Powder feed system
AssigneeMannKind Corporation
InventorMichael A. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fine powder is reliably dispensed from a hopper into containers on a moving conveyor belt with the assistance of a powder feed system. The hopper serves as a powder inlet that dispenses by gravity into a feed chamber that is form fitted to the sweep of a relatively slow rotating feed wheel with two spaced sets of pins. A relatively fast rotating agitator is located below the feed wheel which has a series of agitating blades that rotate between the span of the feed wheel pins, the blades in at least one embodiment resemble a J-shape. The agitator is located directly above a rotary trap chamber wheel, which has recesses that take doses of powder and dispense them into awaiting containers moving on a conveyor belt below.
Claims18
A powder fill system comprising:
- a housing defining a feed chamber to hold powder, the feed chamber having a powder inlet and a powder outlet;
- at least one feed wheel in the feed chamber, the feed wheel rotating about a horizontal feed wheel axis, wherein the feed wheel comprises a feed wheel hub and pins that extend radially from the feed wheel hub, wherein the pins include a first pin set and a second pin set, and wherein the first and second pin sets are axially spaced apart along the feed wheel axis;
- at least one agitator positioned in the feed chamber to move the powder from the feed wheel to the powder outlet of the feed chamber, the agitator rotating about a horizontal agitator axis, the powder outlet being located at the bottom of the feed chamber under the agitator, so that the agitator pushes powder over the powder outlet, wherein the agitator comprises an agitator hub mounted for rotation about the agitator axis and agitator elements that extend from the agitator hub, wherein the agitator elements comprise J-shaped pins affixed to the agitator hub, each of the J-shaped pins including a straight base section that pushes powder toward the powder outlet, wherein the J-shaped pins of the agitator rotate between the pins of the first and second pin sets of the feed wheel and wherein the outer diameters of the feed wheel and the agitator overlap;
- a drive mechanism to rotate the feed wheel about the feed wheel axis and to rotate the agitator about the agitator axis;
- and
- a powder dispensing device positioned below the powder outlet to receive powder through the powder outlet and to dispense a controlled quantity of powder to a powder container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.