Enclosed multi-disk powder feed system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448201-B1
Application number	US-202519190196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2025
Priority date	Jan 29, 2025
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A feeder system includes a donut-ring-shaped first wheel having a first groove recessed below its top surface, with a first hopper positioned above to receive material. A first conduit connects the hopper bottom to the groove, defining a feeding path. A mixer unit receives materials, connected to the first groove via a first suction head. A first motor rotates the first wheel, transferring material from hopper to groove to mixer unit. A donut-ring-shaped second wheel includes a second groove, second hopper, and second conduit. A second suction head connects this groove to the mixer unit, while a second motor enables wheel rotation for material transfer. The mixer unit combines both materials. The feeder system implements coaxial wheel arrangement with independent material flow control, enabling independent powder delivery for additive manufacturing applications.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An enclosed powder feeder system, comprising:
a first wheel that is donut-ring-shaped and has a first groove recessed below a top surface of the first wheel;
a first hopper positioned above the first wheel and configured to receive a first material;
a first conduit connecting a bottom of the first hopper to the first groove and defining a first feeding path for the first material;
a mixer unit;
a first suction head having a first end connected to the first groove and a second end connected to the mixer unit;
a first motor configured to rotate the first wheel so that the first material is transferred from the first hopper to the first groove via the first conduit and then to the mixer unit via the first suction head;
a second wheel that is donut-ring-shaped and has a second groove recessed below a top surface of the second wheel;
a second hopper positioned above the second wheel and configured to receive a second material;
a second conduit connecting a bottom of the second hopper to the second groove and defining a second feeding path for the second material;
a second suction head having a first end connected to the second groove and a second end connected to the mixer unit; and
a second motor configured to rotate the second wheel so that the second material is transferred from the second hopper to the second groove via the second conduit and then to the mixer unit via the second suction head, wherein
the mixer unit is configured to mix the first material and the second material; and
an enclosure including a flat top portion and a cylindrical bottom portion, wherein the cylindrical bottom portion contains the first and second wheels.

2. The feeder system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft extending through a center of the first wheel and a center of the second wheel, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are co-axial.

3. The feeder system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first wheel is positioned above the second wheel, and
the first wheel has a smaller circumference than the second wheel.

4. The feeder system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first groove surrounds an inner side surface of the first wheel by 360 degrees and is surrounded by an outer side surface of the first wheel by 360 degrees, and
the second groove surrounds an inner side surface of the second wheel by 360 degrees and is surrounded by an outer side surface of the second wheel by 360 degrees.

5. The feeder system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first conduit and the first suction head are positioned at different angular positions of the first groove, and
the second conduit and the second suction head are positioned at different angular positions of the second groove.

6. The feeder system of claim 5 , wherein:
the first suction head and the second suction head are positioned at a same angular position relative to the shaft.

7. The feeder system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first groove is ring-shaped, and
the second groove is ring-shaped.

8. The feeder system of claim 4 , wherein:
when viewed along the shaft, the outer side surface of the first wheel is surrounded by the inner side surface of the second wheel by 360 degrees.

9. The feeder system of claim 8 , wherein:
when viewed along the shaft, the outer side surface of the first wheel is spaced apart from the inner side surface of the second wheel.

10. The feeder system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first groove defines a first continuous ring-shaped space to receive the first material, and
the second groove defines a second continuous ring-shaped space to receive the second material.

11. The feeder system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first suction head is shorter than the second suction head.

12. The feeder system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first end of the first suction head is tapered and is positioned in the first groove, and
the first end of the second suction head is tapered and is positioned in the second groove.

13. The feeder system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum pump including:
a first flow line connecting the second end of the first suction head to the mixer unit; and
a second flow line connecting the second end of the second suction head to the mixer unit.

14. The feeder system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first hopper comprises a first screw feeder, and
the second hopper comprises a second screw feeder.

15. The feeder system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first screw motor configured to rotate the first screw feeder; and
a second screw motor configured to rotate the second screw feeder.

16. The feeder system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first screw motor is configured to rotate the first screw feeder at a different speed from the first wheel, and
the second screw motor is configured to rotate the second screw feeder at a different speed from the second wheel.

17. The feeder system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor positioned below the first hopper and configured to measure a weight of the first hopper and the first material therein; and
a second sensor positioned below the second hopper and configured to measure a weight of the second hopper and the second material therein.

18. The feeder system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first wheel disc that is in direct contact with the first wheel; and
a second wheel disc that is in direct contact with the second wheel, wherein
the first motor is configured to rotate the first wheel by rotating the first wheel disc which rotates the first wheel, and
the second motor is configured to rotate the second wheel by rotating the second wheel disc which rotates the second wheel.

19. The feeder system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third wheel that is donut-ring-shaped and has a third groove recessed below a top surface of the third wheel;
a third hopper positioned above the third wheel and configured to receive a third material;
a third conduit connecting a bottom of the third hopper to the third groove and defining a third feeding path for the third material;
a third suction head having a first end connected to the third groove and a second end connected to the mixer unit; and
a third motor configured to rotate the third wheel so that the third material is transferred from the third hopper to the third groove via the third conduit and then to the mixer unit via the third suction head, wherein
the mixer unit is configured to mix the first material, the second material and the third material.

20. The feeder system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a shaft extending through a center of the first wheel and a center of the second wheel, wherein
the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel are co-axial,
the first wheel is positioned above the second wheel which is positioned above the third wheel, and
the first wheel has a smaller circumference than the second wheel which has a smaller circumference than the third wheel.

Assignees

• Univ Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd

Inventors

• Khan Mushtaq
• Asad Muhammad
• Khan Muhammad Imran

Classifications

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B29C64/336

  of two or more materials · CPC title

• B22F12/58

  for changing the material composition, e.g. by mixing · CPC title

• B28B13/022

  Feeding several successive layers, optionally of different materials · CPC title

• B22F12/52

  Hoppers · CPC title