge the products in the inward direction, and to cause the weighing hopper determined by the recycle hopper determination means to discharge the products in the outward direction.