초록 ▼

A blending scale for dosing and blending two products. The blending scale includes an auxiliary product dosing device, and an auxiliary product dispenser receiving the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product dosing device and releasing the auxiliary product within a dynamic unconstrained stream

A blending scale for dosing and blending two products. The blending scale includes an auxiliary product dosing device, and an auxiliary product dispenser receiving the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product dosing device and releasing the auxiliary product within a dynamic unconstrained stream of the main product to produce and maximize a blend of the auxiliary and main products. A blend collector measures a quantity of the blend of the auxiliary and main products. A controller controls release of the auxiliary product in a synchronized manner with the dynamic unconstrained stream of the main product, based on the defined quantity of the auxiliary product measured by the auxiliary product dosing device. The dynamic stream of the main product is terminated once a targeted quantity of the blend measured by the blend collector is obtained. A method for accurately dosing and homogeneously blending two products is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A blending scale for dosing and blending a main product and an auxiliary product comprising: a main product feeding system;an auxiliary product dosing device comprising an auxiliary product feeding hopper and a measuring device including an auxiliary product container with discharge doors, the au

1. A blending scale for dosing and blending a main product and an auxiliary product comprising: a main product feeding system;an auxiliary product dosing device comprising an auxiliary product feeding hopper and a measuring device including an auxiliary product container with discharge doors, the auxiliary product feeding hopper supplying the auxiliary product container with the auxiliary product and the measuring device weighing a quantity of the auxiliary product contained in the auxiliary product container to obtain a value indicative of a weight of the quantity of the auxiliary product, the discharge doors of the auxiliary product container being configurable in an open configuration for releasing the weighed quantity of the auxiliary product;an auxiliary product dispenser receiving the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product dosing device and releasing the auxiliary product;a blend collector comprising a single weigh pan with discharge doors configurable in a closed configuration and an open configuration, said weigh pan being suspended by loadcells, the blend collector with the discharge doors configured in the closed configuration receiving the auxiliary product released from the auxiliary product dispenser and a quantity of the main product from the main product feeding system and weighing a blend of the auxiliary and main products; anda controller operatively connected to the auxiliary product dosing device and the blend collector for recording and tracking the weight obtained by the auxiliary product dosing device with the discharge doors of the auxiliary product container configured in the closed configuration and the weight of the blend of the auxiliary and main products weighed by the blend collector with the discharge doors configured in the closed configuration, the controller also controlling the configuration of the discharge doors of the auxiliary product container and the blend collector between the open configuration and the closed configuration to release of the main and auxiliary products, based on the weight of the auxiliary product weighed by the auxiliary product dosing device, and terminating the release of the main product from the main product feeding system once a targeted quantity of the blend weighed by the blend collector is obtained. 2. The blending scale according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary product dispenser is configured to release the quantity of the auxiliary product concurrently with a release of the main product so as to produce a homogeneous blend of the auxiliary and main products. 3. The blending scale according to claim 1, further comprising an additional auxiliary product dosing device and auxiliary product dispenser to produce blends of at least three products. 4. The blending scale according to claim 1, further comprising a frame with a security system and an opening to allow visual access and maintenance of at least one of the auxiliary product dosing device, the auxiliary product dispenser and the blend collector. 5. The blending scale of claim 1, wherein the main product feeding system and the auxiliary product dispenser are configured to release the main product and the auxiliary product, respectively, such that the auxiliary product is released within a dynamic unconstrained stream of the main product to produce a blend of the auxiliary and main products. 6. The blending scale according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary product dispenser comprises an adjustable controllable outlet. 7. The blending scale according to claim 6, wherein the adjustable controllable outlet is configured to regulate a flow of the auxiliary product into the blend collector. 8. The blending scale according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary product dispenser further comprises an inlet and a plurality of dividers for dispersion of the auxiliary product between said inlet and the adjustable controllable outlet. 9. A blending scale for dosing and blending a main product and an auxiliary product, the blending scale comprising: a blend collector including a weighing device to weigh a quantity of a blend of the auxiliary product and the main product contained in the blend collector and being selectively configurable in a closed configuration for containing and weighing the quantity of the blend of the auxiliary product and the main product and in a discharge configuration for releasing the quantity of the blend of the auxiliary product and the main product therefrom;an auxiliary product dosing device including an auxiliary product feeding hopper and a measuring device with an auxiliary product container, the auxiliary product container receiving auxiliary product from the auxiliary product feeding hopper, the measuring device weighing a quantity of the auxiliary product contained in the auxiliary product container and the auxiliary product container being selectively configurable in a closed configuration for containing and weighing the quantity of the auxiliary product and in a discharge configuration for releasing the quantity of the auxiliary product in the blend collector;a main product feeding system having a feeder selectively configurable in a closed configuration preventing release of the main product and in a discharge configuration for releasing the main product in the blend collector; anda controller operatively connected to the blend collector, the auxiliary product dosing device and the main product feeding system to receive weight data from the weighing device of the blend collector and the measuring device of the auxiliary product dosing device and to send instruction data to configure the blend collector in the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the weighing device, to configure the auxiliary product container in the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the measuring device, and to configure the feeder of the main product feeding system selectively in the closed configuration and the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the weighing device and the measuring device. 10. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary product container comprises discharge doors, the discharge doors being closed in the closed configuration of the auxiliary product containerand being opened in the discharge configuration of the auxiliary product container. 11. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the blend collector comprises a container containing the quantity of the blend of the auxiliary product and the main product, the container having an inlet to receive the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product container and the main product from the main product feeding system and an outlet with discharge doors, the discharge doors being closed in the closed configuration of the blend collector and being opened in the discharge configuration of the blend collector. 12. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the main product feeding system further comprises a main product hopper with the feeder operatively connected thereto. 13. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the main product feeding system in the closed configuration and the blend collector in the discharge configuration when the weight data received from the weighing device indicates that a predetermined weight is reached. 14. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the auxiliary product container and the main product feeding system in the discharge configurations when the weight data received from the measuring device indicates that a predetermined weight is reached. 15. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the auxiliary product container and the main product feeding system in the discharge configurations when the weight data received from the measuring device indicates that a predetermined weight is reached and the weight data indicates that the blend collector is substantially empty. 16. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the auxiliary product container in the closed configuration when the weight data received from the measuring device indicates that auxiliary product container is substantially empty. 17. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the blend collector in the closed configuration when the weight data received from the weighing device indicates that blend collector is substantially empty. 18. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary product container and the feeder of the main product feeding system are configured concurrently in the discharge configurations with the blend collector being configured in the closed configuration. 19. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary product container and the feeder of the main product feeding system are configured in the closed configuration when the blend collector is configured in the discharge configuration. 20. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, further comprising an auxiliary product dispenser mounted between the auxiliary product dosing device and the blend collector, the auxiliary product dispenser receiving the auxiliary product discharged from the auxiliary product dosing device configured in the discharge configuration and dispensing the auxiliary product in the blend collector. 21. The blending scale as claimed in claim 20, wherein the auxiliary product dispenser comprises dividers to distribute and direct the release of the auxiliary product received from the auxiliary product container into the blend collector. 22. The blending scale as claimed in claim 21, wherein the auxiliary product dispenser further comprises an open inlet and a directional outlet including the dividers and at least one adjustable controllable outlet to regulate a flow of the auxiliary product flowing into the blend collector, the open inlet receiving the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product container and directing the auxiliary product into the directional outlet. 23. The blending scale as claimed in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary product feeding hopper is selectively configurable in a non-discharging configuration preventing release of the auxiliary product in the auxiliary product container and in a discharge configuration to release the auxiliary product in the auxiliary product container configured in the closed configuration, the auxiliary product feeding hopper being operatively connected to the controller and being configured in the non-discharge configuration and in the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the measuring device. 24. The blending scale as claimed in claim 23, wherein the controller sends instructions data to configure the auxiliary product feeding hopper in the discharge configuration when the weight data received from the measuring device indicates that the auxiliary product container is substantially empty and in the closed configuration when the weight data received from the measuring device indicates that a predetermined weight is reached. 25. The blending scale as claimed in claim 23, wherein the auxiliary product feeding hopper is configured in the discharge configuration when the auxiliary product container is in the closed configuration and the auxiliary product feeding hopper is configured in the closed configuration when the auxiliary product container is in the discharge configuration. 26. A blending scale for dosing and blending a main product and an auxiliary product, the blending scale comprising: a blend collector comprising a blend collector container having an outlet with discharge doors and a weighing device to weigh a quantity of a blend of the auxiliary product and the main product contained in the blend collector container, the discharge doors being selectively configurable in a closed configuration for containing and weighing the quantity of the blend of the auxiliary product and the main product contained in the blend collector container and in a discharge configuration for releasing a targeted quantity of the blend of the auxiliary product and the main product therefrom;an auxiliary product dosing device comprising an auxiliary product feeding hopper containing the auxiliary product and a measuring device including an auxiliary product container with discharge doors, the auxiliary product container receiving the auxiliary product from the auxiliary product feeding hopper, the measuring device being configured to weigh a quantity of the auxiliary product contained in the auxiliary product container, the discharge doors being selectively configurable in a closed configuration for containing and weighing the quantity of the auxiliary product contained in the auxiliary product container and in a discharge configuration for releasing a targeted quantity of the auxiliary product in the blend collector;a main product feeding system having a feeder with a catch gate selectively configurable in a closed configuration preventing release of the main product from the feeder and in a discharge configuration for releasing the main product in the blend collector; anda controller operatively connected to the blend collector, the auxiliary product dosing device and the main product feeding system to receive weight data from the weighing device of the blend collector and the measuring device of the auxiliary product dosing device and to send instruction data to configure the discharge doors of the blend collector in the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the weighing device, to configure the discharge doors of the auxiliary product container in the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the measuring device, and to configure the catch gate of the feeder of the main product feeding system selectively in the closed configuration and the discharge configuration based on the weight data received from the weighing device and the measuring device.