Apparatuses and methods for measuring dustiness of a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12227370-B2
Application number	US-202318386810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2023
Priority date	Dec 8, 2022
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A method for measuring dustiness of a product. The method can include providing the product onto a ramp. The method further can include allowing gravity to move the product down the ramp through a dam. The dam can be configured to control a mass flow rate of the product moved down the ramp. The method additionally can include measuring, by a sensor, airborne particles to determine the dustiness of the product, wherein the airborne particles are generated by the product exiting the ramp and freely falling onto a support surface. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for measuring dustiness of a product comprising:
a ramp comprising a dam, wherein:
the dam is configured to control a mass flow rate of the product moved by gravity down the ramp; and

a sensor configured to measure airborne particles generated by the product exiting the ramp and freely falling onto a support surface to determine the dustiness of the product.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a container comprising:
a container body configured to hold the product; and
a door configured to close or open the container body,

wherein:
when the door is open, the container body discharges the product to the ramp.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the door and the ramp are configured so that the door, when open, lies on the ramp.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing comprising an interior space,
wherein:
a discharging end of the ramp is located within the interior space; and
the sensor is configured to measure the airborne particles within the interior space.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the ramp further comprises an angle of inclination relative to the support surface in a range of approximately 50 degrees to approximately 60 degrees; or
the sensor has an adjustable height.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor holder, wherein:
the sensor holder comprises:
a rail with multiple height levels; and
a platform configured to support the sensor at one of the multiple height levels.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wall, wherein:
at least a portion of the wall has a background color that is in clear contrast with a color of the product; and
the sensor is configured to detect the airborne particles against the background color of the at least the portion of the wall to determine the dustiness of the product.

8. An apparatus for measuring dustiness of a product comprising:
a container comprising:
a container body configured to hold the product; and
a door configured to close or open the container body;

a ramp, wherein:
the ramp is configured to:
receive the product discharged from the container body when the door is open; and
allow gravity to move the product down the ramp; and

the ramp further is configured so that the door, when open, lies on a surface of the ramp; and

a sensor configured to measure airborne particles generated by the product exiting the ramp and freely falling onto a support surface for determining the dustiness of the product.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a housing comprising an interior space,
wherein:
a discharging end of the ramp is located within the interior space; and
the sensor is configured to measure the airborne particles within the interior space.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein at least one of:
the ramp further comprises an angle of inclination relative to the support surface in a range of approximately 50 degrees to approximately 60 degrees; or
the sensor has an adjustable height.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a sensor holder, wherein:
the sensor holder comprise:
a rail with multiple height levels; and
a platform configured to support the sensor at one of the multiple height levels.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a wall, wherein:
at least a portion of the wall is of a background color that is in clear contrast with a color of the product; and
the sensor is configured to detect the airborne particles against the background color of the at least the portion of the wall to determine the dustiness of the product.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the ramp further comprises a dam configured to control a mass flow rate of the product moved down the ramp.

14. A method for measuring dustiness of a product, the method comprising:
providing the product onto a ramp;
allowing gravity to move the product down the ramp through a dam, wherein:
the dam is configured to control a mass flow rate of the product moved down the ramp; and

measuring, by a sensor, airborne particles to determine the dustiness of the product, wherein the airborne particles are generated by the product exiting the ramp and freely falling onto a support surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
providing the product onto the ramp further comprises:
using a container to hold the product; and
opening a door of the container to discharge the product from the container onto the ramp; and

allowing gravity to move the product further comprises:
allowing gravity to move the product from the door of the container onto the ramp, down the ramp through the dam, and to exit the ramp.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the door and the ramp are configured so that the door, when open, lies on the ramp.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a housing having an interior space,
wherein:
measuring, by the sensor, the airborne particles further comprises measuring, by the sensor, the airborne particles within the interior space to determine the dustiness of the product.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of:
the ramp further comprises an angle of inclination relative to the support surface in a range of approximately 50 degrees to approximately 60 degrees; or
the method further comprises, before providing the product onto the ramp and before measuring the airborne particles, adjusting a height of the sensor.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
adjusting a height of the sensor, comprising:
providing a platform configured to support the sensor; and
coupling the platform supporting the sensor to one of multiple height levels of a rail so that the sensor reaches the height.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
at least a portion of a wall has a background color so that the sensor can detect the airborne particles against the at least the portion of the wall having the background color; and
measuring, by the sensor, the airborne particles further comprises:
measuring, by the sensor, the airborne particles against the background color of the at least the portion of the wall to determine the dustiness of the product.

Assignees

• Petsmart Home Office Inc

Inventors

• Ovalle Saul C
• Schnepf James
• Euske Amy

Classifications

• B65G11/023

  for articles · CPC title

• B65G2203/0208

  relating to the transported articles · CPC title

• B65G11/203

  for articles · CPC title

• B65G2203/042

  Sensors · CPC title

• G01N15/02

  Investigating particle size or size distribution (by measuring osmotic pressure G01N7/10; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10) · CPC title