IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,661,282
Granted Patent B2
US 11,661,282 · App. 17/254,203 · Granted May 30, 2023

Spherical object falling buffer device

Inventors: Haiquan Zhang (Beijing, CN); Junfeng Nie (Beijing, CN); Xin Wang (Beijing, CN); Hongke Li (Beijing, CN); Zuoyi Zhang (Beijing, CN); Yujie Dong (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
B65G11/203B65G65/32B65G69/16G21C19/202B65G2201/0214
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,661,282
App. No.
17/254,203
Granted
May 30, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application relates to a spherical object falling buffer device including a flow-limiting pipe assembly and a central column assembly; wherein the flow-limiting pipe assembly includes a flow-limiting pipe, a redirecting joint and a sphere outlet pipe; a diameter of the flow-limiting pipe is greater than that of the sphere outlet pipe, and an inner surface of the redirecting joint is a conical surface; the central column assembly includes at least a central column arranged in the flow-limiting pipe; a flow-guiding region is provided between the flow-limiting pipe and the central column, and a plurality of gravity flow guide grooves are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the central column. The spherical object falling buffer device may restrict, guide and buffer spherical objects during falling, and avoids collision damage of the spherical objects or the stock bin due to the excessive falling speed of the spherical objects.

Claims (10)

1. A spherical object falling buffer device, comprising a flow-limiting pipe assembly and a central column assembly; wherein the flow-limiting pipe assembly comprises a flow-limiting pipe, a redirecting joint and a sphere outlet pipe that are connected in sequence from top to bottom; a diameter of the flow-limiting pipe is greater than that of the sphere outlet pipe, and an inner surface of the redirecting joint is a conical surface; the central column assembly comprises at least a central column arranged in the flow-limiting pipe; a flow-guiding region is provided between the flow-limiting pipe and the central column, and several gravity flow guide grooves are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the central column.

2. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 1 , wherein the gravity flow guide grooves are spiral guide grooves annularly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the central column.

3. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 1 , wherein the central column comprises a connecting column and a connecting rod that arranged in sequence from top to bottom; the connecting column is arranged in the flow-limiting pipe; a bottom of the connecting rod passes through the redirecting joint and is arranged in the sphere outlet pipe; the connecting column is detachably connected to the connecting rod.

4. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 3 , wherein the central column further comprises a sphere outlet rod connected to the connecting rod, and a bottom of the sphere outlet rod is provided with a redirecting end.

5. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 4 , wherein the gravity flow guide grooves are vertical guide grooves; the central column is provided with a plurality of guide groove edges extending vertically, the plurality of guide groove edges are annularly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the central column, and one of the vertical guide grooves is formed between two adjacent guide groove edges of the plurality of guide groove edges.

6. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 5 , wherein the redirecting end comprises inner inclined surfaces provided in the respective vertical guide grooves respectively and an external tapered surface provided on the outside of the sphere outlet rod; the external tapered surface and the vertical guide groove are connected through the inner inclined surface.

7. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 2 , wherein a first convex rib or a concave groove is provided on the inner surface of the redirecting joint.

8. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 5 , wherein second convex ribs of which the number is equal to that of the guide groove edges are provided on the inner surface of the redirecting joint, and each of the second convex ribs corresponds one-to-one to each of the guide groove edge.

9. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 1 , further comprising a sphere inlet pipe assembly connected to an upper portion of the flow-limiting pipe; wherein the sphere inlet pipe assembly comprises several feed pipes, and sphere inlet holes of which the number is equal to that of the feed pipes are provided on the flow-limiting pipe; the sphere inlet holes are connected to the flow-guiding region; and each of the feed pipes is connected to each of the sphere inlet holes in a one-to-one correspondence respectively through feed pipe orifices.

10. The spherical object falling buffer device of claim 1 , wherein the central column assembly further comprises a central column support connected to the top of the central column; wherein the central column support is connected to the flow-limiting pipe, and a shielding assembly is provided at the top of the flow-limiting pipe.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 30, 2020
From: ZHANG, HAIQUAN; NIE, JUNFENG; WANG, XIN; LI, HONGKE; ZHANG, ZUOYI; DONG, YUJIE
To: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 054781/0483 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201811639037.3 · Dec 29, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210261341A1 · Aug 26, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,673,826